Greenslopes Archives - Page 8 of 9

Stephens Mountain in Greenslopes Gets BCC Budget, Neighbourhood Plan Protection

Following clamour from locals, Stephens Mountain Reserve in Greenslopes is due to get the protection it deserves as well as some funding boost from Brisbane City Council.

The council is earmarking $200,000 to construct a lookout and walking trails at Stephens Mountain. The plan is in line with the recent amendments to the Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan, which is rezoning 5.8 hectares of Stephens Mountain to the conservation zone.

Conservation Zone

The Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan also provides that ecological, landscape and visual values of Stephens Mountain be retained and that remnant vegetation on the area be protected.

Amendments to the neighbourhood plan aims to ensure protection for the conservation zone precinct of Stephens Mountain. This means that any development in the area should keep intact the landscape, habitat and ecological values in the area.

Developments for consideration should also respect the natural topography and should complement the scenic landscape. The neighbourhood plan encourages passive recreation developments such as the planned walking trails.

The protection for part of Stephens Mountain is a result of public insistence to keep the mountain reserve lush and free from high-rise residential developments. The reserve located behind Greenslopes Hospital was previously considered utility services. However, the council gave in to public demand and moved the area to the conservation zone.

Emerging Community Zone

Not all parts of Stephens Mountain will be zoned under conservation. Whilst the reserve will be rezoned to conservation zone, the quarry site and the adjoining Energex depot will be considered as “Emerging Community.” As such, this sub-precinct could allow residential developments fronting the Greenslopes Busway station and plaza.

*Photo credit:* *www.norman-creek-catchment.org.au*

The neighbourhood plan states that any development in the Emerging community zone should not adversely affect the character or environmental value of the land.

Mondays are for ‘Mums n’ Bubs Pilates in the Park’ at Greenslopes

Photo Credit: neildodhia/Pixabay

New mums planning to get back in shape or improve their health after giving birth may take advantage of a free Pilates class at the Thompson Estate Reserve in Greenslopes.

Held every Monday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the workout routines at the Mums n’ Bubs Pilates in the Park are especially customised for new mothers and their babies.

Pilates is a great way for new mums to regain their core muscle strength and firm up their abdominal area after being stretched for nine months. It can also prepare their upper back and chest for nursing and carrying their little one.

Pilates may help new mothers gain hip and pelvis support to reduce pelvic floor discomfort after pregnancy. The stretches will also help tight muscles around the legs that may have not been used a lot during the pregnancy’s last trimester.

The Monday morning routine is also a great way for new mums to bond with their bub. But if you don’t want to bring your baby along then that’s fine too, as you can use this session for your much-needed ME-time.

Participants at the Mums n Bubs Pilates in the Park may set their own pace during the workouts. The professional instructors are trained to recognize what you need and gently guide you accordingly.

Mums n Bubs Pilates in the Park is endorsed by the Brisbane City Council’s Active & Healthy Program at Active Parks.

Development of Greenslopes Energex Depot Office Approved; Buffer Trees to be Protected

Brisbane City Council has approved the construction of an Energex depot office in Greenslopes after its developers revised the original plan. The amended proposal now involves selective tree removal and substantial vegetation retention.

A number of Greenslopes residents opposed the said Energex depot office development during the submission period in 2018. The main contention was that the development would cut trees that form a natural corridor linking Greenslopes Park and Stephen’s Hill.

The Council received 75 submissions from residents who did not support the construction of the Energex depot office.

Energex, however, made significant changes to the plans, enough to convince the council to approve the development application.

Under the new plans, the “green corridor” between the said road and the adjacent areas on Garden Street which links to the Stephen Mountains will be protected. The green corridor leads to a nearby reserve which is home to a vast list of wildlife species as recorded by a PhD student.

According to DA documents, the developer has been required to retain, protect and maintain the existing trees based on Australian Standard – AS4970 Protection Of Trees On Development Sites, unless otherwise agreed in writing by Development Services.

The approved revised plans will build a new building of up to four storeys, inclusive of car parking levels. The new building will replace the existing single-storey offices fronting Barnsdale Place.

