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Visy Plots Multi-Million Murrarie Facility Expansion

Glass manufacturer Visy will invest in a multi-million upgrade of its Material Recovery Facility on Gibson Island in Murrarie alongside other plans to expand its operation in QLD.

Under the plan, Anthony Pratt, Visy Executive Chairman, also announced the construction of a new glass food and beverage container recycling and manufacturing facility in Yatala for $500 million and a corrugated box factory at Hemmant for $150 million.

“This is the largest investment Visy has ever made in Queensland,” Mr Pratt stated. “It is part of my pledge to invest $2 billion in Australia over the decade.”

“The upgrade to our facility at Gibson Island will see an additional up to 30,000 tonnes of material diverted from landfill each year.

“Visy currently recycles over 250,000 tonnes of material from kerbside collections a year and is proud to service the majority of South East Queensland’s recycling needs.

“Recycling is an important weapon against climate change and the Queensland Government is to be congratulated for its support for practical environmental measures, like recycling, that all Queenslanders can participate in.

These investments are expected to create more jobs for the people of Queensland. The Murarrie facility alone is set to add 11 more jobs.

“This investment will see the installation of state-of-the-art recycling technology at Visy’s Gibson Island site in Murarrie,” Member for Bulimba Di Farmer said. “We’re supporting jobs and the environment by improving recycling capabilities. It’s a win-win project.”

It comes as Visy will shift its glass manufacturing operations from West End to Yatala by 2025 to pave the way for the construction of the International Broadcasting Centre for the 2032 Olympic Games. This project will also create at least 900 jobs during construction and over 300 jobs once the facility is open.

New Baby Motivates Morningside Olympian Mum for Paris Olympics

Genevieve Gregson, Morningside Olympian mum, is enjoying as much time as she can spend with her new baby, Archer James Gregson, born at Mater Mothers’ Hospital on June 15, whilst she eagerly awaits her clearance to start training for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The new mum is also taking the time to heal and regain her strength and endurance before she starts another chapter in her Olympic career, with a renewed perspective and motivation.

Genevieve, a middle-distance runner, had a major setback at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when she ruptured her right Achilles after falling on the last water jump of the women’s 3000m steeple chase final. She left the stadium in a wheelchair but had a stark realization that this was her chance to finally get on with her plans to expand her family with her husband, Ryan Gregson.

“Up until Tokyo, my main goal and what drove me was running and my sport. It’s my hobby and passion,” the Morningside Olympian mum said.

“The way Tokyo unfolded was heartbreaking at the time. As an athlete, I was looking for something to set in my sights. My injury was horrible, and it was going to be a long recovery.

“If I hadn’t done that injury, I wouldn’t have had Archer. It’s a blessing in disguise. I have put everything into perspective.

“I still have so many running goals and plan on qualifying for my fourth Olympics.”

The Gregsons have been enjoying having Archer in the family, who was home from the hospital two days after he was born. Genevieve acknowledges the exceptional care extended to her and her baby at the Mater Mother’s Hospital.

“I didn’t know you could love something so much,” the new mum said.

“I did too much research prior to having him and heard all the scary stories of sleepless nights and scary birth stories, but it has been a dream run for us.

“I think it also helps that I am a high-energy person and used to running off little sleep.”

Experience Brisbane’s First Country Music Festival at Murarrie Muster

Get ready to feel the beat and groove to the rhythm as the Murarrie Muster, Brisbane’s first country music festival, fills the air with music until sundown. Enjoy the event at the Murarrie Recreation Reserve for FREE!

Happening on Saturday, 25 June 2022 from 12:00 pm till 5:00 pm, Murarrie Muster ia presented by Downtown Toyota. With support from Brisbane City Council, Cr Lisa Atwood, The Yard, and BrewDog, country groove will meet city beat as Brisbane producer and director Tom Oliver aims to deliver one boot scootin’ day!

“I was visiting country music festivals all over Australia and thought Brisbane needs this; Brisbane has so many country music artists. We’re going to showcase so much Queensland talent!” Tom said.

There will be a classic country semi-trailer stage at the event, which will feature talented musical acts like Kimberley Bowden, Melody Moko, Women in Docs, The Wet Whistles, Open Season Band, Jason McGregor & Rhinestone Cowgirl.

