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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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

“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).

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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

WHEN	WHAT
6 April 2021	Easter Hat Parade	Decorate an Easter hat and parade around the centre
7 April 2021	Decoupage	Glue coloured paper cutouts in the shape of a dinosaur, rabbit or unicorn
8 April 2021	African Drumming	Learn about the African culture using instruments* with singing and dancing
9 April 2021	Pysalla Beads For above 5-years-old	Design patterns and melt beads to create beautiful, decorative plaques
12 April 2021	LEGO Morning	Creative play with building blocks
13 April 2021	Rainbow Wall Hanging	Craft a decorative rainbow wall hanging piece
14 April 2021	Pirates Day	Dress up as a pirate and join the games, arts & crafts
15 April 2021	Cupcake Pan Art	Create cupcake pan art with patty pans
16 April 2021	Yarn Wrap Letters	Learn 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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

Springfield City to Build First Hydrogen Energy Facility in Australia

An agreement to build Australia’s first hydrogen energy facility in Springfield City has been established between LAVO, the Sydney-based technology and lifestyle company, and property developer, Maha Sinnathamby.

The $20 million deal will see 40 hectares of Springfield City, owned by the Springfield City Group (SPG), developed into a business park with a hydrogen energy plant.

Set to begin construction at the end of 2021, the facility is expected to create 200 local jobs. Once finished in early 2022, the plant will start production of the hydrogen fuel cells, which will bring in additional 50 jobs. The investment for this deal is projected to generate $30 million in annual revenues.

LAVO’s hydrogen energy storage system is sized like refrigerators with a 30-year lifespan and a storage capacity three times greater than other alternatives in the market. The energy company developed this technology as the “first and only commercially-ready” hydrogen energy storage system for homes and businesses in the world.

“I am pleased to welcome LAVO as a strategic sustainability partner to Springfield City and look forward to their support as we work towards producing more energy than we consume by 2038,” Mr Sinnathamby said in a press statement.

“As our relationship grows, we look forward to exploring many more opportunities to apply LAVO’s innovative technology and expertise more broadly to deliver on our blueprint for a clean-green future.

“We will work closely with LAVO to identify co-development opportunities, including the integration of LAVO technology into utility scale solar farms developed in Springfield City.”

Springfield City has been planned as a green space using 100 percent renewable power resources with widespread electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and a hydrogen-powered bus network

The agreement comes as hydrogen technology has been booming in demand globally, with an annual investment forecast of $150 million, which could grow to $2.5 trillion in 2050.

Swanbank E Power Station’s Value Plummets to Zero

Once a highly efficient 385 megawatts gas-fired power station, Swanbank E, located 10 kilometres south of Ipswich, has devalued to zero and will continue to lose money until its retirement in 2036.

A new report released by the Queensland Audit Office revealed that more than $1 billion in the value of gas and coal power stations across Queensland, which is operated by Stanwell, CS Energy and CleanCo, have been written down in the past year.

Whilst net profits gained from transmission and distribution, the numbers were 26 percent lower in the latest report.

COMPANY	VALUE	% of TOTAL ASSETS DECREASE
Stanwell	$720 million	19 percent
CS Energy	$353 million	15 percent
CleanCo	$35 million	8 percent

Factors affecting the reduction in the value of these power stations were attributed to:

the decreasing demand for electricity due to COVID-19
the increasing demand for the generation of renewable sources
lower gas prices

As CleanCo has written off the Swanbank E power station, Stanwell and CS Energy project that their power stations will still be profitable until its scheduled retirement in five years.

However, the Queensland Audit Office said that the forecasted revenues for these power stations will no longer cover the future cost of operations. The devaluation may push the State Government to fast-track decommission as losses accumulate but Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said that no such plans are in place.

“It’s in the best interest of Queenslanders if the state and federal governments plan for a rapid transition to clean energy,” Solar Citizens said. “They need to be upfront with the community and provide certainty for workers who will be affected by inevitable generator closures.”

Swanbank E power station was commissioned in 2002 to help Queenslanders wean off coal-powered electricity. The cost to build and operate this facility was $300 million.