Chermside Health Hub has received the green light on its plan to increase floor space and add car parking spaces to its proposed health centre on Gympie Road.
The site is on one of the busiest inner north intersections, the corner of Gympie and Rode Roads. It’s currently occupied by a car yard, which will be removed to facilitate the development. The former car yard was once the site of Brisbane’s iconic ‘big boot,’ which had served as a landmark in Chermside for over 40 years.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council
A project of the Cornerstone Group, Chermside Health Hub is a three-storey integrated health centre which will include retail premises and a cafe. The original plan was to have 4,850 sqm of healthcare services and 220 sqm of retail space but the developer has amended its plan to add an extra level for health care uses, taking the total floor area to 5,705 sqm.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council
From a proposal of 153 car parking spaces and five motorcycle spaces across three basement levels, Cornerstone has also requested for an additional 28 spaces of on-site parking, bringing the total of car parks for 186 vehicles, with a boom gate to cordon off parking for doctors.
Rode Rd frontage (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)
The medical centre, now in its construction phase with plans to open in 2022, will be the 23rd centre within a 4-km radius of the site. Whilst there are a number of health centres nearby, a feasibility assessment indicated that there is stilla need for primary, allied, and specialist health services in the area.
“The site provides an opportunity to enhance the health and medical service provision to an area where existing health care services are lacking in both quality and quantity,” RPS Group reported on behalf of the applicant. For more details about the application, see A005704000.
House prices in the Chermside property market continue their upward trajectory, with the median house price increasing by 14.28% for the period covering October 2020 to September 2021. Despite a shortage of stocks and the imbalance between supply and demand, the competition among buyers with urgent demands has been putting much pressure on prices to scale up.
Highlights
The property market in Chermside has increased by 14.28 per cent for October 2020 to September 2021.
House prices have settled at a median price of $746,250 whilst the median unit price is at $630,000.
In Chermside, the imbalance between demand and supply has contributed to the rise in property prices.
House Price Growth
For the said 12-month period, Chermside’s property growth is up by 14.28 per cent compared to the same period in 2020 and the median house price has settled at $746,250, up from $653,000 last year, according to Property Market Updates.
From October 2020 to September 2021, market transactions in Chermside have been fast-moving at 61 days with 79 houses sold. More than half of these were three-bedroom homes with an average house price of $718,750.
A three-bedroom, one-bathroom house on Henry St sold for the highest price in July 2021. Though largely without any renovations or upgrades, this transaction closed at $2,670,000. The house, with a fully-fenced yard and plenty of storage and a laundry room underneath the house, has not been on the market since 2021 when it sold for just $430,000.
On the other hand, downsizers and young professionals working in offices and medical hubs in and around Chermside, who are also in the market for dwelling options, have pulled the unit market’s growth up by a modest 3.75 per cent. In the past five years, Chermside’s property market has had impressive growth due to its gentrification as a medical and commercial hub.
There were over 314 properties apartments sold within an average of 74 days on the market from October 2020 to September 2021.
The unit median price is now at $630,000. Two-bedroom units were high on demand with 176 sold for the 12-month period, as opposed to one-bedroom apartments where 23 transactions took 133 days to close on the market.
About Chermside
Chermside has slowly been gaining a reputation as a mini-CBD with many high-density developments around Westfield Chermside, the largest Westfield shopping complex in the country. The Chermside area also has numerous medical hubs and a major transport corridor in the suburb.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Chermside has been attracting investors as well because of increasing job opportunities in and around the suburb. Since this North Brisbane suburb is still within the city fringe, properties are viewed as attractive, yet prices are still more affordable. Amidst the gentrification, there are still plenty of houses with sprawling backyards that drive demand, particularly in the last two years when a trend towards more spacious dwelling options became more popular among buyers stuck at home due to COVID-19.
“We love its lovely green, tree-lined area that is very convenient to everything. We have great neighbors, there are a lot of established older houses that have been built well back in the 70s when they used hardwoods so they are built to last, not like the rubbish they throw up in 15 weeks these days. Perfect for a renovation or if you’re like us, buy something that has already had the work done. Definitely on the radar for most northside buyers as the surrounds are still close to the CBD/Milton for commuting and homes are still somewhat reasonably priced.”
Quizl
“When my parents bought here twenty plus years ago it was definitely lower socio-economic, many more migrant families, and single parents etc. Now the area is mostly younger white families.”
AussieMakeupFan
“I live in Chermside and find the suburb differs so much depending on where you are, it’s quite interesting. Lots of old houses getting bought and knocked down though.”
