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Proposal for New Landfill at Wanless Recycling Park Rejected

A proposed landfill at Wanless Recycling Park, part of a controversial $50-million development proposal at Ebenezer, has been nixed.

Wanless Waste Management proposed to establish a landfill and waste transfer and recycling facility that would process up to a million tonnes of waste, with 550,000 tonnes of it ending up as landfill. Wanless said that the project will represent 150% of Ipswich’s per capita recycling quota and will result in a 4.1% recycling rate for the whole of Queensland.

Ipswich City Council supported the proposed waste transfer and recycling facility aspect of the Wanless Recycling Park proposal but decided to reject its landfill component. Council officers recommended the part-refusal of the landfill and partial rehabilitation of a mining void, along with part-approval of the reconfiguration of a lot and recycling centre components.

About 60 submissions have been lodged on the proposed project. Whilst many residents also approve of a recycling facility, most of them are not keen on having a new landfill site in the area citing environmental concerns.

“Our community expects the highest standards of scrutiny of any new landfill proposal in Ipswich, and rightly so,” Mayor Harding said. She said that the proposed project failed to meet the expectations and targets of the Council and the State Government.

“It is our residents who have worn the negative impacts of the waste industry time and time again,” she added.

“Worthy of support”

“Whilst disappointed with the decision of Ipswich City Council, we believe the Wanless Recycling Park is worthy of support, particularly as State government approval was received after a two-year exhaustive process,” Wanless Waste Management CEO Dean Wanless said.

“Council has proposed we export waste off-site, however this will result in generating more cars, trucks and general traffic on already congested roads,” he added. Wanless also mentioned that the Wanless Recycling Park “will provide a permanent protected area to ensure koalas can live safely and without disturbance,” apart from the 150 full-time union-backed employment opportunities that will be gained once the project is at full production.

Demand for New Single-Sex Schools Has Grown in Greater Springfield

Photo credit: https://www.greaterspringfield.com.au/

There is a growing demand for single-sex schools in the Greater Springfield area, mirroring a similar trend observed across the site, and development of facilities to meet the demand is expected to grow in the region.

Read: New Services, More Beds Part Of St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital’s Expansion

According to Independent Schools Queensland, there are already 22 single-sex schools in the State at present. Still, some of these schools receive inquiries at three times the rate of their current capacity.

Maha Sinnathamby, the entrepreneur behind the Greater Springfield development said Springfield’s expected population boom would see another 12 new schools built in the coming years, in addition to a new state school revealed in the State’s most recent budget.

Aerial view of Greater Springfield (Photo credit: https://www.greaterspringfield.com.au/)

Greater Springfield, Australia’s largest master-planned community, currently has 11 schools that cater for more than 11,000 school-aged students. But now that there are already more than 50,000 people in Springfield, which is expected to double in the next decade, more education facilities are needed in the area.

“With 11 schools currently accommodating our 11,000 school-aged students, at least 10 more will be required to accommodate the projected doubling of our school-aged population by 2036,” said Springfield City Group Education and Health Services director Meera Honan in a media statement.

Supporting this vision, Springfield general manager Richard Eden revealed there’s a capacity to add an all-boys school and an all-girls school to the educational institutions they already have.

“Springfield is a Learning City – where learning is valued and championed. We invite anyone who wants to share in that vision and aspiration to make contact with us,” stated on the website.

Push for Single-Sex Schooling

Photo credit: https://www.greaterspringfield.com.au/

In August 2021, Greater Springfield held the Virtual Think Tank on Single-Sex Schooling which attracted over one hundred participants from a wide background including 14 universities (Australian, and International), as well as schools from across Australia.

The panel discussed single-sex schooling from a range of angles anchored by the fundamental question of how important personalised education is for students learning in today’s world.

“Many factors drive parental choice including heritage, gender-specific intergeneration ideas and reputation. Social and demographic factors also impact and limit choice and/or access. Stereotypes in schools are reflected close to Australian society and this societal and parental messaging impacts upon career choices. Often very early, even in the primary years,” Greater Springfield stated.

The virtual think tank also pointed out the benefits of single-sex schooling, such as self-confidence for students, personalised learning, and inclusivity.

