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Morningside Property to be Leased to 3M Australia for 10 Years

Did you know that a $5.93-million industrial property in Morningside has been purchased by the Irongate Group and will be leased to 3M, to become the American multinational conglomerate’s headquarters in Queensland?

The site, located on 24 Dunhill Crescent, covers 1,016 square metres of space and will also serve as 3M’s last-mile distribution facility. 3M manufactures more than 60,000 office, industrial and medical products.

Construction on the Morningside property is expected to start sometime in November 2021.

3M has agreed on a 10-year lease, which will have a fixed three percent annual escalations. The Morningside property ‘s settlement date is expected to close by mid-May 2021.

“The property is being acquired on an attractive initial yield with a very strong tenant covenant,” a spokesperson said.

The Ironside Group, a property investment and asset management firm, also purchased a 3,250 square metre industrial facility on Mudgee Street in Kingston and has entered into an agreement with Construction Sciences, an engineering firm, for 10 years.

The company spokesperson said in a press statement that it believes in Brisbane’s industrial market. The two new sites are the latest in its acquisitions following its purchase of a facility in Brendale in January 2021 and Pinkeba in March 2021.

Ironside Group’s increasing presence in the industrial market is expected to boost its income and value to 34 percent.

Meanwhile, the planned expansion of 3M will bring in more jobs for Morningside locals and residents of the nearby suburbs.

Will the Junction, Lytton, Colmslie Road Roundabout be Upgraded Soon?

A petition has been submitted asking Council to prioritise an upgrade to the roundabout at Junction, Lytton, and Colmslie Roads as developments in this Morningside precinct continue to raise traffic concerns among locals and cause conflicts among businesses in the area.

Councillor Kara Cook is asking Council to consider setting aside the funds for the Junction, Lytton and Colmslie Road Roundabout upgrades in the 2021-2022 financial year. In a petition via the Council’s platform, which has garnered 594 signatures, Ms Cook said that the designs for this project have been prepared with no funds allocated just yet.

In a Facebook post, Ms Cook said that the Junction, Lytton and Colmslie Road Roundabout upgrade was one of the first issues raised to her when she was elected into office in 2018.

“We know there are detailed designs that have been prepared but we need the money allocated in the budget to do the work,” she wrote. “There has been significant development in the area and increasingly students from Cannon Hill Anglican College are accessing the new service station by foot and as one parent told me “it’s only a matter of time before a child is hit”. The pedestrian access to the site will only increase once Mcdonald’s is open.”

It comes as Australian Country Choice (ACC) filed two lawsuits to push a fitness studio’s opening at the Rivermakers development on Lytton and Colmsie Roads until August 2021.

Photo Credit: Rivermakers Brisbane/Google Maps

TotalFusion Morningside was set to open in December 2020 but with the legal hitches, the establishment had to hold off on its membership applications and let go of the 100 personnel hired for the site. ACC also lodged an appeal to stop Revel Brewing Company from its plans to expand at the same location.

Ms Cook said that this roundabout brings the highest level of traffic, which will continue to increase with more businesses coming to Rivermakers.

Councillor David McLachlan, the Council’s infrastructure chairman, said that funding was allocated for this project in the 2020-2021 budget. Investigation works and other plans for the Junction, Lytton and Colmslie Road Roundabout are part of its “citywide priorities.”

Rising Murrarie Star Eager to Compete in the Paralympics

Patrick O’Brien, a Murrarie swimmer with autism, is well on the way towards a bright future competing in the Paralympics.

Patrick, a 17-year-old with autism and an intellectual disability, swims with Carina Leagues CJ’s Swim Club. He has already won numerous medals throughout his career, competing in the multiclass events from State to National level.

With the aid of his support worker under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, he trains six days a week and enters swimming competitions fortnightly. His journey first began five years ago after attending ‘Learn to Swim’ lessons for the Special Olympics at the age of 12.

“We always wanted him to learn how to swim; he has always loved the water but couldn’t swim,” says Kate Jansons, his mother. “We saw Learn to Swim in Redlands so after a couple of lessons they got him competing. Now he’s on his Paralympics pathway.”

