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Fencing Removed at Cannery Creek Following Sewer Upgrade

Fencing around the northern area of Cannery Creek has been removed, restoring public access following the completion of a major sewer upgrade designed to reduce wet weather overflows and creek spills in Northgate and Banyo.

Read: Locals Welcome Proposed Cannery Creek Sewer Upgrade

The $72 million Cannery Creek Sewer Upgrade was delivered by Urban Utilities in partnership with Fulton Hogan, using a nature-based approach to manage increased flows during wet weather while improving the surrounding waterway.

Cr Adam Allan announced the fencing removal in a Facebook post, saying the change would allow full public access to the area north of the creek. He also thanked Urban Utilities, Fulton Hogan and members of the Community Planning Team for their involvement in the project and community consultation.

A nature-based approach to sewer management

Construction began in 2022. The project was developed in response to the way heavy rainfall can increase flows through the wastewater network, with the new system designed to reduce wet weather overflows while improving the surrounding environment.

During heavy rain, stormwater can enter the wastewater network and increase flows. At Cannery Creek, the system diverts wastewater mixed with stormwater from the Virginia Branch Sewer before screening particles larger than 6mm.

The screened flows are pumped through a new wet weather pump station and about two kilometres of underground pipeline to a 5100-square-metre constructed wetland and two 2800-square-metre bioretention basins.

Natural treatment processes then remove sediment and nutrients before the water flows towards Kedron Brook and Moreton Bay. The Cannery Creek site also includes sediment basins, fish screens, a screening chamber and a weir.

SMEC said the project has proposed outcomes of a 96 per cent reduction in wet weather overflows and a 92 per cent reduction in Cannery Creek spills. The upgrade is also designed to reduce wet weather loads on the sewer network and Luggage Point Resource Recovery Centre while creating additional downstream capacity.

Environmental restoration is another part of the project, with creek restoration, landscaping and habitat improvements incorporated alongside the sewer infrastructure.

Public access returns

Community Planning Team (Photo credit: SMEC)

The project was developed with community involvement, including a Community Planning Team that contributed to the planning and design process. The nature-based approach was co-designed with the community as an alternative to relying solely on larger conventional sewer infrastructure.

Read: Balancing Wildlife Safety and Pet Recreation Across Northgate Parks

Urban Utilities said the completed infrastructure will continue to be monitored until 2027, including routine water-quality testing and ongoing maintenance of the sediment basins and wetlands.

The return of public access marks a visible change at Cannery Creek as the major infrastructure works move into their operational phase, with the upgraded system now supporting ongoing wet-weather sewer management and waterway improvements.

Published 9-September-2026

New Housing Rules Boost Capacity Along Brisbane Northside Rail Corridor

Brisbane’s northside rail corridor could accommodate a broader mix of homes as planning changes expand opportunities for low-rise development across parts of Zillmere, Fitzgibbon, Nundah, Northgate, Clayfield, Hamilton and Ascot.

The suburbs stretch from established inner-north neighbourhoods to growing communities further north, giving the housing changes a varied footprint. Council’s More Homes, Sooner program is designed to increase housing supply in locations where residents can make use of existing transport, shopping and other services.

Rail corridors put homes closer to established connections

Transport access is a major feature of several affected northside suburbs, with Nundah, Northgate and Zillmere located along Brisbane’s northern rail corridor and Clayfield and Ascot also served by passenger rail.

Greater housing capacity in those areas is consistent with Council’s broader strategy of concentrating more homes near public transport and established centres. Council says well-located development can make better use of existing infrastructure, support shorter trips and give residents easier access to shops and services.

Nundah already combines a major residential population with a commercial centre and transport connections. The 2021 Census recorded 13,098 people in the suburb, with an average household size of 2.0 people and more than 7000 private dwellings.

Zillmere had 9323 residents and an average household size of 2.3 people, while Northgate recorded 4876 residents and an average household size of 2.4.

Smaller lots widen the housing mix

The low-medium density changes provide greater scope for housing between detached homes and large apartment developments.

Qualifying sites can accommodate lots as small as 120 square metres where relevant location, design and servicing requirements are satisfied. Development of up to three storeys is provided for more broadly, while multiple dwellings of up to four storeys may be permitted at designated locations near frequent public transport or centres.

