Forest Lake Archives - Page 10 of 12

Jetty Walk Village in Forest Lake Calls For Rezoning

Since last year, Forest Lake residents have been very active in opposing several residential developments in the area. Amidst the protests against the Brisbane City Council and the developers, Cr Charles Strunk has initiated a call for Council to come up with an area rezoning.

Development Woes

One of the most recent developments that elicited protests from the local community is the eight-storey development at 5 The Esplanade. Residents point out that the project does not meet the area’s zoning requirements. Submissions enumerate that the style, visual design, and the bulk of the building clashes with the landscape of the suburb. It also obstructs the lake view of the residents living in the south.

Residents also think that the development will cause traffic congestion and an increase in on-street parking.

Precinct Rezoning

Jetty Walk Village residents have been enjoined to launch a petition asking for the council to rezone the area to low density.

Specifically, the Council is being asked to make changes to the Forest Lake Neighbourhood Plan.

Currently, the area is zoned as medium density, which allows buildings of up to five storeys. Residents have been quick to point out the proposed development at 5 The Esplanade is an 8-storey retirement apartment, so it exceeds even the current zoning.

The precinct is filled with homes that are not higher than two storeys, which is why higher developments in the area are often met with protests from the residents.

Forest Lake Being Monitored After Recent Fish Kill of Unknown Cause

Earlier this month, Forest Lake’s tilapia population took a significant hit after significant quantities of tilapia were seen floating dead in the water, contributing to the putrid smell emanating from the area.

A massive clean up has been done but the investigation as to how these fish died still continues.

Councillor Charles Strunk of the Forest Lake ward said that the Brisbane City Council has done a number of tests on the water quality. There is a strong suspicion that a large drop in temperature could have caused the tilapia to die.

Public Reaction

However, Pest Fishing Adventures (PFA) and the residents of the suburb are not convinced. They think that the health of the lake is also a big consideration. Although considered a pest fish, it is still important to know the cause of the fish kill in order to monitor the health of the lake and help maintain the ecological balance in the lake area.

In fact, following the incident, PFA is calling for the council to put more focus on tilapia. They also said that the city needs more organisations to get involved in raising awareness and removing this type of pest fish.

What The Council Is Doing

For now, Cr Strunk announced that the council will have someone visit the lake daily to properly monitor the situation.

The council classifies tilapia as a noxious fish. They have implemented a management strategy to manage this by:

Spreading awareness about the impacts of pest fish on the natural environment and managing them
Educating the local communities on the risks pest fish brings to the native biodiversity
Providing support to research into biological controls and new innovations to manage pest fish
Containing pest fish and preventing them infiltrating other bodies of water
Managing pest fish by reducing the population density of established species where possible

Grand Avenue State School Ekka Fun Day Is Here Again!

On 15 August, bring the whole family with you to the Grand Avenue State School Ekka Fun Day. Starting at 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the school, you are in for a lot of fun activities and entertainment.

It’s not an Ekka Fun Day without the rides such as the Kamikaze, Dodgems, and the Hurricane MK1. You can now get your tickets here.

Photo credit: Grand Avenue State School Ekka Fun Day / Facebook

Hungerball Brisbane will also be there for the kids and they will surely have a lot of fun. Aside from that, there are also plenty of activities that adults and kids can participate in.

There’s a long line-up of food stalls at the event:

That Greek Truck
Mr America Hotdogs and Fries
i heat calamari
Roam’In Pizza-Woodfired Pizza
keys Mini Pancakes
Potato Twisters
Quality Turkish Food
Zoe’s Brownies – North Brisbane
Churros de Oro
Burman’s Bronuts
Luv a Cookie
Popcorn Man

Entry to the event is FREE.

Address: Grand Avenue State School, Centennial Way & Grand Avenue, Forest Lake QLD 4078, Australia

Events In And Around Forest Lake

Experience great live Science shows, or perhaps a musical night with talented students? Don’t miss out on an icon playing in August in the suburb! Here are some of the events that you can look forward to in and around Forest Lake!

26 July

St John’s Anglican College 25th Year Community Concert

Celebrate the St John’s Anglican College’s 25th year anniversary starting at 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The event will be headlined by James Morrison. Other entertainers will be the school’s performing arts students.

There will be a bar with some food available on-site.

Tickets are now available. You can get it here.

Address: College Ave, Forest Lake QLD 4078, Australia

8 August

Signature Music Night – Heroes

Presented by the Forest Lake State High School (FLSHS), enjoy a musical night starting at 6:30 p.m. at the FLSHS Hall. There will be a concert band, jazz band, drumline, and string orchestra.

Entrance is free.

