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Chermside Chef Wins Golden Chef Hat Award, Will Compete in Nationwide Tilt

Chermside chef Trinity Garcia, who works at The Kneadery, has won the regional Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award. She will soon be competing in the longest-running, most credible culinary competition for young chefs in the country, Fine Food Australia in Melbourne.

At the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award competition, Ms Garcia clinched the gold medal after impressing the judges with her complex technical skills and her ability to create delicious flavour combinations.

She prepared Asian-inspired pork with a legume and pork broth and celeriac for the main course, and apple and pear bavarois, with cardamom and lime for dessert.

Chermside Chef Trinity Garcia — Photo Credit: Supplied

The impressive selection placed the Chermside chef in the Top 12 ranking of new chefs in Australia and New Zealand, who are gearing for their next kitchen battle in Melbourne in September 2022. The winner of this competition will be named the Golden Chef of the Year and win a $10,000 cash prize.

Apart from the grand prize, two new $2.5-K culinary tuition cash prizes for Best Savoury Dish and Best Dessert Dish will also be given this year. These prizes will recognise the individual skill of the young chefs and contribute towards the completion of their culinary tuition fees.

Ms Garcia aimed for the Golden Hat to test herself against other young chefs in the industry and improve her cooking skills.

“I really love and want to keep pushing myself in my career. There is something quite thrilling about competing and I’m stoked to be getting back into it and giving it my all.”

“I love to challenge myself and see this as a great opportunity to put myself out of my comfort zone. It’s a high-pressure environment but I really thrive in that.

“I can’t wait for the grand finals, getting to go up against the best young chefs around will be an awesome experience and another learning curve for my progression.”

“I’ve always had a love of cooking from a very young age. Since the age of three, I’ve helped my mum with cooking dinner, baking and making celebration cakes. We always talked about how I was going to be a chef/pastry chef one day and I am so happy that I have fulfilled that and now have my dream career.”

The Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award is now in its 57th year of presenting regional and grand final live cook-off heats.

“Our 2022 line-up of chefs have their cooking rated by world-class judges,” said Karlie Durrant, Communications & Sustainability Manager at Nestlé Professional.

“Whilst this can be challenging, being judged to globally recognised standards is the best way for young chefs to challenge themselves to create magic on a plate. Zoe really delivered on the day with a considered and well-executed menu. We’re excited to see what she creates under the intense pressure and thrill of the grand finals.”

Follow the Golden Chefs on Facebook and Instagram.

Free Screening Program for Type 1 Diabetes Launches in North Brisbane

The Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot for babies 6 to 12 months old has been launched in North Brisbane, providing a FREE TEST for families in Chermside and other suburbs to see if their children are at risk for developing the condition.

The Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot consists of a simple test for infants to determine their risk of developing the disease. Registration for the free test kit is online, which will be delivered to their house.

Parents need to get a saliva sample from their child’s mouth and then post the sample back to the laboratory. The test will be analysed to determine if their child is at risk of developing type 1 diabetes in childhood.

Babies with an “increased chance” of type 1 diabetes, based on their screening test will be offered free follow-up testing that can detect type 1 diabetes, even before symptoms appear.

type 1 diabetes screening — Photo Credit: Supplied

Screening is a Lifesaver

Mom Jackie Goldston said that access to screening has been a benefit for the family. Her daughter, Freya, was diagnosed at 11 months old and this changed the family’s life forever.

“We had no experience or history with type 1 diabetes. It was December and so of course, being Queensland it was hot and humid, so her symptom of being very thirsty didn’t seem strange. It was only when she started showing signs of distress and breathing extremely rapidly that our GP sent us to the emergency department.

“It took three emergency doctors to diagnose her and by this time she was falling in and out of consciousness due to DKA. She was eventually rushed via ambulance to the (then) Royal Children’s Hospital where we didn’t know if she was going to survive the night.

Jackie Goldston and daughter with type 1 diabetes — *Jackie with a diabetes insulin pump on her leg*
*Photo Credit: Supplied*

“I will be forever grateful to the team that saved her and for the fact that she is now a healthy, happy 13-year-old. But I only wish that we could have had an inkling of what to look out for.

“I don’t want any other parents to have to go through what my husband and I went through. Early screening will mean that parents know what may happen if and when their child starts to show symptoms and what to do. It will hopefully mean that their child will not be DKA at diagnosis and the family will already have some understanding of what to expect.”

