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Coffee Guru Brookwater: Springfield Lakes Couple’s Venture Pays Off Amid the Pandemic

Gregory and Vickey Slack have no regrets about launching their cafe, Coffee Guru Brookwater, in the middle of the pandemic. The restaurant located at the Brookwater Village Shopping Centre has built up its regular customers eight weeks since its opening day whilst new customers continue to visit the restaurant.

The Slacks took on the chance to run a cafe at the height of the COVID-19 scare in April 2020 after Coffee Club permanently closed. Despite the ill-timed opportunity, the couple worked on building their restaurant and opened in the middle of August.

Every day since the opening, customers would line up at Coffee Guru Brookwater before 7:00 a.m. for their coffee fix and brekkies. The couple said that many of their customers have expressed concern for opening a food business at this uncertain time.

But Gregory and Vickey are happy to say that business has been brisk, thanks to the support of the locals. Although, Gregory admits that apprehensions and worries have crossed his mind during one rare instance when it had been slow and quiet at the cafe.

Locals, however, seem to love coming back to Coffee Guru Brookwater because of the service and the food. Whilst the store is a franchise of an NSW-based company, it is still independently managed and owned by the Slacks.

Coffee Guru Brookwater serves all-day breakfast and lunch daily, while Fridays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. are for Tapa Nights. Aside from the delicious coffee, diners may also enjoy wine, beer and spirits on their drink lists.

The restaurant is pet friendly. For trading hours and other cafe updates, visit their Facebook page.

“The owners Vic and Greg were lovely, everything seemed very clean and was well sanitised. The breakfast was really good and came out quick. They had a great display of sweet treats and savoury snacks up the front too. Will have to come back for lunch.”
Erin Clarke, Google Reviews

“Coffee Guru is a must! Best Bircher I’ve had for a long time. Menu is fantastic. Service is always amazing. The tapas night on Friday’s is SO delicious. We love it here.”
Bianca Mulligan, Facebook

Springfield Greenbank Arterial Project: Major Road Duplication to Prioritise Stage 3

Key roads in the Springfield region will undergo major upgrades in 2021 under the Springfield Greenbank Arterial (SGA) Duplication project. Work will start with Stage 3, which covers Eden Station Drive to Sinnathamby Boulevard.

According to MP Charis Mullen, the Ipswich City Council decided to change the SGA sequencing to start with Stage 3 “given the other major projects in the area.”

“This was in a letter sent to residents recently,” Ms Mullen said.

Stage 3’s key features include the following:

Road widening to four lanes
Springfield Greenbank Arterial/Main Street/Centenary Highway roundabout upgraded with signalised intersection
New entrance/exit at the Springfield Central Railway Station carpark
Construction of road cycle lanes for cyclists and pedestrians

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) plans to erect a multi-storey carpark at the Main Street intersection before the roadwork begins.

This Springfield Greenbank Arterial project is necessary to meet the travel demands that will come with city’s rapid growth.

“The overall project includes 3.9 km of road duplication and shared path upgrades. The project is set to be the largest single road project in the Council’s history,” the fact sheet stated. “With such a large capital cost to the Council, if delivered in a single year, the project would consume over half of the typical capital works budget. By spreading the costs across a number of stages, the project can be delivered over multiple years, and allows for Council to continue to deliver its usual portfolio of new roads, road rehabilitation, open space, drainage and facilities project.”

The timing of construction will still be determined but it is approximated to take 12 months to complete.

For questions about the Springfield Greenbank Arterial project, phone 07 3810 6666 or email IED.Projects@ipswich.qld.gov.au.

First Names Picked for New Ipswich CBD Development

The Ipswich City Council announced the names of the new sites taking shape at the Nicholas Street precinct development, following a survey in August.

After deliberations on 24 Sept. 2020, the Council endorsed the top names residents have chosen for the new library, new civic space, and a laneway.

Some 304 residents submitted their name suggestions whilst over 6,500 voted on their choices for the upcoming CBD.

The Ipswich Central Library is set to open soon as the building’s construction is in the process of completing this October.

“Ipswich Central Library is a very practical name for the new general library that aligns with naming conventions of other libraries across the city,” Ipswich Central Redevelopment Committee chairperson Deputy Mayor Marnie Doyle said.

Tulmur Place will be the name of the new civic square, where entertainment and community events will take place.

“Tulmur means Ipswich in the universal Indigenous language and I very pleased this council has seen fit to recognise our city’s Indigenous heritage in selecting this name for the new civic plaza,” Ms Doyle said.

