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Ipswich Children’s Library Recognised for Excellence in Innovation at LGMA Awards

The Ipswich Children’s Library has been recognised for innovation for a second time at the recent Local Government Managers Australia Awards for Excellence in Queensland.

Celebrating the outstanding work of local governments in the region, the LGMA Awards for Excellence, now in its 12th year, was presented at the end of May 2022 after pausing for a year due to the pandemic.

“We are thrilled that the team’s innovation with Australia’s only dedicated stand-alone children’s library has been recognised and is a great realisation of council’s vision to deliver innovative services to the community,” said Community, Culture, Arts and Sport Committee Chairperson Councillor Andrew Fechner of the recognition.

Photo Credit: Ipswich Libraries/Facebook

Mr Fechner also said that the real winners are the residents of Ipswich, who will benefit from the revitalised Nicholas Street Precinct, where the library stands in its purpose-designed space.

“In 2021 Ipswich Libraries also went on to win the next level – the LG Professionals Australia National Award for Innovative Management Initiative,” Mr Fechner added.

“We support the talented team at Ipswich Libraries as they again compete on the national stage and know that they already bring pride to our wonderful city.”

Aside from Ipswich Children’s Library, also recognized for excellence were:

AWARD	COUNCIL	PROJECT
Workplace Wellbeing	Sunshine Coast Council	Zero Lost Time Injuries in Civil Construction
Community Shaping	Western Downs Regional Council	Wandoan Soldier Settler Scheme
Sustainability	City of Logan	Net Zero and Next Gen Climate Resilient Council
Collaboration	Balonne Shire Council	The Hub
Teamwork	Redland City Council	Light Touch Service Reviews
Doing More with Less	Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council	AI Material Recovery Facility
Above and Beyond	City of Logan	Sebastien Martin

D Star Restaurant, A New Dining Destination, Opens In Springfield Lakes

Springfield Lakes’ latest dining destination, D Star Restaurant, has just opened its doors on the ground floor level of the Springfield Lakes Hotel.

Read: New Owners Prepare to Reopen the ‘Haunted’ Rosewood Hotel near Ipswich

The restaurant, which boasts a diverse menu of pastas, and classic Italian entrees, is run by husband-and-wife duo Shivani Dutta and Deepak Kumar. Mr Kumar, a chef, runs the kitchen, whilst Ms Dutta takes care of the service and the customers’ needs.

A sneak peek of their menu items includes the Potter House chicken burger (a homestyle marinated chicken with red cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic aoili, chips and garnish), the Pork Belly apple feed (succulent pork belly crunchy and crackling with baked veggies), the Ravioli Pomodoro (spinach and goat cheese stuffed in Ravioli pasta, with olive and Napolitana sauce)

A must-not-miss for first-time diners is the healthy daily special, the Steak Salmon, served with a generous serving of vegetables on the side.

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Everyone will also love the appealing and appetizing handmade pancakes or waffles — best for sharing a hearty breakfast with family or friends.

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CHECK THE FULL MENU

Aside from serving European dishes at the bar and grill, D Star Restaurant also functions as a cafe, serving hot drinks and a breakfast menu that includes the classics such as pancakes, omelettes, and benedicts.

Photo credit: DStar Cafe, Bar and Grill/Facebook

The idea for D Star Restaurant is to offer ‘tasty food at a reasonable price,’ with the couple dreaming of turning the place into a warm and welcoming place.

They just launched a special burger menu, which proudly uses natural ingredients and does not use artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

If it’s the drinks that you’re after, you’ll be glad to know that they have many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, ranging from cocktails and vodka to mocktails and beer.

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D Star Restaurant is open daily except on Tuesdays and is currently taking reservations and orders for takeaway on its website. You can follow them on their social media pages for more information.

Facebook: DStar Cafe, Bar and Grill

Instagram: @dstar.resturant

Very friendly service and great coffee. The brownie dessert is absolutely divine. Would also recommend the Malteaser milkshake. Jackie the very sweet resident border collie keeping watch from the foyer of the hotel/entrance to the cafe is just the icing on the cake!
Hayley

What a great place to eat, food was amazing and the staff couldn’t be friendly enough. I had a steak and it was just how I wanted it and every meal that I looked at going to other tables were amazing. Definitely worth checking out.
Northeast Drone Productions

Soooo yummy, Bosceola, great serving size and super tasty! Love the relaxing solo singer, Casey Fogg. Lovely date night dinner.
Lisa

Multi-Storey Mega Park ‘n’ Ride Now Serving Springfield Central Commuters

Commuters at the Springfield Central Station may now enjoy more convenience following the opening of the multi-storey mega Park ‘n’ Ride that can accommodate at least 1,100 customers.

