Drogo’s owner is a volunteer at Delta Society, a non-profit organisation that provides the therapy dog program in hospitals, aged care facilities, youth services, mental health services, correctional facilities, and other health and community services right across Australia.
Photo credit: Xavier Children’s Support Network/Facebook
The pet therapy program at Xavier is an initiative of June McLeish of Burleigh Heads Parish. She was inspired to launch the initiative because of her dog Pinky, her constant companion and one of her greatest joys.
Ms McLeish with Drogo (Photo credit: Xavier Children’s Support Network/Facebook)
For the first time in April 2022, Ms McLeish saw Drogo interacting with children and it made her feel glad that she started a pet therapy initiative at the centre.
Enoch and Lachlan, two of the children who receive care from Xavier, gave Ms McLeish a gift, thanking her for setting up the program.
Ms McLeish is looking forward to seeing more therapy dogs in action, especially now that people start to realise what peace and tranquillity they can offer to people in unhappy circumstances.
In early March 2022, Hakfoort Group sold Redbrick Hotel to the Mathieson family who has been in the hotel industry since 1974. After 23 years of ownership, Hakfoort Group offered a leasehold of the property through an offer to purchase process in April 2021.
Redbrick Hotel currently has a 20-year lease term, which is inclusive of option periods, with a CR2 Character zoning for infill housing. Sold by Tony Bargwanna and Leon Alaban of Savills Australia, the off-market deal is reported to be worth about $7 million.
The heritage-listed hotel at 83 Annerley Road was first built in 1890 for Thomas Burke who remained its owner and proprietor until 1899. The building was designed by prominent architects John Hall & Son.
The 680-sqm hotel, named “Burke’s Hotel” in the 1980s in honour of Thomas Burke, would later be known as “the Redbrick”. The hotel had been under several owners until the Hakfoort Hotel Group acquired it in 1999.
The hotel underwent substantial refurbishments in 2017 before it reopened in 2018 with a new restaurant and bar, gaming lounges featuring 30 electronic gambling machines (EGM), function rooms, and a 120-seating dining space alongside its classic Federation-era style architecture.
Redbrick Hotel is just 2 kilometres from Brisbane CBD and is in close proximity to major employment, education and sporting facilities including the Gabba sports stadium, Mater Hospital and the Boggo Road Precinct.
The hotel benefits from its busy corner location whilst its bistro and lounge dining offer a fully equipped commercial kitchen that is accessible via the main bar.
Confusion over amended dispatch procedures associated with the rollout of new-generation trains were to be blamed for the near-collision incident in 2019 that occurred between Park Road and South Bank stations and involved two suburban passenger trains, an investigation report says.
On 25 March 2019, Northgate bound passenger train DW17, which is operated by Queensland Rail (QR), departed Park Road station with 41 passengers on board and ignored a stop signal. The New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) train travelled past its limit authority by 305 miles when it was supposed to stay at the platform and allow 1E65, which was already running late and proceeding on an adjacent line, to pass through first.
The two passenger trains were headed on a collision course as they both travelled in the same direction. However, thanks to the tutor driver on 1E65 who had the train stopped and the network control officer who transmitted an emergency stop command in response to a Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) alarm, the imminent disaster was averted. DW17 stopped just 55 miles past the conflict point whilst 1E65 stopped at about 70 miles before approaching the conflict point.
Why did the near-collision happen?
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report noted that the incident was the first of six “start against signal” SPADs involving NGR trains on QR Citytrain network platforms with the last SPAD occurring in April 2021. The findings point to “risk and change management limitations’ as the contributing factor to the rise in SPAD incidents.
The report said that limitations in QR’s change and risk management processes in “relation to dispatch procedures involving platform staff and NGR train guards” resulted in an increase in the risk of such SPADs taking place.
New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) | Photo Credit: Department of Transport and Main Road / tmr.qld.gov.au
ATSB Director Transport Safety Dr Michael Walker said that prior to the introduction of NGR trains, platform staff at three CBD and two suburban stations were required to provide an ‘allright’ signal to a train guard before the train could depart from the station.
