At Wavell State High School, a highly rated school for Years 7 to 12, the focus is not just on academics but on developing multi-faceted individuals.Check out this line-up of activities from May to June 2023 that will help its Years 7 to 12 students become just that.
Here are just some of the latest on-goings in the school community:
From 8 to 12 May 2023, Wavell State High School is running its annual Multicultural and House Spirit Week, where the students learn about different cultures, muster teamwork to earn house points, and have fun with the different activities lined up.
Photo Credit: WavellSHS/Facebook
Photo Credit: WavellSHS/Facebook
Open Day
The Open Day is where parents and kids can attend two sessions with Executive Principal Liz Foster on Friday, 19 May from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to learn about the school. Visitors may also check out the faculty displays and join a school tour to learn more about the school’s extensive opportunities.
Wavell Warriors Rugby League Program of Excellence
With a terrific training session in April 2023, the Wavell Warriors Rugby League Program of Excellence officially launched the 2023 Broncos Competitions season! Second-tier teams got the amazing opportunity to improve their talents by working with knowledgeable personnel from the Brisbane Broncos Elite Player Development Academy. The players had the perfect opportunity to engage in a match simulation environment against teams from various year levels because of the positive and uplifting atmosphere.
Photo Credit: WavellSHS/Facebook
Someone who embodies the spirit of the students and the Wavell Warriors is Karl Oloapu, who graduated in 2022 as the Player of the Year. Karl recently made his NRL debut for the Canterbury Bulldogs and won his first game! A committed player and teammate, Karl has been a shining example for young people who want to be athletes.
After the Bulldogs defeated the St. George Dragons, Dragons player Michael Molo (Wavell Warrior #876) went to see Karl (Wavell Warrior #867) to congratulate him on his debut game.
Photo Credit: WavellSHS/Facebook
The Push-Up Challenge
The Wavell SHS community will take part in the Push-Up Challenge in June 2023 to raise awareness for mental health and the lives lost to suicide. A community page has been set up for participants taking part in the challenge to complete 3144 push-ups.
Those in the Rugby League or Netball excellence programs have the option of joining their team or one of the school’s house groups to earn points. Parents and alumni, as well as the rest of the Wavell Heights neighbourhood may also join the challenge by creating their own community page or becoming part of the existing team.
For five years, two Wavell Heights neighbours have been at odds over the fence on their properties, a dispute that has intensified to include the police and even the RSPCA. The case has shone a light on the necessary steps to take when dealing with a boundary line issue between neighbours.
In October 2022, Wavell Heights residents were alerted to the screams of Reshael Sirputh who was trying to stop Mitch McKee, the guy who lives next door, from taking down the fence between their properties. The police were alerted to the disruption but Mr McKee claimed he simply wanted to build a new fence because he was concerned about his neighbour’s dog. He also said that the new fence will cost his neighbours nothing.
However, Ms Sirputh said that there was already a chain wire fence when McKee moved in years ago and she has also complied with Council’s orders to add a bamboo fence on her side since there’s a dog on her property. Contrary to what Mr McKee said, her neighbour apparently wanted Ms Sirputh to pay for the new fence he planned to build himself. She said that he quoted $14,000 for the fence.
When she declined the cost, Mr McKee, a tradie, took out his power tools and proceeded to cut the chain wires and remove her bamboo fence. Ms Sirputh took videos of her neighbour as she screamed and attempted to stop him from destroying property. Her dog also got in the way of Mr McKee, who swung a hammer at the animal. The RSPCA issued him a warning.
The dispute between the Wavell Heights neighbours could have been avoided if one of the homeowners immediately filed for an order with the QCAT to prevent the other party from demolishing the fence on their boundary line, under Section 38(1) of the Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011.
Before filing, however, the neighbours should have had a proper conversation and investigation into why they needed to knock back the boundary line fence. If an agreement has been reached, it should be done in writing but if the neighbours continued to disagree, the QCAT could recommend a mediation.
The QCAT has nationally-accredited mediators who can walk both sides of the process with impartiality. This service is free. However, if the mediation fails, then the disputing neighbours can elevate and take legal action by filing a civil court case. A court case, however, may be costlier and more time-consuming than installing a new fence.
