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Gelatissimo Springfield Now Offers Limited-Edition Flavours from Around the World

Filipino Ube Cheesecake. Hawaiian Tropical Coconut. Belgian Chocolate Marble Seashells. Sample the flavours of the world through gelato at Gelatissimo Orion Springfield Central and other Gelatissimo stores across Brisbane.  

Read:  Moey’s Butcher & Grill: Largest Range of Quality Meat Opens in Springfield Lakes

Available for a limited time only,  “Flavours Around the World” brings three distinct flavours to enjoy. First on the list is their all-new Filipino Ube Cheesecake. This exciting new addition to their selection consists of ube — a delicacy from the Philippines made of mashed and boiled purple yam — as well as chunks of the more local Jiggle Cheesecake. 

Photo credit: Instagram/Gelatissimo

For those wanting a tropical beach vibe, Hawaiian Tropical Coconut consists of coconut gelato topped with pineapple chunks and salted macadamias, harvested from rainforests in Northern New South Wales and Queensland. Their tropical flavours, when blended together, aim to recreate the essence of Hawaii. 

Photo credit: Instagram/Gelatissimo

Belgian Choc Marble Seashells is an inspired creation made out of white chocolate gelato with a hazelnut ripple alongside authentic Italian hazelnut swirls reminiscent of Belgian chocolates. 

Photo credit: Instagram/Gelatissimo

Since these limited flavours have been launched, sales have been brisk with some flavours rapidly selling out due to popularity and demand. The promotion is available for a limited time only, until supplies last, so check your nearest store for availability. 

For more information on stores and store hours, visit their website here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on scoops and serves, deals and dates, as well as any other special announcements concerning their limited-time flavours.

Moey’s Butcher & Grill: Largest Range of Quality Meat Opens in Springfield Lakes

Did you know that there’s a new butcher shop with an adjacent dining area on Springfield Lakes Boulevard? Moey’s Butcher & Grill is the newest business on the block, opening the butcher section of its operations in mid-April. It will soon launch its grill section as the eatery completes the menu.

Owner Moey Altaaf Sharif has been pleased with the community’s response following the launch of Moey’s butcher. He revealed that the grill will open as they get their meat shop running smoothly.

Read: New Stellar STEM Program Launched in a Springfield Indigenous School

The butcher has been serving Springfield Lakes locals daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. but once the restaurant starts trading, the meat shop will extend its opening hours to 9:00 p.m. 

Customers have also been asking Moey’s butcher to come up with a delivery system and it’s under consideration. However, Moey said that they would “prefer interacting with our customers face to face so we can recommend the best cuts and have a chat.” 

Moey’s also stocks up on supplies for the 15 variants of Lanes seasonings and rubs. 

“Lanes do not contain any animal products, just pure spices to enhance your meat to the next level!” Moey said. 

The butcher shop sources their products from Australia’s best producers, delivering tender and juicy cuts.

“We only sell the best Beef from Australia’s most exclusive export producers.”

Meanwhile, Moey’s restaurant will be serving burgers (both meat and plant-based), steaks and steak sandwich, wraps and rolls, charcoal-grilled meats and veggies, and an abundance of side orders, including Turkish bread and dips. They’ll also offer Baklava with ice cream for dessert lovers. 

Read: Environbank Installs Super Kiosk RVM at Springfield Orion Shopping Centre

Follow Moey’s Butcher & Grill on Facebook for updates on deals and their restaurant’s opening day. 

New Stellar STEM Program Launched in a Springfield Indigenous School

Hymba Yumba Independent School, a Springfield indigenous school, was the site of the national unveiling of the Stellar STEM Program for 14 schools in Springfield, Ipswich, Logan and Brisbane. The program is a project of PFI Aerospace Richland.

Read: New STEM Centre Opens at Ipswich Grammar School

PFI Aerospace general manager Megan Badger and her team were at the school on 19 April 2021 to guide the students on how to make a Hybrid rocket motor, which was then ignited at the school grounds. The event became a symbolic “launchpad” for female students to consider pursuing a passion for STEM.  

Also present during the launch were Dr Kaye Spark (Ph.D. soil science, environmental science, research scientist) and Harriet Angus (mechanical engineer) who answered questions from the students as they presented a hands-on workshop. 

The students said that they thought it was cool and empowering to see women in science demonstrating how to build a functioning rocket.