New Services, More Beds Part Of St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital’s Expansion

Photo credit: St Andrew's Ipswich Private Hospital

Ipswich’s only private hospital, St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital, is set to undergo a multi-million dollar makeover which will add new operating theatres, more beds and new services in two years time.

Read: Developer Presents Plans For Abandoned Blackstone State School In Ipswich

Ramsay Health Care, the current owners of St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital, has invested $40.5 million for the expansion, which will include an extra 39 beds, an expansion from 12 to 20 chairs for the renal dialysis unit, two new operating theatres, an expanded radiology practice, and expanded day rehabilitation space.

“We are so excited to announce this expansion because Ipswich is one of the fastest-growing areas in Australia so it makes sense that residents should be able to access the full suite of medical care close to home,” said the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Claire Thurwood.

Artist’s impression of St Andrew’s Ipswich Private Hospital’s expansion (Photo credit: Ramsay Health Care)

“As well as expanding our private health care offerings, this project also allows us to broaden our renal dialysis unit for public patients, which means we can further support the West Moreton Health Service by almost doubling the number of patients treated for kidney disease,” Ms Thurwood said.

Read: Soon! Australia’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Facility in Greater Springfield

Just three years ago, the hospital increased the capacity of the hospital from 97 to 178 beds, launching a new front entrance, multi-deck car park, and new private rooms.

The hospital welcomed the new 231-bay car park in 2018, which provided convenient pedestrian and vehicle access to St Andrew’s new Front Reception and Day of Surgery Admissions area.

Meanwhile, construction on the new development is set to begin in late 2021 and is due for completion in June 2023.

Developer Presents Plans For Abandoned Blackstone State School In Ipswich

Photo credit: https://epathway.ipswich.qld.gov.au/

A developer is looking forward to transforming and breathing new life into the old Blackstone State School in Ipswich by constructing an emergency medical centre in its place.

Read: Affordable Growth: Springfield Lakes An Attractive Option for Young Families

Blackstone State School, located at 14 Hill St, has been left abandoned for around 12 years now. Three of the school buildings, built in 1886, 1889, and 1916, still exist and are listed as ‘character places’ in the Ipswich Planning Scheme.

Plans

Site plan (Photo credit: https://epathway.ipswich.qld.gov.au/)

Plans (14557/2021/MCU) lodged to Council revealed that the developer-applicant is seeking to repurpose the three existing heritage buildings and establish an after-hours medical centre on the 3.04-ha site.

One of the existing buildings at Blackstone State School (Photo credit: https://epathway.ipswich.qld.gov.au/)

Photo credit: https://epathway.ipswich.qld.gov.au/

If given the go-ahead, the heritage buildings will be transformed into an office, a 24/7 call centre, and treatment rooms, all of which are expected to be completed under Stage 1 of the development.

Stage 2 would be dedicated to the development of a “standard medical centre with allied health.” A total of 20 car parking spaces are to be provided on-site and accessed from the existing crossover.

“The proposed building works to the existing heritage buildings are minor in nature & generally necessary to refurbish the buildings. All proposed works are required to improve the functionality & condition of the existing buildings,” Urbicus notes in a town planning report for the applicant.

The development will be called Blackstone Urgent Care Centre. The out of hours urgent care would operate from 8:00 pm to 8:00 a.m. For more information about this proposed development, see 14557/2021/MCU.

About Blackstone State School

Students of Blackstone State School, circa 1900s (Photo credit: https://www.ipswichlibraries.com.au/)

Blackstone State School used to be one of the largest schools in the area. It was established in 1887 after the community agreed that it’s necessary for their children to receive an education closer to home. Back then, the nearest schools, Newtown School and Lower Bundanba School, could only be reached on horseback or through a long walk.

The school continued to operate for around 122 years before it was forced to close in 2009, when the Government conducted a $134-million education overhaul that resulted in the closure of a number of schools in Ipswich, including Blackstone State School.

Community members tried to save the school through an unsuccessful ‘The Save Blackstone School’ campaign. The school finally closed its doors to its students in December 2009.

Following its closure, the site was opened for use by some community groups. The 122-year-old school still holds deep Welsh roots in the small community of Blackstone. These groups were asked to vacate the space when it was listed on the market in 2013.

