Greenslopes Private Hospital (GPH) has just installed the new Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 PET/CT scanner early this month. GPH is the first private hospital to install this kind of scanner in South East Queensland. The scanner and associated equipment are now housed in the new Queensland X-Ray facility on the GPH’s lower ground level.
Modern Scanner to Benefit the Patients
Photo credit: Siemens Healthcare
Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 is built to reduce imaging time for patients. It is not a typical “one-size-fits-all” scanner that uses complex approach. Other scanners usually take a longer time to perform scans due to their “stop-and-go” technology. Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 uses FlowMotion technology that can standardize imaging protocolos, whilst ensuring personalized scans in a single, continuous, and fast scan.
In Queensland, there is one person diagnosed with cancer every 20 minutes. According to the data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, cancer (lung cancer, specifically) is one of the top five causes of death in Australia, accounting to 8,410 deaths.
The new technology in GPH can help in the early detection and treatment of cancer. The scanner will be used to stage and restage most cancers, such as prostate, colorectal, breast, and lung cancers.
Photo credit: Siemens Healthcare
The scanner can also detect some indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease. Queensland X-Ray PET/CT Coordinator John Barlow mentioned that some PET tracers can detect osteoblastic processes and amyloid presence in the brain. The scanner can measure how active a tumor is.
“The most common PET study involves an injection of a radioactive glucose which is metabolised by tumour cells. The PET/CT scanner is used to measure how much of the tracer is metabolised and therefore how active the tumour is,” Mr. Barlow said.
The site where the new scanner are located is also fitted with real-time radiation monitoring system, which means that GPH will be able to track radiation levels using an advanced technology.
GPH is also planning to move one of its Nuclear Medicine departments to the same location later this year. Once the plan commences, patients will be able to access dozens of additional tests in GPH, such as bone scans, gastrointestinal studies, myocardial perfusions scans, and thyroid scans.
Today, GPH is busy developing and constructing the Nicholson Street Specialist Centre. The specialist centre is foreseen to provide 30 additional medical consulting suites, all of which are expected to open late next year.
Sunday is family day! Sales and marketing company Taylored Enterprises is proud to organise a day of family fun and sports for a cause on Sunday, the 1st of October, at the Hanlon Park. Arrive anytime between 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and be ready to get physical!
Taylored Enterprises will bring the community together for bonding and fun. Everything is FREE. There will be free games for the children that will keep them busy all day. Hungry? No worries, even the food is free (and healthy, too!).
There’s a catch, but it’s a noble one. Just don’t forget to pack some pre-loved clothes and toys. This family fun day is for a good cause and that is to help the unprivileged kids and young families in Brisbane. Bring usable clothes and toys, or donate cash, if you want to help.
The goal of this event is to produce $10,000 cash donations, five trash bags of clothes, and five boxes of toys. All of the proceeds will be given to the Brisbane Youth Service and ACT for Kids.
Brisbane Youth Service
Photo credit: Brisbane Youth Service/ Facebook
The Brisbane Youth Service (BYS) is an organisation that supports homeless and disadvantaged young people, and young parents and their children. They provide emergency support to the youth that will address their basic needs in times of crisis, health services that cover both physical and mental issues, and endless support to young women and young parents.
Photo credit: www.brisyouth.org
The homeless youth of today strongly needs support. BYS is a registered Tier 3 housing provider under the National Regulatory System – Community Housing. They help homeless youth, especially young families, find safe and stable shelter.
BYS understands that sometimes, young people may find it difficult to voice out their needs to the government. BYS stands firm to their advocacy to support these young people who are having legal issues and other circumstances that are under the justice system.
There are numerous ways on how you can get involved, such as volunteering and donating. Visit their website to learn how you can help.
ACT for Kids
Photo credit: Act for Kids/Facebook
ACT for Kids has been providing free therapeutic support to children and families since 1988. They address child abuse and neglect in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Child Protection Australia, there were 42,457 children that were abused and neglected in just a period of one year.
