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Business Owners Advised To Assess Security After Stealing Incident In Chermside Jewellery Store

Authorities are reminding business owners to assess their security following a stealing incident in Chermside, which involved two minors who allegedly stole $10,000 worth of jewellery from a store.

Read: Chermside Has Highest Rate Of Crime In North Brisbane, Data Says

According to Queensland Police Service, the stealing incident in Chermside happened on 24 November 2022, when two males and a female entered the store and removed a gold bracelet from a display case behind the counter whilst the staff were distracted serving other customers.

They then left the store, only to return a few minutes later and allegedly steal five gold chains.

Fortunately, police from Chermside Police Beat were quick to respond. They obtained CCTV images which were distributed to patrolling police, who recognised the offenders.

Officers from Hendra Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) attended an address in Chermside on 25 November and located a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy reported to have been involved in the stealing offence.

After an emergent search at the address, officers from the CIB found one of the stolen jewellery items. The five items, however, remain outstanding.

The 15-year-old girl was charged with Enter Premises and Commit Indictable offence, Unlawful Possession of Suspected Stolen Property, and two counts of Unlawful use of Motor vehicles.

The 17-year-old boy was charged with Enter Premises and Commit Indictable offence and Attempted Enter Dwelling and Commit Indictable offence. Both minors are bailed to appear in Brisbane Children’s Court.

An 18-year-old man, known to police, remains outstanding at this time.

Key Principles for Good Business Security

Following the stealing incident in Chermside, S/Con Kim Richter shared these key principles to achieve good business security:

Make it easy for an offender to be seen.
Make it difficult for an offender to gain entry.
Make it difficult for an offender to exit with your property.
Make it difficult for an offender to gain benefit from your property.

Read: Motor Insurance Claims Analysis: Gympie Road on Chermside Is Brisbane’s Worst Location for Car Crashes

For further information about evaluating your business’ security, see the QPS Business Security Assessment Guide, which is an easy to use tool to review your current business security measures and identify potential security risks.

Active School Travel: Craigslea State School Named School of the Year

Congratulations to Craigslea State School in Chermside West for winning the School of the Year award after successfully implementing Brisbane’s Active School Travel program!

Craigslea State School is only in its first year of the program and has managed to achieve the “greatest increase in students actively travelling” thus coveting the esteemed recognition.

At the start of Term 2, the school ran a “Walking, Wheeling Wednesday” initiative that encouraged more physical activities for both students and staff members.

The Active School Travel (AST) program, which is in its 18th year, also reduced traffic congestion as the school community had to leave their cars at home and instead allowed the children to walk, bike or take the scooter to school.

“Well done to all the students, parents, teachers and staff who participate by getting active and importantly reducing congestion and increasing safety around our school,” the school’s AST team said in announcing Craigslea State School’s achievement.

Craigslea State School Active School Travel — Photo Credit: Craigslea State School/Facebook

“Active School Travel is one of the easiest ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday life for all children.”

Also recognised for this year’s AST awards are:

Wishart State School
School of Excellence 2022
Highest percentage of active travel in large schools

St Anthony’s School, Kedron
Greatest increase of active travel in large schools

Seven Hills State School
Greatest increase of active travel in small schools

Junction Park State School
Highest percentage of active travel in small schools

Chermside Has Highest Rate Of Crime In North Brisbane, Data Says

Chermside topped the list of North Brisbane suburbs with the most number of crimes committed in the last six months, with 1,253 alleged offences recorded, based on the latest data from the Queensland Police Service.

Read: Motor Insurance Claims Analysis: Gympie Road on Chermside Is Brisbane’s Worst Location for Car Crashes

The Online Crime Map, showing data from 25 May to 24 November 2022, revealed the leading type of offences in Chermside include unlawful entry, drug offences, and good order offences (generally minor, but some common examples include public nuisance, public urination, consuming liquor in public places).

In North Brisbane, there were a total of 27,126 offences in the said period. Nundah followed the list with 577 offences in total, where unlawful entry and drug offences were identified as the types of the most committed offences.

Here are other suburbs in North Brisbane and the number of offences committed between 25 May and 24 Nov 2022:

Suburb	No. of Offences
Aspley	546
Stafford	407
Wavell Heights	297
Everton Park	293
Geebung	208
Mcdowall	73
Chermside West	65

Although authorities are committed to keeping the community safe, Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan reminded residents and businesses to play their role in looking after the community, such as locking their homes and their vehicles.