The $44.5 million investment has more than doubled the previous car parking available at the station, which boasts five levels. This means more commuters may now park and then take public transportation to get to their appointments.

The said investment is also expected to ease traffic congestion as Springfield continues to grow as commuters will be on more trains and buses whilst their car is safely parked at the facility.

“This new, multi-storey park ‘n’ ride has sustainable and innovative design features such as recycled aluminium in the building façade and the ability to accommodate another parking level in the future if required,” Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said.

“In addition to elevator access and CCTV within the facility, 24 sheltered parking spaces for people with a disability have been created in the existing park ‘n’ ride closer to the station off Sir Llew Edwards Drive.”

Member for Jordan Charis Mullen also welcomed the opening of the Springfield Central Station Park ‘n’ Ride as it will remove illegal parking around the station.

“With this volume of spaces available, I hope to see even more people through our community take advantage of the convenience of public transport for their travel,” Ms Mullen said.

“Access to the station has also been improved through a new signalised pedestrian crossing providing customers access across the Springfield Greenbank Arterial.

“The new multi-level facility will bring the total number of spaces to around 1100 across the precinct, and will make a big difference in the everyday lives of commuters in Springfield and beyond.”

New Owners Prepare to Reopen the ‘Haunted’ Rosewood Hotel near Ipswich

Not even rumours of ghosts and hauntings can dissuade the new owners of the Rosewood Hotel, located west of Ipswich, from an extensive renovation and reopening.

Luke and Lynette Chalmers are intent on revitalising the hotel, also known as the Middle Pub, more than six years after it was shut down.

However, they have admitted to some spooky small encounters with the paranormal whilst been doing extensive renovations.

The Chalmers were aware of the hotel’s reputation when they bought the property from its previous owners, David Pahlke and Carol Moore. Luke and Lynette said, however, ended up falling in love with the historical place despite the stories they’ve learned from Carol.

Though none of the ghostly encounters may qualify as horrific, the former owners said they often found odd things like losing items, furniture getting rearranged, or hearing piano music when there was no piano at the hotel.

Luke said that when they visited the place to check, he thought he spotted someone at the corner of his eye by the flight of stairs. Luke’s father felt someone tapping on his shoulder.

Standing on a 2,418-square-metre block, the Rosewood Hotel was a family hotel with 11 bedrooms and four bathrooms. Originally constructed in 1870, it was one of four buildings in the area during its early days.

However, in 1912, the hotel completely burned down and was reconstructed. Apparently, some of its previous occupants never left. One was dubbed the “water ghost” for allegedly causing water to overflow at the veranda.

Over decades, clairvoyants and paranormal investigators have been to the hotel. They said that there are at least two spectres hanging around the place, a red-haired Scotsman and a spirit with a sad streak.

The Chalmers, who helped with the refurbishment of Collins Place as the Little Big House in South Bank, have yet to detail what changes or refurbishments they are doing to the property but this site has a lot of potential given its location in the suburb’s main retail strip. They do plan on offering meals using quality local produce and live music.

The renovations are expected to finish in four months. They are eyeing an August 2022 opening.

Landfills in Ipswich Under Investigation as Residents Fight for Clean Air

Probes and inspections have been expanded at the landfills in Ipswich following the recent floods as residents continue to deal with odour issues and fight for clean air.

In a statement, the Department of Environment and Science (DES) said that it is taking action against those responsible for the stench impacting the residential communities.

DES has ordered Cleanaway, one of the operators of the landfill, to continue treating the dumpsites to reduce the odour and ensure that the chemical treatments are carefully disposed of across the water body.

DES also stated that water sampling has been conducted at Cleanway’s facilities, which indicated low levels of contamination.

Community Needs to See Improvement

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding acknowledged the “horrendous” smell at landfills in Ipswich, specifically in Swanbank and New Chum. Whilst she backs the DES probe, the mayor also said that this effort will mean nothing “if the community don’t see an improvement.”

“DES is responsible for investigating and responding to community concerns about odour, dust and other environmental nuisances,” the mayor said.

“Council supports the moves that Cleanaway are making in firstly announcing publicly that they believe they have a problem and are trying to fix it – and we encourage them to communicate to the regulators and the community on this complex and worrying issue.

“They must comply with the state government laws and operate in a safe manner.”

However, a DES report published on 5 May 2022 cited that whilst Cleanway was given clearance for a 24×7 transfer operation of leachate, there have been no trucks on-site, per the members of the Ipswich Residents Against Toxic Environment. They have written the Environment Minister to bring this issue to light.

Health Issues Affecting Residents

Some of the affected residents include Collingwood Park and Riverview. One local councillor said that the Odour Abatement Taskforce has received 13,450 complaints about odour, dust and other environmental issues since its formation in 2018.