There are different types of child abuse — physical, emotional, and sexual. Neglect happens when the basic needs of a child are not met, affecting their well-being. The impacts of emotional abuse and neglect are just as damaging as the impacts of the physical abuse. The most powerful actions that everyone should do to help these damaged children are listening and supporting.
Photo credit: Act for Kids/Facebook
ACT for Kids has different services that will help the children and their families. Their main priority is to enhance a child’s well being who experienced trauma or at risk of harm. Parents and family members who feel that they’re falling apart should also be supported.
These services are made possible by the community who lends a hand to the organisation. Visit their website to know more about child abuse and how you can help.
Greenslopes, it’s time to make a stand. Your help matters. Visit the event page for more details on how you can lend a hand to these organisations.
Outline in Color will rock the Greenslopes community on Friday, the 22nd of September. They are a five-member post hardcore band based from the USA. Currently visiting Brisbane as part of their Australian Tour, they’ll be performing alongside special guests Bayharbour and Kings.
The venue reserves the right to refuse admission to any person who are intoxicated. Dangerous stunts including crowd surfing and violent dancing will result in immediate removal from the concert. Wear comfy clothes, but thongs are not allowed.
The “Me Movement of My Life. My Style.” will host a “Happy Hour” for all women who want to have some “me-time”. It will be night of casual get togethers with friends, whilst enjoying complimentary drinks and nibbles, plus live music.
Caryn Thomas founded the “Me Movement” to inspire women to discover their true potential. It’s free to become a “Mover Member.” Proactive Members pay $97 per year and have access to discounted tickets for all of the movement’s events.
Posted by Elle Poulus on Monday, September 4, 2017
12RND Fitness, a fitness centre that focuses on high intensity group workouts, brings back the 12RND Fitness Time Trial. They are inviting the Greenslopes community to face the challenge of improving balance, agility, speed, coordination, flexibility, and endurance. The Time Trial is an event for everyone to test their fitness level, whether to beat their record or set a personal best.
Photo credit: Photography Workshops at Elite Studio/Facebook
Elite Studio will host a Photography Workshops about fundamental skills in photography — “seeing the light.” The workshop will cover the basic principles of light and its importance in every photo. This is a useful workshop for beginners and serious hobbyists who want to progress and update their skills in photography.
This week, Greenslopes will play host to different events around the suburb, ranging from photography, to a ball, to music, and even bootcamp. Here are some interesting events to keep you busy this week.
Photo credit: Photography Workshops at Elite Studio/Facebook
Photography Workshops at Elite Studio will host a session for photographers to explore the ethos and fashion of Punk. Join the model Candy-Anne and hair and makeup artist Rachael for an exciting and colourful evening of punk photography. The slots are limited to only a maximum of six photographers. B.Y.O. camera and lenses that are suitable for portraits.
Join the Griffith Dragons RLC as they celebrate their 2017 Universities Rugby League season at the Stones Corner Hotel. The ticket already includes a sit-down dinner, bar tab, and a surprise guest speaker. Wear your most sophisticated dresses and your most elegant black tie. This is a formal ball.
Brisbane’s much-loved singer-songwriter Tylea will be playing live to promote her newest album “The Lake of Sand and Stone”. She will be performing at Sonic Sherpa after her album launch at the Old Museum on Friday, the 15th of September. This is a free event which you must not miss, if you want to hear the return of one of Brisbane’s finest voices in the industry.
Fitness Done Different will be hosting a bootcamp to raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Queensland (MND QLD). MND QLD is a non-profit organisation that is committed to supporting people living with the disease in Queensland. Motor neurone disease is a group of diseases where the neurones or nerve cells refuse to work normally that affects the person’s ability to speak, walk, swallow, and even breathe.
All proceeds will go directly to MND QLD. Pre-purchasing of tickets is not required. The personal trainers have prepared a fun, challenging varied workout on the day so come prepared to move your muscles!
Stones Corner Market is back for the third time this year. Logan Road will be closed to traffic on Sunday, the 20th of August, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m, to give way to the market. Entry is always free, but some activities may require a small fee.