In the North Brisbane Police District, including Chermside, there are already 1,000 police officers ensuring that the suburbs remain a safe place to work and live.

A QPS spokesperson assured that these reported crimes in North Brisbane are being reviewed and that they allocate extra resources if any trends were identified. It pays to be vigilant at all times, particularly in common crimes like house-breaking, also known as break and enter or burglary, which can happen at any time of the day or night.

Read: Westfield Chermside Names Local Heroes For 2022

Besides securing belongings at all times, members of the public are encouraged to inform authorities if they notice any suspicious activity. To report non-urgent crime and suspicious activity, visit the Crime Stoppers’ website or call 1800 333 000.

Motor Insurance Claims Analysis: Gympie Road on Chermside Is Brisbane’s Worst Location for Car Crashes

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

Did you know that two stretches of Gympie Road, one in Chermside and another in Kedron, both appear on the list of the top hotspots for car crashes in the country, based on an analysis of motor insurance claims in Australia?

The AAMI analysis studies more than 350,000 motor insurance claims to determine which capital city roads are the most dangerous. The latest insurance claims data show the locations where most common car accidents are dominated by metropolitan areas. A number of these hotspots include arterial roads that link Central Business Districts to outlying suburbs.

In Brisbane, Gympie Road in Chermside has again ranked as the top hotspot for car crashes after settling to second place last year. The peak-hour traffic at the stretch is one of the most notorious in the state, given that it’s part of the main route serving the northern suburbs.

Gympie Road’s Chermside stretch takes out the crash crown again, securing the #1 spot after dropping to second-place last year. Peak hour traffic along Gympie Road is infamous, given it’s part of the main route serving the northern suburbs.

A stretch of Gympie Rd in Kedron is also part of the top 5 hotspots in Brisbane and the differentiator between the Chermside and Kedron stretches looks like the shopping centre. Congestion is significant in that area of Chermside.

AAMI warns motorists who are planning an outing with their family to “keep your wits about you” as traffic along this stretch of Chermside as shoppers nearby could congest the road.

Others in the top five include:

Logan Road, Mount Gravatt – regaining the same #2 spot it held in 2020
Morayfield Road, Morayfield – ranks #3 for three years in a row
Ipswich Road, Annerley – in fourth place despite dropping the speed limit to 50 km/h
Gympie Road, Kedron – new on the list, occupying the fifth spot.

In Queensland, nose-to-tail prangs were identified as the most common type of collision. AAMI advises motorists to “stay alert and maintain a good distance between you and the car in front of you.”

Meanwhile, data current to September 2022 from Australian Road Deaths shows a slight increase in the number of road deaths across the country with 1,211 from 1,128 last year. Drivers recorded the most incidents among road users with 586 or 48.4 per cent of the total followed by motorcyclists with 20.3 per cent.

Read more about the AAMI Crash Index here.

Chermside Grandpa to Share $875,000 Windfall with Family

A Chermside grandpa plans to surprise his family and give them their share of his $875,000 windfall to express his gratitude for this unexpected stroke of good fortune.

The grandfather admitted that he could not believe his luck because he has been playing the same numbers “for more than 20 years” and had not won anything until this year.

The Chermside local took home one of the six division one winning entries during the Saturday draw last 8th October 2022, which amounted to $875,660.18. After getting confirmation that he was indeed a winner, he could only think of one thing: to surprise his family.

“I’ll definitely share it with my family,” the Chermside grandpa said. “I can’t wait to surprise them and see the shocked looks on their faces.”

“I feel incredibly grateful at the moment.

“It also gives me security moving forward.

“That’s all I can really ask for, to live my life the way I want to from now on.

“Thanks so much. This is amazing.”

The Brisbane local bought his winning entry at Nextra Chermside Newsagency at Westfield on Gympie Road and the store’s general manager, Shannon Hickey, was equally thrilled to have another winner from their outlet.

“We’ll be celebrating in-store all week and letting our customers know of this incredible news. We wish our lucky customer all the very best for their future.”

Have You Had Your Say on the Proposed New Bus Network Yet?

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / brisbane.qld.gov.au

Council is seeking public comment on the proposed new bus network which will see future stages of Brisbane Metro extend the services to Chermside, Carindale, Springwood and the Brisbane Airport, along with other changes to the network.

Brisbane’s bus network is evolving and you are invited to have your say on this proposal.