A Chermside dietitian who works at Jacaranda Place has been honoured with the Super Hero Awards for her work, supporting young people needing guidance and structure due to complex mental health issues.
Children’s Health Queensland senior dietitian Ashleigh Hamilton was nominated by a 17-year-old Lily as she provided the teenager with endless support during Lily’s 10-month stay at the facility.
With Ashleigh’s help, Lily has gained the right tools and the confidence to face the real world upon completion of her stay at Jacaranda Place. From the beginning, Ashleigh was able to establish trust with Lily as they tackled and worked through her needs.
“The trust between them meant Lily felt she could tell Ashleigh anything and she would really listen and understand. This is what helped Lily reach her goals,” Amy, Lily’s aunt, said.
“Ashleigh gave her the tools. That’s why she was nominated. She just went above and beyond.”
Jacaranda Place opened in May as an “Australian-first centre” that gives young people a safe place to focus on their overall health. Lily worked with Ashleigh because her goal was to increase her diet choices. The Chermside dietician devised a way to introduce new types of food to Lily.
While Jacaranda Place is a new facility, Ashleigh has worked in the health and wellness industry for five years. She loves her job because she sees the positive outcomes.
“In this kind of setting, we’re helping the young people so early in their journey. The goal is to prevent long-term chronic mental health issues. It’s nice to be able to see the change happening early on,” Ashleigh said.
Jacaranda Place accepts referrals for their youth program (ages 13 to 18) from the Queensland mental health facility or a private psychiatrist, whilst there is also a day program for teens who are attending school but may require more intensive mental health intervention.
Did you know that there is a walking group that gets their daily cardio in by walking around inside Westfield Chermside before the shops open in the morning?
The Westfield Chermside Walking Group has been around for over two years and it’s mostly composed of 60 to 80-year-old individuals who enjoy physical exercise. However, the walking group is open to anyone who would like to be up and about before 7:30 in the morning to meet up twice a week.
“People come from all over the northside to enjoy both the physical and social aspects of group walking. The group walks inside the centre before most shops are open so parking is a breeze.”
This is part of the National Heart Foundation of Australia initiative that promotes walking as a “wonder drug.” A 30-minute walk every day may help lower a person’s risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, regardless of their age.
Photo Credit: Dr Anthony Lynham/Facebook
Walking regularly also improves body circulation and prevents the weakening of the bones that could lead to the development of arthritis, a common problem with aging. This easy exercise releases endorphins that help modulate one’s mood so people get a clearer head and feel a lot better mentally after a walk.
Starting the day with a good walk can be a significant factor that impacts how the rest of the day will go. When done as a group walk, this activity may also be an opportunity to connect, socialise, and forge lifelong friendships.
Construction has now begun at the site of the new Chermside Health Hub along the intersection of Gympie Road and Rode Road, following the sod-turning ceremony in July 2021.
The new medical facility will be a three-storey centre that will house integrated health services like general practice, bariatric surgery, radiology, and a pharmacy. The site is expected to meet the growing demands for health services in the area.
Cornerstone Healthcare Property Fund director Simon Heazlewood said that they are delighted to finally proceed with the construction whilst the final negotiations with healthcare practitioners are ongoing. Mr Heazlewood said that they are confident more interest will pick up once the site comes together.
CHP Fund tapped Merrin and Cranston for the construction project. At least 150 jobs will be created during the construction phase whilst the hub will employ over 100 medical and support services staff once it’s operational.
Photo Credit: Merrin and Cranston/Facebook
Depending on the groups or individuals that would lease spaces, the Chermside Health Hub could also have a day surgery or a short-stay facility. The building was designed with a Class 9a healthcare building classification from the National Construction Code.
The site will boast of the following unique points of difference from other facilities:
Unbeatable location and exposure to grow a doctor’s practice
Supported by experienced Health Business Specialists with expertise in healthcare and health project delivery
Flexible options to suit – your practice, your way
Prominent, access friendly location
Abundant parking onsite including tenant secure parking
Medical class building for optimal patient care and safety
“If the past 18 months have shown us anything, it is the importance of quality healthcare and services,” Councillor Fiona Hammond, who was at the sod-turning ceremony, said. “The Hub is placed within walking distance of both the Prince Charles and St Vincent’s Private Hospital and will feature state-of-the-art facilities.”
“Demand for health services will only increase over coming years so it is terrific to have this new facility in the Northgate Ward,” Councillor Adam Allan said.
