Book lovers out there (even those who are on the fence!) will certainly love the vibe at Book Face in Springfield.
Located across JB Hi Fi at Orion Shopping Centre, this indie book shop has a wide range of books to spend the whole day browsing over, along with a cafe which serves delicious cups of coffee, an inviting combination when you’re tempted to sit and have a good read. Imagine the smell of delicious coffee brewing and the fresh scent of crisp, new pages. Heavenly!
But wait, there’s more! Aside from shelves of books that you can browse through, you can also join several clubs; giving you an excuse not just to drop by, but also to stay and spend time amongst kindred spirits.
This eclectic bookstore has a healthy living book club, a weekly children’s story time, and book clubs for young adults and adults. They also host community groups that you can participate in.
You can keep up-to-date with events such as author signings by following their Facebook page.
There seems to be a growing number of trees that are being illegally chopped down in protected areas in Springfield.
Recently, Councillor Sheila Ireland posted on her Facebook page photos of chopped down ironbark trees at the White Rock Spring Mountain Conservation Estate. Along with the photos, she captioned them with the Ipswich City Council’s penalty for the illegal act and urged anyone with information to contact the council.
Prior to that discovery, two ironbark trees were spotted chopped down inside the conservation estate. They were discovered by Luise Manning, the president of the Springfield Lakes Nature Care Group. According to Mr Manning, whoever did that have also illegally entered the estate because of the broken lock that they found.
Ms Manning believed that the trees might have been used for firewood. She was upset about what happened considering that she and her group have worked hard protecting these trees and even put up nesting boxes on some of the trees there for the wildlife.
The council protects trees and vegetation on private lands to preserve the character, amenity, biodiversity, historical and ecological values of the city. In order to chop down a tree within a private land, the individual must first obtain an approval from the council and certain factors will have to be considered before the council gives their seal of approval.
With no leads yet as to who is doing this, the council urges anyone with information to contact them at 3810 6666.
On 24 March, celebrate Harmony Day Festival at Robelle Domain Parklands in Springfield Central from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The aim of the event is to connect multicultural and main stream communities and organisations as well as enhance and develop more harmonious communities.
A Family Event
There are many activities for kids and adults, so make it a family affair. Enjoy the fun rides as well as the free face painting. For $10, you get yourself unlimited rides already.
You can also join in several workshops such as the martial arts and the lion dance workshops.
There will also be a Lucky Door draw. Who knows? You might just win a Nintendo Switch Console. All you need to do is fill up the raffle ticket and submit it to the Festival Information Stall. You have to be present during the raffle time, which will start at 7:50 p.m.
Don’t miss out on the Free Red Bag, which will be distributed at 5:30 p.m. and the $2 unlimited land train, a Westside Community Care fundraiser.
The WCC is a not-for-profit organisation in Greater Springfield that provides programs and services to the meet the needs of the community. They reach out to struggling individuals and families not only in Springfield but across Queensland as well.
At 8:00 p.m., end the night with fireworks!
The event is organised by the World Harmony Society. Established in 2012, they aim to promote universal harmony through intercultural understanding. They also provide assistance, relief, support, education, and care to any person in distress.
While the planned on-site off-leash dog park is still underway at Orion Springfield Central, the shopping centre is showing more love to animals as they submitted a new development application for a pet-friendly dining deck.
The application has received several feedback from locals. Residents expressed their views on The Springfield News Facebook page. Some are not keen on the application as they fear that the dogs might hurt people whilst others are concerned about the smell. On the other hand, there are also a lot of people who have expressed enthusiasm over the application.
Photo credit: The Springfield News / Facebook
The deck will be an extension of the existing food court at the shopping centre. Detailed plans to develop a new structure for the deck have been submitted for approval. Plans will ensure that it will only have a minimal impact on the turtle pond landscape.
Photo credit: Ipswich City Council
A spokeswoman for the shopping centre said that although animals will be welcome at the centre, there will be certain restricted areas. Also, dogs must always be under the close supervision of their owners and leashed at all times unless in the off-leash dog park. There will be dog services and facilities available in the area.
The shopping centre also assures that dog areas in the centre will be clearly marked.
Along with a new pet deck, the new application also includes seating pods, lounges, cabanas and other pet-friendly areas. The new dog park, which is currently under construction is at the top of Main Street, is set to open in early 2018.
Cathy Uechtritz will be the guest speaker for the even. Ms Uechtritz handles media and communications at New Home Group, a mining company that is based in Brookwater, She will talk about her successes over the past years, achieving the highest degree possible from the SOHK and the “tea bag theory.”
The tea bag theory simply means – the longer you put a woman in hot water, the stronger she gets. Ms Uechtritz will discuss this and how adversity builds strength.
GSCC facilitates business to business activities and services for members in the Greater Springfield region. They focus on assistance, advice and creative business networking opportunities.
Guests are encouraged to bring pre-loved workwear for men and women to be donated to Into The View Workwear.
Tickets are priced at $60 per person and they are selling fast. For more information, click here.
Calls for a synthetic track to be built in Springfield have caught the attention of the local community and the Ipswich City Council.