Locals have been asking to shut down these landfills for nearly a decade. Reports cited that the recent flooding has made the stench intolerable and out of control and the quality of the air makes their eyes water.

Some residents wake up with migraines or respiratory issues and deal with a stench that makes them vomit. The locals said the smell wafts through their backyard and into their vents and windows.

New TLPI With Stricter Provisions Protect Ipswich Residents From Impacts of Waste to Energy Activities

Photo Credit: Ipswich First / ipswichfirst.com.au

Did you know that in late 2021, a renewed Temporary Planning Instrument has set stricter limits on new landfills and waste-to-energy facilities in Ipswich?

The new temporary planning instrument replaces the two previous TLPIs that expired early this year and provides interim protections for nearby residents whilst the IpswichCIty Council prepares a new long-term planning scheme.

The expanded controls were in response to the number of complaints from Ipswich residents about the impacts of energy from waste activities in Swanbank, New Chum, Ebenezer, Willowbank and Jeebropilly.

“Local residents have raised concerns about the impacts of waste activities such as landfills on health, air quality, odour, dust and noise, as well as impacts on visual amenity,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Steven Miles said.

“The renewed TLPI covers the Swanbank / New Chum and Ebenezer / Willowbank / Jeebropilly areas and regulates new or changed waste activities, protecting nearby residential areas from adverse amenity impacts by introducing stronger planning safeguards to better regulate waste activities.”

The State Government first introduced the regulations in 2018 to protect Ipswich residents by making a TLPI for the Swanbank / New Chum area and then continued in 2020 with the Queensland Government and Ipswich City Council introducing two TLPIs.

Mr Miles added that the TLPI complements actions that were already being undertaken by the Environment Minister and the Ipswich City Council with the newly formed Waste Management Stakeholder Advisory Group and Odour Abatement Taskforce.

Ipswich Mayor and Chairperson of the Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee Teresa Harding said that the State Government’s “strong” stance on energy from waste is a significant win for the Ipswich City Council and community.

“The Deputy Premier has acknowledged the concerns and strong objections from the Ipswich community around energy from waste, and significantly boosted protections to ensure residential areas will not be negatively impacted by these activities,” Mayor Harding said.

Mayor Harding added that the new TLPI “clearly outlines that proposals for energy from waste activities should be no closer than five kilometres to a residential area or a tourism or motorsport precinct.” Whilst it will bring some relief to Ipswich residents, she said that Council will continue to raise the community’s concerns about “energy from waste in Ipswich.”

How The New Mater Hospital Springfield Plans To Be Pandemic-Resilient

The expanded Mater Private Hospital in Springfield will have pandemic-resilient features once complete, including a purpose-built ward and an emergency department designed to operate in pandemic conditions.

Read: Music to Feel Better? Singing Surgeon Soothes Mater Private Hospital Springfield Patients

The pandemic ward will have 28 beds and will be isolated from the rest of the hospital. It will have a negative-pressure air ventilation system, with each ward to be provided with more isolation rooms.

External triage areas will also be provided to allow increased screening and assessment of patients during a pandemic.

The design of the hospital has been created to better prepare Mater for a future pandemic, given that Covid-19 has changed the face of healthcare.

Artist’s impression of Mater’s expansion (Photo credit: Ipswich City Council)

First opened in 2015, Mater Private Hospital in Springfield will undergo a $1 billion expansion to deliver new services, such as intensive care unit and maternity services, more operating theatres and endoscopy procedural areas, and a much-needed Emergency Department.

The expanded Mater Hospital will have 174 public overnight and same-day beds, bringing the total number of beds to 233.

The hospital will be delivered through the partnership of the hospital and the State Government. In 2021, it was announced that the government will provide an initial $177 million in funding in the next budget for the care of public patients.

Plans (Photo credit: Ipswich City Council)

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there would be further capacity for expansion at the new public hospital.

“This new public hospital in Springfield will complement the current facility and significantly boost capacity in the local health network,” she said.

“Queensland Health already works closely with Mater Health Services to deliver health care to Queensland across the state, and this investment is only strengthening this partnership.”

Based on the projected timeline, the expansion of the hospital is expected to commence in mid-2022. Mater is looking to open its door to the first patients by Dec 2024.

Further details about Mater’s expansion can be viewed at Ipswich City Council’s website, with the reference 20230/2021/ADP.

Celebrate Multicultural Diversity at The Greater Springfield Community Festival

Mark your calendars for The Greater Springfield Community Festival, the multi-awarded event celebrating multicultural diversity in Queensland!

Organised by the Varnam Cultural Society (Qld) Inc, this major event will present the talents and skills of the Tamil Community. Happening on Saturday, the 30th of April 2022, the event will run from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Robelle Domain Parklands along Education City Drive in Springfield Central.