See details of the Development Application (A004866778)

Greenslopes among Brisbane’s Most Dangerous Walking and Cycling Suburbs

According to Brisbane City Council’s Move Safe Brisbane Citywide Pedestrian Safety Review, Greenslopes is one of the top 10 most dangerous suburbs for walking and cycling.

In a move to keep Brisbane roads safer, BCC conducted a citywide pedestrian safety review to identify programs and projects that will help improve safety for pedestrians. As part of the review, the Council held a public consultation from 31 July 2018 to 28 August 2018 where they gathered feedback from the community concerning road safety issues.

Brisbane pedestrians identified the following road safety issues during the consultation:

No safe place to cross
Cars travel too fast
Drivers turn across the crossing
Waiting too long for green walk signal
Should be separate path from bicycles
Don’t feel safe walking here after dark
Too many drivers on mobile phones
No street lighting

On the other hand, cyclists have identified the following concerns:

Cars travel too close or fast
No safe cycle facilities
Path should be separate from cars
No safe and convenient crossing facilities
Bike facility is too narrow
Path should be separate from pedestrians
No bikeway lighting
No safe place to leave my bike

Based on the feedback that BCC received, the following suburbs had the most number of negative responses:

Pedestrian Top 10	Cycling Top 10
Brisbane City (CBD)	Brisbane City (CBD)
South Brisbane	South Brisbane
Woolloongabba	Toowong
Greenslopes	Woolloongabba
Indooroopilly	Dutton Park
Fortitude Valley	Indooroopilly
Graceville	Greenslopes
West End	West End
Annerley	Bowen Hills
Morningside	St Lucia

Final Report Outcomes and Recommendations

BCC recommends reducing speed limits at Old Cleveland Road and Logan Road, Stones Corner (between Montague Street and the O’Keefe Street roundabout). Photo credit: Google Maps

Apart from the results of the public notification, BCC also gathered input from the Queensland Police Service’s crash data, pedestrian and traffic counts, and traffic speed data.

According to the final report, there is an alarming increase in the rate of pedestrian fatalities in Queensland. From 1 January 2018 to 18 November 2018, there were 28 pedestrian fatalities which are significantly higher when compared with fatalities of 18 (in 2013), 19 (in 2014), and 18 (in 2015) at the same time of year.

For Brisbane LGA alone, seven people were killed in pedestrian crashes from 1 January to 20 November 2018. Prompted by these road safety data trends, the Council came up with nine pedestrian safety outcomes and 31 recommended projects.

As included in their recommendations, Council will be investigating speed limit reduction at Old Cleveland Road and Logan Road, Stones Corner (between Montague Street and the O’Keefe Street roundabout) by early 2019.

They will also investigate the Senior Citizens’ Safety Zone at Old Cleveland Road, Stones Corner by mid-2019.

Read more outcomes and recommendations on the Move Safe Brisbane – Pedestrian Safety Review page.

Withdrawn: Developer Abandons Proposal for 54-Unit Development on Nicholson Street in Greenslopes

The proposal to build a 54-unit residential development at 82-86 Nicholson Street in Greenslopes has been withdrawn by the developer.

This decision is a welcome development for the neighbouring residents who strongly opposed the development application.

Site of the withdrawn Development Application (Photo credit: pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au)

SYMX Land Development lodged the application for the residential project in November 2017. The proposal was to construct three four-storey residential buildings on a sloping piece of land. However, the site also includes an area of bushland leading to Norman Creek, and this became a major issue raised by Brisbane City Council and the local residents.

Bushland Saved

In its initial review of the proposal, the council pointed out that the site has been identified as containing significant biodiversity under the proposed City Plan Amendments to the Biodiversity Overlay mapping. As such, the council stated that the proposed type of vegetation removal was not supported.

The development application plans are also seen as non-compliant with biodiversity areas overlay code. The council asked the applicant to amend the layout in such a way that it will retain a substantial area of vegetation.

The council also noted that the building height is not consistent with the existing streetscape. The review requested changes to maintain the predominant two-storey residential building height along Nicholson Street.

Neighbours were also not happy about the DA. Their main concerns included the loss of vegetation. One particular submission stressed that they bought their property on the premise that the council assured that the land behind their lot was protected. The council also assured the resident that they have no intentions of permitting development there.

