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Ecosciences Precinct: A Hub For Innovation In Environmental Sciences

Did you know that the Boggo Road Urban Village in Dutton Park is home to the Ecosciences Precinct, a state-of-the-art environmental sciences hub worth $270 million?

Read: Annerley’s Stephens Park Estate Turns 100 Years Old

The Ecosciences Precinct’s state-of-the-art research facilities comprise an extensive range of specialised infrastructure, such as laboratories, insect houses, controlled environment rooms, glasshouses, greenhouses, offices, workshops, and a science education centre.

As a cutting-edge research facility, the facility is committed to bringing together leading experts from across different agencies and fields to generate innovative solutions to some of Australia’s most complex environmental challenges.

Photo credit: David Inderias/Google Maps

The Ecosciences Precinct’s research activities are diverse and far-reaching. These include collecting valuable data on the physical and biological processes of the Great Barrier Reef, delivering robust environmental monitoring, and utilising satellite imagery and image analysis to map vegetation, monitor land clearing, improve land-use planning, and assess bushfire risk.

The laboratories at the precinct adhere to rigorous Australian Standards, specifically Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) and Biosecurity Containment Level 3 (BC3) certifications.

PC2 certification is granted to a standard, low-risk research environment, whilst the BC3 facilities are designed to enable researchers to conduct secure and highly controlled studies on insects and bacteria.

This specialised infrastructure is critical for controlling weeds that pose a threat to Queensland’s ecosystems, as well as pests and diseases that can cause extensive damage to crops.

The Ecosciences Precinct provides a collaborative space for research personnel from the Queensland Government, CSIRO, The University of Queensland, and other partner universities.

At the precinct, researchers are striving to deepen our understanding of the natural environment and resources, and using this knowledge to develop innovative and sustainable growth strategies for key industries, such as agriculture, forestry, and marine industries.

Read: Proposed Changes to New Bus Network Impact Dutton Park State School, Other Schools

Located alongside the historic Boggo Road Gaol and just a stone’s throw away from a major public transport hub, the Ecosciences Precinct is perfectly placed to facilitate collaborative research and innovation in a vibrant urban setting.

The Ecosciences Precinct is located at 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park.

Published 10-April-2023

Bringing the Dead Back to Life: Guided Ghost Tour of South Brisbane Cemetery

Photo Credit: Brendan McBain/Google Maps

Join historian Jack Sim on a ghost tour of the South Brisbane Cemetery in Dutton Park, bringing the dead back to life every Saturday evening.

Ghost Tours Australia is running the organised two-hour guided tour with historian Jack Sim, whose in-depth knowledge of real and spooky ghost stories should provide a historic, if not entertaining, account of the personalities buried at the South Brisbane Cemetery.

This guided tour isn’t designed to leave you with nightmares. Instead, this is another way to explore local lore and provide another perspective on the history of Brisbane.

The experience will give locals the opportunity to discover the history that’s in their backyard, visit famous burial sites, and learn unique insights about the past, as Mr Sims walks tour participants through parts of the cemetery where few dare to venture alone.

Since the late 1990s, Mr Sims has led heaps of tour groups at the South Brisbane Cemetery, especially during Halloween.

Some of his stories include tales of crime, violence, murder, execution, and suicide; thus, the tour isn’t advisable for children under 10 years old. Teenagers up to 15 years of age should have adult supervision.

The ghost tour will entail moderate walking on steep hills and uneven surfaces so wear your best flat, enclosed shoes for comfort if you’re joining.

What a great night. Perfect clear conditions although I would have loved the ambience of a rainy, misty eve. The commentator was amazing. Well rehearsed stories embellished by his natural flair for story telling he held us engrossed for the entire time. He was funny, inclusive, safety driven and so full of knowledge. I will be attending more of your tours very soon.
Anissa

It was the best ghost tour I’ve been on and good experience for first time definitely coming back with friends the tour guide was amazing and funny made it worth it. I got the chills at the sewer bridge when I was left alone I felt like someone was watching me and made it so much better definitely doing more and my tour guide was funny as with his dad joke.
Tydan

I have done many of these tours, and they’re all great! It’s a different way to learn about Brisbane’s history whether you’re a ghost believer or a skeptic! Some of the guides are better at story telling than others, but they are all professional and provide great entertainment telling the tales of Brisbane’s criminal (and ghostly!) history. Definitely recommend.
Pam

Book a Ghost Tour

Brisbane South State Secondary College: Now Open in Dutton Park

June 2022 marks the opening of the new Brisbane South State Secondary College in Dutton Park, over 60 years since a new state school opened in Brisbane’s south.