The laneway will still retain its more commonly known name as Bottle Alley.

“While the laneway has been widely known as Bottle Alley for many years, it has in fact never been officially named. Today’s decision locks in the name.”

The new precinct will be generally known as Nicholas Street Precinct, covering Brisbane, Ellenborough, Bremer and Bell streets.

“Retaining the Nicholas Street Precinct name makes sense because it is a well-known and long established name for the area. It has also been widely used in recent years in marketing and promotion for the precinct.”

Five key spaces, including the children’s library and the new council administration building, will still need names once the new CBD’s development is completed. Many of the residents’ suggested recognised personalities like tennis superstar Ash Barty and bagpiper Joe McGee, as well as the region’s first peoples.

Located 40 minutes outside of Brisbane CBD, Nicholas Street will become the trade centre for 215,000 residents. Apart from the library and the civic plaza, the site will also become a commercial, retail, lifestyle and dining precinct with the first shops opening by mid-2021.

Springfield Amcal Transforms Into Discount Drug Store With Larger Range and Lower Prices

Springfield Amcal has been quite busy in the past few weeks as it readies to transform into the Springfield Fair Discount Drug Store. Beginning October, the neighbourhood pharmacy will have a different look, lowered prices, and an expanded range of products but with the same excellent customer service.

Renovations in the store are projected to finish by 24 Sept 2020, after more than four weeks of sprucing and expanding the site.

Some services continued amidst these changes and when Springfield Fair Discount Drug Store officially trades, it will carry over the same convenient opening hours and friendly team.

The sales team is also getting their new uniforms!

“A big thank you to our customers for your patience and understanding during our month of renovations!,” the store staff said on Facebook.

A big thank you to our customers for your patience and understanding during our month of renovations! We have less than…
Posted by Springfield Amcal on Wednesday, September 16, 2020

But as part of its transition, any Springfield Amcal rewards points will have to be redeemed until 30 Sept 2020. The rewards system will shut down beginning in October.

“The good news is that our prices will drop by more than the 5% the rewards saved you,” a store representative stated.

The price changes have been in effect and some customers have noticed the big difference, especially for prescription medications.

Springfield Fair Discount Drug Store will also keep the gift shop section filled with homewares, jewellery, handbags and other knick-knacks.

Follow their Facebook page for more store updates.

Springfield Lakes and Ipswich Popular Picks for FHLDS Scheme With First Home Buyers

Springfield Lake and Ipswich’s housing markets have been getting a boost from first home buyers despite COVID-19 restrictions.

A recent report from the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) showed that these are two of the hottest sites where buyers secured a First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS).

Whilst 62.2 percent of buyers preferred the major cities, more than half of first home buyers had homes 15 to 30 minutes away from the CBD. Nearly 70 percent of the buyers picked detached houses, 25 percent chose apartments whilst fiver percent bought a townhouse unit.

Of the 1850 FHLDS issued in the last six months, 70 percent were homes from the 4350 postcode comprising Toowoomba, Newton and Centenary Heights, among others. About 56 percent of buyers took deposits in Ipswich and the rest of postcode 4305. Postcode 4300, comprising Springfield, Brookwater, Goodna and Camira, was also in the top ten of preferred areas.

According to Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee, Springfield Lakes is attractive to buyers because there are heaps of new homes and potential building activities.

Queensland introduced the FHLDS on 1 Jan 2020, allowing 10,000 new homeowners to acquire a property by depositing just five percent of the value. Under the scheme, the government serves as the guarantor for the rest of the 15 percent, reducing the cost of mortgage insurance that normally comes with a 20 percent deposit for house purchases.

Hooning Crackdown in Ipswich Accelerated with New Law, High-Tech Cameras

The days of reckless driving, doing burnouts and racing — otherwise known as “hooning” — are numbered in Ipswich as the Police Minister announced a crackdown on these activities with a new law and the installation of new high-tech cameras.

Minister for Police and Minister for Corrective Services Mark Ryan said that the Government plans to shift the “onus of proof” to the owner of the vehicle. Under this law, the burden of proof will be on the car owners’ shoulders if they claim that they weren’t driving when the offence was committed.

To complement this proposed new law, upgraded high-tech cameras with night vision will be installed across traffic networks in the state. Traffic police will also be equipped with a new fleet of drones to go after the hoons.

“These changes will provide police with enhanced flexibility when dealing with gatherings of hoons,” Mr Ryan said in a statement. “For example, if dozens of cars were hooning in a particular location, police would be able to use these new hi-tech cameras to capture images of all the vehicles.

