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Northgate Woman Celebrated Windfall With Simple Thai Takeaway

Photo Credit: I, BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0 , / Wikimedia Commons

When this Northgate woman received life-changing financial news, the first thing she wanted to do to celebrate her good fortune was to have a simple Thai takeaway meal with her partner. What would you do if you received news of an unexpected windfall?

“Oh, my goodness! This is so beautiful. You’ve made my Thursday morning even more beautiful!” the woman said upon learning the happy news.

The latest Lucky Lotteries winner, now $200,000 richer, said she had always thought that if she didn’t win, it just isn’t meant to be. But when she purchased the winning ticket, she did wonder if it would ever happen.

“I’m going to call my Mum straight away,” she said, adding that her mum is her biggest fan and wants to cry and celebrate the great news that has come her way.

”She’s always been my greatest supporter and I’m sure she’s going to have a little cry with me.

“I feel like I’m in a dream.”

The Northgate woman held the 1st Prize winning entry in Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw 1563 which was drawn Thursday 9 March 2022. She bought her ticket online at thelott.com

“We’ve been talking about buying our first home and thinking about the future and retirement” | Photo Credit: The Lott / thelott.com

When asked how she plans to celebrate her windfall, she replied,“I’m going to get my partner and myself some Thai takeaway tonight; a bit of pad thai, some satay chicken, maybe some spring rolls.”

“More seriously though, we’ve been talking about buying our first home and thinking about the future and retirement, so we’ll definitely sit down and think about our future.

“Thank you so much, this is completely lifechanging.”

Amid the Summer Heat, Wavell Heights Residents Encouraged to Review Home Security

Photo Credit: Alistair MacRobert / Unsplash

With the rise in temperature in the past weeks, Wavell Heights residents were tempted to leave their windows and doors open. But police warn that they could be compromising home security in the process.

North Brisbane police recorded ten offences in Wavell Heights between December 29, 2021, and January 12, 2022, eight of which occurred Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. These offences included three burglaries, three unlawful entry of motor vehicles, and four unlawful use of motor vehicles.

Police added that offenders targeted keys, wallets, phones, cash, pushbikes and clothing and were able to enter through unsecured doors or windows; however, three of these offences involved entry through force or fly screens.

Leaving doors and windows open could impact home security

Police warn against leaving doors and windows despite the hot weather as it allows offenders to “break and enter”. Instead, residents are advised to exercise regular assessment of home security, introduce targeted security measures and change everyday behaviours.

Good home security should:

make it easy for an offender to be seen
make it difficult for an offender to gain entry
make it difficult for an offender to exit with your property
make it difficult for an offender to gain benefit from your property.

Reviewing home security | Video Credit: QueenslandPolice / YouTube

To conduct a home security review and identify your existing and potential security opportunities, the best place to start is from the outside and then work inwards.

Otherwise called the “layered approach”, homeowners should start their home security assessment from the external perimeter, then proceed to the external wall and access before checking the internal walls. After that, the next step is the internal areas, then the property and lastly, people.

If you happen to have information for the police, you may contact Policelink immediately and provide the information using the online suspicious activity form. Or you may report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers or call 1800 333 000.

Starting Soon! Wavell Heights and Geebung FOGO Pilot Collection Rolling Out

Brisbane’s pilot Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) program is set to roll out in selected streets across the city, including Wavell Heights and Geebung, with the first collection service taking place on 8 March 2022.

The FOGO pilot will cover a total of 6,000 households in an effort to reduce the impact of food wastes in landfills. Wastes collected for this initiative will be processed and transformed into compost for various farms, urban gardens, and public spaces in Brisbane.

Residents who will join the pilot will receive their FOGO caddy in mid-February. Contents of this caddy should be emptied out in their green waste bin every one to three days. However, those who are already composting may also use the contents for their own gardens.

The below streets in Wavell Heights and Geebung will be included in the pilot phase. Participating in the FOGO program is free and separate from the existing green waste recycling service.