Council has released Brisbane’s New Bus Network which will introduce two new fully electric, high-capacity Brisbane Metro lines into the network. The two new lines will connect 18 stations along dedicated busways from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street, and Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to The University of Queensland.

Future stages of this project will see Chermside, Brisbane Airport, Carindale and Springwood added to the serviced areas. Also as part of the changes, there will be three new routes and two routes removed (Routes 145 and P151), and 27 routes redesigned to form just 13 routes.

The three new routes are the following:

Route 26 – Griffith University station to RBWH station
Route P109 – Acacia Ridge to City via
Route 182 – Upper Mt Gravatt station (Garden City) to Holland Park West via Wishart and Mansfield

These routes will be combined:

Route 108 will be combined with Route 105
Route 114 will be combined with Route 112
Route 117 will be combined with Route 115
Route 124 will be combined with Route 125
Route 136 will be combined with Route 132
Route 174 will be combined with Route 175
Routes 181 and 184 will be combined with Route 185
Route P129 will be combined with Route 131
Route P157 will be combined with Route 156
Route P173 will be combined with Route 172
Route P207 will be combined with Route P217
Route 376 will be combined with Route 375

The new bus network will improve travel time during peak times on more than half of bus journeys, introduce 160,000 additional trips each year, increase South East Busway capacity by 30.4 million passengers per year in 2031 and free up Cultural Centre Station.

Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Ryan Murphy said that some 385 buses are jamming up the Cultural Centre station during peak times due to the current over-reliance on direct bus journeys to the CBD. However, this is seen to improve once these routes are combined to create a simplified network and remove routes with “extremely low patronage.”

“The Schrinner Council’s public transport subsidy for Brisbane’s bus services is bigger than all the other Australian capital cities combined,” Cr Murphy said.

“Over the next few years, our investment in this subsidy will increase 84 per cent to $183 million.”

view interactive map

Have your say on the proposed Brisbane’s New Bus Network until 14 December 2022. Click here to answer the survey questions.

Council will finalise the network following public consultation and will seek Translink’s approval on the changes. The new network plan ahead of bus network changes and metro services will be released starting in late 2024.

Chermside Lass Appeals for Gift of Dignity, Choice and Independence for People With Disabilities

Mikaela Norris, a 21-year-old Chermside woman with a rare condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is appealing for the gift of dignity, choice and independence for people with disabilities this Christmas season.

As a disability advocate and the 2022 Youngcare Christmas Appeal Ambassador, Mikaela is looking forward to spending her first Christmas in a Specialist Disability Accommodation unit in Chermside after years of living with her parents. She is also hoping that more young people with disability will have access to appropriate housing so they could also enjoy a special Christmas with their friends and loved ones.

Over 3,100 young people with disabilities are living in aged care across Australia and nearly half of them are ready to be moved to a Specialist Disability Accommodation.

“I previously lived with my parents, who I have always had a great relationship with, but they were acting as my carers as well which wasn’t fair, so now they can just be my parents,” Mikaela said when asked why she advocated living independently despite her condition.

“As a young woman and a strong advocate for disability rights, I think it’s critical everybody has the opportunity to have a say in what they do, because, at the end of the day, it’s your life, it’s your choice.”

Youngcare has helped Mikaela and thousands of other Australians live their lives with the same opportunities that other young people enjoy through the delivery of At Home Care Grants, Home Support Grants and high-quality, purpose-built accessible housing tailored to a younger lifestyle.

Youngcare Head of Development and Housing Tim Lambert said the Christmas Appeal goes a long way to providing much-needed accessible housing to young people living with high physical support needs.

“The Christmas Appeal contributes to Youngcare’s housing, directly supporting young people’s choice to live young lives in high-quality Specialist Disability Accommodation,” Tim said.

“We are extremely proud to offer premium residential options, like the apartment Mikaela is living in, and have many more homes in the planning and construction stages across Australia.

“Our team are experts in development best practice, working every day to ensure our residents are living with freedom, choice and control.”

Youngcare also offers its At Home Care Grants program, which funds up to $10,000 for young people with high physical support needs to help buy essential items and services that can’t be funded elsewhere. To date, Youngcare has provided more than 370 At Home Care Grants throughout Queensland alone since the program’s inception in 2009.

For Mikaela, the program funded essential respite that allowed her to attend schoolies — her first outing away from her family — and a modified door in her family home to prevent Mikaela from injuring herself when entering and exiting.