“It’s so long overdue. It’s exciting that we get to play our original music and celebrate country music in Brisbane,” Kimberley said. “It’s so wonderful that we have a dedicated country music festival right here. It’s just exciting all of us, local artists and country musicians, to come and perform for the locals.”

Apart from the music, the afternoon will also feature food trucks, craft beers, and ice cream for the children because good music muster goes well with delicious food!

Among the expected establishments include Jack’s Ice Creams, Bayside Beignets, Benz on Miller, Joseph’s Hungarian Langos, Samurai Kitchen, Kraut N’ About, London Spuds & OMG Decadent Donuts Australia.

Tap a friend, bring your own picnic blanket, and then boots to scoot to enjoy good old-fashioned community spirit!

Meanwhile, if you’re still up for more songs and dances, before and after the festival, the Queensport Tavern down Lytton Rd for more live music. On the night of the country music festival, Doovalaki will perform party rock and pop tunes from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

$200-M Rivergate Superyacht Facility, Marina, And Shipyard Expansion In Murarrie Approved

Following a lengthy assessment, Rivergate has finally been granted an approval to go ahead with plans to expand its existing marina and shipyard in Murarrie.

Read: Rivergate Marina Proposes to Establish a Large Superyacht Refit Hub in Murarrie

Tom Hill, director at Rivergate, welcomed the approval, which he said recognised the project’s potential to support a range of industries within Queensland and bolster Australia’s sovereign capability amid increasing global security tensions.

“This approval means our expansion is now shovel ready and just waiting on government funding support to get under way,” he said in a media release.

Rivergate’s $200 million superyacht facility would be the largest superyacht hub in the Asia Pacific once complete.

rivergate brisbane — Photo credit: Rivergate

It will come with a new hub that would be capable of lifting vessels up to 3,000 tonne and the capacity for 8 to 12 vessels in refit sheds and on the hardstand.

The project, which has been in the pipeline for four years, is expected to “dramatically increase superyacht visitation to Australia while also providing vital new capability to service Australian Defence Force and Australian Border Force vessels.”

One of the highlights of the expansion is the new 5-storey purpose-built facility featuring training rooms, offices, café, world-class crew accommodation and crew recreation facilities.

At present, Rivergate is just waiting on government funding support to get under way.

“Brisbane is already an ideal location for servicing and repairing superyachts, several classes of Defence vessels and other commercial shipping,” Mr Hill said.

Mr Hill added that the expansion would provide owners and captains of large recreational vessels with the assurance that world-class facilities are available for both routine and unplanned maintenance works whilst they are cruising in the region.

The development is expected to generate up to $1 billion in revenue for the Queensland economy every year and roughly 2,000 jobs for marine and tourism sectors upon completion.

Judge Approves Opening of Total Fusion Morningside Following Long Legal Battle

Following a two-year court battle with Australian Country Choice, a judge has ruled that Total Fusion Morningside may proceed with opening the largest gym complex in the industrial area of East Brisbane.

In her decision, Judge Nicole Kefford turned down the appeal of ACC despite gaining support from a town planning expert. The 5,577-square-metre fitness complex is within the new recreation and leisure precinct Rivermakers, owned by mogul Balfour Irvine. Rivermakers is 500 metres away from the ACC’s facilities.

ACC’s owner, the billionaire Trevor Lee, has lobbied against the development following the fallout of his long friendship with Irvine. Lee insisted that the gym was not appropriate for an industrial precinct.

Photo Credit: TotalFusionMorningside/Facebook

Judge Kefford noted that ACC had town planner Greg Ovenden on retainer, who tried to convince Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles to establish a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) for the Morningside location.

However, the judge said that Rivermakers’ development was not inconsistent with the TLPI. She also didn’t have any confidence in Mr Ovenden “to express objective opinions about the appropriateness of the proposed development,” as the town planner.

Judge Kefford gave Total Fusion Morningside a two-year condition to operate as a gym with only 300 patrons at a time. She said that after two years, the gym’s building must be reverted for industrial use, which would support the workers in the area.

For updates about the gym’s opening, follow the Facebook page.

Locals Seek Installation Of Backflow Devices In Norman Park

After the record-breaking flood in Brisbane earlier in 2022, locals are calling on authorities to install backflow devices across Norman Park and other flood-prone areas in the Morningside ward.