The framework supports housing types including townhouses, row houses, dual occupancies and low-rise apartments. Council says smaller and more varied homes are needed as household sizes change, particularly for people seeking alternatives to larger detached houses.

Different suburbs, a shared push for housing choice

The northside areas affected by the changes are not uniform. Nundah and Clayfield already contain substantial apartment and unit development, while Northgate, Zillmere and Fitzgibbon include a broader mix of detached and attached housing.

Hamilton and Ascot add an inner-north dimension, with established services and transport connections providing another setting for additional low-medium density housing.

Eligible land will remain within the low-medium density residential framework rather than being converted to high-rise zoning. Design provisions regulate matters including building scale, site cover, landscaping and servicing, with additional controls applying to smaller lots.

The changes increase the range of housing that can be developed across eligible northside sites, particularly around established transport and services. Actual construction will still depend on individual properties, landowners, market conditions and applicable development approvals.

Published 7-Sept-2026

Geebung Dad Misses Calls for a Week Before Discovering $4 Million Prize

A Geebung retiree has discovered he is $4 million richer after his son helped him check an online entry days after the winning draw, delivering a major windfall just outside Wavell Heights.

The elderly north Brisbane resident held the only division-one winning entry nationally in draw 1697 on Tuesday, 25 August 2026. His six-game QuickPick entry secured the entire $4 million division-one prize.

The winner discovered the extent of his prize after his son visited at the weekend and helped him check the entry. The retiree had been uncertain about the result when his son stepped in and confirmed he won.

The news prompted an emotional reaction, with the man becoming tearful when he later spoke with officials about the result.

Week of missed calls ends with surprise contact

Officials had attempted to contact the Geebung man each day after the draw because the winning entry had been registered through an online account. Attempts were unsuccessful until the winner reached out about a week later.

The retiree explained that he regularly kept his phone switched off, which meant he had not received the calls. His delayed response left the $4 million prize unclaimed for about a week despite the successful entry being linked to an online account.

Unclaimed prizes can still be collected

Prizes can remain unclaimed when people have not checked their entries or when organisers cannot contact the holder of an unregistered ticket.

In Queensland, winners have up to seven years to claim a prize. Anyone who believes they hold a winning ticket is advised to keep it in a safe place and contact the organiser on 131 868 to confirm the result and begin the claim process.

People who have lost, damaged or had a winning ticket stolen are also advised to make contact as soon as possible. A claims process is available in those circumstances, although clear and irrefutable evidence may be required when an unregistered ticket cannot be produced for verification

Travel and family visits now on the agenda

The Geebung resident said the money would give him the opportunity to travel and see more places.

He also planned to visit relatives connected to his late wife, whose family is from northern Australia. No further details were provided about the destinations he intended to visit or when the trips would take place.

The plans marked one of the first practical ways the retiree expected the windfall to change his life after the result was confirmed.

Geebung entry takes sole division-one prize

The winning entry was a six-game QuickPick purchased online. Numbers drawn on August 25 were 4, 27, 43, 2, 21, 47 and 33, with supplementary numbers 17, 12 and 19.

Only one division-one entry was recorded nationally in the draw, with the successful entry belonging to the Geebung resident.

Published 30-Aug-2026

Why Your Jar of Australian Honey Is Becoming More Precious

Your jar of honey might look no different today than it did a year ago. Behind it though, Australian beekeeping is going through one of its biggest changes in generations.

Varroa mite is now established in South East Queensland, making it harder and more expensive for beekeepers to keep hives healthy and productive.

At Libees Honey, the impact is already being felt. One complete apiary site has collapsed following Varroa infestation, while the mite was detected at the family’s breeding site in Gympie in July.

The challenge has shifted from preparing for Varroa to living with it.

Varroa Doesn’t Destroy the Honey

Varroa doesn’t destroy the honey itself. It damages the colonies that produce it.

The mites reproduce in honey bee brood cells, weakening bees and helping spread viruses. Without effective management, they can severely weaken or kill a colony.

Making matters harder, Queensland authorities have confirmed resistance to several commonly used Varroa treatments in South East Queensland. Beekeepers are being advised to regularly monitor mite levels, check whether treatments remain effective and use an integrated pest management approach.