FOGO pilot participants, however, must take note to exclude food wastes like dairy products (yoghurt, cheese, ice cream, all milk types), meat products (bones, red and white meat), and seafood in the FOGO bin.

Acceptable food wastes include fruit and vegetable scraps, leftover food scraps (cooked and uncooked except meat), tea leaves, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, and mouldy bread, cereal, pasta, rice or grains.

Residents are encouraged to clean their caddy with every use as it’s dishwasher safe and made from recyclable materials designed to be rinsed and reused.

For more information about the FOGO pilot, phone Council via 07 3403 8888.

Plaisted Park Tree to Be Removed Due to Safety Concerns

Photo credit: Councillor Adam Allan / Facebook

A feature tree at Plaisted Park, located in between the Skate Bowl and the park exercise equipment, will have to be removed for safety reasons, due to a failure in one of the tree’s large limbs.

BCC arborists conducted an inspection and assessment of the tree which revealed a serious defect in the union of the tree’s two remaining ‘co-dominant leaders’ which can lead to future failures.

A tree will have co-dominant leaders when its main trunk has two or more branches or leaders of about the same diameter growing from the same location. Unless early intervention is done, such as subordination pruning, these branches grow with no single stem becoming the dominant one.

Photo credit: Councillor Adam Allan / Facebook

Co-dominant leaders eventually result in “bark inclusion” which happens when bark is included in the union of the two stems causing the tree to be structurally weak and prone to failure. Such failure can happen anytime but the risk is particularly high during storms.

The team explored options to help the tree by reducing the weight loading on its remaining sections. Despite their best efforts, the chief arborist had to recommend removal of the tree considering the “high probability of future failures, and the target zones of the failed sections”.

“The target zone encompasses the Skate Bowl and Exercise equipment. As both of these areas are utilised by park patrons on a regular basis, public safety is therefore the major consideration in this removal outcome,” Cr Adam Allan reported on a Facebook post dated 19 January 2022.

“You can see in the photos below that the structural stability of the whole tree was compromised and unfortunately, the only option was removal,” he said.

Replacement plantings of three Poinciana trees are scheduled to be undertaken once the subject tree is removed, likely before February ends.

5 Reasons To Shop At Fab Finds Markets in Zillmere

It’s great for the environment

Did you know that Australia discards around 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year? Help reduce textile waste by giving old clothes a second chance at life–donate them or sell them so you can make extra money.

Fab Finds Markets offers affordable stall holder options along with a comfortable and fun place for all to sell their closet clear out.

You can find high-quality items for a cheaper price

fab-finds clothes — Photo credit: Fab Finds Markets/Facebook

Expect to see reasonably priced clothing from all your favourite brands like Witchery, Mimco, Kookai, Decjuba, Sussan, Country Road.

“I have visited before as a shopper, but today was my first day as a seller. Awesome morning, great buzz in the air. I was really happy with my sales, if you price it reasonably people will buy it, everyone loves a bargain. I’ll be back,” shared local Niamh.

It features a relaxed vibe

secondhand-brisbane clothes — Photo credit: Fab Finds Markets/Facebook

It’s worth a morning rifling through the indoor and outdoor stalls since it’s an all-weather event, hosted on grass, bitumen and inside the airconditioned hall. It’s also located close to public transport with plenty of parking. Plus, the entry for shoppers is FREE.

You can find rare and unique items here

preloved-shop-brisbane macrame — Photo credit: Fab Finds Markets/Facebook

There’s something for everyone at the Markets– items are not limited to second-hand clothing, because there are also stalls where you can buy shoes, hats and accessories for women, men, children, and babies.

If you wouldn’t want to miss this event, head on to the Geebung Bowls Club on 30 January 2022 at 8:00 a.m. You can find all the details from Fab Finds Market’s Facebook page or on Instagram @fabfindsmarkets.

