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Bankwest To Close Branches In Chermside & Other Queensland Suburbs

Bankwest has announced that it will close 29 branches across the east coast of Australia, including its branch in Chermside on 20 August. This move is due to the company’s shift in focus to digital and brokerage services.

Most of the branch closures are in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. The closure will begin on 17 August, affecting 200 jobs.

According to Managing Director Rowan Munchenberg, they made an important decision in terms of their investments based on the quick changes happening in the digital industry.

“Many people still value face-to-face interactions, but customers increasingly expect seamless self-service options that allow them to do their banking when and where they choose,” he said.

“We’re seeing a consistent trend of customers choosing mobile banking over in-branch options for their transaction needs, with an 88 per cent rise in app logins over the past three years.”

Mr Munchenberg said that the changes will help them adapt to the rapid changes in technology and allow them to provide better customer service to their clients.

Despite the closures in Queensland, the bank made it clear that no branches will be closing in Western Australia. They have started sending letters to affected customers.

Other branches in Queensland that are set to close are:

Carindale (17 August)
Indooroopilly (22 August)
Mount Ommaney (24 August)
Loganholme (27 August)

Explore Popular Tracks At Chermside Hills & Milne Hill

Escape from the busy city life and take a walk down Chermside Hills and Milne Hill circuit. This 7.1 km two-hour return track will not only refresh your mind, body, and soul, but it will show you wallabies, beautiful wildflowers, and other indigenous flora and fauna.

The Chermside Hills Reserve area is home to the popular Raven Street Reserve, Milne Hill Reserve, & the Chermside Hills Reserve.

Chermside Hills – The Giwadha Track

You can access this track via the Chermside Hills Reserve from 420 Trouts Road McDowall. Start at the park entrance and car park.

Explore the open forest with an abundance of wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs. This circuit passes through the thick vegetation use beside the Little Cabbage Tree Creek. If you have a love for birds, you might want to stop by here and do some birdwatching.

Continue on and climb to highest point, which is the Spyder Hill, that will give you sweeping views of Moreton Bay, the city, and the beautiful mountains that surround it.

Milne Hill – Pomax Track

An open forest the Milne Hill Reserve goes around the hill. Walk through it and be enclosed in a beauty of wildflowers and shrubberies. During the winter and autumn seasons, you get to see honeyeaters feeding on golden candlestick banksias in flower here.

Before exploring the nature reserves, make sure to prepare and keep safe. Brisbane City Council has put together these important reminders for anyone interested in bushwalking activities::

Don’t go alone
Always wear a hat, sunscreen, and have water with you at all times
Let someone know where you’re going and the time you plan to return
Be cautious when on tracks
Always take a track map with you
Always carry a mobile phone

You can download the track map on the council’s website or you can view it here.

Snail Bait Found At A Dog Park In Stafford Heights

In the last month, a frequent visitor to Rode Road Dog Park in Stafford Heights discovered blue/green pellets in Grey Gum Park. He asked for help from the others to pick them up before it got too dark to see them.

It turns out that those pellets were snail pellets, which are very harmful to animals. What concerned park goers & dog owners most is that the pellets are scattered all over the dog park. Paul Rice, the person who discovered the pellets, immediately called the Brisbane City Council about this. BCC responded right away. Mr Rice also took to Facebook to warn residents about these pellets.

According to a council spokesman, upon receiving the report from Mr Rice, they immediately sent people out there to remove all the pellets. So far, the council hasn’t received any reports of animals getting sick following a visit to the park.

Another concerned citizen posted on the Rode Rd Dog Park Facebook page upon hearing the terrible news.

Death Cases In The City

Last year, there were some reported cases of animals that died from snail pellets in the city. Two of the animals, a cat and a dog, lived in the same neighbourhood in Victoria Point. Also in Victoria Point, in July of last year, two dogs were reported to have died due to ingesting snail bait, which was confirmed after they vomited out some of the bright blue granules.

Your Animals & Snail Pellets

According to the Animal Emergency Service (AES), Metaldehyde (green) and Methiocarb (blue) in pellet form are used to kill snails. Unfortunately, they are effective in killing dogs and cats as well. Apparently, animals like the taste of these pellets and so they ingest these freely when they find them.

The symptoms of snail bait poisoning are:

Excitement
Panting
Trembling (which can develop into major convulsions leading to death)
Excess salivation
Diarrhoea
Heat stress

Treating this may include inducing vomiting or proceeding to wash out the stomach under anaesthesia.

The AES is reminding everyone not to use these pellets to kill snails. There are other methods to prevent snails and slugs from damaging plants especially if you have other pets in your home.

Brisbane Metro to Eventually Serve Chermside, Carindale, and Springwood

Brisbane Metro could eventually be extended to Chermside, Carindale, and Springwood as part of Brisbane City Council’s integrated public transport solution to meet the city’s long-term transport requirements.

As indicated in the Council’s plans, the new Chermside line would feed into the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital station.

The Carindale line would feed into the Buranda metro station, whilst the Springwood line would be an extension of the Eight Mile Plains busway station.