That means more time, intervention and expense simply to keep hives productive.

Varroa — The Numbers

10.5%
Australia’s annual colony loss rate in 2024–25, up from 6.8% the previous year.

$19,590
Average 2025 operational cost of Varroa management reported by surveyed commercial beekeepers affected by the mite.

1,380 hives
Number NSW Apiarists’ Association president Matt Skinner says one beekeeper lost in 12 weeks, with the loss estimated at $1.2 million.

Sources: Australian Colony Loss Survey 2025; NSW Apiarists’ Association.

View the Australian Colony Loss Survey 2025 Report here.

More Than a Jar of Honey

For the past eight years, Liby’s mum has kept what the family calls a “honey cupboard” — not a shop — stocked with honey and honeycomb alongside beeswax products including balms, food wraps and candles.

It’s a small reminder that what comes from a healthy hive extends well beyond a jar of honey.

Bees can forage several kilometres from their hive for nectar. At the Libees farm in Gympie, a strong flowering of nearby macadamia trees can see them fill 10 frames in as little as two days; with scattered spring flowering, it can take around three weeks.

Back at the hive, the nectar is deposited into cells and fanned until its moisture content falls to around 17 per cent. The bees then cap the cells with wax, ready for harvesting.

Varroa threatens the workforce behind that entire process.

Can Bees Be Bred to Cope Better?

The pressure is also reaching queen breeders. Libees Honey is now the last of three queen producers in the Gympie area still operating.

That makes the longer-term question increasingly important: can bees be bred to cope better with Varroa?

Research published in 2022 examined Varroa resistance in Cuba, home to an estimated 220,000 European honey bee colonies that had survived for more than two decades without routine Varroa treatment.

Researchers examined behaviours associated with Varroa resistance, including “recapping”, where worker bees open and subsequently reseal capped brood cells. Higher recapping rates were associated with Varroa-resistant populations, particularly in cells infested with the mite.

Recapping rates reported for Varroa-naive, susceptible and resistant bee populations, including Cuban worker and drone brood. Source: Rodríguez Luis et al. (2022), Scientific Reports 12:15597.

Libees’ breeding program in Gympie is drawing on lessons from this research, with a particular interest in darker bee genetics and behavioural traits associated with Varroa resistance.

Australia has traditionally favoured Italian honey bees, valued in part for their relatively calm temperament, but Libees believes greater emphasis will now need to be placed on selecting bees for their ability to cope with Varroa.

Developing and spreading useful genetic traits, however, takes generations.

Want to Support Australian Beekeepers? Read the Label

For consumers, one of the simplest ways to support Australian honey producers is to check where their honey comes from.

Honey is classified as a priority food under Australia’s country-of-origin food labelling rules, meaning packaged honey must carry country-of-origin information.

Honey sold on an Australian supermarket shelf isn’t necessarily made entirely from Australian honey. For shoppers who want to support Australian producers, the country-of-origin label is an easy place to start.

That choice may become increasingly important as Varroa adds to the cost and complexity of producing honey locally.

Getting Ready for Spring

Despite the upheaval, the seasonal work continues.

August at Libees means scraping old frames, cleaning boxes and rendering wax ready for spring hive growth, as well as restocking packaging and filling supplier orders.

Soon the trees will flower and the bees will begin working the nectar flows again.

The difference now is how much more work may be required to keep enough healthy bees there to do it.

Published on 24-August-2026

Editor’s Note: Written in consultation with Libees Honey.

Balancing Wildlife Safety and Pet Recreation Across Northgate Parks

Photo Credit: CrAdamAllan/ Facebook

If you have ever wondered where to legally let your dog run free in Northgate, local authorities are reminding residents to stick to designated off-leash zones to keep everyone safe.

Navigating Local Zones

Across the Northgate Ward, nine dedicated off-leash areas offer a mix of fenced perimeters, open layouts, and direct water access. Tuckeroo Park at Nudgee Beach includes a separate enclosure for smaller dogs and a path straight to Kedron Brook, while options like Murray Duus Park and Northgate Reserve provide secure play spaces closer to residential streets.

Unfenced choices such as Downfall Creek and fifth avenue in Kedron give adventurous pets more room to roam, backed by nearby facilities in surrounding suburbs like Chermside and Kalinga.