Read: Now Complete! Cannon Hill Station Accessibility Upgrades to Deliver Safer and Faster Service

Nearly 300 residents have signed a petition calling on authorities to urgently install backflow devices and identify other possible locations where they can be installed.

The petition was launched by Councillor for Morningside Ward Kara Cook, who has been actively campaigning for backflow devices to be placed in the city’s flood-prone areas.

Cr Cook noted in the petition that residents understand that the installation of backflow valves will not prevent flooding but would help lessen its impact during flood events.

An example of a backflow device, which was installed in Chelmer along the Brisbane River (Photo credit: CC-BY-SA-4.0/Kgbo/Wikimedia Commons)

Backflow Prevention Devices or simply backflow devices are designed to help minimise water flowing back up stormwater pipes.

During this year’s severe weather event, Norman Park was considered as one of most affected areas in Brisbane.

“Now is the time to make sure our community’s voice is heard. I have spoken to many residents who want to see the backflow devices identified as feasible back in 2011 in our local area installed,” Cr Cook said.

Brisbane City Council has conducted investigations into backflow reduction measures for priority areas following the January 2011 flood event.

Backflow device locations in Brisbane (Photo credit: brisbane.qld.gov.au)

Some of the identified locations in Norman Park include Adina and Frank Streets, Brentnall St, Waite St, and Wendell St. However, there has been no device installed in the area. In all, there are 66 backflow devices at 16 priority localities, along the Brisbane River.

Cr Cook has also been reviewing the 2022 Brisbane Flood Review, particularly the information in relation to backflow devices.

The report states that of the 15 devices installed post 2011, seven demonstrably mitigated the effect of flooding in 2022.

An excerpt from the report reads: “The effect of the rest could not be gauged, either because the river levee overtopped rendering the device ineffectual (in five cases) or because, the devices being “passive” (meaning manual intervention was not needed for activation), there were no nearby monitoring gauges (in four cases).”

Meanwhile, Cr Cook is urging those who haven’t signed yet to sign the petition, which will close on 11 June 2022.

‘Disappearing Acts’ At Morningside: Circus Event For Families To Enjoy

Bring the whole family at Beelarong in Morningside this May 2022, for Disappearing Acts, a special and intimate performance presented by Vulcana Circus.

Read: New Multimillion-Dollar Cowch Dream Factory Up and Running in Morningside

Disappearing Acts will be held in venues ranging from parks, environmental education centres, and community farms throughout Queensland, so there’s something for everyone to explore.

Save the Date!

What	Disappearing Acts
Where	Beelarong, Corner Beverley St & York St, Morningside
When	22 May 2022, from 2:30 p.m.

“It is a quirky and skilled circus performance that asks us to reflect on our relationship with nature, how we value the birds, insects, trees and wild spaces that support them,” Vulcana Circus stated.

Developed in collaboration with environmental scientist Ayesha Tulloch, Disappearing Acts unpacks the scientific principle of testing questions and building evidence to assess what might be missing from our landscapes.

The event is part of Anywhere Festival 2022, which will once again take temporary possession of everyday and extraordinary places through Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa for the 12th year to present an intimate discovery of places and performances.

Click Here for List of Venues/Booking

About Vulcana

Vulcana is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1995 to close the gap between women’s and men’s experience of the circus through its inclusive training, performance making projects, and community engagement programs.

Vulcana offers workshops in aerials, hula hoops, juggling, partner/group acrobatics (balancing on each other), handstands, flexibility, fitness and performance classes for beginners through advanced levels and regardless of fitness level.

Now Complete! Cannon Hill Station Accessibility Upgrades to Deliver Safer and Faster Service

The multi-million accessibility upgrade at the Cannon Hill Station has been completed, delivering a safer and faster service for the eastern Brisbane community.

The improvements include better platforms accessible by paths, ramps and lifts, which will provide more convenience for train customers using mobility aids, seniors and customers with prams or luggage.

“The upgrade works have delivered a new pedestrian footbridge with lift access, as well as raised platform sections for improved access at the assisted boarding points, extended platform shelters, upgraded hearing augmentation loops and new tactile ground surface indicators to assist people with hearing and vision impairments,” Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said.