North Brisbane Police Unit Receives First Fuel Cell Propelled Vehicle in Southern Hemisphere

A special unit of the Queensland Police Service in North Brisbane has received the very first fuel cell propelled police vehicle in the southern hemisphere.

The car, a Nexo Hyundai, is the 14th electric vehicle for QPS and will service the North Brisbane Domestic and Family Violence Vulnerable Persons Unit, under the Domestic and Family Violence Vulnerable Command, which was established in March 2021.

Deputy Commissioner Doug Smith said that the hydrogen-powered police vehicle will be a “valuable resource for this important unit” and it’s also a good example of improving QPS “modern policing service.”

“This vehicle will be trialled for a period before evaluation, providing a valuable resource to this important unit,” Deputy Commissioner Smith said. .

“Joining our diverse fleet of existing modes of transport, we look forward to further opportunities to ensure our service is future-fit,” he added.

Meanwhile, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carrol formed the Domestic and Family Violence Vulnerable Command to respond, prevent and investigate cases of domestic and family violence. The roles of this special unit include handling cases covering:

Disability
Domestic and Family Violence
Elder Abuse
High Risk Teams
Mental Health
Police Referrals
Victims Assist Queensland (Police Liaison)
White Ribbon
Women’s Safety & Justice Taskforce

It comes as a case involving a Wavell Heights mum, who rammed her car onto her husband and his alleged mistress on Bagot Street, grabbed the headlines in early 2021. The husband and the woman with him suffered fractures and a dislocated finger.

The defence said that their client had no records with the police and that she thought she was in a stable marriage for nine years. The woman involved was granted bail and she moved to Sunshine Coast, where her parents live. The court has ordered her not to contact her husband or the other woman, whilst the hearing was ongoing.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, report it to police via triple zero (000)or the Policelink via 131 444 (24 hours, 7 days a week).

Biggest Vinnies Outlet in Queensland Opens in Virginia

Vinnies, the go-to place for affordable and quality pre-loved items, has opened its biggest outlet in Queensland in Virginia.

Run by volunteers who are helping out the Brisbane Diocese of St Vincent De Paul Society, the op shop had been looking for the right place in Virginia for quite some time.

The Brisbane Diocese opened Vinnies to provide for the underprivileged who do not have enough budget for clothes. Over the years, however, the op shop has attracted shoppers from “all walks of life.”

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Vinnies Queensland (@vinniesqld)

In mid-November 2021, Vinnies in Virginia held a grand party to celebrate their opening, with free sausage sizzles and some prizes for shoppers who also got dibs on the outlet’s initial supplies.

Renzo Salvetti, the retail operations manager for Vinnies, told Loretta Ryan on her radio show that there is a strong demand for their service in the area.

After Vinnies closed for six to eight weeks due to the lockdowns, Mr Salvetti said there was an influx of demand for second-hand pieces, as well as an increase in high-quality donated goods.

The greatest thing about being the biggest Vinnies shop in Queensland is more space, more variety of items, where shoppers will really notice the difference of what they can find from the Virginia store, including a good selection of men’s items

While this is great news for the charity shop, Mr Salvetti also said that their volunteer number has gone down because of the impact of the pandemic in the older age group.

“Except for managers, we are wholly and solely relying on volunteer numbers,” Mr Salvetti said.

VOLUNTEER AT VINNIES

Vinnies Virginia is at 1804 Sandgate Road. Follow them on Facebook for updates.

Wavell State High School Student Among the Winners of Buy Smart 2021

Photo Credit: Screen Grab from “Buy Smart Competition 2021 virtual ceremony” by FairTradingQLD

A student from Wavell State High School is among the winners of the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) Buy Smart 2021.

A total of $15,000 in prize money will be shared among this year’s winners that include students from Years 4 and above. The competition categories were divided into three: Years 4–6; Years 7–9 and Years 10–12.