Principal Peter Foster said that Hymba Yumba Independent School’s female population consists of 140 jarjums (Aboriginal word for children) from a total of 280 students. Mr Forster welcomed the program as the girls could learn from the best at STEM. The principal also said that he hopes to see more female jarjums enjoying science and expressing an interest in a science-based career when they graduate from school.  

Read: Environbank Installs Super Kiosk RVM at Springfield Orion Shopping Centre

Incidentally, Hymba Yumba Independent School moved into its new $3.5 million science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics building in February 2021, which has been the centre of learning for the jarjums. 

Construction Begins for $91 Million Acute Mental Health Unit in Ipswich Hospital

Work on a 50-bed Acute Mental Health Unit (AMHU) will start at West Moreton Health amidst the government’s commitment to expand the Ipswich hospital precinct.

The AMHU, which is part of the Stage 1 expansion and was funded $91 million, is set for construction in mid-April 2021 with a projected opening date for late 2022. Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath confirmed that BESIX Watpac will build the three-storey facility. 

Read: Environbank Installs Super Kiosk RVM at Springfield Orion Shopping Centre

Designed with three courtyards for the patients and their families, the mental health unit will also be surrounded by native trees, shrubs and a bush tucker garden. 

“When staff and consumers transition to the new building, the existing mental health unit at the hospital will be demolished,” Member for Ipswich West Jim Madden said. “An enclosed overhead bridge will link the new facility with Ipswich Hospital for the safe movement of patients, staff and equipment.

“The demolition will free up valuable land on the hospital site for future expansion and development of the Ipswich Hospital Precinct.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Apart from the construction of AMHU, the project has moved on to the business case study of Stage 2 of the master plan, putting West Moreton Health a step closer to reaching its goals to provide person-centred care as Ipswich’s population increases.

Experts predict that in 15 years, more than half a million people will consider West Moreton in Ipswich their home, doubling the region’s current population.

Read: New STEM Centre Opens at Ipswich Grammar School

“The Palaszczuk Government has invested more than $146.3 million over 5 years for Stage 1 of the master-planned expansion of Ipswich Hospital and related health services to meet the needs of the fast-growing region,” Ms D’Ath said.

“Delivering the master-planned Ipswich Health Precinct has been a top priority for the Palaszczuk Government because it means that locals will have improved access to top-quality healthcare and create local jobs along the way.”

Environbank Installs Super Kiosk RVM at Springfield Orion Shopping Centre

Do you need to dispose of bottles, cans and other recyclables at home? There’s now a convenient and contactless way to do this at the Springfield Orion Shopping Centre, where Environbank has installed a Super Kiosk RVM (reverse vending machine).

Read: YMCA Springfield Lakes Community Centre Lines Up On-Site School Holiday Activities

Found at the centre’s carpark, the Super Kiosk RVM is a piece of high-tech equipment that can process over 100 bottles per minute and recycle up to 1,120 glass bottles or 3,000 PET per unit. As a reverse vending machine, this facility allows users to earn rewards like cash via a bank refund if people sign up with Envirobank’s Crunch app. 

Photo Credit: Environbank

For every recycled container, users can earn up to 15 Crunch credits equivalent to 10 cents. When users have accumulated a set amount, they may redeem these for rewards or transfer the cash with Environbank’s participating partners. 

The Crunch app is linked to various stores where users may redeem their credits, such as Coles, Target, KMart, Dominos, iTunes, PlayStation, Optus and Vodafone. 

Here’s what can and can be “deposited” at the Super Kiosk RVM: 

Photo Credit: Environbank

Additionally, the RVM has a scanner for reading the container’s barcode, which will determine the eligibility.

Environbank, established in 2008, is an Indigenous-owned company that aims to create social impact and boost the public’s recycling habits. It works in conjunction with Containers for Change to improve Queensland’s recycling rate to 85 percent by 2022. 

Read: New STEM Centre Opens at Ipswich Grammar School

Despite recycling over two billion plastic, cans and bottles in the last two years, Queensland still has less than 45 percent recycling rate and it’s lower compared to other regions. The pandemic lockdowns forced some facilities to close as work-from-home became the norm. The Super Kiosk RVM could be the innovation to usher more changes, to benefit the environment, as it also partners with businesses. 

YMCA Springfield Lakes Community Centre Lines Up On-Site School Holiday Activities

Did you know that YMCA Springfield Lakes Community Centre on Springfield Lakes Boulevard has some fun and enriching on-site activities for children for this school holiday? School might be out for the next two weeks following Easter but that doesn’t mean they have to stop learning or interacting socially.