The Benefits of Screening

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune disease that develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps the body convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. Without insulin, glucose can build up in the bloodstream to dangerous levels.

The disease is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children and adolescents, with approximately three children diagnosed in Australia each day. While 90 per cent of those diagnosed have no family history of type 1 diabetes, the genetic risk of developing the condition can still be detected through screening. It is therefore important that all children are screened to determine if they are at risk.

“Early signs are often vague and can be missed or confused with other minor childhood concerns. As a result, at least 1 in 3 Australian children with type 1 diabetes are not diagnosed until they require emergency medical care,” said Dr Gary Deed, a GP who got involved with the project on a personal and professional level.

“Screening in infancy has been shown to support earlier diagnosis before the child becomes seriously unwell. While there is no cure yet for the disease, early detection can prevent serious health problems and support a better prognosis and long-term management of the condition.”

“I live with diabetes so his project is naturally a passion for me,” the doctor added.

“I have seen the impact of the undiagnosed type 1 person with full-blown diabetic ketoacidosis and how devastating this is for the person and their family. If this trial shows some benefits – we are hoping to refine this to have a national screening program to help improve the early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, contribute to the reduction of mortality and severe morbidity associated with ketoacidosis at diagnosis and provide support for family members in a more structures less reactive way.”

National Screening Planned

Dr Kirstine Bell says the goal of the pilot program is to make early detection available for every child in Australia – ultimately becoming part of routine childhood screening.

“It’s an ideal time to start offering type 1 diabetes screening to children in Australia. There is a wealth of strong evidence showing the benefits of screening and we now have new technology that makes screening tests simple, safe and effective,” Dr Bell said.

Dr Kirstine Belle — Photo Credit: Supplied

“[This] has always been a passion area for me and I started this pilot to help children and families at risk of type 1 diabetes. It is my hope that screening for type 1 diabetes can be offered nationally for all Australian children in the future.”

The pilot is funded by JDRF, the leading supporter of type 1 diabetes research in the world. JDRF is dedicated to ending type 1 diabetes, and making the lives of people already diagnosed, or at risk of diagnosis, easier, safer, and healthier until that happens.

To find out more about JDRF, visit their website.

New Salvos Housing in Chermside Opens for People At Risk of Homelessness

After two years of construction, The Salvation Army welcomes residents who could be at risk of homelessness at the new Salvos Housing in Chermside. The beautiful facility is funded by philanthropist Doug Cory.

The Cory Centre, located at the former Glenhaven complex, is a three-storey apartment with 21 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units for single parents with kids or families of vulnerable households. It has its own basketball and tennis court, a rebound wall, vegetable and flower gardens, a children’s playground, a common room indoors, and a library.

The Salvos Housing in Chermside was designed as a contemporary residential complex that blends well with its neighbours. It is meant to be an inner sanctuary where the kids can enjoy their childhood.

Photo Credit: DA A005168702/Developmenti/BCC

Mr Cory donated $5.5 million so that The Salvation Army can rebuild the Glenhaven complex for families. The businessman will never forget how the Salvos helped him, his eight siblings, and his single mum, Irene, when their family arrived in Brisbane.

Before this complex became a women’s centre, it was a motel with 13 units. In 1988, the Salvos bought the property for its charitable work.

Mr Lambert said the housing complex will no longer be called Glenhaven.

“Internally, we’ve been calling it the Cory Centre because of the donor’s relationship with the project but there hasn’t been a designated name for it,” Tim Lambert, the Army’s senior development manager with the property department in Queensland, said.

“If you are an average person with an average job and you’re walking down an average street…you couldn’t tell the difference between us and anyone else. You should be able to live in the same street and have the same rules and show the same respect as everyone else. It’s meant to be a true blended community.

“It will have a mixture of men and women and it’s not a women’s crisis centre. It’s not a domestic abuse centre. It certainly will have people who have suffered all those things, but there will be enough separation and security for people coming out of those situations … but will have the ability to feel safe and secure within the complex itself.”

Attention, Bee Lovers! Pollinator Garden on Corrie Street

Did you know that a pop-up pollinator park containing temporary raised garden beds and bee-attracting plants has been installed in Corrie Street in Chermside?

Read: Bushcare Volunteering: Preserving Chermside Hills Reserves for the Future

A pollinator garden is one that attracts bees, butterflies, and other insects to transfer pollen. Through pollination, many plants are able to produce fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and oils which are an important part of the food we eat.