Photo credit: Stones Corner Market/Facebook
Market goers can expect something new and unique every time they visit this quarterly market. A treasure trove of items are waiting to be discovered at the pop-up stalls which will offer a variety of men’s and women’s fashion, children’s wear and toys, accessories and jewellery, arts and crafts, homeware and giftware, and other trendy finds.
Kid-Friendly & Pet-Friendly
Photo credit: Stones Corner Market/Facebook
Stone’s Corner Market is also a kids’ haven. They may not be too excited about the retail finds, but fudge and cupcakes is sure to satisfy their sweet tooth. Fun activities like face painting, petting zoo, jumping castle, and the new Tea Cup Ride will keep them busy all throughout the day.
Pets are invited, too. You can spoil your pooches with specialty pet food treats and accessories.
Foodies Rejoice!
Photo credit: Stones Corner Market/Facebook
Foodies will revel at the mix of Mexican and Asian cuisines at the market. There will be burgers, breakfast, and brunch-style meals. You can enjoy tasty nibbles at the food trucks and at the cafes and restaurants in the surrounding area.
Photo credit: Stones Corner Market/Facebook
Healthy is the new cool. Fresh juice bar and a Gelato ice creamery will be at the market. Gelatos, made from a milk base, have grown increasingly popular with the Brisbane crowd. Combined with fruits, gelatos are rich with vitamins and promote healthy eating without sacrificing taste.
Craft beers and wines will also be on offer at the pub and at the nearby hip bars.
Transport & Parking
Public transport is available in the area. Visit the Translink Journey Planner for detailed info about the public transport available on the day.
There are street parking around the area, however, the market will be jam-packed. If there will be a shortage on the street parking, the Secure Parking at the Stones Corner Village is available. The first two-hours of parking is free, but the succeeding hours will cover a fee of $3 to $18, depending how long.
Dress Code
Wear comfy clothes. Tank tops and shorts are allowed. Thongs are also accepted, but shoes are better. Bring extra set of clothes for the kids (for you, too) for this day-long event. Your pets should also be comfy, so be sure to bring their necessities.
Me Time Fitness will host their free school holiday, “Tone & Strengthen Class for Women”, as a kick off for new regular classes in Greenslopes.
Exercise Physiologists Nina Wright will be the class trainer. She created the program to provide a progressive growth for mums to get fit and make friends, while enjoying their “Me Time”.
The class will focus on strengthening pelvic floor muscles and getting a good range of cardio exercises. More than just a fitness class, mums will also foster their bub’s development through baby sign language, movement to nursery rhymes, and baby massage.
The Jam Pantry owner and Chef de Cuisine nims xx organised a workshop about how to make kombucha for carbonation. There will be demos on how to make traditional ginger bug for healthy ginger beer, traditional sodas, and fermented honey.
The Wheelpower Wellness will be hosting the “Tour de France Party”. Watch the tour and celebrate the biggest race, while sipping your drinks and having a great laugh.
Victor Huml, Greens Queensland’s candidate for Greenslopes, will be hosting the “Greens for Greenslopes Campaign Launch Party” at the Greenslopes Bowls Club. The party will kick off at 6:00 p.m. until midnight on 8th of July. It will be a night of great music and fun activities with themed games and photo booth.
The Music Line Up
Main Room
DJ Room
The Flangipanis
Boss Sounds
The Cutaways
Nowhere to Run
Plan of Attack
The Yard
Hound
DJ Honey
Dead Ringers
Acoustic set by Jud Campbell
What is Queensland Greens?
Greens Volunteer with Victor Huml (Photo credit: Victor Huml, The Greens candidate for Greenslopes/Facebook)
Although there is a great music line-up, the highlight of the launch party is the talk with Victor Huml, the Greens Queensland Candidate for Greenslopes.
Queensland Greens, founded in September 1991, focuses on the preservation of nature, its life forms and natural processes. Guided by principles of non-violence, social justice, grass-roots democracy, and ecological sustainability, it is affiliated with Greens Australia and other worldwide parties.
Green Electricity
Photo credit: www.inhabitat.com
As one of the candidates for Queensland Greens, Victor Huml aims to provide positive changes on housing affordability, renters’ rights, and affordable and clean electricity, similar to China’s Panda Power Plant.