A corner lot along Edinburgh Castle Road in Wavell Heights could soon become a dental practice and a future health services site if plans are approved.
Murray Bell Planning Co filed DA A006143614 in November 2022, which seeks to build a two-storey building for the dental practice. The site will have two consultation rooms, six surgery rooms, a waiting lounge and administration areas. The property will also have 16 car spaces and an emergency vehicle bay.
“The Applicant has found an ideal location within the suburb of Wavell Heights to cater for their existing clientele base, as well those who are elderly and/or disabled,” the proposal stated.
Photo Credit: DA A006143614/BCC
However, residents in the surrounding areas of Edinburgh Castle Road and Pfingst Road have expressed their objection to the plans.
“This not consistent with current residential zoning or use,” one resident wrote in the submissions. “The proposal provides little utility given similar business is reasonable proximity as well as the health centre being built on Gympie Rd. This should not be approved.”
“It will turn a residential area into a business area which will negatively impact house prices,” another local wrote. “It will also set a precedent for other businesses to be allowed to build in the area.”
“I oppose as this a residential area, this is already a high traffic area. Having a dental surgery will only increase traffic load and harm to an area where kids play across the road which is a park.”
Wavell Heights residents are being reminded byauthorities about the importance of securing their homes and vehicles following cases of recent theft from vehicles and burglary in the suburb.
Between 1 July and 31 August 2022, there were 33 property-related offences reported in Wavell Heights, which included 11 burglaries and 10 steal-from-vehicle offences.
A review of these burglary offences revealed the majority occurred during the overnight period from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., with six out of the 11 offences involving access via unlocked or unsecured doors. Three offences involved the offender forcing, jemmying or smashing their way in.
According to North Brisbane District Crime Prevention Coordinator Sergeant Jodie Murray, main items targeted during the burglary offences were wallets and vehicle keys.
Photo credit: Bich Tran/Pexels
“In all cases where vehicle keys were stolen (four), vehicles were also stolen from the address. In all cases where jewellery was stolen (two), the entry was forced,” Sgt Murray stated.
Authorities have reminded residents to keep their keys safe, such as keeping them out of sight, and more importantly, keeping their homes safe, by keeping their doors and windows locked.
“No matter who’s home or what time of the day it is, it’s important to continue these security measures when it comes to your keys,” Sgt Murray added.
“Thieves stealing cars aren’t always those with hot-wiring skills. Opportunistic thieves will take any opportunity to steal cars, including walking into your home and grabbing them right off your bench.”
Police have greatly increased their marked and covert patrols at the peak times, and have called in specialist units such as tactical crime squad, specialist property crime squads, and police dog squads.
Residents can report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers, or by calling 1800 333 000 and reporting online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
Upgrades have been confirmed for the Hamilton Road and Bilsen Road in Wavell Heights, which is considered as one of the accident-prone intersections in the suburb.
Between 2015 and 2021 there were nine reported crashes at the Hamilton Rd and Bilsen Rd intersection, all of which resulted in medical treatment or hospitalisation.
Works, which are set to commence in late 2022, involves the creation of new red arrows to control movements through the intersection, and upgrading crossings to better protect pedestrians.
Authorities will also update the signal phasing, signage and line marking to suit new signals, and relocate bus stops to the departure side of the intersection.
The Australian Government has committed $1.1 million for the project, under the Black Spot program.
Hamilton Road and Bilsen Road Black Spot Project plan (Photo credit: Brisbane City Council)
Other Brisbane roads set to benefit from the program this year include:
Adelaide Street and Creek Street, Brisbane City
Rosemary Street and Biota Street, Inala
Forest Lake Boulevard and Rudyard Street, Forest Lake
The Black Spot program is a road safety program run by the Australian Government to fix dangerous roads by treating road locations where a large number of motor vehicle accidents have occurred.
Black Spot sites are those with a proven history of crashes. An intersection will be eligible for upgrades if it has recorded at least three casualty crashes over a five-year period.
Since 2010, Brisbane City Council has completed improvements in over 50 locations across the city.