The first day of school saw 466 students in Years 7 and 8 excitedly enter the $153.78-million, state-of-the-art building on 179 Annerley Rd. The new building is a standout, cited for its design at the recent Brisbane 2022 Australian Institute of Architects’ Regional Architecture Awards, alongside its designers BVN.

The new school maximises its space as a vertical school, with five storeys of learning hubs and extensive greenery to boost the wellbeing of the students and the aesthetics of the campus.

From an initial batch of 466 students, Brisbane South State Secondary College is expected to add a year level every year until it completes a Year 12 batch in 2026.

“Queensland is growing rapidly. And in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympics, we’ll see extraordinary population growth here in Brisbane,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who was at the opening with Education Minister Grace Grace, said.

“We’re investing more in health and education than any government in Queensland’s history to cater for growth and ensure our young people can capitalise on the opportunities the next decade will bring.

“We’ll continue to invest in infrastructure like schools and hospitals to create jobs and ensure Queenslanders have access to great public services.”

“The new school features multiple buildings centred around an outdoor learning oasis, including a creative hub, administration hub, two innovative learning hubs, a health and wellbeing hub and a multipurpose hall,” Ms Grace said.

“It is fantastic to see the school running so well after a successful foundation year in 2021.

“A new oval and outdoor sports facility on Marshall Road in Rocklea will be ready for use for the start of school in 2023. It will include an amenities block, car park, and a playing field to suit sports such as AFL and cricket.”

Brisbane South State Secondary College Foundation Principal Kirsten Ferdinands will lead the school as it grows in the next few years. She said they are also looking forward to working in collaboration with the University of Queensland.

“Its remarkable facilities will give students access to unique on-campus experiences, educational pathways across research and entrepreneurship, and expertise and support through UQ’s Science of Learning.”

Puma Dutton Park Has Cheapest Fuel Price in Southeast Brisbane

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

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.

To find the cheapest fuel rates where you live, download the Fair Fuel Finder app from RACQ, and fill up before the price increase.

Save the Trees! Some Dutton Park Residents React to Planned Charging Station

Photo credit: Google Maps

Some Dutton Park residents are concerned about how plans to install vehicle charging infrastructure within the Dutton Park Recreation Reserve could impact the parkland and its established native trees.

As part of the Brisbane Metro project, a vehicle charging infrastructure to be situated in an area near Eleanor Schonell Bridge and TJ Doyle Memorial Drive will be installed in Dutton Park. The infrastructure will service electric vehicles stopping at the UQ Lakes station.

Proposed location for the charging containers | Photo credit: Jonathan Sri / .jonathansri.com

Ideally, the charging station should be located near the UQ Lakes bus stop, However, UQ.seemed to have refused the idea to host the structure within the campus. As a result, the Council opted to use a location within the parkland instead.

The charging infrastructure will consist of three large containers (12m x 3m x 3m) that will contain the converters, the power source for Metro buses. The plan does not sit well with the locals because the project will require removal of established native trees to accommodate such a large structure.

Locals are also frustrated with the lack of consultation and little information available regarding the plan. They wanted to know why the Council opted for a location that’s hundreds of metres away from the UQ Lakes station and how it will impact the cost of construction and maintenance of the project.

Proposed access for the charging containers | Photo credit: Jonathan Sri / .jonathansri.com

“It seems that rather than negotiating with UQ to get charging infrastructure installed close to the bus stop, council has instead gone for the easy option of cutting down trees and taking away parkland, even though the Dutton Park location is quite a long way from where the charging actually occurs,” Gabba Ward Councillor Jonathan Sri said in echoing the locals’ concerns.

“So far, we have very little information from the Council about exactly why BCC failed to get UQ to agree to host the charging infrastructure on the university’s side of the river. We also don’t know exactly which trees would be removed, but we have a rough idea based on the indicative location the council has nominated.”

For his part, Member for Maiwar, Michael Berkman said that he proposed the structure to be located in UQ’s multi-storey car park situated on Thynne Road, but this idea was rejected by UQ as well.

On its website, Council stated that whilst it understands the “value and importance of our green spaces” and despite considering several other locations within Dutton Park, the identified location appears to be the most appropriate location for the charging structure “to minimise impacts to residents, park users and vegetation”.