“There’s also a new secure bicycle enclosure to support active transport, upgraded station entrances and ticket window modifications, as well as improved security cameras and lighting, new wayfinding and platform signage around the assisted boarding points.”

More than $500 million was set aside for the Station Accessibility Upgrade Program of the State Government, which also saw the opening of 250 jobs during the construction phase.

Member for Bulimba Di Farmer said that the Morningside Station will soon get its upgrade as well. But Cannon Hill Station’s original timber station ticket office, which has been converted into a public toilet, will also be refurbished. Work on this project will start in late 2022.

“Accessibility for all is important, especially on our public transport network as we look towards the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Ms Farmer said.

Brisbane Kite Festival is Back at the Murarrie Recreation Reserve!

Editor’s Note: Event has been moved to Sunday, Aug 21, 10am-3pm.

Bring out the kid in you at the Brisbane Kite Festival, which returns for another fun-filled day at the Murarrie Recreation Reserve in Cannon Hill!

The whole family is guaranteed to enjoy the event filled with kite flying and a whole lot of activities on Sunday, 15 May 2022, from 8:00 a.m. onwards.

Participants may bring their own kites or buy one that can be easily put together at the festival. There will be seasoned kite-flyers to assist the locals. Kites that may break will be repaired in the workshop area.

Children will delight in the jumping castles, face painting, heaps of rides, and of course, kite flying! Vendors will be available all day to serve hot food like burgers or sausage sizzles and refreshing drinks.

Among the food stalls to anticipate are:

London Spud – a local favorite. Their baked spuds are filled with only the best quality meats and freshest ingredients. These amazing meals are completely gluten-free and are the perfect comfort food.

Salt Flake – a gluten-free food truck serving the best fish & chips.

Photo Credit: Brisbane Kite Festival/Facebook

Lankan Street – brings the authentic flavours of Sri Lanka with their famous grilled Kottu Roti.

New York Waffles – for the sweet and savoury dessert lovers. Try a light and crispy Brussels waffle topped with southern fried chicken, apple slaw, sriracha mayo and maple syrup. The ultimate combo of sweet and savoury.

The Brisbane Kite Festival is an annual event organised by the Rotary Club of Balmoral and Rotary Club of Carindale. Carina’s Men’s Shed helps out with the kite assembly and repair. The event is also made possible with the help of Kites Queensland and Brisbane City Council.

Pets may be allowed at the Murarrie Recreation Reserve but should be leashed at all times. Council by-laws about pets in the area remain.

The day will go ahead unless otherwise publicised if the weather changes. Follow updates on their Facebook page.

Morningside Train Station Final Design Out Soon

After giving the public a first look at the proposed upgrades to the Morningside train station, Queensland Rail is getting ready to release the final design of the project in mid-2022.

Read: FareShare in Morningside Get on With Queensland Organics Strategy and Action Plan

Delivered as part of the Station Accessibility Upgrade Program, the project focuses on upgrading station infrastructure to provide easier access to the public transport system.

Station accessibility upgrades include accessible station entrances and pathways to the assisted boarding points, platform raising works, upgraded accessible parking and essential station and customer facilities such as accessible toilets.

morningside train — Station view from platform 1 (Photo credit: Queensland Rail)

These upgrades will significantly improve access for all customers, particularly people with disabilities, older people, people travelling with prams or luggage, and people recovering from injury.

Accessibility upgrades typically feature a range of improvements, including:

a new pedestrian footbridge with lift access
full-length raised platforms and extended platform shelters
upgraded hearing loops and tactile platform surfaces
upgraded security cameras and lighting throughout the station
new wayfinding and platform signage.

morningside station — View from Waminda Street (Photo credit: Queensland Rail)

For the Station Accessibility Upgrade Program, The Queensland Government is investing more than $500 million to upgrade stations across the South East Queensland network.

Upgrades for the Morningside train station are expected to be completed by 2024.

About the Morningside Train Station

The Morningside station is part of the Cleveland line. It is located between Waminda Street on the eastern side, Jack Flynn Drive on the south-western side and Wynnum Road on the north-western side of the station.

The station has two platforms which are connected by a bridge access via stairs and a series of steep ramps. There is a commuter car park off Waminda Street with accessible parking and bike storage available. There are bus stops slightly north of the station entrance on Wynnum Road.