Affordable Growth: Springfield Lakes An Attractive Option for Young Families

Rising median house prices have made properties in Brisbane’s inner-ring suburbs quite unreachable for many first-home buyers and many locals even complain that they’re being priced out of their own suburb. This has fueled interest in other areas, such as Springfield Lakes and other suburbs outside Brisbane that show growth but are considered more affordable.

Data from Property Market Updates revealed that from July 2020 to June 2021, 399 properties were sold in Springfield Lakes, driving an 8.69 percent growth, with median house price currently sitting at $456,512, well on its way to the half-million mark.

Most house listings in Springfield Lakes stayed an average of 51 days on market. The highest sale within this 12-month period was a six-bedroom, 748-square metre dwelling on Falcon Circuit for $930,000, which was positioned on a prime lakefront spot that offered the best views.

With rising interest in the suburb, industry observers have been seeing higher capital gains in Springfield Lakes in 2021, versus the growth that the suburb has shown from 2018 to 2020.

Unit Price Growth

The unit property market in Springfield Lakes shows slightly more robust growth than the housing market, with 9.28 percent up-tick over last year and a median unit price of $422,900. Stirred by the rise in job demands in Springfield Lakes, many first home-buyers (FHB) make apartment-hunting for a suitable living space their first stop.

Similar to the housing market, unit performance is on the rise, in much more dramatic fashion versus the housing market, with unit median prices showing a distinct upward trend from July 2018 to June 2021.

Unit listings take an average of 60 days on the market, almost at the same pace as the housing market. First-home buyers are getting some tight competition from seasoned investors looking for longer capital gains on their apartment properties but stocks are lower with just 34 unit properties sold within the 12-month period.

FHB : Future Driver of Economic Activity

Springfield Lakes, Springfield, Springfield Central and other suburbs in the 4300 post code, namely Augustine Heights, Bellbird Park, Brookwater, Camira, Carole Park, Gailes, and Goodna are catching the eye of first-home buyers, with their mix of affordable dwellings, accessibility, and job opportunities.

Young families moving in to these neighbourhoods would be great drivers of economic activity in the area.

The same pattern is happening elsewhere in QLD. In Brisbane, industry observers have noted similar patterns of rising investment and interest from first-home buyers in Sunnybank, Sunnybank Hills, Robertson, MacGregor, Camp Hill, Carindale, Carina Heights, among others.

Free Drop-Off for Hazardous Chemicals Opens For One Day Only in Riverview

Do you have leftover paint and household or garden chemicals stashed at home? If you haven’t gotten around to disposing of these hazardous items, make time for the annual drop-off day that’s coming up in Riverview!

The Ipswich City Council will open the Riverview Recycling and Refuse Centre on Sunday, 26 Sept 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to collect garage, garden, kitchen, and bathroom chemicals from residents.

This service will not cost anything and every household will be allowed to drop off 0 kilograms of hazardous waste and 100 litres of paint.

“We are encouraging residents to spend some time this weekend going through your bathroom, kitchen, garage or under the house and find any household hazardous waste such as pool chemicals, cleaning products, batteries, tyres, electronic waste and unwanted medicines,” Mayor Teresa Harding said.

“Often these items are not suitable to be disposed of in the wheelie bin because they are flammable, corrosive, explosive or toxic to humans, plants or animals.

“We hold the hazardous chemicals drop-off day every year for this reason – to give residents the opportunity to dispose of waste safely.”

More Details on Household Hazardous Waste

Prior to the drop-off, residents are expected to wrap the containers separately in newspapers and plastic bags, and securely set these items in trays or buckets during the transport. For a minimal fee, they may also drop off any waste items that are not particularly hazardous.

Those coming to Riverview will be asked to present proof of residency in Ipswich.

No Poison in Animal Tongues Found at Pebbles Park in Ecco Ripley

The animal tongues found nailed to timber boards at Pebbles Park in Ecco Ripley do not contain any poison, putting an end to fears from residents who suspected it was meant as dog bait.

Laboratory tests from West Moreton Public Health showed that the animal tongues had no traces of strychnine, fluoroacetate, or any other regulated poisons. A spokesperson from the health agency also said that the tongues’ DNA belonged to an ovine (sheep).