Responsible Ownership Practices

Why do boundary limits and active supervision matter so much in shared spaces? Handlers must constantly monitor animal behaviour to prevent friction, keeping large dogs out of zones specifically designated for smaller pets. Furthermore, staying proactive with council registrations and vaccinations protects the wider animal population while ensuring smooth community interactions.

Keeping Neighbourhoods Clean

Bagging waste and tossing it into the nearest bin takes only a few seconds, yet this simple habit preserves the green appeal of local reserves for everyone. Prompt clean-up routines prevent environmental wear and tear, ensuring that public parks remain inviting destinations for families, wildlife, and pets alike.

Published Date 20-August-2026

Wavell Heights Intersection Upgrade Takes Shape — But There’s Still No Start Date

A planned overhaul of the Hamilton Road and Spence Road intersection carries an estimated $15.4 million price tag, but Wavell Heights residents are still waiting to learn when construction will begin.

Brisbane City Council documents put the total project cost at $15.39 million and record a Council budgeted amount of $14 million.

Council has also sought about $14 million from the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund towards the project.

Despite those figures, the current project page continues to list the timeframe as “pending funding”, with no construction start date announced.

The upgrade would install traffic signals at Hamilton Road and Spence Road, add signalised pedestrian crossings and increase road capacity. It would also permanently change access between Frankit Street and Hamilton Road.

For locals who regularly negotiate the intersection, the plans represent a substantial change to a junction Council says is affected by heavy traffic, long waits and limited visibility.

Four Crashes Put Safety in Focus

The case for the upgrade is not based on congestion alone.

Council records cited in the project information show four crashes at the intersection between 2019 and 2024. Two resulted in people being hospitalised and another two required medical treatment.

Drivers entering Hamilton Road from Spence Road currently have to find a safe gap in traffic. The proposed signals would control movements through the intersection.

Pedestrians would also gain two signalised crossings, one across Hamilton Road and another across Spence Road.

More Than a Set of Traffic Lights

The plans reveal a broader redesign of the intersection.

The right-turn lane from Hamilton Road into Spence Road would be extended, while widening around the intersection would formalise two westbound lanes on Hamilton Road approaching and passing through the junction.

Footpaths and kerb ramps would be upgraded, while the project also includes new pavement, signage, line marking, landscaping and stormwater works.

The project map released in March shows the scale of the proposed changes, with new road surfaces and pedestrian infrastructure extending beyond the immediate signalised junction.

Public transport users will notice changes too. Westbound bus stop 43 on Hamilton Road is expected to move about 30 metres west, while northbound stop 42 on Spence Road would shift about 30 metres south.

Frankit Street Drivers Face a Permanent Change

For some residents, the biggest day-to-day impact may be one street away from the main intersection.

Frankit Street’s access to Hamilton Road will become permanently left-in, left-out only.

That means motorists will no longer have the full range of turning movements currently available at the intersection and some journeys will require a different route.

Council says the change is intended to improve safety. A new pedestrian refuge is also planned at Frankit Street.

The project map shows the redesigned Frankit Street entrance immediately west of the Hamilton Road–Spence Road intersection.

$15.4m Plan Still Has No Construction Date

Council documents put the total project cost at $15.39 million.

A March funding document also records a $14 million Council budgeted amount for the project, while showing Council seeking about $14.01 million from the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund.

The current Council project page nevertheless continues to list the timeframe as “pending funding”.

When Council released the intersection design in March, it said it was working to finalise the construction program and would provide more information later in 2026.

That start date has yet to emerge.

For Wavell Heights residents, the shape of the upgrade is now well established. The outstanding question is when the funding and construction program will allow it to move from the plans to the road.

Published 19-Aug-2026

Brisbane Hustlers Bring International Rugby To Wavell Heights Home

Photo Credit: Brisbane Hustlers/Facebook

The Brisbane Hustlers will take to their home fields in Wavell Heights as both hosts and competitors when the 2026 Bingham Cup brings international inclusive rugby to Norths Rugby Club.

Norths Rugby Union Football Club at Hugh Courtney Oval, 150 Shaw Road, will serve as the primary tournament location for the Bingham Cup and Amanda Mark Cup, with match play running from 20 to 23 August.