According to Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner, the expanded Brisbane Metro would run along the Eastern Busway and Northern Busway extensions.

Dedicated bus lanes and construction of Brisbane Metro platforms are required for the extensions to be completed.

Updates on the Brisbane Metro

Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube

The Brisbane Metro is expected to cost $944 million based on the assessments undertaken as part of the Business Case for the high-frequency public transport system.

In May 2018, the Federal Government confirmed a $300m funding commitment to Brisbane Metro in the 2018-19 Federal Budget and the Council is working closely with the State Government and Federal Government to progress detailed planning for Brisbane Metro.

Planning for the detailed specifications for all aspects of Brisbane Metro’s construction and operation are now underway following the release of the draft Design Report in April 2018.

Subject to approvals, Council expects procurement activities for Brisbane Metro to commence in mid-2018.

Detailed design and construction of Brisbane Metro are planned to commence in 2019, with metro services expected to commence in 2023.

For more information about Brisbane Metro, you can:

Call the project team on 1800 692 333 during business hours
Call Council on 07 3403 8888 after hours
Email the project team at metro@brisbane.qld.gov.au
Write to:
Brisbane Metro
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001

Chermside Vehicle Theft On The Rise, Police Reminds Locals To Be More Vigilant

Police are alarmed over the increasing number of vehicle thefts in the northern part of Brisbane particularly in Chermside, Fitzgibbon, Nundah and Kalinga.

According to police, the thieves are targeting vehicles that are parked in driveways and secured car parks or carports, as well as those parked on the road. In Chermside, most of the vehicles that were stolen were taken from car park spaces of unit complexes.

The most recent cases that they have encountered showed that most of the vehicles targeted have valuables inside such as cash, laptops, jewellery, Go Cards, GPS units, and many more.

Earlier this month, the Gateway Crime Prevention officers conducted a safe street visit at Burnie Brae Park in Chermside, where they got in touch with the local community about the recent crimes in the area.

The event also gave the police the opportunity to remind the locals to be more vigilant when it comes to vehicle security. They reminded people about not leaving any valuables inside their vehicle and making sure that their cars are locked at all times.

The police is also urging the community to report any suspicious activity in the area. You can contact them at 131 444 or use the online form.

Put Your Clogs On: The Aussie Clog 2018 Is Happening In Chermside

Get your dancing shoes on! If you are into Aussie clog dancing or would like to explore the art of dancing, the East Coast Precision will be holding a day of dance workshops called ‘Aussie Clog’ in Chermside on 9 June.

The Aussie Clog is a popular event that has been running in the Redland Bay area for 22 years. This year, they will be celebrating it in Chermside and everyone is invited to join in the fun.

Olive Borovsky established the Aussie Clog 23 years ago. She wanted to combine Australian country music with her desire to encourage more Australian choreographers. Clog dancing is a form of step dance whilst wearing wooden soled clogs. Think tap dancing but this one won’t have you “tapping” on the floor.

The workshops will take place during the day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You get to meet kindred spirits whilst you’re at it as well.

There will be dinner and social dancing from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with the Mullet Gut String Band. The social dancing will bring out some old favourites as well as current favourites from the 2018 ACA dance list. However, the registrations for dinner are now closed.

If you are interested in joining the workshops, you can email them at ecpcloggers@gmail.com.

Address: Burnie Brea Community Centre, 60 Kuran St, Chermside QLD 4032, Australia

Green Heart Fair, Brisbane’s Biggest Sustainability Festival, is Coming to Chermside

The Green Heart Fair is back and this time, the biggest free bi-annual community and sustainability festival in Brisbane will be at the 7th Brigade Park in Chermside on Sunday, 3 June 2018.

In partnership with the Brisbane City Council, the Green Heart Fair promotes innovative green living in a fun-filled, family-friendly environment for local residents to enjoy.

The Fair starts at 9:00 am to 3:00 p.m. and over a hundred sustainability organisations, community groups, artisans, conservationists, and experts will be sharing their expertise and knowledge on living more sustainably.

Tons of fun entertainment will be up for kids on the Channel 7 Main Stage including Queensland Urban Utilities ‘Water Warriors’ Live Stage Show, PJ Masks Live Stage Show, and Live Music from Hailey Calvert, and Pat Tierney.

In the Love Food Hate Waste Cooking Zone, fairgoers will learn how to become more conscious with food consumption as 31% of the average Brisbane bin consists of food waste.

Celebrity presenters including Matt Golinski, Sam Thaiday and Dominique Rizzo, and Alison Alexander, a Food Consultant from Queensland Food Fellow, will be sharing simple tricks to help transform the way you plan, shop, and eat. Such valuable techniques can significantly help you save up to thousands of dollars every year while reducing food waste.

The Live for Less and Move for Less zones will feature expert talks and stalls on sustainable living and transportation for all households.

To learn more about the exhibitors that will be present in this huge sustainability festival, check out Green Heart Fair’s What’s On page.