Read: New STEM Centre Opens at Ipswich Grammar School

To keep the children occupied and to help them discover new skills to nurture their development, YMCA Springfield Lakes Community Centre has prepared heaps of daily sessions for children between three to 12 years old.

The program will take place from 6 to 16 April 2021, between 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Photo Credit: Facebook

Here are the activities lined up for the April 2021 School Holiday Program: 

WHENWHAT
6 April 2021Easter Hat ParadeDecorate an Easter hat and parade around the centre 
7 April 2021DecoupageGlue coloured paper cutouts in the shape of a dinosaur, rabbit or unicorn
8 April 2021African DrummingLearn about the African culture using instruments* with singing and dancing
9 April 2021Pysalla Beads
For above 5-years-old		Design patterns and melt beads to create beautiful, decorative plaques
12 April 2021LEGO Morning Creative play with building blocks
13 April 2021Rainbow Wall HangingCraft a decorative rainbow wall hanging piece
14 April 2021Pirates DayDress up as a pirate and join the games, arts & crafts
15 April 2021Cupcake Pan ArtCreate cupcake pan art with patty pans
16 April 2021 Yarn Wrap LettersLearn how to make yarn wrap letters to hang in the bedroom

Interested? All the parents need to do is to register for a slot online and then bring their kids on the site and pay the $2 donation to join in the activities. They have to present a digital copy of their booked ticket at the entrance. 

Photo Credit: Facebook

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only one adult is allowed to accompany per child. Participants are also expected to observe protocols like sanitizing, proper hygiene and social distancing. 

Read: New Learning Facilities Delivered to Goodna State Special School

If a child or a parent feels unwell or has symptoms of the cold or flu, it’s highly recommended that they sit this one out and forfeit their booking. They may, however, transfer their registration to someone else in case they won’t be able to use it. 

For enquiries and other concerns, contact the YMCA centre at 07 3288 2292 or program.officersl@ymcabrisbane.org. 

New STEM Centre Opens at Ipswich Grammar School

Budding scientists, engineers and maths experts attending Ipswich Grammar School stand to gain the best nurturing and learning in the years to come at the newly-opened STEM facility.

The new centre is a three-storey building with several learning spaces and laboratories, as well as a 155-seat theatre for lectures and other activities catering to the school’s more than 1,000 students from Prep to Year 12. 

Read: New Learning Facilities Delivered to Goodna State Special School

The State Government contributed $740,000 for the building in addition to the $9.5 million investment for Ipswich Grammar School‘s improvements in the last five years. 

Photo Credit: Facebook
Photo Credit: Facebook

It’s a wonderful new building that will help our boys reach their STEM education goals,” Ipswich Grammar School Headmaster Richard Morrison said. “It’s a beautiful modern facility that fits in so well with the rest of our school. We thank the State Government for its generous contribution to this important project.”

Mr Morrison, together with the school officials, welcomed Education Minister Grace Grace local Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard MP during the opening of the new building in mid-March. 

Read: Infant’s Friend: Popular Ipswich Baby Product Company Goes Into Liquidation

Ms Grace said that 90 percent of students in Queensland will eventually have jobs requiring STEM knowledge. 

“That’s why it is so important to build facilities like these which can incubate the next generation of STEM entrepreneurs and nourish their potential,” the minister said. “It’s great to see a school with a proud history of 158 years of education embracing the future to meet the learning needs of its students.”

New Learning Facilities Delivered to Goodna State Special School

Students at Goodna State Special School are now enjoying some of the new learning facilities completed, so far, in the expansion and renovation projects that started in mid-2020.

At the start of Term 1 2021, Goodna State Special School’s students moved into the new spacious classrooms at the Q Block, whilst the renovation of the A Block for the junior students was nearing completion. 

Read: Infant’s Friend: Popular Ipswich Baby Product Company Goes Into Liquidation

“Both students and staff have been delighted by their new classroom environments and also the amazing view we now enjoy of Goodna as students sit out on the balconies to eat their lunches,” Principal Fleur Watson wrote in the school community’s newsletter, adding that the parents also like the addition of the dining room at the Q Block. 

The A Block, on the other hand, has “flexible spaces” where various sensory equipment has been set up. The multipurpose area has been designed as a “break out” learning facility, with at least six classrooms. 