Youngcare also operates ‘Youngcare Connect’, a free support line for young people with high physical support needs, their families and carers, offering information and advice on navigating the NDIS, as well as available housing, funding and care options.

All funds raised during Youngcare’s Christmas Appeal will help the organisation continue to develop aspirational Specialist Disability Accommodation, advocate for much-needed policy change, deliver its vital grants programs, and provide education, advice and pathways through its Youngcare Connect support line.

“I am thrilled to be Youngcare’s Christmas Appeal Ambassador for 2022 and encourage people across Brisbane to get involved. Every donation, no matter how big or small, makes a huge difference to beneficiaries like me.”

Donate to Youngcare’s Christmas Appeal

Make Your Gift List! Santa Claus is Coming to Westfield Chermside

Photo Credit: Supplied

Have you made your gift list and checked it twice? Santa has and he is on his way to Westfield Chermside.

Look out for Santa Claus on Saturday, 12 November 2022, at 9:00 a.m. near Event Cinemas on Level 1. There will be music, dancing and cheer so let’s start the most wonderful time of year by welcoming the jolly man back to his red chair.

After two years of socially distanced Christmas photos, the highly anticipated tradition of family photos with Santa is back to its holly jolly best, with the man in red welcoming guests to once again stand by his side, join him on his red velvet throne, or even find a spot on his knee.

Bookings are now open for the full suite of Santa photography, including:

The introduction of Auslan Santa at Westfield Chermside, giving children who are Deaf or hard of hearing the chance to share their Christmas wish list directly with an Auslan-fluent Santa;
Sensitive Santa, where families can enjoy a relaxed, sensory-friendly experience; and
Pet Photography, for families whose children include their furry, feathered or scaled babies.

The festive season will be in full swing for families in all Westfield centres with Santa photography, surprise and delight moments, community gifting opportunities and festive celebrations as we officially welcome Mr Claus and his elves to town. To celebrate Santa’s arrival, Westfield Living Centres in Queensland will be decking the halls and hosting the following festivities:

Westfield Carindale	Santa has made his list and checked it twice. Customers will be asked to welcome Santa and his trusted elves in style to Westfield Carindale at 10am and 12pm, 12 November.
	Holiday bites & delights at Westfield Carindale every Saturday in November from 10am: Throughout November, Chef Carmel will be coming to the centre and showcasing a range of quick, easy, and delicious dishes (both savory and sweet!) that anyone can recreate at home.
Westfield Coomera	Join Santa, Mrs Claus and their merry friends as they parade throughout the whole centre, bringing festive cheer from 10am and then again at 12pm, 12 November
Westfield Mt Gravatt	This year, Santa’s parade will be joined by stilt walkers, pianists, singers, and snowflake ballerinas to bring the festive cheer at 9am, 12 November.
Westfield Helensvale	From hip-hop dancing elves, magical fairies, a marching band and the arrival of Santa, Westfield Helensvale will be welcoming the Christmas magic into centre at 9:30 am, 12 November.
Westfield North Lakes	Santa will be arriving at Westfield North Lakes joined by your Minions Bob and Stuart, PAW Patrol’s Chase and Marshall and Smurf’s Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and many more memorable characters.
	Join Rudolph and Mrs. Claus for a magical breakfast at Coffee Hit, exclusive to Westfield Plus members. Tickets will be available from Sunday 13 November.

The fun doesn’t stop with Santa’s Arrival! Until Wednesday 30 November, customers can be in to ‘Win Westfield’s Top Christmas Gifts’, entering the Westfield Plus Zone for a chance to win one of five prize packs stuffed with this Christmas’ must-have goodies.

Customers can visit their local Westfield centre website to discover the full line-up of festivities. Bookings are essential for Santa photography sessions and can be made online via: www.westfield.com.au

What To Buy At Burnie Brae Christmas Market

It’s that time of the year again! If you’re wondering where to go around Chermside to shop for gifts, the Burnie Brae Christmas Market is a great place to start, with over 25 stalls featuring artisan goods from local artists. Here are some ideas on what to buy at the markets.

Read: Coming to Westfield Chermside: Auslan Santa Experience for Hearing-Impaired Children

Scented candles

Burnie Brae Christmas Market — Photo credit: BY RBNSN/Facebook

Your loved one will remember you with every whiff, and most good quality scented candles look just as good as they smell, making them a perfect accessory to any room.

BY RBNSN will be debuting at the Christmas market, all set to launch their simple and fresh candle scents. With their classic and minimalist design, the candles here make a perfect gift regardless of the recipient’s gender.