BSSSC in Dutton Park Recognised at the Australian Education Awards

Despite the delays in the completion of construction of Brisbane South State Secondary College, this Dutton Park school has received the most noteworthy validation from the Australian Education Awards as one of the finalists for their Excellence Award.

The award-giving body recognises the top-performing schools in the country for “their outstanding achievements and transformative work,” that significantly impacts the lives of young Australians. BSSSC has been nominated under the Innovation in Curriculum Design category. The winners will be announced on 27 Aug 2021.

The school has remained open amidst the $130-million construction work, funded by the State Government, which started in mid-2020 and will continue until the end of 2021. Despite the disruption, BSSSC students have already been benefitting from the school’s improved curriculum and partnership with universities, biomedical providers, and sports communities, such as the University of Queensland (UQ), the Translational Research Institute (Princess Alexandra Hospital), and the Brisbane Lions AFL Academy.

Perhaps one day, BSSSC will produce the scientists who will be able to unlock the mysteries of the Sars-Cov-2 virus (COVID-19) or become the chief of a successful start-up that will be solving the next pandemic as the school has provided the students with the right tools, training and environment to pursue studies in medicine, science, as well as sports and the arts.

Executive principal Kirsten Ferdinands said that 20 percent of the students are focusing on studies in biomedicine, sports and nutrition, whilst 80 percent are taking the standard curriculum. Regardless, all classes at BSSSC are similar to a university environment because of the programs and facilities.

BSSSC has “ideation rooms” with 3D lounges for presenting projects and a lectorium for brainstorming or learning new ideas. It has dance rooms with a theatre stage and large trade rooms for various school activities.

Photo Credit: Brisbane South State Secondary College/Facebook

Under the Mini-Masters program, the students are enjoined to do digs with actual archaeology experts, whilst some are coached into managing and producing a YouTube channel on sports, or guided into writing or directing the school play.

All these programs are conducted into the various hubs around the campus for learning, creativity, health and wellbeing, and the outdoor green space called The Oasis.

BSSSC’s current student body is 204 but the school is expecting 250 in 2022, and grow to to 1,500 in five years. Most of the graduating class are planning to enter UQ.

94-Year-Old House in Dutton Park to be Demolished

Did you know that a 94-year-old house in Borva St, Dutton Park, which currently sits in a character zone, has been marked for demolition?

A house nearly a century old located along the Brisbane River is to be demolished after attempts by the Brisbane City Council to save it had proved futile.

Despite the house having the character of a traditional building, Judge Michael Rackemann of the Planning and Environment Court had remarked that the demolition of the home would have no significant or meaningful impact after the house’s owner, Ian Malcom Williams, took his case to court.

The house, which Mr Williams purchased in May 2020 for $1.75 million, takes up a total area of 1,108 square metres and sits on the lower side of Borva St atop a steep and elevated slope. With three storeys, four bedrooms and panoramic views of the river, the house is a gorgeous hotspot surrounded by large homes and renovated homes worth up to $4 million.

The 94-year-old house can be found at 13 Borva St, Dutton Park.

Now 150, South Brisbane Cemetery Hosts Belated Anniversary Event

Better late than never! South Brisbane Cemetery will celebrate its 150th anniversary one year late, with a special “150+1” commemoration, complete with displays, demos, and guided tours — all FREE.

After the cancellation of the South Brisbane Cemetery’s true 150-year anniversary in 2020 due to COVID-19, the special “150+1” event will be held at the cemetery on the 8th of May.

Two public history talks will top-bill the event and are sure to generate much public interest: “History of the Cemetery” and “Headstone Detective.” These talks will be primarily dedicated to researchers interested in learning more about the cemetery, the people buried in it, as well as its rich history.

A stall dedicated to historical books and photographs will be available to the public. There will also be a variety of self-guided tours that acquaints visitors with the park and how to navigate it while simultaneously teaching them about particular gravestones and the people buried below them.

Food and drink stalls will also be available at the cemetery during its 151st anniversary, along with interactive demos that allow participants to learn how to clean headstones properly. Those interested will also be able to learn more about their family’s history and locate specific graves.

The South Brisbane Cemetery can be found at 185 Annerley Rd, Dutton Park, open every day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. The special 151st anniversary will be held on the 8th of May from the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entry will be free of charge, and those interested in learning more about the cemetery or the anniversary can visit their website here.