“The high-resolution images would allow police to identify each vehicle, and then proceed to take action against the registered owner, unless the owner could demonstrate they weren’t driving at the time.

“The expanded laws would apply to a greater range of traffic offences caught on camera. An offender would no longer be able to avoid prosecution by simply masking their identities and denying they had been behind the wheel.”

Charges of hooning or theft shall be filed against the drivers. Charis Mullen MP, the State Member for Jordan, welcomed the move given that Ipswich is a known hooning hotspot in Queensland.

“Hooning is a serious issue in our #Jordan community and our residents are rightly fed up!” Ms Mullen said in a post on Facebook. “Thank you to all those who have contacted me about this – I have used your experiences to help push for more action.”

Current Hooning Strategy

Roads in Queensland already have these hooning tactics:

Intelligence-driven enforcement with covert patrols
Monitoring of all forms of social media to take swift action
Hoon Hotline 13HOON
High-visibility patrols
Dedicated Road Policing officers
POLAIR aerial surveillance
Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology
Road safety camera trailers
Thousands of traffic cameras across the state
Police drone fleet

Commissioner Katarina Carroll of the Queensland Police Service commended the additional strategy.

“Hooning is not only anti-social in its impacts on the community, but potentially life-endangering for the hoons and innocent road users,” Ms Carroll said. “The community rightly expects hooning behaviour to be addressed and the QPS remains committed to targeting hoons and other unsafe driving behaviours.”

Church Service With a Side Order of Popcorn!

This cinematic event with a difference has just commenced at Event Cinemas Springfield on a Sunday courtesy of C3 Church, Springfield.

The recurring theme of disruption caused by COVID has stopped so many events that Event Cinemas has reached out to local church C3, based in Springfield, for them to be able to hold their regular Sunday meet ups at one of their theatres.

Matt Hickson, the pastor, stressed how the church community as a whole has struggled with the lack of human interaction. Having such a fun location that can accommodate their community with strict, COVID-safe industry plan guidelines. They are always happy to welcome new members so this has really provided a positive focus on the group at large.

The community has a large following and has been regularly meeting up in the area since 2017. Whilst technology has helped reach a number of individuals, there is nothing like catching up in person to support each other in a space that can provide the required social distancing.

There is spiritual learning as a Church, and a wish to invest in the community and help wherever they can at this time.

There are a number of smaller events that the group regularly holds — from fortnightly youth groups for older children to smaller walking groups and parent groups for those that need human interaction and a chat.

There is still an online outlet that is communicated through social media to keep abreast of current projects and be able to reach members of the group when needed.

Photo Credit: C3 Church Springfield/Facebook

There is also a branch of the church community, known as ‘Beyond,’ which helps those in need by partnering with local organisations to assist practically where possible by providing such things as garden makeovers, providing vouchers to families in need, issuing food hampers to name but a few.

Sundays are their biggest gathering and this helps to bring the community together. While the theatre is occupied with adults, another smaller space opposite it is utilized for children programs including videos and arts and crafts.

This is a welcome relief to people who are struggling alone or in financial distress, struggling with family issues and need support from community members and whilst online has helped to bridge a gap to a degree, the ability to meet up in person through the gesture of Event Cinemas has gone a long way to helping people get through this time.

At a later stage, the church hopes to have a facility of their own, but while COVID is still prevalent, having places available that they can reach as many people as possible is extremely important to them and their community and will continue to do so for some time to come. If you feel that the church can help you at this time, please contact them for further details on some of the activities that they are involved in.

Ipswich Population Rises to Over 228,000; Feedback Needed for ‘Shape Your Ipswich’

About 7,005 new residents moved to Ipswich for the previous financial year, increasing the city’s total population to 3.16 percent or 228,544, latest statistics revealed.

According to the Planning and Regulatory Services Annual report, nearly 2,500 new houses were built in the city from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. Spring Mountain continues to have the highest population growth with 1,247 new residents followed by Redbanks Plain with 900. South Ripley, Bellbird Park and Ripley also gained new residents and new dwellings.

The increase does not surprise Mayor Teresa Harding who said that many people are slowly recognising the benefits of living in this city.

“Ipswich is one of the most liveable regions in Queensland. Our beautiful parks and natural areas, world-class heritage sites and vibrant local restaurant scene attract a diverse range of new residents every day,” Ms Harding said.

However, with an increasing population, Ms Harding said that Council will need to “gear-up” with developments and improvements with the help of the State and Federal governments.