Two students from Wavell State High School did their school proud this year as Zali Love, a Year 9 student took home the third prize in her category whilst Angelica Baltazar was recognised as “Highly Commended,” also for the Years 7-9 category.

The first prize winner in each category will receive $500 for the winning entry and $2,000 for their school. Whilst the second prize winner will receive $250 and $1,000 for their school and the third prize winner will receive $150 and $500 for their school. Also awarded are ten highly commended prizes, worth $50 per entry, across all categories .

Meanwhile, Mutdapilly State School in the Scenic Rim was awarded with the Fair Trading Commissioner’s School Champion prize of $1,500. Their cohort of Year 4, 5 and 6 students used their coding skills to make interactive games exploring refund rights and the importance of saving.

A creative, fun way of developing savvy consumer habits

Congratulating the students who participated in this year’s competition , Attorney-General, Minister Fentiman said that “making sure our young Queenslanders understand their consumer rights and can spot a scammer is so important.”

He added that last year alone, children under 18 in Australia lost almost half a million dollars to scammers with more than $100,000 from online shopping scams.

“Back in 2002, Buy Smart was started to help young Queenslanders learn about consumer issues and develop savvy consumer habits to carry with them throughout their lives,” he said.

“And with the growing demand for online shopping, Buy Smart is even more important today than it was 20 years ago.

“With more than 7,000 students participating in the program in 2021 and over 750 students submitting entries, this year saw plenty of impressive entries accepted into the competition.

“From boardgames to dioramas, music videos, Instagram posts and animations, the Buy Smart Competition had it all, but most importantly it shows us that students are excited and engaged in understanding consumer issues.”

The OFT Buy Smart Program is an initiative launched in 2002 which has seen Fair Trading officers visiting classrooms across the state to educate students and help them become savvy consumers. However, since last year, several visits were done via streaming into classrooms due to COVID-related restrictions.

The OFT Buy Smart competition allowed students to identify a consumer issue and to make a creative presentation of what they have learned through their research. Their project should identify an important issue related to shopping or money, explain the issue to a target audience of their choice, and give their audience some hints and tips that can help them with this issue.

Ultimately, the competition aims to help the students and their audience become smarter consumers by:

recognising and avoiding scams;
improving one’s financial capability; and
using one’s consumer rights when needed.

The OFT Buy Smart Competition 2021 winners

The Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) Buy Smart Competition 2021 winners for each category are as follows:

Years 4 to 6

First place: Mitch Graeme, St Mary MacKillop Primary School, Birkdale. (Year 5)

Second place: Josie Dolan and Sasha Glockling, St Dympna’s Catholic Primary School, Aspley. (Year 6)

Third place: Kayden Ross, Forest Lake State School. (Year 4)

Highly commended:

Annabella Collins and Shayla O’Sullivan, Kurwongbah State School, Petrie. (Year 5)
Abigail Wilson, Alice Barr, Inara Mayes, Francesca O’Neil and Eva Wilkinson, Kedron State School. (Year 6)
Cooper Jayo, Mackay North State School. (Year 6)

Years 7 to 9

First place: Lindie van Tonder, Trinity College, Gladstone. (Year 9)

Second place: Ruby Kavanagh and Eliza Luhrs, Wavell State High School. (Year 9)

Third place: Zali Love, Wavell State High School. (Year 9)

Highly commended:

Caleb Harlick, Mitchell Salmon and Nihal Singh, Redeemer Lutheran College, Biloela. (Year 7)
Lauren Stallard, Loreto College Coorparoo. (Year 8)
Sophie Hamilton, Chloe Michell and Indya Anderson, Sheldon College. (Year 9)
Jack Taylor, Sunshine Coast Grammar School. (Year 8)
Angelica Baltazar, Wavell State High School. (Year 9)
Kiki Bell and Emily Ryan, Clayfield College. (Year 9)

Years 10 to 12

First place: Nidhi Kapadia, Adonia Joseph and Sahrish Nouryan, Queensland Academies Health Sciences Campus, Southport. (Year 10)