Handmade jewellery

Handmade gifts make people feel extra special, because there’s hard work behind making the gift. Spirit Alchemy specialises in locally handmade jewellery from Brisbane, using stunning semi-precious stones ethically sourced from around the world. For the jewellery loving people in your life, choose from their jewellery and crystals, as well as orgone energy.

Personalised mugs/jars

Glass jars are perfect for storing treats like sweets and biscuits, and you can use them as storage for pasta and rice. A.L.K Kreations has personalised glass storage jars with bamboo lids. Aside from jars, you can also find serving platters, coffee mugs, tumblers, and reusable cutlery from this stall.

Money/Gift pouches

Giving cash isn’t only convenient. It also allows the recipient to buy what they want or need. If you need a presentable money pouch, check out Lady Craftsalot On The Go Co, a shop specialising in handmade crafts, greeting cards, and paper gifts.

Hand-decorated wine cups and bottle

Photo credit: Lil bit of Craft by Kaz/Facebook

Check out Lil bit of Craft by Kaz and their colourful wine cups and bottles. Each piece is individually handcrafted from resin and handmade in Brisbane. They also have keyrings and festive earrings.

Read: Get Ready to Par-tee! Mini Golf Course and Bar Opens in Chermside

Beyond shopping, you shouldn’t miss the craft workshops run by Burnie Brae art teacher Petra. Learn how to make reusable gift bags or make an alcohol ink Christmas pot that you can put on display or give as a gift to loved ones.

The full list of stall lineups will be announced on Burnie Brae’s Event’s page, so don’t forget to follow them for updates!

Mark your calendars!

What	Burnie Brae Christmas Market
Where	60 Kuran St, Chermside
When	Saturday, 26 November 2022, 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Coming to Westfield Chermside: Auslan Santa Experience for Hearing-Impaired Children

Westfield Chermside and selected Westfield Living centres will soon be visited by Auslan Santa, as part of a pilot program to bring Christmas cheer to deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Following the success of the 2019-launched Westfield’s Sensitive Santa – a program for children with sensory processing challenges – Westfield announced the launch of Auslan Santa. The sessions, conducted in Australian Sign Language (Auslan) will be longer and will have helpers and an interpreter on hand to facilitate the activities.

Sensitive Santa started as a trial concept made available for those with sensory challenges, anxiety, disabilities, or families who simply require more time. It was initially trialled in one Westfield centre in 2017 before being rolled out to all 42 centres in 2019 across Australia and New Zealand.

“Auslan Santa continues our commitment to make the magical Santa experience more accessible to more of our customers. We are very proud to launch this pilot initiative in selected Westfield Living Centres this year, with a view to launch it more widely in 2023 and beyond.”
Scentre Group National Community Experience Manager, Pam Wilson

Auslan Santa is coming to Westfield featuring the Callaghan family — Auslan_Santa is coming to Westfield featuring the Callaghan family | Photo Credit: Dan Gosse

The new Auslan Santa program is developed in collaboration with Deaf Australia and will offer the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community the opportunity to visit select Westfield Living Centres in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, including Westfield Chermside, to enjoy their own dedicated Auslan Santa session.

Deaf Australia is a peak Deaf-led organisation representing Deaf, Deafblind and hard-of-hearing people in Australia who use Auslan (aka Australian Sign Language) as their primary form of communication. In addition to supporting the development of Auslan Santa at Westfield, Deaf Australia and event service providers, Scene to Believe, have also been working to educate and train all Westfield Santas to better interact with Deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Bookings are open for Auslan Santa in Queensland at Westfield Chermside on Friday 02 December 2022. Westfield Parramatta in New South Wales and Westfield Southland in Victoria will hold their separate Auslan Santa sessions.

New South Wales
Westfield Parramatta
Date: Saturday 26 November
Time: 3pm – 6pm

Victoria
Westfield Southland
Date: Sunday 27 November
Time: 3pm – 6pm

Queensland
Westfield Chermside
Date: Friday 02 December
Time: 3pm – 6pm

Santa Photography Key Dates:

Bookings open to Westfield Plus members: 12 October 2022
Santa’s arrival in Westfield Centres: From 12 November 2022
Photography dates: From 12 November (may vary by centre) until 24 December 2022

Customers can find out more and book sessions by visiting the Westfield website.

Book here.

Westfield Chermside | Gympie Rd, Chermside QLD 4032, Australia