The Panda Power Plant is a solar plant that will bring clean electricity and promote sustainable development among China’s young people. It has a capacity to bring 100 MW of electricity, enough to minimise carbon emissions.
Photo credit: Victor Huml, The Greens candidate for Greenslopes/Facebook
“… Which Australian animals would you like featured if Queensland built similar solar plants?” — Victor Huml, the Greens candidate for Greenslopes
To know about the essential information and proposals you can gain at the Greenslope’s campaign’s launch party, visit the event page or Victor Huml’s Facebook page.
Stage D of the Veloway 1 (V1), an infrastructure project delivered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, is now underway. When finished, the V1 will connect cyclists from Brisbane City to the Gateway Motorway at Eight Mile Plains. This project has been divided into five stages and right now, three stages are already completed and in use.
Stage D Completion
Veloway 1, Stage D (Photo credit: www.tmr.qld.gov.au)
Stage D, presently under construction, is scheduled to be completed by October 2017. It will run from Lewisham Street, Greenslopes to O’Keefe Street, Buranda. The Queensland Government has just announced a dedicated budget of $3.7 million for 2017-2018 out of the total $23.7 million proposed investment for the construction.
Stage D is divided into four sections, with completed sections 1, 2, and 4 that will only be in use once the ongoing Section 3 construction is completed. Other completed and upcoming stages of the V1 development can be viewed on Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads’ official website.
The V1 Project is a part of the $100-million, four-year Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane program that aims to extend Brisbane’s network of bikeways to provide ease of access to different destinations, especially the Central Business District. The BB4B program was launched by the Brisbane City Council in 2016.
Benefits and Advantages
Bike Routes to the CBD (Photo credit: www.space4cyclingbne.com)
The V1 project will successfully provide dedicated roads for cyclists that will ensure their safety and security. The 17-kilometre cycleway also promotes an active and healthy lifestyle. Cycling provides cardio benefits, and aids in strength conditioning, weight loss, and injury recovery.
Cycling to work, instead of just sitting in a car or on a bus, will be easier with the V1 project. With “Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane”, the community will be encouraged to walk or cycle. Over the last four years, South East Queensland has had a 12% increase in vehicle registrations that has contributed to greater congestion. The construction of the V1 will be able to reduce the number of vehicles on road; therefore, decreasing the congestion and decreasing the travel time from point A to point B, either via bicycle or car.
In a bid to study traffic and movement patters, eco-counters have been installed in some areas of the inner city, to monitor the volume of cyclists and pedestrians and help the Council understand how people are travelling. The data will be used in planning, monitoring, and maintaining the bikeways and pathways.
Along with promoting healthy lifestyle and minimising traffic congestion, the cycleway will reduce pollution in Greenslopes and nearby areas. Less cars also mean less pollution.
Green Affecting Green
Impacts of Veloway: Vegetation Degraded (Photo credit: www.norman-creek-catchment.org.au)
V1 has also had a controversial impact on the environment. During its construction, some areas of the Norman Creek riparian corridor were affected, destroying significant vegetation that had been growing for nine years, affecting flora and fauna that used to live here. Along with the decreased vegetation, possibilities of erosion also increased.
However, the Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (N4C) established a Development Control Plan for this affected site and managed to bring back the beautiful green patch of forest and the faunas living here.
Every development project has impacts on the environment and the community, both positive and negative. Queensland Environment Offsets Act (QEOA) of 2014 aims to balance the unavoidable impacts of the infrastructure projects and developments to the environment and vegetation.
Offset restoration includes:
Revegetation and planting
Mulch to avoid soil erosion
Habitat enhancement through placement of coarse woody debris
Installation of natural or artificial hollows, perches, and nesting sites for the local wildlife’s habitat; and
Regeneration including weed management and native vegetation maintenance.
The government and the community aim to work together as joint stakeholders to provide alternate solutions for every negative outcome it will yield, similar to the solutions that N4C has come up with during the V1 project.