“Our growing communities will require new infrastructure and services and this Council is committed to ensuring both the State and Federal governments understand the current and future investment opportunities.”

Photo Credit: Vc1988/ CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

In line with this, the Council is asking for inputs from residents on a number of issues, especially for flood control and catchment management.

“The new plan goes above and beyond basic flood mitigation and as such will guide council’s action and future investment in everything from land use planning and new infrastructure, through to community awareness and ecosystem health,” Ms Harding said.

The Council will open public comments for the following topics until October 2020:

Community Awareness and Resilience
Physical Mitigation
Property Specific Actions
Current/Future Flood Risk
Land Use Planning and Emergency Management

Residents can provide their feedback and ideas at Shape Your Ipswich.

Café Kalina Tackles Mental Health Awareness: Have a Cuppa and Chat with No Judgements

Recently recognised for supporting the community and helping to raise awareness of mental health by local dignitaries, Café Kalina by Luvbite Creations — on Panorama Drive, Springfield — is excelling at helping people needing support during this difficult time.

If you need to talk or know of someone who does, the cafe welcomes you to become a part of their family. You may grab information and pick up the many leaflets dotted around the cafe, courtesy of Beyond Blue.

No questions, no judgement, just friendly faces — and good food and drinks!

Giving Back to the Community

With his history as a Life Coach with Brisbane City Churches in Fortitude Valley some years ago, the owner, Ché, is only too familiar with mental health issues. In the current climate, Ché is keen to give back to the community that has supported him and the cafe during the pandemic by raising the awareness of mental health.

Again, there is no judgement here. In fact, you can help yourself to information without any questions, for yourself or someone you feel may need the information.

The staff are seen wearing the blue wrist bands from Beyond Blue in support and you may also have the fridge magnets with important contact details.

The atmosphere at the Café Kalina is very friendly, relaxed, and set in a beautiful location with a backdrop looking out towards a nature corridor. You can chat with the very friendly members of the cafe who always have the time to converse and make you feel included in the community.

Ché’s customers are so loyal that he has even had a visit from customers at his old establishment travelling all the way from Townsville to Springfield just to catch up and have a cuppa with them!

The Mental Health Awareness project has been hailed a success in supporting many patrons and was initially only going to run for a month (August). However, this has been rolled over to September due to the number of people who have recognized the importance of the scheme and in a bid to help as many people as possible.

About Café Kalina

The cafe itself opened in November 2019 on the new Stockland Development within Springfield situated on Panorama Drive, next door to Panorama Park. It is currently open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week and is fast becoming one of the most popular places to socialize in the area.

Photo Credit: The Cafe Kalina by Luvbites Creations/Facebook

With an impressive record of between 250-280 breakfasts served on EACH weekend day, together with approximately 150 lunches per weekend day, the owner Ché and his staff, always has a welcoming smile, time for a chat and cooks up a storm!!

All are welcome, including your pooches, with many treats available on site.

Plans Lodged for New Springfield Housing Estate for 800 Families

The Ipswich City Council received a proposal to build a Springfield housing estate for over 800 families in a vegetated land south of Camira and east of Brookwater. Covering 167 hectares, the site will be part of Springview Estate and will cover the boundaries along Mur Boulevard, Telopea Way and Panorama Drive, as well as the Woogaroo and Opposum creeks.

The application (4272/2020/ADP), filed by Cherish Enterprises Pty Ltd on June 2020, seeks to carry out 23 stages of development with 10 to 60 detached houses built per stage, with approximately 821 residential lots. Each of these houses will sit on 250 sqm to 575 sqm lots, which will be properly spaced apart.

The plan, which is part of Village 2, also includes building local parks and open spaces, as well as road network improvements that will connect the new estate to the current housing development on Panorama Drive (Village 1). No natural resources and sites of cultural significance in the land area exist, thus the proposed development won’t impact conserved or protected sites.

Photo Credit: PD Online/Ipswich City Council

A neighbourhood or town centre in this Springfield housing estate is not part of this proposal. The developers’ focus is on building a “safe, attractive and desirable” residential environment.” However, the proposal stated a community centre might be added to Village 3. Detailed planning for Village 3 has yet to be undertaken.

“The layout of the proposed subdivision has had the benefit of civil engineering, stormwater, ecological, traffic and bushfire input,” the design team Reel Planning stated in the proposal. “In our opinion it strikes a balance between maximising the use of an area that is zoned for residential development, protecting significant natural features and ensuring adequate access to nearby services and facilities.”

The proposal falls under the Springfield Structure Plan and will not require public notification. Council is currently assessing the development application.