The Greater Springfield Community Festival was formerly the Multicultural Tamil & Indian New Year Celebrations, which was recognised as the Event of the Year in 2020.

This annual gathering is an opportunity for the locals to participate in community activities and renew social connections. Support for this event will also help raise much-needed funds for the advocacies of the Varnam Cultural Society.

Photo Credit: The Greater Springfield Community Festival/Facebook

Families and kids will be entertained by carnival games, a petting zoo, performances and live DJs, and amusement rides. Food and business stalls will also set shop at the festival. The event will also mark a Citizenship Ceremony.

Golf Next? Ash Barty Clinches Golf Title at Brookwater

Ash Barty shocked the world of tennis when she retired at the top of her game so she could go after ‘other dreams.’ These days, she can be seen swinging a golf club in winning form at Brookwater Golf and Country Club, where she recently proved her championship streak isn’t over just yet.

On Saturday, 2 April 2022, Ash won the ladies’ competition against five women at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club. The 25-year-old bagged $30 for her win, a far cry from her over $30-million winning in tennis.

Nonetheless, there have been speculations were that the World No. 1 could be coming out of retirement to play golf professionally. It won’t be a surprise to her fans, however, as Ash is quite a talented golfer and played with Tiger Woods before.

Woods even said that Ash has “got a great swing.” Two-time Queensland amateur champion Louis Dobbelaar also believes that Ash has all she needs to pursue golf as she’s natural at it.

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Ash has been a member of the Brookwater Golf and Country Club for a few years and she also won the club championship in 2020. Members adore her down-to-earth nature.

The tennis superstar is currently building her new home at Brookwater Residential as it suits the quiet lifestyle she craves for. The golf course is a stone’s throw away from the residential community.

Aside from tennis and golf, Ash is also a great cricket player and had a full-time contract with Brisbane Heat in 2015 during her brief break from tennis in 2014. One of her former Heat coaches said that she’s very team-oriented and showed outstanding batting skills from the get-go. Her father is a major cricket fan and she sat many hours with him watching the games on TV as a child.

Despite the speculations, Ash has been mum about her next plans post-retirement from tennis. The world will just have to wait and see her next move.

Federal Budget: Logan Hospital, Other Qld Public Hospitals Lose Massive Health Funding

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Logan Hospital and other Qld public hospitals could see longer off-stretcher waiting times ahead as Queensland loses massive health funding in the 2022-23 Federal Budget even as the State Government made a prior appeal for a 50-50 public health funding split.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath expressed her disappointment over the latest federal budget which will see massive funding cuts for the state’s public hospitals. Ahead of the Federal Budget, the state government called for additional funding for Qld’s public health system, which is estimated to be around $1.5 billion a year.

The appeal comes as Queenslanders turn to public hospitals due to a lack of bulk-billing GP services, particularly in areas where private health costs are rising. Additional funding would have meant more hospital beds, and frontline staff and services; Queensland, however, is not getting that commitment.

“If the budget delivered by Josh Frydenberg last night is remembered at all, it will be for the way that it failed Queensland,” the Health Minister said.

“Not only did Scott Morrison’s [government] ignore our appeal for a 50-50 health funding split, he will cut $21 million from our hospitals next financial year.

“The federal coalition is also cutting $176 million from Queensland hospitals in 2023‑24 and 2024‑25, compared to funding promised just four months ago.

“All the States and Territories, along with the Australian Medical Association, are calling for more Commonwealth funding for public hospitals, but the PM is ignoring these calls,” she said.

Queensland Ambulance Service data revealed an increase of 76 per cent in ambulance lost time in 2020-21
Photo Credit: Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) / Facebook

Queensland Health data from October to December 2021 showed that off-stretcher transfer within 30 minutes at Qld public hospitals was at 62 per cent; the state government aims to increase that rate to 90 per cent. Off-stretcher time, or ramping, refers to the time it takes before the paramedics and their patients could be allowed entry by the hospital’s ED.

Statistics revealed that Logan Hospital recorded the longest waiting time of 480 minutes in October last year. However, over the last six months to January 2022, Gold Coast had the longest average off-stretch waiting time of 456 minutes.

Ramping greatly affects ambulance services. When paramedics are unable to offload their patients, they have no other option but to provide care until ED is able to accept the transfer. This means that other patients needing an ambulance to pick them up would also have to wait.

Data from Queensland Ambulance Service showed that in 2020-21, ambulance lost time figures (beyond the 30-minute target) for the top 26 Qld public hospitals indicate an increase of 76 per cent from 2019-20 or 111,697 hours from the previous 63,339 hours.

Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said that all that Queensland was asking was for a “fair partnership” to help address the growing need for health services but Qld got its budget cut instead. He added that losing federal funding for Queensland hospitals would mean that patients will have to ”wait longer for the health treatment they deserve.”