Only three years later and Patrick O’Brien had made it to Nationals, winning three gold medals and one silver medal. During the 2019 World Paralympics trials in Brisbane, he entered the Top 10, and will swim at the Paralympics Trials coming up in Adelaide around June.

Outside of the pool, Patrick receives regular help from his support worker. Much of his hobbies relate to fitness and sporting activities such as athletics and cross-country. “The NDIS has been great at getting him to therapies and into his things, like being able to compete and to keep him safe,” says his mum.

For those interested in learning more about the NDIS, visit their website. Follow their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest on the services they can provide, as well as any other relevant events, dates, and exciting updates.

New Pedestrian Footbridge at Cannon Hill Station Laid Down

Accessibility improvements at the Cannon Hill station have been moving forward with the addition of a brand new pedestrian footbridge, which will make it easier for older commuters and people with disabilities.

On 20 March 2021, Member for Bulimba Di Farmer and Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey were on-site as a 500-tonne crane, acquired all the way from Sydney, lifted the 35 metre overpass and setting it in place.

Ms Farmer shared the milestone on Facebook and thanked Mr Bailey for lobbying for the funding of this upgrade.

In 2020, Ms Farmer said relayed the story of an elderly woman who found it challenging to use the facilities at the Cannon Hill station to visit her sister.

“Some days when she would go to get on the train at Cannon Hill station, the gap between the platform and the train would be so great that she just couldn’t manage it. So she would have to just go back home and miss the visit,” Ms Farmer said.

“Well, once we finish our big upgrade at Cannon Hill station, it will be accessible for everyone, but especially for the elderly, for people with small children and prams, and for people with disabilities. And it won’t be just about platforms.”

The facility is one of 17 stations in east Brisbane that will benefit from the overhauls and revamps under the State Government’s half-a-billion-dollar station accessibility program. Also up for improvements are the stations in Dakabin, Auchenflower, East Ipswich, Fairfield and Yeronga, whilst suburbs like Yeerongpilly, Moorooka, Rocklea, Salisbury, Banyo, Bundamba, Burpengary, Wooloowin, Lindum and Morningside are the next ones in line.

“What we’ve seen during COVID is more people moving to Queensland because of the way we continue to manage the health response, and it’s vital from a public transport perspective that the accessibility is there to accommodate our diverse and growing population,” Mr Bailey said.

“Importantly, we also want the jobs in fields like construction there for people who want work and are choosing Queensland as the place to be.”

Ms Farmer also said that this project has opened 250 created jobs for tradies, which has been a big boost to the suburb’s economic recovery.

Cannon Hill stations’ upgrade is expected to be finished by early 2022.

“To date, the station’s new 35 metre footbridge is the longest footbridge installed as part of the program,” Ms Farmer said. “Following the bridge’s lift-in, fit-out works will commence ahead of its opening with lift installation works to follow.”

BrewDog Plans to Open New Murarrie Beer Hotel “The DogHouse”

Renowned global brewery BrewDog recently announced that plans are in the works to create a new beer-themed hotel dubbed “The DogHouse Brisbane” in Murarrie.

Scottish-founded brewing company BrewDog intends to launch a four-storey 730-sqm hotel dubbed “The DogHouse Brisbane” in an empty lot of land beside its brewing facilities and taproom in Murarrie, creating a beer campus of sorts.

The DogHouse Brisbane is a tourist destination based on The DogHouse Columbus, making the Brisbane branch BrewDog’s second beer hotel.

Finances for the project are being obtained through a crowdfunding initiative titled Equity for Punks which gives Aussie beer enthusiasts a chance to own a part of their own brewery.

A room at the DogHouse Columbus in Ohio, USA.
Photo credit: BrewDog

The hotel will have a total of 30 rooms, each modeled in the likeness of a different BrewDog beer, and guests are free to drink in the shower as beer fridges are installed inside for people to enjoy a frothie whilst cleaning up. Even the DogHouse’s soap and body wash contains beer.

The minibars will be stocked with international craft and liquors. The hotel’s more luxurious suites, aptly named BrewMaster suites, will feature a draught beer tap inside the rooms for guests to enjoy.