Since no poison has been traced, Queensland Health has now closed the investigations as required under Health Regulations 1996. However, the dog park will still be monitored due to the concerning incident in July.

A local resident was surprised to discover three tongues nailed to boards at the off-leash dog area of Pebbles Park. After informing the council, officers retrieved the tongues for testing as residents worried it was dog bait.

Ipswich City Council manages Pebbles Park, the first off-leash dog park in the Ecco Ripley estate, which has 700 houses across 194 hectares. Ecco Ripley has been primed for rapid growth after the completion of the playgrounds, sports courts, gazebos, and picnic sites.

Expert Sleep Technicians From Springfield Lakes Presents New Portable Sleep Diagnosis

Photo credit: cottonbro/Pexels

Sleep Study Brisbane, a group of expert sleep technicians from Springfield Lakes, has partnered with sleep specialists in Brisbane and NSW to launch a portable sleeping apnea diagnosis, allowing an entire sleep study to occur in the patient’s home.

Read: National Stroke Week: Greenbank Dad Shares Recovery Journey and Message to Act FAST

With the new sleep study testing service, patients will be allowed to bring Sleep Testing and CPAP Therapy to their homes, where they are relaxed, and able to get all their questions about sleep disorders answered.

What Is CPAP Therapy?

A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine is prescribed by a Sleep or Respiratory Specialist. CPAP is used in providing air pressure to keep your airway open and so avoid sleep disturbances.

The CPAP works by gently blowing air into the throat to improve the flow of air into the airways. It uses a special mask fitted over your nose and mouth into which air is blown at a certain pressure. This pressure is set so it would be just enough to prevent sleep apnea.

Home Sleep Study

A sleep study is performed to identify sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, which happens because of an obstruction in the throat during sleep; and central sleep apnea, caused by a delay in the signal from the brain to the lungs.

Until recently, patients had no choice but to get the test done in a hospital or in a sleep laboratory where they go to sleep attached to a Polysomnograph (PSG) Machine set up on a bedside table in one of their rooms.

Patient attached to a Polysomnograph Machine (Photo credit: sleepstudybrisbane.com.au)

A home sleep study, also known as a polysomnogram, is an overnight test performed on a person while they are asleep to identify the real cause of their sleep problems. It tracks the patient’s sleep pattern, breathing, oxygen level, heart rate and rhythm, body position and movements, and airway muscle tone.

“During our home sleep study, Brisbane-based technicians come to your home to attach the PSG onto you. If you are able to go for a drive and want to pay a lesser co-payment, you can come to our clinic to get the PSG attached to you,” said Sleep Study Brisbane.

“You can sleep in your own bed and have your sleep study in complete privacy and comfort. If however, you may have other more serious conditions, the GP may refer you to have the sleep test completed in a monitored environment like a sleep lab or hospital,” they added.

Sleep Study Brisbane offers a Medicare Rebate for the home sleep study. Those who wish to take advantage of the rebate would need a signed referral form from their GP. Visit Sleep Study Brisbane’s website to download the form and to learn more about their portable Medicare-covered apnea diagnosis.

SmartFone Flick Fest 2021 Extends Deadline For Entries

Photo credit: SF3/Facebook

Springfield’s Brenton McNally is one of the Queenslanders joining this year’s SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3), Australia’s international smartphone film festival for filmmakers of all ages. The festival returns for the seventh year in November and has extended the deadline for entries until September 2021.

Read: First Dedicated Children’s Library in Australia Opens in Ipswich

McNally, a Principal Business Analyst for the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women in Brisbane, entered the #FILMBREAKER Award for debut film-makers. He joins fellow Queenslanders Van Ginkel (Coolum Beach) and Rob Layton (Tallebudgera) as participants for the adults category whilst Everton Hills’ Phoenix Montgomert-Brown of Everton Hills aspires to win in the SF3 Kids category.

Participants will be given until 1 September 2021 to submit entries in one of the five different categories: Gala for shorts up to 20 mins; SF3 Kids for filmmakers 16 and under; SF360 for virtual reality and 3D/360 degree films; SF3 for films 40 minutes and longer; and SF3 Mini for films 3 mins or less on the theme of “RISE.”