The State Government ignored Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee’s (N4C) petition to preserve the quarry site of Stephens Mountain in Greenslopes against the “Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan” development program. The development states that the quarry site and the adjoining Energex depot are suitable for residential development. The development is expected to maximize the usage of the Greenslopes Busway Station, which is in close proximity to the area.
N4C, currently located at 66 Baron Street, is a community-based non-profit organisation established in 1996. It aims to protect and maintain the Norman Creek Catchment and the Ekibin Quarry.
The organisation’s duties include creek restoration, protection of existing vegetation, ecological studies, bird watching and recording, and habitat designing and building.
Through its ongoing project, Creek Restoration – Norman Creek at Greenslopes DCP, N4C has been successful in cleaning the water of the creek and providing habitat for the native animals. They also have an ongoing research and observation effort to study the freshwater ecology and the flora and fauna in the area.
N4C is also responsible for presenting the environmental outcomes, positive or negative, of the proposed infrastructure and developmental projects to the Brisbane City Council. This includes their bid to protect the quarry from the Neighbourhood Project.
Home of Unique Birdlife
Pardalote: one of the rare bird species in Ekibin Quarry (Photo credit: JJ Harrison/Wikimedia Commons)
N4C’s ecologists have recorded that the old Ekibin Quarry is home to more than 70 bird species. Most of these birds are only found on this Stephens Mountain side of the quarry. They exclusively found a habitat in this area, making them impossible to be spotted within the urbanised areas of Brisbane.
“N4C members have noted that the interesting thing about Stephens Mountain and the former quarry site is the number of small bush birds that are resident there … Species that would not usually be found within the urban matrix of the inner suburbs of Brisbane are found on the quarry site,” N4C Vice-President Damien Madden said in an interview.
According to a 2011 survey, some of the bird species found in the quarry are the Tawny Grassbird, Golden-Headed Cisticola, Finches, Whistlers, and Pardalotes, along with the migratory birds Drangos, Dollarbirds, and Honeyeaters.
The Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan stated that the quarry is considered to have limited ecological and landscape value.
Effects on Norman Creek Catchment
Impacts of Veloway: Vegetation Degraded (Photo credit: www.norman-creek-catchment.org.au)
Mr. Madden also pointed out that this development will divide the Norman Creek Catchment, which has already been affected by the South East Freeway, the Greenslopes Busway Station, and the Veloway Cycleway. Any more development will lead to an extreme damage to the catchment, according to Mr. Madden. He said that natural areas are now being disregarded because of the developments that have been simultaneously introduced.
This has also affected the residents. “We’ve got 100,000 people here and there is only about 2 per cent open space where Norman Creek and its tributaries flow through,” Mr. Madden said.
The N4C also believes that the quarry along with the catchment will help the council’s vegetated stormwater project near the Annerley Recreation Club, if it’s rehabilitated.
“We’ve treated our waterways absolutely shockingly. We have freshwater flowing all year around which is significant in such a dry continent and further upstream the creek is piped … This is a natural corridor linkage to Norman Creek, downstream of the freeway. This is an opportunity that should be recognised and not missed,” he added.
Norman Creek Catchment is an area of lush, natural features. Water flows down through a network of streams and creeks before reaching the Brisbane River and entering the Moreton Bay. There are 24 kilometre of waterways with 15 kilometere of freshwater creeks. It feeds the creeks of Ben’s Hole, Scotts, Bridgewater, Coorparoo, Kingfisher, Little Swamp, Sandy, Mott, Ekibin, Wellers Hill, Perrone, and Glindemann.
A Look Back in Time at the Ekibin Quarry
Quarry works in 1950s (Photo credit: www.library .brisbane.qld.gov.au)
According to the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, the quarry name was derived from the Aboriginal word “Yekkabin”. This is an aquatic plant with edible roots that grew in the creek.
Thomas Blacket Stephen bought the 78.5 hectare of land, including the quarry, in 1857 and established wool scouring and fellmongers business. Mr. Stephen expanded his business to farming and tannery works, and then later added rifle range and Chinese market gardens.
In the 19th century, road surfacing materials were extracted from the quarry. In the early 20th century, blue metal, fine-grained blue-gray mudstone, was also extracted from Ekibin Quarry and used for road construction.