The project is part of Council’s BNE Local and Liveable program, which aims to create liveable places with vibrant neighbourhood centres for the local community and visitors to enjoy.

Aside from a pollinator garden, Brisbane City Council will install modular streetscape seating and subtropical container planting in the area.

Locals can also expect painted patterns on traffic islands and a round plane design to footpath as part of street patterning to improve visibility and identity along Corrie St.

“The idea behind this wonderful beautification is to provide greenspace for people, wildlife and diversity, creating comfortable human experiences and offering an inclusive sense of place,” said Councillor Fiona Hammond.

corrie st pollinator garden — Photo credit: Cr Fionna Hammond/Facebook

Corrie St has been identified as one of the locations of the BNE Local and Liveable program in its second year in 2022. At present, a pop-up plaza outside the Stones Corner Library is also being planned as part of the program.

Projects for the BNE Local and Liveable program are experimental, where the goal is to learn what works, what creates value and what the follow up actions. They can also be temporary or semi-permanent, adaptable, moveable and/or reversible.

Locals can recommend a location for the program by contacting Council or writing to the BNE local project team. Further details can be viewed via Council’s website.

Bushcare Volunteering: Preserving Chermside Hills Reserves for the Future

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

The Chermside Hills Reserves are home to over 200 species of native plants and over a hundred more of bird species. Thanks to dedicated bushcare volunteers, these natural habitats are being maintained for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

The Chermside Hills Reserves consists of three reserves situated in Chermside West and McDowall, namely Chermside Hill Reserve, Milne Hill Reserve and Raven Street Reserve. Some 200 native plant species thrive in these natural areas including grass skirt trees, stringybarks, bloodwoods and banksia.

These reserves, however, are constantly under threat not only from extreme weather events but from weeds invasion as well. Volunteers are in constant battle with weeds that mostly originate from escaped garden plants.

Weeds are generally non-native plants introduced mostly through human activities whilst some are spread to nearby areas by flood waters. They are notorious for invading natural ecosystems and altering natural diversity. They compete with native flora for space, water, nutrients and sunlight whilst aquatic weeds block waterways.

Habitat Brisbane Playlist / Video Credit: Brisbane City Council / YouTube

Creek and surrounding vegetation at Chermside Hills Reserve — *Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / brisbane.qld.gov.au*

Brisbane City Council introduced the Habitat Brisbane program in 1990, that aims to encourage bushcare volunteering. The program supports more than 160 conservation groups, including Little Cabbage Tree Creek Bushcare Group and the Downfall Creek Bushcare group. These groups contribute time and skills to preserve Brisbane’s key waterways and bushlands through revegetation and weeding.

Chermside Hills Reserve bushland — Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / brisbane.qld.gov.au

The Little Cabbage Tree Creek Bushcare Group is a small band of volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Chermside Hills Reserve. According to the group, there are more than 100 species of birds that thrive in the reserve along with bats, gliders, and swamp wallabies.

Walking track through Chermside Hills Reserve — *Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / brisbane.qld.gov.au*

Coordinator Patricia Geue and the rest of the group meet once a month at the reserve, spending about two hours weeding and saving precious native plants in the area.

If you wish to join the group you may contact Patricia Geue on 0404 869 554 or send them an email at trishgeue@icloud.com.

Downfall Creek Bushland Centre, located at the Raven Street Reserve, also has a dedicated team of knowledgeable bushcare volunteers that manage weed species in the reserve. Apart from weeding, they also collect seeds to breed in their nursery for future planting in areas where revegetation is required.

For more information about the group, you may phone Sandra on 0412 758 640.

118 New Homes For Construction in Ethel Street, Chermside and Sutton Street, Redcliffe

Soon, Ethel Street in Chermside will be part of the largest investment in affordable housing in Queensland, where 118 new, social dwelling options to suit the needs of a typical Brisbane family will be built.

The homes are aimed at downsizing seniors or empty nesters. Chermside is getting around 28 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units. Redcliffe will have 84 single-bedroom apartments.

The projects for Chermside and Redcliffe are part of the largest concentrated investment in social housing in Queensland’s history – $2.9 billion in funding, including $1.9 billion over four years for the new Queensland Housing Investment Growth Initiative.

Construction in Ethel Street in Chermside is expected to start at the end of 2022 with tenants ready to move in by September 2023.

“These projects will also generate more construction jobs for our state, with the two builds to support a combined 128 jobs,” Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said.

He confirmed the housing initiatives for Ethel Street in Chermside and Sutton Street in Redcliffe in a recent press release.