“We know some of the world is in lockdown right now (us here in Sydney), and things change day to day SO we have given you an extra month to pick up your phones and tablets and make a film for us!” SF3 announced.

Festival founders and co-directors Angela Blake and Ali Crew have set the Mini film theme as “RISE” in partnership with the United Nations Association of Australia. Blake recommended checking out UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals for more inspiration.

In 2020, the festival had a mix of online and live screenings due to the pandemic. This year, it will likely be the same. Screenings for SF3 Kids, Feature Film, and the new SF3 Mini will take place at the Actors Centre Australia in Leichhardt on 28 November whilst the Gala Awards Final will be held at Chauvel Cinema Paddington on 27 November.

This year, SF3 also welcomes new ambassadors for the SF3 First Nations Award — Journalist and producer Stan Grant, actor and director Wayne Blair, and high profile screenwriter Jon Bell who will join returning ambassadors Phillip Noyce, Kriv Stenders, Nicole da Silva, Jason van Genderen, Kerry Armstrong and Christopher Stollery.

Aussie star Nicole da Silva as one of the returning ambassadors for SF3 (Photo supplied)

There will be more than 30 awards to be given this year, including the #FILMBREAKER award for first-time filmmakers, Best Female Creative, Best Feature Film, two SF3 Kids Best Film awards (Teen and Junior/Primary) plus three new ‘gongs’: Best Documentary, Best Editing and the SF3 Luma Touch, Finished on Mobile Award – for a film that is both shot and edited on a smartphone or tablet.

There are over $40,000 in prizes, including mentorships, classes, memberships, apps, lenses, mics, phones and tablets to be given this year. To join and for full details of each category, visit www.sf3.com.au.

National Stroke Week: Greenbank Dad Shares Recovery Journey and Message to Act FAST

Do you know how to spot the most common signs of stroke? In observance of National Stroke Week, here’s a reminder that acting fast can be critical to saving someone’s life. A stroke can happen at any time and at any age, as in the case of Shaun Bickley, 38, from Greenbank.

Shaun, a fairly young man who embraces a healthy lifestyle, experienced severe headaches overnight and woke up losing his sight in one eye. He and his wife, Lauren Bickley, went to the hospital for some tests and that’s where Shaun had a stroke and lost all of his eyesight completely.

As stroke affects the brain — the human control centre for thoughts, feelings and movements — Shaun lost his ability to speak and became paralysed on one side of his body.

Highlights

Stroke can happen to anyone at any age, as in the case of Shaun Bickley, a healthy dad at 38.
Acting F.A.S.T. can make a difference in a stroke victim’s recovery.
Raising awareness on F. A. S. T. is in observance of National Stroke Week from 2 to 8 Aug 2021.

“I was warned to brace for the worst, which is heart-breaking,” Lauren said. “Thankfully, Shaun pulled through.”

It took the Greenbank local six weeks of rehabilitation to regain his function to walk and speak. Whilst Lauren thought her husband was doing better, Shaun suffered another stroke. However, with the help of Lauren and the medical workers, his determination to get better brought great gains to his recovery.

In 2020, more than 5,300 suffered from stroke for the first time in Queensland. There are an estimated 87,000 stroke survivors in the community.

Stroke Foundation Queensland State Manager Andrea Sanders said that when a stroke happens to an individual, the family and people close to that person feels the impact.

With the theme “United by Stroke” for National Stroke Week from 2 to 8 Aug 2021, the couple wants to thank the healthcare professionals who have crucial roles in the patient’s recovery from stroke: from the person who takes the 000 calls, to the paramedics, surgeons, and allied health professionals.

“Those actions unite people along the stroke journey and improve the chance of survival and recovery. Getting that urgent medical attention is so critical, which is why we want everyone to learn the F.A.S.T message,” Ms Sanders said.

To recognise the most common signs of stroke, remember to act F. A. S. T. (Face Arms Speech Time):

Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms – Can they lift both arms?
Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time is critical – If you see any of these signs call triple zero (000) straight away

Learn the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke from Stroke Foundation on Vimeo.