Category: Homepage Latest News

Springfield Lakes Local is TAFE Queensland Apprentice Chef of the Year Finalist

Connor Johnson-James of Springfield Lakes continues to bring honour to his hometown, as one of the ten finalists in this year’s TAFE Queensland Apprentice Chef of the Year for 2018.

Connor Johnson-James, who is currently completing a Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery at Bella Cosi Modern Italian Restaurant at Chermside, took part in a Master Chef style competition for a chance to take this year’s top title.

“To know that I am competing against the best-of-the-best in my class has been both exhilarating and nerve-wracking,” Connor said.

Ten reasons to study at TAFE Queensland
Video credit: TAFEQueensland/YouTube

Connor Johnson-James was one of the ten who were selected from the more than 280 TAFE Queensland apprentice chefs to compete for this year’s top title. The top ten were selected from interviews and the cook-off took place on Monday 8 October at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus.

The finalists in this year’s cook-off should be proud of their achievements, said the Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman. “TAFE Queensland has shown to be the best when it comes to training our future master chefs,” she said.

“We know that by 2020 it’s projected that we will need an additional 20,000 skilled workers in the growing tourism and hospitality industry, so continuing this training is vital to growing our economy and filling the jobs of the future.

“Queensland’s tourism industry is evolving in leaps and bounds, and our highly skilled students will play an important role for many years to come,” she said.

Applicants were required to design a five-item canape menu and address several criteria in a written application. On the day of the competition, the finalists, using a mystery box of ingredients, were required to prepare one of their five menu item canapes as well as an entrée and main meal.

Emma Arkinstall, a 23-year-old from Beaudesert, was named the TAFE Queensland Apprentice Chef of the Year on 22 October at 66 on Ernest at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus. Her seafood canape creation featuring scallops, finger limes and vodka and the focus on sustainable eating and cooking, won for her the award.

Connor Johnson-James is not new to such a competition. He was also a finalist at the ACOTY 2017 and have won a number of industry awards, including the 2017 Hospitality and Catering Award – Excellence Apprentice Chef of the Year.

Spring Mountain State School Gains Official Name, Uniform Design Underway

The new primary school in Springfield West has now been given its official name — the Spring Mountain State School. Prior to the official naming of the school, it was called Springfield West State School.

The school is part of the $1.51 billion Queensland Schools Project Public Private Partnership with Plenary Schools. The partnership aims to deliver a number of Queensland schools and the Spring Mountain State School is the last one that is being built under the project.

The project has schools delivered at the following areas across southeast Queensland:

  • Pimpama
  • Burpengary
  • Pallara
  • Ripley Valley
  • Springfield
  • Griffin
  • Bellbird Park
  • Caboolture
  • Redbank Plains

Plenary Schools will construct, design, commission, partially finance, maintain and deliver facilities management services for the schools over a concession period of 30 years. The construction of the schools started in 2014.

The school’s name was inspired by the location of the school, which is located on the corner of the Spring Mountain Boulevard. It was the top name choice at several public meetings thus the final decision of using the name. Other names suggested were Springfield Rise and The Rise State School.

Spring Mountain State School will officially open in 2019 and will accommodate 760 students. It has a maximum capacity of 900 with 30 classrooms, a music and science block, resource centre, administration building, multipurpose hall, tuckshop and uniform shop, facilities officer’s room and an oval.

Photo credit: Spring Mountain State School / Facebook

Also, in July 2018, Cherie Moore was announced as the principal of the new school. She was the principal at the Moggill State School and Runcorn Heights State School.

Currently, the school is working with locals to create the school’s motto and uniform. They have released a uniform concept design and is also discussing the school’s vision statement.

To keep up with the latest updates, you can visit their Facebook page here.

Read: Springfield Central Library is Officially Open

Will The Waste-To-Energy Plant In Ipswich Push Through?

Queensland might soon welcome a waste-to-energy solution in Ipswich via a power plant by German-based waste company Remondis. Last year, the city has been labeled the “dumping capital” of south-east Queensland after the waste levy was scrapped. The moniker has irked residents who are likewise u with the influx of trucks coming in the city to drop their waste.

The Plan

The first waste-to-energy plant in the country is currently underway in Perth. Should this new plant be approved, it will be the second such plant in Australia. The Queensland Government has expressed its support for the project.

In fact, Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick has been very welcoming of the plan.

“The proposed plant will convert between 300,000 and 500,000 tonnes of waste per year to generate up to 50 megawatts of baseload electricity for Queensland households and businesses,” he said.

Mr Dick also said that this project could also help the lives of many residents with the jobs that it could create.

Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham shares the same enthusiasm regarding the potential project in the state, “This is an innovative renewable energy project that joins our $4.3 billion pipeline of renewable projects financially committed or underway,” he said.

As if on cue, this announcement came right after the announcement of the Palasczcuk Government to commit $100 million over three years to the Resource Recovery Industry Development Program (RRIDP).

The program allows local governments, established businesses, not-for-profits, and consortia, to use proven technologies for resource recovery to apply for this funding and other support that will help improve existing operations or bring better facilities to the state.