8-Storey Commercial and Residential Development Proposed for Greenslopes

An eight-storey multiple-use development could rise on Cleveland Street in Greenslopes should a development application by PI Home Pty Ltd be approved.

The DA proposes the construction of a building with two levels of residential units and six levels of retail spaces. Under the plan, the building would include health care services, a child care centre, community care facility, and educational establishments.

Greenslopes proposed mixed use development — Photo credit: pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

Also in the list of activities are a place of worship, veterinary services, short-term accommodation, emergency services, theatre, and indoor sports and recreation. There would be a common open space at the rooftop, which should provide a commanding view of Hanlon Park and Norman Creek.

The developer intends to build the project on a triangular lot at 11 Cleveland Street, where currently, a two-level building and parking exist. The area is bounded by Cleveland Street, Lincoln Street and Logan Road.

Should the proposed development be approved, residents would have easy access to Hanlon Park, the Southeast Freeway Bikeway, and Buranda Station.

Community Feedback

Some residents are already voicing their concerns around the proposed development. Among the issues raised are potential traffic congestion in the area and the negative visual impact of an eight-storey building in the area.

Concerned individuals feel that developments in the neighbourhood should be limited to three to five storeys only. Some are concerned about flooding risks and setbacks not being enough. Others mention the lack of deep planting under the plan.

The Council is currently reviewing the proposed project designed by John Contoleon Architecture.

Find out more details about the proposal with DA Number A004628795.

Safer Roads: Greenslopes State School to Receive New School Zone Signage

As part of the Brisbane City Council’s Enhanced School Zone Signage Program, Greenslopes State School will be receiving its school zone signage by Term 1 in 2019. The new signage will reduce the speed limit along Logan Road, Greenslopes to 40km/h at peak school times.

Speed Limits in School Zones

Speed limits in school zones are part of the State Government’s Safe school travel (SafeST) program.

School zones are installed to reduce traffic speed near schools. These are identified by signages which are displayed on both approaches to the school. The signs show the speed limit and the times during which it applies.

Photo credit: Department of Transport and Main Road

Speed limits which apply include:

40km/h on roads where the existing limit is 50km/h, 60km/h or 70km/h
60km/h on roads where the existing limit is 80km/h
60km/h or 80km/h on roads where the speed limit is 90km/h or 100km/h, depending on the amount of school-related activity on or near the road
80km/h on roads where the existing limit is 110km/h.

You may learn more about the school zone speed limits on the Department of Transport and Main Road’s School Zones guidelines.

Enhanced School Zone Signage Program

BCC’s Enhanced School Zone Signage Program aims to improve road safety around schools on multi-lane roads. Council started reducing speed limits on inner-city streets to a maximum of 40 km/h in 2009.

Apart from the Greenslopes State School, the following schools will receive new signages during the 2018-19 financial year:

Brisbane State High School – Cordelia Street, Vulture Street, Merivale Street, and Gladstone Road/Ernest Street, South Brisbane
All Hallows’ School – Ann Street, Brisbane City
Cavendish Road State High School – Holland Road, Holland Park
Brisbane Bayside State College – Wynnum Road, Wynnum

The council has already rolled out these new signages at 42 locations across the city between July 2015 and June 2018.

To learn more about the Council’s efforts in making roads safer for the school community, you may visit the official page for Safe Roads Around Schools initiative.

Greenslopes Vet Clinic Saves Injured Tawny Frogmouth Through Feather Transplants

A Greenslopes veterinary clinic, Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services, displayed expert skills in their feat to save an injured tawny frogmouth. The clinic expertly performed a feather transplant to help the injured bird fly again!

Photo credit: Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services/Facebook

The wild tawny frogmouth was recently found tangled in a barbed wire fence at Jimboomba, south-west of Brisbane. Upon hearing the incident, an experienced wildlife carer came to the rescue and carefully untangled the bird’s wing from the barbed wire fence and brought him to the Greenslopes Veterinary Clinic.

The fence had severely damaged the bird’s wing making it unable to fly. If not treated properly, the bird will not survive in the wild, as waiting for the natural healing of its feathers will take months of rehabilitation.

The tawny frogmouth named Koura was immediately treated upon its arrival to the clinic. Radiographs have shown that the injured wing was not fractured, however, the bird needed feather transplants for it to be able to fly again.