The setting gives the Brisbane Hustlers a particularly local role in the tournament. The club normally trains and plays at Norths and will now compete there as teams from around the world arrive in Brisbane for the international event.

For Wavell Heights residents and the wider community, all rugby games at the tournament playing complexes will be free to attend, allowing spectators to watch the Hustlers and visiting teams across four days of competition.

Hustlers Take To Their Wavell Heights Home Ground

Norths Rugby Club will host matches on each competition day, beginning on Thursday, 20 August.

The Wavell Heights venue will share match duties with Bulimba Playing Fields on the opening day and with Ballymore Stadium on 21 and 22 August. Norths will then host finals day on Sunday, 23 August.

For the Brisbane Hustlers, the tournament follows years of competing in inclusive rugby events in Australia and overseas. The club finished third at the Bingham Cup in Rome in 2024 and won the Purchas Cup in 2025.

The Hustlers were founded in 2004 as Queensland’s first gay and inclusive rugby union team before re-forming in 2012 after a hiatus. They also compete in the Queensland Suburban Rugby Union competition.

The club has won the Purchas Cup in 2014, 2017 and 2025 and has launched what is described as Australia’s first openly gay and inclusive women’s rugby team.

International Competition Arrives At Norths

Brisbane will host the Bingham Cup for the first time in 2026, with the tournament having previously been staged in cities including Sydney, Dublin, Amsterdam, Ottawa and Rome.

The competition began in San Francisco in 2002 and is named in memory of rugby player Mark Bingham, who was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on 11 September 2001.

Running alongside the Bingham Cup will be the Amanda Mark Cup, International Gay Rugby’s women’s championship. The competition was announced in Amsterdam in 2018, made its full debut in Ottawa in 2022 and returned in Rome in 2024.

The wider Brisbane program will begin on 16 August, while training sessions are scheduled at Bulimba Training Fields and Norths Devils Rugby League Club in Nundah from 17 to 19 August.

At the playing venues, tournament planning includes changing facilities, disability-accessible toilets, warm-up areas and access to water, along with food and beverage options.

From 20 August, attention will shift to the competition itself, with the Brisbane Hustlers playing on home turf as Norths Rugby Club becomes one of the key gathering points for the tournament before hosting the finals on 23 August.

Published 16-August-2026

Northgate Has One of Brisbane’s Fastest Public Transport CBD Trips

New transport data shows Northgate’s measured public transport journey into Brisbane’s CBD is faster than the equivalent trip by car.

Read: Wavell Heights’ Commuters to Benefit from Improved Security of North Brisbane Train Station

The trip takes 18 minutes door-to-door, placing Northgate seventh among the Brisbane suburbs with the quickest measured public transport journeys into the CBD. The figure covers the full journey rather than simply the time spent aboard a train or bus, with the analysis measuring access to public transport as part of the commute.

Northgate ranks highly for transport access

The suburb also ranks highly for the amount of public transport available within walking distance.

Northgate ranks 12th in GoThere’s connectivity table, with 27 routes within an 800-metre walk of its population-weighted centre. Those routes record 44 peak departures per hour. The peak figure refers to departures per hour available within an 800-metre walk.

The two rankings measure different aspects of Northgate’s network. The 18-minute result measures the speed of the quickest public transport journey into the CBD, while the connectivity ranking reflects the number of routes available nearby and their peak frequency.

A fast connection into Brisbane CBD

GoThere’s fastest-commuter table ranks suburbs according to their quickest door-to-door public transport journey into the CBD. Brisbane City and Spring Hill are excluded because walking is the quickest way into the city from those locations, meaning they do not represent public transport journeys in the comparison.

Northgate ranks seventh, with its measured journey taking 18 minutes. The figures are calculated from a population-weighted point within each suburb, so the result should not be interpreted as the exact travel time for every Northgate resident. Actual journey times will vary depending on where people start and finish their trips.

Read: Northgate Queensland Rail Station Has Defibrillator that Could Save a Life

For Northgate residents, the findings add another dimension to the daily commute. With congestion shaping travel times across Brisbane, having a range of public transport options close to home gives locals more flexibility when deciding how to make the trip into the city.