Coach Stacey Taurima of Athletics Australia expressed his frustration over the lack of a sports facility for the Springfield team in the area. Although there is a facility in Nathan that they use, Coach Taurima said its availability is limited, which is why building a synthetic track in Springfield seems to be the best solution.
The Springfield community seems to agree with Mr Taurima as well, having expressed interest in having their own facility attached to a university campus or a part of a development. On the other hand, the council is open to this possibility but they haven’t yet identified an appropriate site for it. There are also plenty of considerations that must be taken into account, to build such a facility.
Building a facility like this requires millions and conditions must be thoroughly assessed before the council gives the go-signal. That said, it would take some time before a synthetic track is built in Springfield. Still, having one will definitely meet the needs of the local Ipswich community.
The hike to get to Springfield Station has gotten locals tired and upset. The lack of a bus stop at the station forces commuters to walk a 300m steep incline from Woodcrest Way. Now, councillors and state election candidates are asking for a solution.
To add to the issue, they also pointed out the lack of car parks at the station. On a daily basis, an estimated 467 commuters board the trains whilst the car park can only accommodate 170 vehicles.
Cr David Morrisson and Cr Morgan were quick to point out the poor planning and how all new rail stations must have a bus stop. This is particularly important since the State Government is pushing for the improvements on public transportation to lessen the vehicles on the roads thus lesser traffic congestion.
Ipswich City Council has responded to this issue citing that the road layout cannot accommodate buses. On the other hand, a spokesman for TransLink said that they will review and assess a possible bus stop on the area.
Stockland, a known residential developer has recently made a land purchase, for a development in Springfield that has been deemed “controversial.”
The developer has purchased a 30-hectare site for pre-approved development, the Springview Estate. Stockland paid $21 million for the site including pre-emptive buying rights over an additional 136 hectares. The estate is zoned as residential and has been approved for 406 courses and 10 hectares of conservation land.
However, locals are not thrilled about this development even before when a DA was lodged to the Ipswich City Council in 2015 by landowner Cherish Enterprise. They labeled it as “sardine city” and the removal of the O’Dwyers Gully and water basin puts their homes at risk of flooding.
According to the residents near the area, they were promised the land would never be developed because it is owned by the council. They also said that there wasn’t any community consultation about the planned development. They did concede that they are not recommending that the development be put on-hold; instead, they would like to be given a green buffer and have parklands in between their homes and the new development.
A spokesman for the council said that the developer has assured that there would be no worsening of flood levels and flows in the area.
Stockland plans to start first sales and settlements in 2019.
Located next to the booming suburb of Springfield Lakes is Springfield Rise, a $1.9 billion 4,000–home estate that is expected to welcome more than 12,000 residents and 10 new schools. The 415-hectare community will come complete with a new primary school; 15 hectares of open space; 15 neighbourhood parks; three stunning lakes; bushland reserves; walking, hiking, and cycling trails; and a few of the biggest sporting fields in the district.
Springfield Rise is located next to Springfield Lakes, and between Springfield Central and the White Rock Spring Mountain Conservation Reserve. In the years to come, 30,000 more people are expected to reside in this community.
Wide, Open Sports Fields
For a decade now, Springfield has been longing for more areas where people can do sports. The $22 million Southern Sporting Fields project in Springfield Rise has finally answered the residents’ prayers. The new sports precinct reportedly includes “four new rectangular fields, or two ovals, 16 netball courts and clubhouses.” Moreover, four rectangular fields and eight tennis courts are expected to be added near Sinnathamby Boulevard by 2018.
“This will be the home of Springfield sport and cater for all sports … ages and genders,” said Councillor Sheila Ireland. She explained that Springfield is a growing suburb with so many youths and seniors. More sports fields would thus help everyone’s longing for an active and healthy lifestyle.
David Morrison, chairman of the Ipswich City Council’s Parks, Sport and Recreation Committee, spearheaded the welcoming of the sporting fields late last year. According to him, “sporting clubs in the area were crying out for more facilities.” Earlier this year, Mr Morrison also explained how the city has always wanted to improve their sport and recreation facilities “that will attract State and National Competitions.”
“This (Springfield Rise) will be one of the city’s premiere sporting precincts which will attract local, regional, state and also national championships to the city,” he said. Mr Morrison, with his “passion for a fit and healthy Ipswich,” hopes that the community’s big sporting fields will motivate residents to live an active and healthy lifestyle.
All About Accessibility
According to Mr Matthew Mears, managing director of Lendlease’s Communities, Springfield Rise residents have easy access to various significant establishments like “schools and the expanding Orion Springfield Central.” Also, a mere walk or cycle away from anyone’s home in the community would be the local village shopping centre, three existing neighbourhood centres, cafes, restaurants, and cinemas. Other places like the Orion Lagoon, Robelle Domain Parklands, childcare centres, the University of Southern Queensland, and TAFE are likewise conveniently accessible.
Additionally, there is the nearby Health City, which is a 52-hectare medical and wellness site that proudly includes the 1,200-bed Mater Private Hospital.
Mr Mears explains that nowadays, people are “…opting for a social lifestyle that’s about convenience – living close to shops and cafes with everything they need within reach.”
Photo Credit: Artist’s Impression from Lendleases’s Springfield Rise project brochure