Though the bulk of the project’s details are still currently kept under wraps, those interested are free to visit the BrewDog website. For the latest updates concerning the company, The DogHouse Brisbane and BrewDog products, follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

The BrewDog brewing facilities and the future site of The DogHouse Brisbane can be found at 77 Metroplex Ave, Murarrie.

Rivergate is Proud to Have Australia’s First Female Marine Apprentice of the Year

Rivergate in Murarrie is globally known in the marine industry for its highly-skilled workforce. This has been proven yet again by Jasmine Willoughby, a Rivergate apprentice and Australia’s first female Marine Apprentice of the Year at the Australian Marine Industry Awards.

Jasmine is riding the waves of success in a work environment dominated by men as a second-year fabrication trade apprentice (boiler making/welding) at the Aus Ships Group within the Rivergate marine precinct. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, Jasmine is a shining inspiration for young women who are looking for options to work for the marine industry.

Her thriving career growth comes as this Murarrie precinct will undergo a major expansion that will provide for 1,500 new marine industry jobs.

“There will be more and more opportunities for women to learn a trade and have a career in the marine industry,” Jasmine said. “The expansion would be a huge boom for the companies at Rivergate but also Brisbane as a whole. We will see more superyachts coming to the dock which will require more hands on deck.”

Jasmine was a former pharmacy assistant before shifting to the marine industry. A graduate of East Coast Apprenticeships Launch, she aimed to land a job at the superyacht sector, where she stood out and was honored as the top apprentice.

“It is always daunting being the first person to go through something, but I’m happy to be a role model to young women to show them what is possible and that they can try a trade, enjoy it and excel at it.”

The top apprentice of the year also said her male co-workers have been very supportive of her work.

“Of all people, it was men who said they had a great experience working with women as they had excellent attention to detail.”

Judy Brinsmead, Rivergate Marina and Shipyard Director, said that their training and apprenticeship programs provide long-term sustainability for workers, including women who also want to grow in the industry, just like Jasmine.

“It’s not so much about finding women who want to be in this industry but giving them the opportunity that they may not have been aware they had,” Jasmine said.

Brisbane Cemeteries, Including Morningside, Overloaded With Hundreds of Applications

Since 2019, Council has received more than 400 applications for full family gravesites but nine of the 12 open cemeteries in Brisbane, including Balmoral Cemetery in Morningside, are squaring up to problems with space.

Despite an increasing preference for cremation, many locals still want to be buried at historical cemeteries in their local area. While Council has tried to accommodate most requests, there has been a growing need for new sections or other burial options like memorial walls or ash burials.

As listed on the official site, there are no more new gravesites at Balmoral Cemetery. To fix the lack of space, however, burials here cemetery may still be possible for family graves, if it’s not full.

However, Council may also approve a burial application if the family grave is full but the last burial was more than 30 years ago.

The re-use of family gravesites is also implemented in cemeteries at the following sites:

Bald Hills
Brookfield
Cedar Creek
Lutwyche
Moggill
Nundah
South Brisbane
Toowong

A resident planning to re-use a gravesite might have to shell out for test dig fees or hire an authorised stonemason on top of other fees like internment and other services. Some cemeteries offer free services but others may cost the resident less than $32,000 for the burials.

Balmoral Cemetery, located at the corner of Wynnum and Bennett Roads in Morningside, is managed by Toowong Cemetery.

For enquiries about services, fees or the re-use of your family gravesite, email CB-CEM-TOOWONG@brisbane.qld.gov.au. You’ll need to download and submit a re-use application form to start.

Rivergate Marina Announces Expansion, New Jobs

Wright Marine owner Shannon Wright (Photo credit: rivergate.com.au)

Queensland’s premier shipbuilding facility, Rivergate Marina, is pressing ahead with plans to develop a $200-million maintenance and refit hub in partnership with general contractor Wright Marine.

Wright Marine, an established name in marine refits and repairs, expects to see their workforce increasing in the coming years once the plan receives the greenlight. Owner Shannon Wright acknowledges Rivergate’s premier location and strong reputation for outstanding tradesmen in helping their business go from strength-to-strength and in generating new jobs and creating career pathways for apprentices in the marine industry.