Second place: Cody Menzies, Nambour State College. (Year 10)

Third place: Braedon O’Brien, Trinity College, Gladstone (Year 10)

Highly commended:

Ewan McFadzen and Om Bhikadiya, Aspley State High School (Year 10)

Commissioner’s School Champion Prize:

Mutdapilly State School

Wavell Heights Property Market Nearing the Million-Dollar Median Price Mark

The volume of properties selling at nearly $1 million has been increasing in Wavell Heights, where the median house price has grown over 20 per cent. Recent years have brought significant evolution and gentrification to this suburb, once off the radar for most investors. It has now become a highly desirable area, spurring a strong performance in Brisbane’s property market.

Highlights

House price growth in Wavell Heights are up by 22 per cent, with the median house price nearly crossing over the million-dollar mark at $915,000 for the period between October 2020 to September 2021.
282 houses were sold for the period in just 38 days on market.
Unit prices dropped by -2.83 per cent because of low inventory.

House Price Growth

Between October 2020 to September 2021, median house prices at Wavell Heights climbed by 22 per cent, pulling the median house price up to $915,000 from just $750,000 in the previous period. Data from Property Market Updates showed that 282 properties were sold during this period for an average of 38 days on market.

The majority of the houses that attracted buyers have been three-bedroom lots, with transactions sold within an average of 35 days. Most houses in Wavell Heights were built and developed after the war; thus, there are no character protections nor restrictions to prevent investors from knocking down and rebuilding their dream homes. These redevelopments have further contributed to the median house price growth.

Dwellings in Wavell Heights are valuable to investors for their convenience and proximity to everything residents need, given its position in Brisbane’s north side. In the coming years, commuting to the north or south will be easier from Wavell Heights as various infrastructure projects impacting nearby road networks, such as the Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro, are ongoing.

A newly-built four-bedroom modern home on Benecia Street with an enviable open plan living, opulent kitchen, and low maintenance backyard sold the highest price in this period at $2,437,000. Delivering a private, resort-like feel for its new owners, this home is within a kilometre to the Our Lady of Angels School and close to Aviation High in Clayfield.

Unit Price Growth

This transforming city fringe location has fewer unit properties on stock than most suburbs, resulting in a decrease in unit price growth between October 2020 to September 2021. The median unit price in Wavell Heights dipped, at -2.83 per cent for the period.

While there were only 21 apartments sold for this period, sales have been quick and swift at an average of 34 days on market, with most buyers snapping up two-bedroom apartments. This suggested a high demand for more unit options in Wavell Heights.

About Wavell Heights

Wavell Heights is a leafy, picturesque suburb ideal for raising kids thus attracting buyers looking for a family-friendly vibe. Approximately 12 kilometres to the north of the CBD, this hilly and elevated suburb providing residents spectacular views of Brisbane was commonly called West Nundah before the 1940s until it was renamed Wavell Heights during the Second World War.

An influx of housing developments, as well as constructions of a community centre, sports facilities, and the Wavell Heights State School, followed after the war, drawing more families to live in this location. Today, Wavell Heights has a mix of eye-catching modern houses, charming old post-war homes, and some housing units built on formerly large blocks of properties. Nearly 50 per cent of its residents are renters.

With the Kedron Brook running along the suburb’s south section, as well as heaps of playgrounds, parks, and tracks for walking and biking, Wavell Heights offers fantastic amenities to enjoy the green spaces. On weekends, food trucks usually arrive in the parks where residents play sports and do community activities.

The locale has small corner cafes found all over the suburb, where residents converge after their morning walk. There are also some restaurants along Gympie Road and the Kedron Wavell Services is its go-to community hub.

Whilst there is no shopping centre, Chermside, Nundah and Lutwyche are nearby for retail or dining options. Wavell Heights has easy access to the City Bypass and M1, as well as the Brisbane Airport via The Airport Link tunnel.