Reservations About The Multi-Million-Dollar Plant

Ipswich City Council has expressed its skepticism over the potential project showing concern about the thermal treatment of waste. The council is leaning towards exploring alternative waste technologies before making any decisions.

Also recently, opposition leader Deb Frecklington said that the announcement of the proposed plant in the city is “rubbish” as it isn’t due to start construction until 2020.

REMONDIS In Australia

REMONDIS is known for its significant resource recovery technology, energy-from-waste EfW. In fact, they are the second largest operator of EfW plants in Europe.

Breaking into the Australian market, the general manager for REMONDIS Queensland, Bret Collins said, “There is an opportunity for Australia to benefit from REMONDIS’ global experience, and other successful European and UK facilities, and incorporate energy-from-waste as part of the solution to sustainable, best practice waste management.”

How Does A Waste-to-Energy Plant Work?

A waste-to-energy plant converts municipal and industrial solid waste into electricity and heat for industrial processing. The plant burns the waste at high temperatures and the heat is converted into steam. The steam that goes through the turbine then produces electricity.

Hudsons Circus At Orion Shopping Centre In Springfield Central

One of Australia’s travelling circuses is now in Springfield. Running from 20 September to 14 October, the Hudsons Circus will be enchanting you at the Orion Shopping Centre with nearly four weeks of magical entertainment!

Don’t miss the red and yellow circus tent and quality show from some of the best circus performers such as the flying trapeze artists, Goldie the Clown, and the beautiful blue and gold macaws!

The circus is named after a six-year-old Hudson who has learned amazing circus skills. The cast is pretty much made up of families. Goldie the Clown also has a daughter in the show that is currently training as a clown whilst his wife is this year’s ringmaster.

Hudsons Circus
Photo credit: Hudsons Circus / Facebook

The animals that are p[art of the show are taken care of well by Belinda and Rob, who are professional animal trainers. These animals only take the stage for use a new minutes.

You can also see international circus performers at the show such as the Diego Bonaldo and Charles Diego Silva.

On 3 October, there will be a special autism-friendly performance. The show will be set in an environment with reduced sensory triggers and improved accessibility. For Sensory Circus Bookings, you can all at 0458 483 766.

For tickets and show schedules, click here.

Springfield Central Library To Introduce the nextLEVEL Festival

Big plans are underway for the newly-opened Springfield Central Library. Following its opening last month, the newest and the first public library in the region will deliver a more enriching learning experience for the community. One of their initiatives is the nextLEVEL festival, which will open on the weekend of 6-7 October and will last throughout early 2019.

The event is a micro festival of gaming and game development, organised through the State Library of Queensland’s Public Library Strategic Priorities Grant program.

With $24,355 in funding, the Ipswich City Council will be able to deliver an innovative and fresh opportunity to the community that will let improve their skills whilst they unleash their creativity.

A total grant of $450,000 this financial year is available, which can be tapped by all councils to enable them to deliver strategic initiatives through public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) across the state.

This year, the council received 35 applications. But only a number of councils were chosen such as:

  1. Barcaldine
  2. Brisbane
  3. Burdekin
  4. Cassowary Coast
  5. Charters Towers
  6. Cook
  7. Douglas
  8. Gold Coast
  9. Ipswich
  10. Logan
  11. Maranoa
  12. McKinlay
  13. Palm Island
  14. Rockhampton
  15. Tablelands
  16. Toowoomba
  17. Whitsunday

The projects that these libraries must implement should revolve around the themes in The Next Horizon: Vision 2017 for Public Libraries or programs that support the OPAL Program objectives. They could also be about such diverse fields as micro-festival of gaming, business development and entrepreneurial skills for young adults and STEM events featuring virtual reality.

Read: Springfield Central Library Is Officially Open

Springfield Central Library Is Officially Open

In 2017, the Ipswich City Council made a decision to lease a space at the Orion Springfield Central to make way for the region’s first library. Over the years, residents have made use of the mobile library. In August 2018, the hi-tech Springfield Central Library finally opened to the public.

Acting Mayor Wayne Wendt, along with seven of his councilors, officially opened the facility. Well-known personalities also took part in the opening of the library, such as author Matthew Reilly, TV personalities Ben and Holly, and cricket legend Glenn McGrath.

Located on the corner of Main St and Sirius Drive, the two-level library aims to deliver hands-on experience that will aid in delivering information, education, and building digital literacy for the communities in the region. All of these goals are also in conjunction with the Smart City initiative of the council.

The Smart City initiative provides new ways of learning and living to help make the region the most liveable and prosperous Smart City in the country. One of the projects involved in this initiative this year is the demo launch of the EZ10 Driverless Shuttle.

Read: Driverless Bus in Greater Springfield: A Peek Into Autonomous Transportation

Today, the library holds over 50,000 books along with state-of-the-art facilities. It includes a main collection area, a marketplace section, children’s space, parents’ room, event spaces, public access computers. public meeting rooms, training room, smart lockers, makerspace and modern library resources.