Don’t forget to bring your own reusable coffee cup and water bottle to the Green Heart Fair to get discounts on your coffee and free water refills from the Queensland Urban Utilities Hydration Station.

Free native plants will be up for grabs at the fair. Fairgoers can choose from Thyme Honey Myrtle and Tea Tree or Bottlebrush and Coastal Rosemary Better. You can also drop by the Rocky Point AU Grow Zone to get expert advice on how to look after these plants before heading home.

The Green Heart Fair is sponsored by the Brisbane City Council, Channel 7 Queensland, Queensland Urban Utilities, Rocky Point AU, and Cleanaway.

To learn more about the event, visit the Green Heart Fair’s website or check out their Facebook page.

Multi-storey Car Park to be Built at The Prince Charles Hospital

The Queensland government announced its plans of building a multi-storey car park at The Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside West to ease hospital parking stress.

The state government has previously stated its plans to spend up to $7.5 million in the next four years to make car parking at public hospitals more affordable and accessible.

For The Prince Charles Hospital, a second car park is set to be built in the premises. This will be publicly controlled, thereby promising to have fair fees for all patients.

Read: Chermside’s TPCH Exploring Hospital Car Park Expansion; $7.5M Set Aside for Queensland Hospital Parking

Brisbane councillor for Marchant Fiona King previously filed a petition for the state government to evaluate the need for additional parking for the hospital. She emphasized the need to consider the situation as a matter of urgency. The petition garnered a total of 219 signatures.

Health Minister Steven Miles confirmed that Queensland Health will be in charge of managing and financing the construction of the second multi-storey car park.

The construction will be funded by a loan from the Queensland Treasury which will be repaid by revenue from the carpark.

Mr Miles said it was clear that the government should be the one to build the carpark, not the private sector, so that staff, patients, and visitors can expect lower parking charges. Instead of delivering profits to shareholders, the car park would only need to cover its costs.

Whilst the number of parking spaces and exact location is yet to be determined, the government is now working on developing the plans for the new car park. According to the Health Minister, once the design is finalised, construction will take around 18 months.

Charity Soo Choon of Chermside West Set to Represent Australia in the World Championship of Performing Arts

Charity Soo Choon, a singer from Chermside West, is ready to represent Australia in the World Championships of Performing Arts which will be held in Long Beach, California, USA on 6–15 July 2018.

Credit: Facebook/Miss Charity Soo Choon

The talented singer is set to fulfil her dream and boost her career as she flies to America for the one-and-only, Olympic-style international competition for aspiring performers and entertainers.

Charity comes from a musical family, and she grew up singing in church with her dad, sister, and some of her nieces and nephews. She is also part of the Mon Che Vocal Quartet, performing the greatest hits from the 1940s to the 1950s.

Photo credit: Facebook/Mon Ché Vocal Quartet

All she has ever wanted in life is to sing and having been chosen to sing and represent Australia at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) is a huge opportunity for her to make her dream a reality.

To help her compete in the WCOPA, Charity is currently raising funds through her GoFundMe page. Whilst the competition offers great opportunities for talented performers, it also comes with quite high costs. Charity will need financial support to help her get through the competition with ease.

The World Championships of Performing Arts

The 22nd Annual International Performing Arts Championships will be in Long Beach, California on July 6 – 15, 2018.

Photo credit: Facebook/World Championships of Performing Arts – WCOPA

Contestants from over 60 countries will be participating in the event. Before the start of the competition, all the contestants go through the Worldstars Bootcamp which offers a full day of comprehensive performing arts seminars and workshops delivered by top industry experts.

In 2017, prizes for the competition include a recording contract from Indasoul Entertainment and over half-million dollars in scholarships which includes $50,000.00 USD from CSM Music, $30,000.00 USD from the Millennium Dance Complex, $150,000.00 USD from the New York Film Academy, and $280,000.00 USD from the New York Conservatory for Film and Television.

Charity will be preparing two songs for the competition. As a tribute to the fact that she is representing Australia, one of her song choices is “Chains” by Tina Arena.

Chermside To Welcome A New Support Service For Domestic Violence Victims

The Queensland Government has funded a $1.4M support service for domestic violence victims which will be based in Chermside. UnitingCare Queensland (UCQ) will provide the new service and they will contribute to the Brisbane High Risk Team.

The support service will focus on better counselling and case management services to victims of domestic violence. There will also be outreach services to widen their reach and to ensure that victims have easy access to information and support.

In November 2017 during the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a National Domestic Violence Order Scheme was introduced to increase the protection of victims across the country.

As of November 25 last year, any domestic violence order issued in Australia will be automatically recognised and enforceable across the country. This means that victims or individuals don’t need to register a domestic violence order in another state for it to be enforceable.

Also beginning earlier this month, as part of the Festival 2018, the One Million Stars project installation has been put on display in King George Square. The global weaving project is an initiative by artist Maryann Talia Pau in collaboration with Museum of Brisbane. The project was launched in 2012 to end domestic violence. It encourages everybody to weave a star to bring the community together. The stars used in the installation came from all over the country.