“These developments at Redcliffe and Chermside are just the first of many that will be delivered under the Housing Investment Fund and the HIF will keep delivering funding every year through its management by the Queensland Investment Corporation.”

He said that this will deliver social and affordable housing through a range of fit-for-purpose initiatives.

“Locating developments like this in communities such as Chermside will help alleviate the housing supply pressures we’re currently facing,” Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan said.

Minister for Communities and Housing Leeanne Enoch confirmed that the leading community housing provider, BHC, will deliver the houses.

“BHC has a proven track record developing secure and affordable homes in Queensland for two decades,” Ms Enoch said.

“Our strong working partnerships like this are vital for providing Queenslanders with more affordable housing options.

BREAKING: We’re building 118 new social & affordable homes on Brisbane’s northside, at Sutton St, Redcliffe & Ethel street, Chermside.

These housing projects are the first of many that will be delivered from my government’s $1 billion Housing Investment Fund. pic.twitter.com/tLL6jMrpxC
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) May 4, 2022

The Queensland Housing Investment Growth Initiative will deliver accelerated supply of 7,400 social and affordable housing homes, as part of an overall Action Plan.

Westfield Chermside Asked to Remove Boom Gates, Allow Free Parking As Traffic Situation Worsens in Area

Some residents are appealing to the Scentre Group, owner and operator of Westfield Chermside, to temporarily remove their boom gates and allow free parking during weekends. If granted, residents hope the move will help ease the increasing traffic issues in the area exacerbated by the closure of Toombul Shopping Centre in Nundah.

As a result of the closure of the Toombul Shopping Centre in Nundah, traffic has become such a nightmare for those who live in the Chermside, Stafford and Lutwyche areas.

Customers have experienced more snarls than ever before as Toombul regulars flock to the surrounding retail precincts for alternative options.

Toombul had more than 1,700 car parking spaces at its premises but the shopping centre has permanently closed due to significant damages caused by the February floods.

Four-Hour Traffic Snarls in Westfield Chermside Area

Over the past weekends of May 2022, Westfield Chermside shoppers have complained about the nightmare traffic situation in the area, particularly instances of some locals taking up to four hours just to exit the car park.

Some motorists had been forced to ditch their cars for the day because they could no longer get out of the area. Those that managed to get out also ended up stuck in horrific bumper-to-bumper traffic outside.

Some said that this situation will become like the holiday rush traffic every weekend if no solutions are set in place.

“I was caught up in the madness on the weekend of Mother’s Day,” Glenda Macklin said. “I was stuck in the actual centre for two hours. The problem on that day was not that the boom gates were down, they were up, but there was that much traffic trying to get out of the centre and very very few exit points from the actual car park spots to down ramps.”

“I was on the second level and really there was only one exit to try and get down on to Kitty Hawk drive this was also joined by three or four other exits from different levels creating a mess on Kitty Hawk Drive,” she added.

“This is my local shopping centre and I have never seen it like this was the first time I’ve ever been caught in traffic like that at the centre.”

Asking for Help

In a statement, MP Anika Wells said that she has written to the Scentre Group concerning the boom gates and the free parking. The MP also said that she will ask the Federal Government to “commission a Gympie Road/Hamilton Road planning study to investigate the best solution to this notorious intersection.”

The Scentre Group has not made any comments about the traffic issues. Westfield Chermside has around 7,200 car parking spaces. In 2020, shoppers were upset when the Scentre Group cut the hours for free parking and the traffic issues did not improve.

Chermside Skydiving Centre One Of The Locations Of 2022 STEM Girl Power Camp

The iFly Brisbane Indoor Skydiving in Chermside has been selected as one of the locations for the camp activities of the 2022 STEM Girl Power Camp.

Read: New Playground At Downfall Creek Bushland Centre In Chermside Now Open

The STEM Girl Power program encourages Year 10 girls from across Queensland to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Camp activities will take place at several locations. Aside from iFly Brisbane Indoor Skydiving, other locations are the Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland, and Cross River Rail.

qld stem camp — iFly Brisbane Indoor Skydiving in Chermside (Photo credit: iFly Brisbane Indoor Skydiving/Google Maps)

Participants of this year’s camp are 60 outstanding Year 10 students and 10 teachers who were selected from across Queensland.

During the camp, students travel to Brisbane where they participate in activities at Southbank and world-class laboratories of universities and research institutions.

Students hear from leading experts and role models about STEM careers. They also develop their leadership skills as ambassadors for STEM.