Fortunately, donor feathers were available in the clinic and an expert vet was able to perform an imping (implant) procedure. The procedure involved delicately cutting off the damaged feathers and implanting the donor feathers in place.

The tawny frogmouth was able to fly immediately after the procedure and was then released back into the wild after a few days.

Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services has documented the details of the procedure on their Facebook page and hopes that the bird “doesn’t get himself stuck in any more tricky situations”.

Greenslopes To Have New U-Turn Signal Signage Trial

The Brisbane City Council is pushing to replace existing U-turn signs in various areas in the city including Logan Road in Greenslopes.

Illegal U-turns have caused a number of accidents, thus the need to improve the signages. The council is now seeking permission from the state government to use new U-turn signages that are easier to understand. This should contribute in preventing accidents and traffic congestion, especially on busy roads.

The council is proposing a yellow sign with two visual cues, a U-turn arrow with a red cross through it and traffic lights along with the words “unless signed otherwise” in black.

The rollout of these new signs have been proposed to be implemented on Logan Road as well as other roads in other suburbs:

Logan Road in Holland Park
Manly Road in Tingalpa
Beaudesert Road in Moorooka
Gowan Road in Stretton
Main Street in Kangaroo Point

Traffic surveys will be done before and after the implementation of these signs to determine improvements, complaint reviews, and feedback during the trial. All of the findings would be submitted to the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Should these new signs be successful and approved, there will be a roll-out of more signs to other roads in the city.

Vegan and Vegetarian-Friendly Cafes in Greenslopes

There has been a steady rise in the number of Australians turning to a vegetarian diet or actively reducing their meat consumption. Figures show that the number of Australian adults who are going meat-free had risen from 1.7 million people (9.7% of the population) to almost 2.1 million (11.2%) between 2012 and 2016.

With this steady growth in the demand for more meat-free food options, there is no wonder why most restaurants are now offering vegetarian and vegan meal options.

For vegetarians and vegans living in Greenslopes, here are the top-rated vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area.

Lady Marmalade Cafe

A cafe offering all-day breakfast, lunch, and Friday night casual dining, Lady Marmalade is one of the top-rated foodie spots in Greenslopes.

Aside from being a popular local favourite cafe, Lady Marmalade is also known for their delicious vegan meal options. Their menu includes a selection of vegan and vegetarian-friendly dishes like their best-selling Breakfast Panna Cotta, Raspberry Sherbet Chia Pudding, Cauliflower Rice, the Biggie Herbivore, Vegetarian Tacos, and Vegetarian Turkish.

Their kitchen boasts of food that is made from scratch in-house, using locally sourced organic ingredients.

Lady Marmalade Cafe is open daily from 7:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. and on Fridays, they are open until 9:30 p.m. for a Friday Night Casual Dining.

Location: 269 Logan Rd, Greenslopes

The Jam Pantry

Probably one of the most interesting cafes in Greenslopes, The Jam Pantry is known for their healthy breakfast and lunch offers.

The Jam Pantry has a unique take on their menu. Their Flipping Board showcases the cafe’s ever-changing meal options which are created around available local produce in every season. The board displays a list of ingredients which changes each month based on what the local farmers and suppliers have harvested. Using locally sourced ingredients reinforces their garden-to-gourmet, farm-to-fork philosophy.

Their menu offers a selection of vegan and gluten-free options. If you are curious about what they have in their flipping boards, you can check them out by simply searching #whentheboardflips on Instagram and Facebook.

The Jam Pantry is open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The cafe is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.

Location: 2/575 Logan Rd, Greenslopes

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze

One of Brisbane’s vegan favourites is Charlie’s Raw Squeeze Greenslopes. All the offerings in the cafe are certified plant-based made with fresh ingredients from Charlie’s Fruit Market.

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze is popular for their smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, Nice creams, Squeeze bowls, and salads. Their menu also includes a selection of cocktails and gelato.

The innovative juice bar is a product of the owners’ extensive knowledge of fresh and local produce and their desire to provide healthy plant-based products to the market.

Try out their signature dairy-free Nice creams that have no added refined sugar and are mostly gluten-free.

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze Greenslopes is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.

Location: 51 Old Cleveland Road, Greenslopes