The Stephens Shire Council acquired 10.5 hectare of land for the continuation of the Ekibin Quarry. Later in the 1940s and 1950s, the hot asphalt plant was added to the quarry works.
Early in the 1960s, portions of the land were sold for sanitation and for the Energex depot’s construction. Brisbane City Council stopped the quarry operations due to exhaustion of the quartzite. The quarry has been vacant since then.
Some subsequent developments have affected the quarry. The South East Freeway was constructed in 1970s. The Greenslopes Busway Station was completed in 2001, in line with the South East Freeway’s extension from Woolloongabba to Eight Mile Plains. The Veloway Cycleway project is the latest development that is expected to be completed in late 2017.
Today’s Development Program
The Coorparoo nd Districts Draft Neighbourhood Plan (Photo credit: Brisbane City/Twitter)
The Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan is a residential development program including parts of Coorparoo, Greenslopes, Camp Hill, Holland, and Holland Park West. The Neighbourhood Plan’s draft indicates that Stephens Mountain will be rezoned as “Emerging Community” that will be a mix of housing types and small-scale commercial activities. According to Brisbane City Council’s spokeswoman, N4C’s submission was considered.
“Under this zoning, any future development will be assessed at the highest level with community consultation and extensive consideration given to environmental impacts … If future development were to occur on this site, detailed technical environmental studies would also be required as part of any development application,” the spokeswoman said.
Adoption of the Neighbourhood Plan will commence in late 2017, if approved by the Queensland Government. To view the draft of the Neighbourhood Plan, visit the Brisbane City Council’s webpage for the residential project.
There’s a new MP for Greenslopes and she’s a teenager. A 17-year old Loreto College student, Phoebe Reid-Smith, has been selected to be the new Youth Member for Greenslopes at the upcoming 22nd YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament on the 24th to 30th of September this year.
Phoebe had gained a lot of support, particularly from Joe Kelly, the State MP for Greenslopes, who is now looking forward to hearing Phoebe’s recommendations. It will be a busy year for Phoebe. She says the Youth Parliament inspired her to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer and helped her as she forays into youth politics.
“The YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament is a unique opportunity for young people like Phoebe to be a voice for their community, learn about Queensland’s democratic process, share ideas and debate bills … I would like to congratulate Phoebe on being selected as the Youth Member for Greenslopes and I look forward to hearing the recommendations they make to help shape the future for themselves, their communities and Queensland,” Joe Kelly said.
YMCA QLD Youth Parliament
(Photo credit: www.ymcaqyp.org)
The YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament is an opportunity for the region’s youth, anyone between 15-25 years old, to get involved in creating positive changes for Queensland, while enhancing their leadership skills and public speaking abilities. Young volunteers from the previous Youth Parliaments were trained and licensed by YMCA Brisbane. They worked together to organise the program each year, from March to October, making it a program organised by the youth, for their fellow youth.
In January of each year, Youth Members are selected from nominations. This year, Phoebe and 92 others were selected as this year’s Youth Members. Out of 93 Youth Members, four slots are specifically assigned to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives for strong indigenous voices.
Getting Started
The first meeting was held during Launch Weekend in April of this year. Youth Members split into different committees, each with an assigned mentor, and discussed the issues and topics that will be covered in the parliament debate on September. The 93 Youth Members were divided into two teams: the sponsoring team responsible for writing the Bill, and the refuting team responsible for writing amendments. Phoebe and the other Youth Members are now busy brainstorming and discussing with their mentors.
Participation in the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament is not free. The cost of the participation for each Youth Member will cover 5-star accommodation, meals, and transport between Camp North Pine and QLD Parliament House. Although it does not cover other transport expenses, Youth Members can seek reimbursement from YMCA. Traditionally, Federal & State Members of Parliament, clubs, and private institutions also sponsor participation costs for their selected youth.
Let’s see what our Youth Members are passionate about.
Updates and info about the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament along with a list of the bills that previous batches of youth have passed can be viewed on their website or their Facebook page.