Address: High St, Forest Lake QLD 4078, Australia

11 August

Brisbane Science Festival 2018

Street Science and other Queensland Science communicators, educators and research institutes will be present during this big National Science Week event. There will be a lot of activities as well as live Science performances.

This event will have two sessions within the day.

First session – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Second session – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Each session will feature these hands-on exhibits:

Forces, Fuels & Flight
Chemistry Chaos!
EXTREME Liquid Nitrogen
D.I.Y. Science
Street Science Mega Show

Kindly note that free general admission ticket allocations are no longer available. You can get your VIP tickets here instead.

Address: South Bank Piazza, 410 Stanley Street, South Brisbane

Forest Lake Kerbside Collection 2018: The Unspoken Rules

On 18 June, Forest Lake will have its kerbside collection. This annual service by the Brisbane City Council helps residents dispose of large household items.

There are certain rules that must be followed to ensure that all of the items you place outside will be taken by the council.

Here you can find the acceptable and unacceptable items. You can also download the Brisbane Bin and Recycling App on your smartphones to keep up-to-date and at the same time, be fully informed when it comes to recycling, kerbside collection dates, and other relevant information.

Now, let’s talk about the unofficial rules. These rules also promote efficiency for kerbside collection.

If you think an item is still useful, you can donate it to an op shop instead.
You can get items from other people’s piles before collection time, but make sure to keep kerb tidy.
Should you get an item from other people’s piles outside of their homes, you are not allowed to knock on their front door and ask them questions about the items.
Keep your kerb as neat as possible.

Have a great kerbside collection!

Forest Lake’s FLAG Gathers Community Support Against 5 The Esplanade Development

Forest Lake Active Group (FLAG) is determined to fight off development applications that don’t meet community standards. The current development application for the retirement facility, 5 The Esplanade, is in hot water as locals joined forces and gathered support to put a stop to it.

The development proposal was submitted in April to the Brisbane City Council. Upon learning about the application and the negative implications to the community standards, FLAG immediately planned their course of action.

An e-petition was launched protesting the eight-storey facility. So far, it has garnered over 500 signatures and it will be closing on the 10th of July. The petition is supported by Federal Labor MP for Oxley Milton Dick and Councillor Charles Strunk.

MP Milton Dick spoke in parliament on behalf of local Forest Lake residents against the planned high rise development by the lake.

Issues Raised

The residents’ concerns include the project not meeting the zoning requirements, the style, visual design, and the bulk of the building is non-compliant to the suburb’s landscape and architecture, obstruction of lake view for residents on the south, traffic congestion, and an increased on-street parking.

What angered the residents more is that they feel they got blindsided by JRD Number 2, based on the community meeting held in February in which the developer said that their plan is only a six-storey building, only for it to change upon the submission of the DA to the council.

With the e-petition ongoing, residents are determined to battle for this development not to proceed. FLAG continues to gather support and funds for a protest against this specific development. The group consists of real estate agents, solicitors, and residents who are determined to preserve the beauty of the suburb.

Also Read: Forest Lake Action Group Adamant To Fight For Their Suburb Against High Density Residential Developments

See details of the Development Application (A004909754).

Check Out These Fitness and Well-being Events in Forest Lake

Looking for fun ways to stay fit? Check out these free fitness and well-being events that will be held at the picturesque Lake Parklands in Forest Lake.

Dance2BFit

Thursday, 26 April 2018 (9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)

Photo credit: Facebook/BFit4Life – Dance, Cheer & Fitness

Dancing is not only a fun activity but also a great form of exercise. It’s good for your heart, helps you become stronger, and aids in improving your balance and coordination.

A 30-minute dance class is said to burn between 130 to 250 calories which is the same as jogging.

Dance2BFit, a high-energy dance fitness class, provides a full body workout. It combines all styles of dance and movement. Try out a different form of full-body workout that is both fun and easy yet effective.

Dance2BFit is open to all ages so you can bring your family along. Booking is not required for this free event.

To learn more about the dance fitness class, you may call or text BFit4Life – Dance, Cheer & Fitness on 0415 651 290 during business hours.

Participants are asked to meet at the stage overlooking the lake. A car park is available on Forest Lake Boulevard.

Fitness 4 me

Saturday, 28 April 2018 (7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.)

Photo credit: Facebook/MONA Health Coach

Fitness 4 me is a skipping and hula hooping exercise class brought to you by Aggie at Mona Health Coach. It includes weight training, cardio and flexibility exercises that assist with join movements.

Open for all ages, this exercise class is free for all and no bookings required. For more information, call Aggie at Mona Health Coach on 0433 463 578.

Participants are required to bring an exercise mat or towel.

Meeting point will be under the blue shade sails of the Lake Parklands.

Yoga back to nature

Monday, 30 April 2018 (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.)