“Although platform staff at these locations were trained not to look at the departure signal prior to giving the ‘allright’ signal, as this was not their role, in practice platform staff were checking for the departure signal to be at proceed before giving this signal to train guards, creating the expectancy that the ‘allright’ signal was a reliable indication the departure signal was at proceed.”
In 2019, QR dispatch procedures were amended to require platform staff at all suburban stations to provide the “allright” signal for all NGR trains departing from the station, something that they used to only do for trains that carried disabled passengers.
“Because the platform staff at these suburban stations followed procedure, and did not follow the informal practice of checking the status of the departure signal, train guards were now much more likely to receive an ‘allright’ signal while the departure signal was at stop,” Dr Walker explained.
“Multiple QR risk management and change management processes did not effectively consider the risk of this taking place.”
“In this near collision occurrence, when the driver received the rightaway signal from the guard, they had a very high level of expectancy that this meant the departure signal was at proceed, and subsequently the train promptly departed the station platform and passed the signal while it displayed a stop indication,” Dr Walker said.
“Similarly, the guard incorrectly provided the rightaway signal to the driver based on a very high level of expectancy that the ‘allright’ signal, provided by platform staff, also meant the signal was at proceed.”
What added to the increased risk of “start against signal” SPADs was the relocation of Signal Aspect Indicators (SAI) at platforms around the network to account for the change in the positioning of train guards. Train guards turn to SAIs when providing “rightaway” signal when the departure signal is not visible from their location.
“QR’s process for installing the SAIs did not provide sufficient detail to ensure consistent and conspicuous placement of them at station platforms,” Dr Walker said.
“This increased the risk that an SAI would not be correctly perceived by a train guard.”
The ATSB report, however, noted that the “start against signal” SPAD incidents have decreased over time as guards have become more familiar with the SAI locations as well with the new procedure at suburban station platforms.
Attention, Annerley residents! Brisbane’s kerbside collection is back and it’s Annerley’s turn on 18 April 2022. There’s still time to sort out your items, but before you put things on the kerb, consider checking out these easy upcycling projects first.
Take the old drum outside for your plants! Simply drill holes on the rim to allow drainage. Once you’re done, you can give it a new look by painting with a coat of oil-based primer and an oil-based gloss with the color of choice. If you need some help, here’s an instruction on how to turn that old washing machine drum into a planter.
Want to decorate a bare wall? Repurpose your old bike rims by painting it and hanging it on a wall. A touch of paint can already transform used and unwanted rims.
If you’ve got a vintage window frame, don’t throw that one out! Get some chicken wire and cut it to the size of your window. Once done, coat it with some spray paint and use clothespins to hold your items in place. You can find the full instructions here.
Repurposed TV
Photo credit: MrScaramouche/Youtube
Instead of throwing away a TV with a broken flat screen, Youtuber MrScaramouche gave it a second chance by turning it into a wall art. You can watch the full instruction video here.
Tray from old frames
Photo credit: cutediyprojects.com
There are so many things you can do with an old frame, including a tray for your fruits. Some frames only need a little cleaning but you can get a bit creative and spruce it up by coating it with paint.
European-style bench from old chairs
Photo credit: anoregoncottage.com
If your chairs are falling apart, it’s so easy to just get rid of them. But you can give it a second chance at life by turning it into a french-styled bench. Here’s a tutorial on how to make one.
Remove all the keys, strings, and harp from your old piano to repurpose it into a bar/drinks cabinet. See the full instructions on how to make one.
Brisbane City Council runs regular reuse and upcycle workshops and demonstrations to help you learn new skills and get you started. You can visit BCC’s website to find upcoming events near you.
Development is about to start at the multi-purpose precinct encompassing the new Boggo Road Village, where Stockwell has enlisted a heritage architect to help preserve some of the historical facets of the prison next door.
Instead of a major demolition, an agreement has been reached between Stockwell and supporters of heritage-listed sites to retain a detention unit cell block of the Boggo Road Gaol. This will mean that visitors to the upscale multi-purpose precinct beside it will still get a glimpse of Brisbane’s darkest history.