“We currently have eight staff but with the expansion, we see that growing to at least 20, including apprentices,” said Wright, who was the first official tenant at Rivergate 16 years ago.

Rivergate is aiming to be the largest superyacht hub in the Asia Pacific, 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. It will feature an on-site crew accommodation and resort-style recreation, as well as a 5-storey trade centre with offices, training rooms, café and car parking.

Once complete, the new hub will create an even greater ongoing contribution to Brisbane’s economy. Based on the advisory group AEC’s economic impact assessment report, the superyacht hub will generate $154.6 million for local businesses during construction and create a total of 433 direct and indirect jobs.

About Rivergate

Photo credit: Rivergate Marina and Shipyard/Facebook

Rivergate is recognised as Australia’s premier superyacht facility with an enviable track record that has placed them among the top three shipyards in the world and earned numerous industry awards. In November 2020, they were named Superyacht industry Service Provider of the year at the Australian Maritime Industry Awards.

Anyone interested in learning more about the job opportunities at Rivergate Marina are encouraged to visit rivergatesuperyachts.com.au.

Quality of Life Upgrades Scheduled for Morningside’s Keralgerie Park

With over 2,100 parks under the management of the Brisbane City Council, plans are being set in motion to upgrade those in need of improvement, including Morningside’s very own Keralgerie Park.

During an environment, parks and sustainability committee, plans were drawn for nine suburban park upgrade projects spread across Brisbane by the Brisbane City Council. Morningside’s Keralgerie Park was among the list of parks due for improvement, and these improvements were set to happen within the year.

One of the additions the Brisbane City Council intends to bring is the implementation of easily-accessible public toilets close to the parking lot in Keralgerie Park — a necessary quality-of-life and convenience upgrade for drivers and passengers alike.

Parking is also set to become more accessible, and there are plans to install fitness equipment for public use throughout the area. There are also plans to plant additional trees for shade, and to create a new pedestrian and scooter path that encircles the entirety of the park to facilitate navigation.

With $71 million allocated to parks in the 2020-21 budget, an estimated $5.8 million is being put towards park recreation projects, with $2.7 million being spent on neighbourhood park upgrades and $3 million on suburban park maintenance.

“There’s a lot of work that goes upfront to make sure we’re getting the appropriate facilities to the community,” says Wade Fitzgerald, Brisbane City Council Major Projects and Asset Coordination Manager, stressing the importance of community feedback to the planning process.

Australian Country Choice in Legal Disputes with New Morningside Businesses

Beef supplier Australian Country Choice is wrapped up in legal disputes against two new businesses, TotalFusion and Revel Brewing Co, over their plans to open outlets on Colmsie Road in Morningside.

Gym in Limbo

TotalFusion Morningside was set to open the biggest gym facility in Queensland on 32 Colmsie Road in December 2020 but a court dispute with Australian Country Choice has caused a major delay, leaving hundreds of staff jobless. About 2,000 gym members anticipating the opening could not yet take advantage of their membership whilst the legal battle is ongoing.

Photo Credit: TotalFusion Morningside/Facebook

Following a failed arbitration, a trial is expected to go ahead in July 2021. Lawyers for Australian Country Choice are contesting the gym’s location in an industrial zone. Until the court dispute is settled, TotalFusion cannot open its Morningside outlet.

Not in This Neighbourhood

In December 2020, Australian Country Choice had also lodged a legal dispute with Bulimba-based Revel Brewing Co, which submitted a development application (DA A005586380) to open another restaurant, bar and brewery along a three-building complex on 82 Colmsie Road.

The beef supplier said that patrons of the brewery won’t likely enjoy dining in an area with a meat processing facility.

In an appeal filed with the Planning & Environment Court, ACC’s lawyers stated that the construction of Revel “will result in, or has the potential to result in, adverse and unreasonable constraints being placed upon the lawful operation of the present and future industrial uses as intended/approved on the land and adjoining industry zoned/designated properties.”

The Council is not commenting on the disputes, citing that it’s up to the courts to decide.