Yoga is considered as one of the most effective ways to heal and strengthen the body. Aside from being a full-body exercise, it brings stillness to the mind, filling your life with inspiration, purpose, and abundance while being a fun activity.

Yoga back to nature will help you reap the benefits of yoga in an outdoor setting. Practising yoga outdoors and being one with nature lets you experience yoga as it was originally intended.

This free event is open to all ages and bookings are not required. For more information about this activity, call Nicola at YogandU on 0406 574 454.

Don’t forget to bring your yoga mat.

Participants are asked to meet at the stage overlooking the lake.

Itchy Grubs Spotted In Forest Lake & Other South East Areas

Hairy caterpillars are taking over the South East Queensland. In Forest Lake, a local has also seen quite an infestation in their neighbourhood.

It all started when a resident in Noosa Heads area posted on Facebook a photo of caterpillars that have inhabited her home. After that post, other residents also shared photos of caterpillars in their properties.

Such species is called the Ochrogaster lunifera, a sub-species of the bag-shelter moth. They are also referred to as “itchy grubs” and can be a threat to humans and pets. Their hairs can cause irritation to the skin and eyes.

The sudden outbreak of the caterpillar may be due to the weather. Normally, these insects are seen between September and November. However, the recent wet weather, combined with extreme heat that Queensland has experienced, could have affected the life cycle of the insects. This has caused the increase in their numbers this month.

Last year, a sudden outbreak also caught the attention of many. In May 2017, hairy caterpillars were spotted in various areas in south-east Queensland.

University of Queensland professor, Myron Zalucki said these caterpillars are social creatures that form a chain or what is mostly referred to as “procession.” Each procession is most likely one family group and they stick together as one.

Forest Lake Residents Petition To Return Lake To Its Former Beauty

Forest Lake residents are eager to see a cleaner and more beautiful lake in the suburb. For this purpose, the Forest Lake Community Crime Watch has launched a petition demanding Brisbane City Council to take action.

Algae, Weeds, Pest Fish Problem

The petition asks the council to clean the lake by removing algae, weeds, and pest fish.

Earlier this year, the fish ban in the lake was lifted for the Chillout Fishing Event. Participants were taught how to fish and they caught plenty of pest fish.

As they saw the huge number of pest fist in the lake, the locals as well as the participants felt more eager to catch pest fish in the lake and looked forward similar events in the future.

However, the council hasn’t committed to a regular fishing event in the area or to lifting its fishing bans.

Ibis Infestation Continues

Ibis infestation is another issue plaguing the area. Trees have been stripped of leaves, leaving other birds with no place to live.

There are also bird droppings that are not only an eyesore, but are causing an unpleasant smell around the area.

The Ibis issue has already been raised last year and the council has implemented rules such as reducing the food sources as well as installing signages that warn visitors not to feed the birds. They have also started cleaning picnic areas.

When the Ibis issue was raised, the council also encouraged residents to make an effort and contribute to reducing the number of ibis in their properties.

Filtration System

Locals are also asking for a better filtration system to make the water clear again. The surrounding infrastructure around the lake also needs attention with parks and pathways in need of maintenance whilst some needs upgrades or repair.

Lighting Upgrades

More lighting around the lake is also requested by residents for night time walking. They also seek for GPS coordinates for the Emergency Location signage around the lake. More rubbish bins are also needed to prevent littering in the area.

The petition has so far garnered over 800 signatures so far.

Actions Taken

A master plan for a revitalised parklands was revealed by Cr Charles Strunk in November last year to improve the lake and its surrounding areas. However, it will take some years to complete.

There are already some works underway such as the upgrade of walkway lighting, a new picnic area with family barbecue, and a new children’s playground equipment.

Cr Strunk may agree with the residents regarding the improvement of the lake and the facilities that surround it, but he said that there is no plan to change the filtration methods.

Easter Carnival In Forest Lake

Celebrate Easter in Forest Lake with the whole family.

Are you up for some easter egg hunting, or carnival? This year’s carnival will give you both and more.

On 25 March starting at 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., head on over to The Lake in Forest Lake for the annual free Easter Carnival organised by the MTR Property Group. This is their fourth year hosting the event in collaboration with Heritage Bank, The Lions Club Forest Lake, and the Forest Lake Hotel.

There are so many activities in store for you. You can also participate in their Easter Egg Hunt.

Kids will enjoy the Jumping Castle and other fun games.

Snow cones, sausage sizzle, and popcorn are available as well.

This year will also be the launch of the Easter Bonnet Parade. Make sure that you bring yours because there are great prizes to be won.

The property group is known for hosting several events in the area such as the World’s Greatest Shave & Colour, and the Forest Lake Community Market.