The Chermside Health Hub is expected to open in late 2022.
Attention, Chermside residents! Brisbane’s kerbside collection is back and it’s Chermside’s turn soon. Before you put things out on the kerb, take a second look at everything and consider upcycling. Here are some useful tips.
The kerbside collection date for Chermside is on 15 November 2021. If you’re planning to join, make sure your items are on the kerb by 6:00 a.m. at the start of the collection period.
Upcycling requires a bit of creativity but it can be fun to give a fabulous new life into old items. If you’re new to upcycling, here are some tips to get you started:
Plan Ahead
Photo credit: Pinterest/birdzofafeather.ca
The secret to successful upcycling is planning ahead. Gather all the tools and equipment that you will need for the job. For instance, if you’re planning to upcycle a piece of old furniture indoors, you may want to consider using a cordless tool to help you manoeuvre easily.
Anything goes in upcycling because there are no rules in doing it. The best part of upcycling is it encourages creativity. A great example is this project by Art studio L’Atelier d’Orel where they took the spinning drum from an unrepairable washing machine and converted it into a beautiful industrial table. Here’s an instruction on how you can create one yourself from home.
Don’t be afraid to take risks and experiment with colours and materials. If you have an old bike that you can’t throw away because it reminds you of your first cycling years, consider turning it into a planter. You can paint it with something bright like yellow or pink to match your garden.
Photo credit: Pinterest/homesthetics.net
Other Upcycling Tips from BCC
Brisbane City Council encourages reusing and upcycling. You can also follow these tips from Council to ensure an efficient reusing & upcycling process:
Donate quality items to local charities. Supported by the Queensland Government, GIVIT is a charity that receives donation from donors and privately passes it to people in need.
Drop them off council’s free resource recovery centres. Donated items are turned over to Council’s Treasure Troves (formerly tip shops) which are located in Acacia Ridge and Geebung.
Finally, don’t forget to install Brisbane Bin and Recycling App. in addition to helping residents stay up-to-date with collection days, the app also helps make recycling quick and simple with an alphabetical list of materials with information on how to recycle or dispose of them.
A development application has been submitted, for a chain of ‘old-style American diners’ to open across Brisbane, with the first one slated to open in Chermside in May 2022, if approved.
To be called ‘Slim’s Quality Burgers,’ the new diner will be serving burgers, hand-cut fries, and ice cream sundaes, promising a family-friendly venue with affordable and fresh products.
Highlights
The new fast-food chain will be called Slim’s Quality Burgers
It will roll out in NSW first before launching in Brisbane next year
Despite a vibe reminiscent of a classic ‘50s American diner, each store will make use of the latest point-of-sale technology. Customers can use QR codes whilst ordering from their car and have their orders delivered to them.
Company director Nik Rollison, also one of the founders of Betty’s Burgers, revealed it will roll out in NSW first. In an Instagram post, Rollison shared Slim’s Quality Burgers will be launching in Marrickville in November 2021.
Plans (A005828219) submitted by the applicant to the Brisbane City Council revealed the development will be a food and drink outlet, in the form of a fast-food takeaway restaurant with a drive-through facility.
Designed by Landini Associates, the proposed development has been purposely designed to allow for nose-in parking of vehicles around the restaurant, in a manner reminiscent of an American diner.
The subject site currently has a detached dwelling at 8 Wallace St and a number of commercial uses including a florist, a bike sale and repair shop, a hairdresser, and an electronics store. All of these will be demolished to make way for the 203-sqm restaurant and its outdoor dining area.
“The restaurant building will be centrally located on the site and oriented towards the Gympie Rd and Wallace St corner of the site. Access to the use will be maintained from both Wallace and Abarth Streets, with no direct access proposed from Gympie Rd,” notes Urban Strategies on a report prepared for the applicant.
The development’s primary parking area is located around the building whilst overflow parking ill be available in the southern lot accessed from Abarth St.
Aside from opening a location in Chermside, the applicant is also seeking to open venues at Garden City, Burleigh, and Slacks Creek.
If you love the idea of devouring ‘hot and fresh donuts’ any time of the day, you will be delighted to know that a development application has been submitted for a 24/7 Krispy Kreme at Westfield Chermside.
Scentre Limited, the company that owns Westfield Chermside, has submitted a development application to the Brisbane City Council for a new drive-through stand alone Krispy Kreme.
Plans (A005834339) revealed it would be located in an area that has only previously been used for carparking. The proposed development results in a net reduction of 53 ancillary car parking spaces in the Stage 1 area.