Gaza Rd, Holland Park West (Photo credit: Google Street View)
One of the city’s successful upgrades is the one at Fison Ave and Southern Cross Way off-ramp in Eagle Farm back in 2015. Prior to the upgrades, it recorded 34 recorded crashes for five years but not one has occurred since the upgrade.
In Holland Park, there’s only one recorded incident to date, from 24 crashes at the Gaza Rd and Messines Ridge Rd prior to the works done in 2016.
Meanwhile, upgrades at the Wavell Heights intersection are expected to be complete by May 2023, weather and site conditions permitting.
The world’s first touch-only Modified Rugby Program from the GingerCloud Foundation will open a new season at the home of the Norths Ruby Union in Wavell Heights.
The Modified Rugby Program (MRP) is specially designed to support young people with Autism and other learning, and perceptual disabilities need. The Season starts in the week of 18th April 2021, which comprises one-hour training session and Saturday morning games.
As Rugby clubs across Brisbane support the inclusion of our young people (MRP Players) into the club community, this program is a chance for the kids to experience the sheer joy of being in a team sport, often for the first time.
Brisbane Rugby Union Clubs are powering disability inclusion for our young people with Autism or other learning and perceptual disabilities out on the rugby field.
Photo Credit: GingerCloud Foundation
The MRP, which begins in April 2022, is divided into specific structural, Allied Health, and coaching modifications based on the varying needs of MRP Players both on and off the field.
MRP Juniors (7-13 years) and MRP Colts (16-25) years) Players are individually matched with a PlayerMentor for support, guidance and friendship on the rugby field and beyond.
MRP 7s and MRP 7s Plus division (assessed by on-field skill ability) Players are higher skilled and are supported by PlayerMentors as a team, with no specific MRP Player having their own PlayerMentor.
The MRP’s PlayerMentors are young adults from local schools who provide guidance and friendship both on and off the field. They are credited for the success of the MRP as they encourage the MRP players to have fun, feel safe and secure, and be part of a club.
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.
Photo Credit: BCC
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.
Photo Credit: BCC
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.
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. .
Photo Credit: QPS
“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).
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.
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.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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.”
Wavell Heights local Scott Peeler-Hammond, a father of three, has won the Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year award, the first winner from Brisbane in the program’s eight-year history.
Hammond, who received a $5,000 cheque, will donate his winnings to the Kedron Lions AFL club, where he’s a valued member who carries multiple roles including being senior president and coach of two teams.
“It is an amazing honour to win. I do what I do because I love coaching and our club. To receive an award like this is just an incredible bonus. The fact that I do it all with the kids a part of the community just makes it all the sweeter,” Hammond said of his win.
Known as ‘Spud’ around the club, Hammond was nominated by fellow Kedron AFC member Felicity Rogers for his tireless behind-the-scenes work. Besides his numerous roles in the club, he’s also a devoted dad to 11-year-old Hudson and 18-month-old Gretchen.
“He has built stronger connections between the junior girl’s and senior women’s programs and helped to strengthen the connection between the senior men’s and women’s teams as well as organising gala days,” Felicity said.
Photo credit: Kedron Districts Junior Football Club/Facebook
“Spud just puts his heart and soul into everything at the club and has helped foster an amazing and supportive culture,” he added. To him, Hammond is a father figure to many players at the club and provides support to players beyond just football.
Felicity said the club has also helped Scott through some hard times, after the tragic passing of his newborn daughter Maisie in 2019. Hammond experienced the loss of Maisie just hours after her birth and the female playing group rallied around him and his family during this time, with many players attending Maisie’s funeral.
Aside from the cash prize, Hammond also received some Philips products including the Shaver 9000, and Bodygroom and Multigroom 7000, which he said was handy for “a guy who shaves his head at least twice a week!”
About the Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year
Photo credit: Philips Sports Dad of the Year/Facebook
The annual Community Sports Dad of the Year is designed to reward the contributions and positive impact that Australian dads make to their families and community both on and off the sporting field.
Last year’s Community Sports Dad of the Year is Richard Galea, President of the Blacktown City Swim Club.