“A safe neighborhood. Not many units. Friendly people. I like the way there are 2 suburban cafes near me. One on main Avenue and the other on Bilsen Road. They are cute and not surrounded by a shopping centre. That is unique. Good cycleways. Close to Chermside Mall.”
JessT

“We’ve been living in Wavell for more than 2 years now; we like :1 the quiet, no noise life,2 very nice neighbours; 3 good parks; 4 nature like; 5 there are 2 schools that are quite good: a lot of extra curriculum: drama, chess, sport etc. You don’t need to bring your child far from home. Close to Chermside Shopping centre-the best and many medical facilities.”
Nina M

“If you love a quiet family atmosphere – Wavell Heights has it. There are plenty of parks including access to the Kedron Brook Bikeway and local wetland we call “the pond”. This also creates a beautiful green outlook. Shopping is convenient with Toombul, Stafford, and Chermside all in easy reach. There are also local shops, cafes, and restaurants at neighbouring Nundah. Access to the city and airport are also handy and travel time is less than 20mins. The elevation provides vistas of city and suburbs plus access to cooling breezes in Summer.”
Poodle

Wavell Heights Kerbside Collection 2021: Where To Drop Off Useful Items

Photo credit: Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner/Facebook

Have you been waiting for the next kerbside collection in Wavell Heights? Here’s some good news. After skipping a year, it’s back and you can finally sort and dispose of large, unwanted items before Christmas month.

Read: Wavell Heights Dad Is Philips Community Sports Dad Of The Year

Wavell Heights Kerbside Collection Dates

The kerbside collection across Northgate Ward is scheduled from October to November 2021. Here are the collection dates for Wavell Heights, Northgate, and Virginia.

Suburb	Kerbside collection date
Virginia	11 October 2021
Northgate	18 October 2021
Wavell Heights	1 November 2021

According to Brisbane City Council, residents must place acceptable materials for collection on the kerbside in front of their homes the weekend before collection starts. All items must be on the kerb by 6:00 am at the start of the collection period.

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council Photo credit: Brisbane City Council

Where to Bring Items in Usable Condition

If you have items that are still in working condition, consider dropping them off at Brisbane’s Treasure Troves instead of simply leaving everything to the kerbside for collection.

Treasure Troves are a great place for a bargain, selling items donated through Brisbane City Council’s resource recovery centres. Not only does Treasure Troves help keep the city clean and green, you’re also contributing to a cause by donating your useful items to the tip shop.

Treasure Troves is being managed by the Endeavour Foundation which helps people living with disabilities by providing them with opportunities and improving their well-being, through the profits collected from the shops. At present, there are two Treasure Troves in the city: one in Acacia Ridge and one in Geebung.

How to Donate to Your Local Treasure Trove

Photo credit: Geebung Treasure Trove/Facebook

Those who would like to donate to Treasure Troves must head to one of the Council’s resource recovery centres as donations cannot be made in-store.

From Wavell Heights, the nearest recovery centre is at 1372 Nudgee Road, Nudgee Beach, which is a 15-minute drive via St Vincents Rd. It’s open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

If you only have recyclable items or tip shop donations, go to the free recycling area and sort your materials into the correct collection point. Acceptable Treasure Trove items include:

artwork antiques and sculptures
books
clothing – quality textiles and wearable clothing
furniture and other household items in good working order
kitchen utensils
shoes and bags
sporting equipment including bikes and exercise equipment
toys – good quality only (broken plastic toys must be recycled in the hard plastic bin)

If you have more questions about donating to BCC’s resource centres for the Treasure Troves, visit Brisbane City Council’s website.

Kerbside Collection Resumption

In April 2020, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced that the kerbside collection will be paused until July 2022 so that funds can be reallocated for COVID-19 recovery initiatives. However, in July 2021, Cr Schrinner announced that the kerbside collection has been fast-tracked and included in the 2021-22 Budget so that it can resume a year earlier than planned.