Photo Credit: Facebook
Photo Credit: Facebook

In mid-February, Goodna State Special School’s sign by the entrance was installed courtesy of the Ipswich City Council. Additionally, the trampolines and new play equipment arrived and were set up by the grassy area of the Q Block. 

Photo Credit: Goodna School Newsletter

Wiley won the project to expand Goodna State Special School into a three-level learning site in late 2019 with the help of KO&Co Architects, and Hammond & Neale Project Management. 

Read: Centenary Highway Transport Options Upgrade in Springfield, Ipswich Now a Priority

Aside from the new classrooms, sensory learning areas and kitchen, the contractor is also doing more work to improve the facilities, including the new school gym. 

NDIS: Ipswich Artist Overcomes Disability Issues, Achieves Her Creative Goals

Having cerebral palsy and epilepsy hasn’t impeded Ipswich artist Deb Chilton’s creative pursuits and she could manage her work as an artist, mentor and business owner with the help of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 

Deb, 52, has done solo exhibits and grew her two small businesses, Doodles and Dribble and Ignite Artists Network (formerly ArtISability), whilst living with a disability. She has also participated in a number of artistic events in the Ipswich community in the last 20 years.

Read: Centenary Highway Transport Options Upgrade in Springfield, Ipswich Now a Priority

Creating art has been Deb’s passion and she acknowledges the part her support workers from NDIS have contributed to sustaining her creative goals so she could run her business.

“My support workers help me obtain supplies to create artworks, offer support in the art studio, attend art galleries and hang art for my exhibitions.”

Through NDIS, Deb has also learned to master a few technological tools to promote her work on digital media. 

“A large part of my community access support is around my visual arts practice and building my brand,” she said. “It is no use doing an event or painting if I’m not going to use social media (to promote my business).

“In 2013, I founded ‘ArtISability’ (now called ‘Ignite Artists Network’), a professional development visual arts workshop program; the industry networks and skills I gained in building this program has enhanced my ability to coordinate small scale workshop programs.”

Photo Credit: Supplied

As she has elevated her work and overcame her disability issues, Deb was able to secure mainstream funding like the Art Queensland stART grant and a Regional Arts Development Fund grant for the Ipswich Artists in Residency Kindergarten Workshop Program. 

“I have an artist in residency booked for the second term at a local kindergarten, with funding for three kindys (as part of the) Ipswich Artist Emerging Program, to inject an understanding of what it means to be an artist as a career,” she said.

“Telling my own story can play a powerful role in creating social change; at the core of my heart is the fight for an inclusive arts culture.”

Read: Springfield City to Build First Hydrogen Energy Facility in Australia

Deb received assistance to apply for and implement her NDIS funding from Carers Queensland’s NDIS Local Area Coordination Partner in the Community Program for the Ipswich region.

“My NDIS plan is written to enable me to grow in confidence and to allow me to self-direct, with the freedom to travel safely and confidently within Australia to continue the work I am passionate about.” 

Contact Carers Queensland via 1300 999 636 or cq.enquiries@ndis.gov.au to learn more about NDIS.

Centenary Highway Transport Options Upgrade in Springfield, Ipswich Now a Priority

The upgrade of transport options in Springfield and Ipswich, specifically on the Centenary Highway, was added among 44 proposals in the latest priority list of Infrastructure Australia.

Westbound of this 43-kilometre stretch, which is also known as the M5, was projected to increase by 400 percent as the population between Springfield and Ipswich is expected to grow from 222,000 to 558,000 residents in the next 20 years. 

Read: Springfield City to Build First Hydrogen Energy Facility in Australia

According to the priority list, the daily trips from Ipswich to Springfield Lakes on the Centenary Highway were at 7,500 in 2016 but it will increase to 40,000 trips by 2036 as job opportunities also increase.

Robin Jackson, the chief of Infrastructure Australia, said that the current public transport options in this area will not support the future needs of the suburbs. Currently, the drive from Ipswich to Springfield takes 32 minutes and bus rides take almost two hours on three routes.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Thus, the Ipswich City Council proposed adding bus networks to increase the frequency of services and coverage, as well as improving the existing roads and providing more public transport options.

Read: Swanbank E Power Station’s Value Plummets to Zero

On the state level, the Queensland Government has set out plans to fix 65 level crossings across the southeast by either building bridges or removing hazards. Road closures and restrictions are also in the proposal, with the Federal Government undertaking the following initiatives for the M5: 

  • intersection and on-ramp and off-ramp improvements
  • implementing smart freeway technology
  • road widening