One of the highlights of the library is the kids’ area. Soundproof chairs, individual pods, seats in window alcoves, and play areas provide full amenities to this all-important area.

“It will provide Ipswich Libraries’ members a new space to enjoy and a destination where they can relax, learn and grow,” Libraries and Tourism Committee Chairperson Cr David Pahlke said.

Explore the 1920s With Your Kids At The Workshop Rail Museum This School Holidays

For the school holidays, immerse your children in some detective work and photography! The Workshop Rail Museum will take you back to the 1920s with their Underworld: Mugshots From the Roaring Twenties exhibit, which will run from 24 September to 5 October 2018.

This exhibit will keep your kids entertained with so many activities to do.

Upon arrival, kids will grab a map and follow the clues.”X” marks the spot. They will then follow the clues to find a range of activities throughout the museum. Throughout the exhibit, they will get to explore optical illusions, create images with light and collect evidence.

The Wednesday workshops will let your kids experiment with sunlight photography. They’ll have a chance to create police composite faces to add to the Wanted Wall. There will be vintage 3-D photos to view or kids can put on a costume and create their own mugshot.

The event is ideal for children ages 5 and above. The activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Schedule of Activities:

Sunlight Photography Workshops (26 September, 3 October)

  • 10:00 a.m. / 11:30 a.m. / 1:00 p.m.

Wanted Wall, Disguises, Mugshots, Forensic Fingerprints (24-28 September / 2-5 October)

  • 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Disguises, Mugshots (29 September to 1 October)

  • 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Ride the miniature train rides as well. It operates from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily.

Why The Twenties?

Emerging from World War I, the 1920s saw dramatic changes in various aspects as Australia rebuilt its life and entered a new allegiance with the British Empire. The changes brought more opportunities for everyone, including criminals.

This era is considered to be the “golden era” for criminals due to the new markets that had the potential to bring in an abundance of wealth for people who will carry operations that were against the law.

Crime bosses and gangs were formed during this time involved in drugs and other crimes. During this era, the police force has been outnumbered having lost many men during the war. It took time for the police to strengthen its force again.

The Underworld: Mugshots From the Roaring Twenties exhibit is one fun way for your kids to learn more about this era.

You can get your tickets here.

Address: North St, North Ipswich QLD 4305

Rustic Vintage Charm Enchants Downs Street In North Ipswich

A new homewares shop and cafe has recently opened on Downs Street in North Ipswich. Rustic Vintage Charm has transformed an old building into a cosy shop with touches of the colour pink.

Driving by Downs Street, the shop isn’t hard to miss. The walls are lined with shelves carrying a wide range of homewares, most are from local artisans. There are so many things to see here such as decorative items, plates, and quirky little handmade items that are not available elsewhere.

Rustic Vintage Charm
Photo credit: Rustic Vintage Charm / Facebook

Right in the middle of the store are vintage tables and chairs where you can have a lovely cup of coffee. Outdoor seating is also available if you want to breathe in some fresh air.

The cafe inside the store offers local roasted coffee and tea. They also have quite a selection of pastries that go well with your choice of drink.

It is the perfect stop if you’re looking for creative gift ideas. They also offer workshops such as the basic crochet workshop that happens every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. You can also learn to make your own dream catchers, floating tea cups, and make soy candles. There are so many things that you can learn here.

If you want to know more about the workshops, they update their Facebook page for workshops and schedule.

Read: Book Face In Springfield: Narnia of Book Lovers

Address: 39 Downs St, North Ipswich QLD 4305, Australia

The Costco Buzz In Bundamba: A Catalyst For Economic Growth In Ipswich

The construction of Costco in Bundamba is now underway and the store is promising to be a big boost to Ipswich in terms of jobs creation and the services it will bring to the community.

Creating Jobs

The store will be the second store in Queensland by the U.S. supermarket giant. Patrick Noone, the CEO of Costco Australia said that the project will require 280 full-time and casual positions once it finally opened to the public. Prior to the construction of the $50-million project, it already created 90 jobs.

Their recent job postings include managerial positions for various departments such as food course, grocery and general merchandise, service deli, and meat.

Other careers up for grabs are cashier, stocker, forklift, front-end assistant, driver, member service, payroll clerk, sales auditor, and many more. To get to know more about the careers available, you can click here.

Meeting The Needs Of The Local Community

Aside from the grocery itself, Costco in Bundamba will also have other employee facilities such as a locker room, showers, amenities, and an office. There will also be a Tyre Centre with a dedicated parking area at the northern part of the building.

The warehouse will also feature a service station with 12 fuel pumps and two high-flow diesel pumps that will be limited to members only. It will be located at the north-west portion of the site.

There will also be a membership office for shoppers to secure a car to be able to shop at the store. There will be two types of membership:

  • Business – $55 (available for business owners)
  • Gold Star – $60 (available for individuals)

The store will be open seven days a week.

The target date of completion will be at the end of this year.

Read: New Brisbane Lions Sportsground Becomes A Step Closer To Reality