Published 13-August-2026

The Quiet Transformation of Wavell Heights: What’s Happening to the Suburb’s Big Blocks?

Wavell Heights is changing one property at a time. Large blocks are being split, older homes are being rebuilt or extended, and new housing proposals are steadily reshaping its residential streets.

Brisbane City Council’s Development.i records show 41 development applications lodged in Wavell Heights in the 12 months to 10 August 2026, plus 83 building referral applications, most involving design and siting.

The figures should not simply be added together — one property can generate more than one application — but they point to steady, small-scale change across the suburb.

The Blocks Being Split

Seven development applications lodged over the past 12 months involved subdivision of land, including properties in Brae Street, Ferguson Road, Handcroft Street, Taylor Street, Beeby Street and Rode Road.

Another proposal at 90 Newman Road combines subdivision with a dual-occupancy development.

Several were still in progress when the Development.i records were downloaded, including 35 Brae Street, 1 Ferguson Road and 90 Newman Road.

From Sale to Subdivision in Two Months

The property at 35 Brae Street provides a particularly clear example of the change.

The 810sqm property had reportedly been held by the same owners for more than 30 years before being sold to a developer on 20 May 2026.

According to Place Ascot agent Nick Moloney, who handled the sale, 80 per cent of interest in the property came from builders and developers, although it also attracted family buyers looking to build a new home.

Just over two months later, on 24 July, a development application was lodged with Brisbane City Council to subdivide the property.

That application was still in progress when the Development.i records were downloaded.

The sequence — a long-held large block changing hands and then moving towards subdivision — is a snapshot of the broader transition occurring across Wavell Heights.

A Trend, Not a Boom

Subdivision activity is significant, but it is not at a record high.

There were 10 subdivision applications in the preceding 12 months, compared with seven in the latest period. Earlier annual totals were three in 2020–21, six in 2021–22, five in 2022–23 and five in 2023–24.

Wavell Heights Subdivision Applications

12-Month Period	Applications
2020–21	3
2021–22	6
2022–23	5
2023–24	5
2024–25	10
2025–26	7

Source: Brisbane City Council Development.i. Each period runs from 11 August to 10 August.

The picture is less a sudden boom than a pattern of redevelopment that has become more visible over the past two years.

Why the Big Blocks Matter

Wavell Heights still has many of the generous residential lots that once defined Brisbane’s middle-ring suburbs.

A previous Wavell Heights News analysis of 224 house sales with available land-size data found a median block size of 607 square metres, with 100 sales on blocks between 600 and 700 square metres.

Not every large block can be subdivided, but sites of that size can offer options that are harder to find in newer suburbs built around smaller lots.

The interest in 35 Brae Street illustrates the point: one block attracted both families wanting the land for themselves and developers looking at what could be created from it.

Big Blocks, Big Prices

Recent sales show the value attached to that land.

Seven of the 10 highest publicly disclosed house sales in Wavell Heights during the three months to 11 August were on blocks larger than 600sqm.

The top three were 1 Luke Street at $3.45 million on 622sqm, 27 Abbey Street at $3.3 million on 635sqm, and 19 Vaucluse Street at $3.2 million on 617sqm.

Smaller sites are also attracting strong prices. A home at 30 Roderick Street sold for $2.605 million on 428sqm, while 5 Kotara Street fetched $2 million on 324sqm.

That contrast helps explain the redevelopment equation: large blocks remain valuable, while newer housing on smaller lots can also command a premium.

Top 10 Wavell Heights House Sales — Past Three Months

#	Address	Sale Price	Lot Size (sqm) Lot Size (sqm)
1	1 Luke St	$3,450,000	622
2	27 Abbey St	$3,300,000	635
3	19 Vaucluse St	$3,200,000	617
4	9 Luke St	$2,900,000	708
5	48 Stadcor St	$2,825,000	647
6	30 Roderick St	$2,605,000	428
7	7 Highcrest Ave	$2,290,000	751
8	5 Stubley St	$2,130,000	663
9	5 Kotara St	$2,000,000	324
10	107 Rode Rd	$1,820,000	913

Top 10 publicly disclosed house sales in Wavell Heights during the three months to 11 August 2026. Rankings are based on publicly reported sale prices available at the time of publication. Sales where the price was withheld or had not been publicly disclosed as of press time are excluded.

