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.
2017 is a special year for members of the Greenslopes Senior Citizens Club as their club turns half a century this year.
The club first opened its doors on February 16, 1967, and soon afterwards, it became one of the most popular social groups in southeast Brisbane. From a membership of 91, the club attracted 213 members in a span of 3 three years after its inauguration.
However, in the most recent years, membership started to dwindle. Former club president Hazel Koplick said that there were a few hundred members back in 1989 when she first joined. Today, they are down to 15 members.
Small, Happy Group
Despite their declining number, Ms Koplick said that members remain passionate about their weekly meet-ups.
Ms Koplick appreciates what the club does for its members, saying that it is great for friendship, especially since many older people do not usually go out. “Although we are a small group, we are a very happy group,” Ms Koplick said.
The senior citizens group meets every week from 9 am at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Holland Park West. The club charges $10 membership fee and $5 per week.
Ms Koplick hopes that the club can attract more members to join in the future.
Greenslopes bikers are set to have safer roads to traverse as construction of the last part of Stage D of the Veloway Cycleway (V1) gets underway.
Stage D of the project will connect bike riders from Greenslopes, Annerley and Buranda to the Gateway Motorway off-ramp at Eight Mile Plains. Already three stages have been completed and Stage D is expected to be done in late 2017, provided that there are no adverse weather and construction issues.
Once completed, cyclists will be able to use the bikeway from Lewisham Street in Greenslopes to O’Keefe Street in Buranda to access the existing veloway. Portions of Stage D have been completed, but they cannot be utilised until the last part of the section is finished.
Veloway Cycleway serving bike riders.
The V1 project is a 17km connection for commuters who choose bicycles as their way of going to their destination.
The project is aimed at providing bikers with a dedicated and safe route from CBD to Eight Mile Plains. The transport initiative also helps promote healthy and active lifestyle as well as address issues of traffic and environmental concerns.
After completion of Stage D, the project can proceed to Stage E, which will be located on Birdwood Road in Holland Park West to Gaza Road in Tarragindi. Stage E is still subject to funding.
Ovarian cancer survivor Janet Hooper organised a fundraising event February 4 in an effort to spread awareness about ovarian cancer.
Dubbed ‘Teal Hearts: An Evening at Tattersalls,’ the charity event supported the Cancer Wellness Program of Greenslopes Private Hospital.
As an ovarian cancer survivor, Mrs. Hooper knows all too well how little information is available to people with ovarian cancer. She admits that her knowledge about ovarian cancer was very limited until she found out she had the disease.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer are difficult to detect, so Mrs Hooper is hoping that the event will help disseminate information about the disease.
Greenslopes Private Hospital will benefit from the ovarian cancer fundraising event.
Half of the proceeds from the fundraising event will go to Ovarian Cancer Australia and the other half will be given by the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation to the Greenslopes Private Hospital Cancer Wellness Program.
The charity event will help support women who are fighting ovarian cancer. It is Mrs. Hooper’s hope that soon, medical researchers will develop a screening test for early detection of the disease.
Want to know more about ovarian cancer and how you can help? Visit the Ovarian Cancer Australia website to find out more or to make a donation.
Greenslopes homes are predicted to be in high demand in 2017, this according to the 2017 top 100 suburbs report by the Investment Property magazine.
Experts believe that Brisbane’s southeast will see high demand for residential properties this year, with some of its suburbs ranking high among the best areas to invest in housing.
Greenslopes ranked No. 12 in the top 100 report, while Holland Park West ranked No. 10.
Real Estate Institute Queensland (REIQ) also sees the Brisbane housing market heating up in 2017.
Ideal Investment
According to Southeast Brisbane chairman Peter Barrett, Greenslopes, Holland Park West as well as their surrounding suburbs have what it takes for ideal long-term real estate investment.
Some of the reasons that make these suburbs attractive include their proximity to the city, shops, schools, hospitals and other facilities and amenities that tenants and property buyers are seeking.