Upon their return to school, ambassadors participate and organise STEM initiatives to promote National Science Week, with the support of the regional STEM Champions.

One of the key outcomes of the STEM Girl Power Camp is to enlist all participants as Regional STEM Girl Power Ambassadors, who will share their experiences to spark excitement and engagement back home in their local school communities.

stem camp — Photo credit: Queensland Government

“For so long, STEM fields have been largely dominated by men – so it’s important that STEM represents the diversity in our society,” said Education Minister Grace Grace.

“That’s why since 2016, the Palaszczuk Government has invested around $766,000 to run the camp and support girls in STEM to make sure we continue to uplift underrepresented groups.”

Ms Grace believes students will walk away from the camp with an even greater passion for STEM which we hope will inspire them to pursue a career in STEM after school.

Expect Great Burgers With a Side of Snide As Karen’s Diner Opens at Westfield Chermside

Photo Credit: Karen’s Diner / Facebook

Get mouth-watering burgers with a side of snide, plus rudeness all around, as Karen’s Diner opens at its new pop-up location in Westfield Chermside.

The 18th of May 2022 will see Westfield Chermside’s Woolworths Food Court become one joint larger with the entry of Karen’s Diner.

Originally planned to open in South Bank, Karen’s Diner has made a name for itself through its satirical take on its name. Featuring 100% “rude staff,” Karen’s Diner is a place where customers can let loose and be a “Karen,” all in the spirit of fun, of course. (And no offense to polite Karens everywhere!)

As an added warning, the most Karen of all Karen, aka “The Manager”, might make a special appearance, so be prepared for extreme “rudeness” ever to come your way.

Apart from rude service and singing waiters, this one-of-a-kind restaurant also boasts a palate-pleasing burger menu along with fries, sweet treats, shakes, tap beers, wines and cocktails.

Karen’s Diner burgers and fries — Photo Credit: Karen’s Diner / Facebook

If it is your first time experiencing Karen’s Diner, you might want to try The Basic Karen made with wagyu beef, American cheese, tomato, oak lettuce, beetroot and garlic mayo.

Or level up with “I Want to See the Manager” Karen with double patties and double slices of Manager cheese plus bacon, lettuce, pickles and Manager BBW mustard sauce.

Check out the full menu here.

Karen’s Diner opens shop in Brisbane — *Photo Credit: Karen’s Diner / Facebook*

The Westfield Chermside venue joins other Karen’s Diner locations in Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and the UK. The one-of-a-kind restaurant may not stay for long in Chermside, though, so be sure to check out their store located at Level 1 near Woolworths Food Court.

Go ahead, book here and live out your Karen dreams.

Data Reveals Ramping Times At The Prince Charles Hospital

Instances of ramping at the Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside have increased from 45 to 47 per cent, meaning nearly half of all patients waited more than 30 minutes on board an ambulance before being admitted to the hospital in December 2021, based on data by the Queensland Ambulance Service.

Read: New Data Reveals Worsening Ramping Times In Hospitals Across Qld, Including Chermside

In medical terms, ramping refers to the time when a patient is left in the backs of ambulances or corridors because the emergency department is full.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath released the data, which was recorded between November and December 2021, in response to a parliamentary question and said the pandemic had placed immense pressure on health systems across Australia.

Describing the situation as ‘heartbreaking,’ Minister D’Ath said no government wants to see these delays, but no one has a quick fix to this.

Following the reopening of domestic borders in the State in December 2021, Queensland experienced a major Covid-19 wave, but ramping was still above 44 per cent in South East Queensland by October.

The Prince Charles Hospital, which has the second biggest emergency department in the State, has also recorded a median waiting time of 39 minutes for Category 3 or potentially life-threatening cases, where a patient should be seen by a treating doctor or nurse within 30 minutes.

Photo credit: Mohammed Khairy Abdelaty/Google Maps

At the largest hospital in Queensland, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Herston, half of all ambulance patients experienced ramping, a slight increase from its 48 per cent prior to the last quarter of 2021.

Other hospitals in the State also recorded increased ramping, such as West Moreton Ipswich Hospital (from 45 per cent to 66 per cent); Queen Elizabeth II (from 47 to 52 per cent); and Logan Hospital (from 64 to 66 per cent).

In a media statement, Minister D’Ath said the Commonwealth needs to invest in better primary health care and improved access to GPs to reduce pressure on Queensland’s busy public hospitals.