Change Beyond Subdivision

Subdivision is only part of the story.

Development.i records also show applications for extensions, alterations, new dwellings and other residential work. Current proposals include a multi-unit dwelling application at 44 Julia Street and a dwelling-house proposal at 15 Palomar Parade.

Separate building records show design-and-siting referrals across streets including Hubbard Street, Watcombe Street, Zeehan Street, Aveling Street and Rode Road.

None of these projects changes Wavell Heights overnight. But together, they are reshaping it street by street.

One Property at a Time

Wavell Heights is not being transformed by towers or a master-planned precinct.

Its change is quieter: one subdivision, rebuild or extension at a time.

The suburb’s larger blocks and older housing stock remain part of its identity, but properties such as 35 Brae Street show how quickly a long-held block can become part of the next generation of housing.

From a distance, Wavell Heights may still look much as it always has.

At street level, though, the transformation is already underway.

Published 11-August-2026

Wavell Heights Home Fetches Record $2.9M For Mater’s Little Miracles

A Wavell Heights home has delivered a record-breaking $2.9 million result for premature and seriously ill babies, with the auction carrying an especially personal connection for one of the campaign’s long-time supporters.

Read: Wavell Heights Property Listed After Clean-Up

The five-bedroom property at 9 Luke Street was the 2026 House For Life, a charity project led by Plantation Homes, with 100 per cent of the auction proceeds going to the Mater Foundation.

For Emily Day, who had spent years promoting House For Life campaigns, the latest project became deeply personal when her own twin sons needed care in Mater’s neonatal unit.

Day and her partner Tim welcomed identical twins Joey and Jasper nine weeks early on February 22. Born at 31 weeks, the boys weighed 1.4kg and 1.6kg respectively and were taken to the Neonatal Critical Care Unit at Brisbane’s Mater Hospital.

It was the same unit Day had supported through her work with Plantation Homes. The twins spent eight weeks in neonatal intensive care and Special Care before they were finally able to go home. Now six months old, Joey and Jasper are reportedly thriving, having grown to around four times their birth weight.

The experience gave Day a personal perspective on the fundraising work she had been involved in for years. The campaign’s purpose had taken on a new significance after her own family experienced Mater’s neonatal care.

A Wavell Heights home with a bigger purpose

The Luke Street property was built as the 2026 House For Life, with its sale raising funds for Mater’s care of premature and seriously ill babies.

The Plantation Homes Lillian 438-D47 is a 47-square, double-storey net-zero home on a 708sqm block. It includes five bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, a theatre room, upstairs leisure area and an expansive kitchen with a walk-in butler’s pantry.

Outside, the property features open-plan living and dining areas, a large under-roof alfresco area, swimming pool and professional landscaping. The home was also fully furnished, with tradespeople, suppliers and industry partners contributing their time, materials and expertise to the project.

More than 100 groups had inspected the property before auction day, according to the selling campaign. For Wavell Heights, the project combined a newly built home with a fundraising campaign supporting premature and seriously ill babies at Mater.

Then came auction day.

Auction result sets new House For Life record

On August 8, the property sold for $2.9 million, setting a new House For Life campaign record. The home was purchased by Hendra resident Declan Coady, who had inspected it five times before the auction. He said the property’s size, location and charitable purpose all appealed to him.

The result surpassed the previous House For Life record of $2.45 million, set in 2025. Mater Little Miracle Oliver, who was born at just 25 weeks and spent 105 days in Mater’s Neonatal Critical Care Unit, opened the auction before bidding began.

As the final bid was accepted, the crowd included Mater families, volunteer tradies, suppliers, project partners and members of the Wavell Heights community. The $2.9 million raised will support Mater’s work with premature and seriously ill babies, including specialised neonatal care, lifesaving equipment and research.

For Day, the result marked what she described as a full-circle moment. After years of promoting fundraising efforts for critically ill babies, she had experienced Mater’s neonatal care with her own children.

Read: Northgate 7-Eleven And Starbucks Assets Secure $10.2M In Combined Transaction

The funds raised from the Wavell Heights home will help Mater continue providing specialised care, equipment and research for premature and seriously ill babies and their families.

Published 11-August-2026