Based on the planning documents, the work will be done in two stages. Stage 1 involves the car park redevelopment, construction of the Krispy Kreme with drive-through facilities, and a pedestrian pathway.
Works for Stage 2 would include the refurbishment of the southwest shopping centre’s external forecourt area, to improve the arrival experience through provision of improved landscaping, casual seating areas and a defined pathway to the shopping centre entry.
It also includes refurbishment of part of Level 1 above the south-west shopping centre entry, to enable expansion of an existing tenancy to create a larger tenancy area and kiosk for use as food and drink outlets.
“The refurbishments proposed to the south-west shopping centre entry forecourt area will provide sub-tropical ground level landscaping and a water feature, casual seating areas and breakout space, and a safe and well-defined pathway to the shopping centre entry,” the town planning report reads.
At present, there are 31 stores in Australia and seven of which are in Queensland. But this one in Chermside, if approved, would be the first 24/7 outlet for the renowned brand in QLD. The first Krispy Kreme outside the United States was also established in Australia way back in 2003 at Penrith.
Have you visited Burringbar Park in Chermside lately? The hockey facility has been enhanced with new amenities to benefit the players, the parents, and the spectators.
These improvements include new female-friendly changing rooms and showers for the hockey club members, as well as a special room for the parents and some public conveniences for the visitors who come to watch the games.
Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan said that the new changing rooms are a welcome addition to the growth and support for hockey in Brisbane’s north.
“We know quality, female-friendly change facilities like this are critical to encouraging more girls and women to get involved in sport, stick with it, and stay active for our community’s Covid-19 recovery,” Mr Sullivan said.
“The hockey clubs who call Burringbar Park home have an exciting future ahead of them.”
Mr Sullivan was able to secure $495,000 for the Burringbar Park Hockey Facility improvements under the state’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan, whilst the additional amenities for a second playing field were delivered through the Active Community Infrastructure Fund.
Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan and Redcliffe Dolphin players at Burringbar Park Hockey Photo Credit: Supplied
“It means both playing fields have their own change rooms and showers, so players won’t need to wait around to get cleaned up and changed after a game,” Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said.
The improvements are also in line with the Activate! Queensland strategy to support talented and sports-minded young people who could potentially shine in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Burringbar Park is under the Brisbane Hockey Management Group consisting of the Brisbane Hockey Association Inc, the Brisbane Women’s Hockey Association Inc, and Kedron Wavell Services Hockey Club Inc.
“Having this second block will be a huge benefit to Brisbane hockey players and their supporters and will mean we will also be able to extend our competition opportunities,” the club’s president Greg Swann said.
The property market in Chermside has been riding the Brisbane boom in recent months, performing even better from July 2020 to June 2021, with the median house price showing a double-digit rate increase for the period.
Despite previous undersupply, 94 houses sold in Chermside within a 12-month period, triggering a 12.90 percent growth in the median house price, now up to $725,000, per data from Property Market Updates. Two years ago, Chermside’s median house price was $590,000.
In May 2021, a five-bedroom modern family home on Mylne Street, built on a corner block with stunning kitchen space, relaxing outdoor area, and an inground pool, became the year’s highest-selling Chermside property for $1,240,000. Located at the border of Chermside-Wavell Heights, the house is close to an eclectic mix of local cafes, parks, and schools from prep to secondary levels. It’s also a short walk to Westfield Chermside and the bus interchange.
Highlights
Chermside’s property market has been catching up with the rest of Brisbane, with the median house price up by 12.90 percent from July 2020 to June 2021 versus the previous period.
The current median house price is now at $725,000, compared to $590,000 in 2019.
Unit price growth is a modest 3.74 percent, with 290 properties sold within the same 12-month period.
Unit Price Growth
Even though Chermside’s unit property choices are smaller compared to other markets, 290 units were sold from July 2020 to June 2021. The market saw a lot of downsizers look towards unit properties as they transition to lower-maintenance dwellings.
As of June 2021, the average median price of units in Chermside is $415,000, a 3.75 percent increase from last year.
Chermside’s growth in the past five years has created a ripple effect on Chermside West, which has been projected to grow in 2021 following increasing gentrification.
Chermside West is now at its prime as the market heats up in Brisbane, despite the economic impact of COVID-19. The median price of a Chermside West house is $680,000 as of 30 Aug 2021.
Apart from its proximity to Chermside, the suburb has two hospitals providing local employment, along with the popular Craigslea State School. Recent improvements in Westfield have also provided accessibility and convenience without the busyness of a city hub.