Stockwell, architect Ruth Woods, and the Department of Environment and Science heritage team will work to preserve and protect the 1980s-era cell block, the fronts of the isolation cells, the walkway of the cell block, the guard tower, stairs, and some of the walls.
The agreement comes following the controversial approval of Stockwell’s plans for a village centre next to the heritage-listed site in 2021, with community groups appealing the decision in the Planning and Environment Court. (DA A005260979)
Jack Sim, a well-known Boggo Road Prison historian, tour guide, and author, welcomes the development after Stockwell listened to the recommendations of heritage groups. The cell block to be restored has been inaccessible for many years but once the village is completed, the historical site will be added to the guided tours.
But then this would mean that Sim’s guided tours will be temporarily shut down, at least for six months, while the construction of the new Boggo Road Village is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Boggo Road Village development will also be anchored by an IGA. The commercial and retail sites will include medical and allied health services, aside from the dining precincts.
Photo Credit: StockwellPhoto Credit: Stockwell
Stockwell expects to complete the project by 2023. About 60 per cent of its tenancy has been secured prior to the site’s construction.
Yeronga State High School will be in the first batch of schools to receive the Dignity Vending Machine, a move that will provide free sanitary products to young students, providing much-needed support to female students who may otherwise be reluctant to seek help.
Share the Dignity will provide the free period packs (6 tampons and 2 pads) for schools to re-stock DVMs for the duration of the 3-year partnership.
The Dignity Vending Machine is an investment between the State Government and the charity, Share the Dignity. Sixty-two schools, including Yeronga State High School, have been listed for the first batch. The aim is to deliver these machines across 120 schools in Queensland.
“We want all students to be confident to attend school every day,” said Education Minister Grace Grace. “Giving students access to free sanitary products can make a real difference, especially for students whose families are doing it tough, have unstable accommodation or are fleeing domestic and family violence.
“This initiative supports Share the Dignity’s aim to distribute period products to women, girls, and anyone who menstruates who needs support.”
Alongside the access to free products, plans are in place to conduct a Period Talk education program for Year 5 to 8 students.
Rochelle Courtenay, the founder of Share the Dignity, said she’s eager to start with the Period Talk program “to educate boys and girls on menstruation, which will help us create long-term change and guide us towards a future where period is not a taboo word.”
The second batch of Dignity Vending Machine recipients will be announced after the EOI selection process.
“By sharing your unique story and messages, we are able to raise awareness of the importance of giving to those who need support.
Whether you choose to remain anonymous or not, sharing your experience with Share the Dignity will remind our community why their contributions are so important and special.”
In the coming weeks, fuel price in Brisbane is predicted to surpass the $2-mark for the first time due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. For now, however, Puma Dutton Park on Annerley Road offers the cheapest fuel prices in southeast Brisbane.
Per RACQ, fuel prices have been climbing to a new high in the last few weeks and will likely peak at $2.10 per liter as traders have shunned Russian oil, which has driven up the price competitions to secure barrels from other sources.
Combined with the geopolitical tensions, the price increase has been brought on by international supply and demand issues.
Despite this, Brisbane still has the cheapest price cycle in the region, with an average unleaded fuel price of 175.9 cpl.
As of 7 March 2022, Puma Dutton Park has the best deal:
Average Price Brisbane
Puma Dutton Park
Unleaded
175.9 cpl
174.4 cpl
E10 Unleaded
173.9 cpl
172.4 cpl
Premium Unleaded 98
197.6 cpl
195.4 cpl
Diesel
183.9 cpl
182.7 cpl
Photo Credit: Fuel Price Australia
Also offering cheap fuel prices in the southeast are 7 Eleven in Greenslopes and Caltex or United in Woolloongabba.
According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the impact of rising international oil prices takes two weeks to flow through the supply chain. Thus, it’s advisable to fill up as soon as possible before retail prices increase in the middle of March.
However, the U.S. is working to convince countries like Japan and China to release their oil reserves and help the global market. The OPEC nations are also negotiating with the Middle East to increase its oil production by 400,000 barrels per day.