World Down Syndrome Day: This Dutton Park Local Is Living His Dream

Like any determined 26-year-old, Sean Fisher, a Dutton Park local, is living in his own unit and supporting himself with two jobs. The most amazing thing is that Sean has Down syndrome and hearing loss but he’s still living his dream as an independent and contributing member of the community.

According to his mother, Lisa Bridle, Sean didn’t have an easy time exploring his independence when he decided to move out of his mother’s house.

“It took about two months for him to be able to cook his own breakfast independently on a new stove, four to five months to be confident in taking the train and about nine months to feel completely okay about shaving himself,” Lisa shared.

But Sean is getting a lot of help with his transition from Billy, a support worker for Carers Queensland‘s NDIS program. He has cooking sessions with his carer every Monday, along with some friends.

“He is developing lots of nice local connections and becoming independent in planning shopping; each time he achieves a goal, we work on the next,” Lisa said.

Sean is also accessing NDIS benefits for his two jobs at Multicultural Australia and at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

“At Multicultural Australia he does shredding, photocopying, laminating, printing and event set ups for workshops. This job is a great match for him as it is a big organisation and he likes the social side of things,” his mother said.

“At the Convention Centre on Tuesdays he works in the uniform room taking in and organising the uniforms and folding laundry, and Fridays he works in setting up for functions like getting table and chairs out; he likes being one of the guys on the set up team.”

Photo Credit: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre/Facebook

Billy also goes to work with Sean to guide and coach him with his tasks. He mostly does his work independently but the support worker keeps track of his progress.

When he’s not at work, Sean also carries out a fitness routine with Billy and a team composed of a physiologist, a personal trainer and a dietician. Lisa said that her son is actually close to achieving his weight loss goal since becoming a gym buff in 2019.

So impressed was Billy by his buddy’s progressed that he promised to take him to Sydney to visit the set of Home and Away, Sean’s favourite TV show.

“In early February, Sean and his support worker, Billy, set off for three nights in Sydney which included catch ups with friends, sightseeing including a harbour cruise and the Home and Away visit. They were lucky enough to see filming and also visited sites such as the Bait Shop, the Diner, the Lighthouse, the Pier and much more.”

In time for World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March 2021, Lisa expressed her gratitude to Carers Queensland and said that her son’s experience has been very positive.

“The main quality that I have appreciated has been a willingness to listen and really understand our goals, sharing knowledge of the NDIS system and making the decision making and timelines as transparent as possible, and upholding Sean’s choices and respecting his goals by demonstrating flexibility.”

To learn more about Carers Queensland and the NDIS program, phone 1300 999 636, or email cq.enquiries@ndis.gov.au.

Brisbane South State Secondary College in Dutton Park to Open Amidst Complaints of ‘Unlawful’ Night Works

Construction of the Brisbane South State Secondary College (BSSSC) in Dutton Park has been steadily ramping up in preparation for the first day of the school term on Wednesday, 27 January 2021.

By 2026, Brisbane South State Secondary College will cater to all second years but for this school term, over 200 Year 7students will comprise the first batch who could expect work on the $140-million building to continue within the next weeks.

Assistant Education Minister Brittany Lauga confirmed that construction will continue during school hours but it will be “very considerate” to the learning environment.

Broad Construction has been working late at night until the early hours of the morning without a proper permit from the Council. Neighbours have complained of sleepless nights whilst some have temporarily moved to the homes of other relatives as the contractors finish the building, as well as the road and intersection upgrades within the school’s vicinity.

Gabba Ward Councillor Jonathan Sri has received the complaints since September and has raised these concerns to the Council.

“The private building contractor for the new Dutton Park high school seems to have managed the project poorly, and was way behind schedule,” Gabba Ward Councillor Jonathan Sri said. “They tried to make up for it by doing months and months of nightworks (on top of the usual 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daytime construction), directly across the road from residential properties, robbing people of sleep and peaceful enjoyment of their home.”

“We’ve uncovered that there were no permits for nightworks, so the construction company has been breaking the law and violating the Environmental Protection Act for months now,” Mr Sri added after the Council informed him that compliance was with the State Government, which is behind the project.

“The planning department is working closely with the Brisbane City Council and the contractor to find a solution,” a spokesperson for the State Government said.

Mr Sri is calling for compensation for residents whose lives were disrupted by this project. Nonetheless, the councillor said that everyone is excited about the school’s opening as it will provide for the demands of the expanding inner south.