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Granddad Jack to Open New Distillery and Tasting Room in Albion

Gin lovers, you’ll raise your glass to this exciting news! Granddad Jack, the very first craft, spirits and liqueurs distillery in the Gold Coast, is branching out to Brisbane. The family-owned business named after their patriarch, David “Granddad Jack” Goulding, will have its second outpost in Albion.

Granddad Jack boss Dave Ridden hopes that the new distillery and tasting room in Albion will start serving customers by May 2021. Construction has been heavily underway since the company announced plans to open the second shop in January.

“The Gold Coast’s favourite neighbourhood craft distillery is bringing their small-batch, award-winning spirits & liqueurs to Brisbane,” Granddad Jack’s operators said in a Facebook post.

“The family-owned business is passionate about creating the ultimate experience and are excited to join Brissy’s thriving craft culture.”

The $1.2 million-store in Albion might be smaller than its Miami facility but it will be equipped with a 300-litre still for on-site small-batch productions, allowing Grandad Jack to increase its yearly production to 250,000 litres. It’s also bringing much-needed jobs to Brisbane during the construction stage and when it starts trading.

Meanwhile, Granddad Jack’s taproom will be fitted and decorated with reclaimed construction materials and pre-loved items. Here’s where eastern Brisbane locals could get a sip of the distillery’s award-winning drinks, such as the Greenhouse gin, 65 Miles, Barbershop coffee liqueur, and the Penny vodka.

As with the Gold Coast site, this Albion facility is preparing plans for make-your-own gin classes, tastes test and tours as well.

Mr Ridden started Granddad Jack in 2018 with his son Luke Ridden. They have been using a 90-year-old secret family recipe for the drinks.

Portside Wharf: $141 Million Brookfield Residential Tower Approved

Brookfield Residential Properties is ramping up its next construction at the Portside Wharf in Northshore Hamilton following the approval of a $141 million residential tower development.

The new building, designed by Cottee Parker, will be the ninth Portside Wharf project by Brookfield and the 1000th apartment in the company’s portfolio.

Economic Development Queensland approved the tower for development in December 2020 (DEV2019/1073). It will stand next to Brookfield’s completed Gallery House One and Two on Wharf Street and will feature 150-units with a retail section on the ground floor and a fantastic view of the riverfront.

Among the key features of this development include the following:

151 apartments in total
50 one-bedroom apartments
73 two-bedroom apartments
25 three-bedroom apartments
3 four-bedroom apartments
penthouses with 270-degrees view of the riverfront
Four-level podium with decks for common and recreational facilities
infinity-edge pool
private function room
resident’s lounge
outdoor gardens with barbecue areas
Ground floor retail tenancies for 8 shops
230 onsite car spaces

Photo Credit: Brookfield Residential Properties

Brookfield managing director Lee Butterworth describes this tower as an “urban sub-tropical character that embraces and celebrates the riverfront address.” Most of the apartments will have unrestrained views of the river as well.

The company plans to launch the new apartments by the end of the year.

Portside Wharf is the $5-billion urban renewal project of the Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area.

Northshore School Holiday 2021 Program Brings Fun for Children of All Ages

Thinking of ways to get your kids away from the screen or off the couch this school holiday? Planning to get your family active outdoors? Bring everyone to Hamilton’s Northshore precinct from today till 21 Jan 2021 for heaps of things to do and enjoy together!

Bicycle Queensland and RiverLife are mounting exciting events for all ages at The Deck and at the Northshore Riverside Park. These activities are meant for everyone to learn, socialise and have a great time with their peers.

A. Learn to cycle, games and crafts
Location: Lawn next to The Deck, 257 Macarthur Avenue, Northshore Hamilton

There’s no prior booking needed but you will have to register when you arrive. Don’t forget to bring your bike!

DAY	DATE	TIME
Saturday	9th January	8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday	13th January	8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Thursday	14th January	8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Friday	15th January	8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday	17th January	8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday	20th January	8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Thursday	21st January	8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

B. Bike maintenance workshop
Location: Lawn next to The Deck, 257 Macarthur Avenue, Northshore Hamilton

Pre-registration required but this is still a free event for all ages. Bring your bike as well.

Saturday 9th January	Beginners workshop	8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
	Intermediate workshop	10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

C. Adventure day: rollerblading, kayaking, laser tag and a mystery activity
Location: Northshore Riverside Park (next to Northshore Harbour Café and Northshore CityCat stop)

Pre-registration and payment required for this event.

DAY	DATE	TIME
Friday	15th January	11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday	17th January	11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Encourage your kids to learn to love the outdoors by making them participate in these events. The children will not only learn or improve their skills but make lifelong friends and wonderful memories of their great times during the school holidays.

Excessive Aircraft Noise Over Hamilton May Persist for Two Years

Photo Credit: dmncwndrlch / Pixabay

Excessive aircraft noise over Hamilton and other suburbs under the flight path may persist for the next couple of years, BAC says.

It may take about two years before Hamilton, New Farm, Hamilton, Teneriffe, Hawthorne, Balmoral, and Bulimba residents could breathe a sigh of relief. Complaints from residents of these suburbs have risen after the Brisbane Airport’s new runway opened last July due to excessive noise from low-flying aircraft.

According to BAC, suburbs under the flight path may experience the same number and frequency of flights for the next couple of years. The border closures contributed to the higher volume of aircraft on the new runway where a majority of the state’s domestic flights were being routed.

However, more flights leaving and arriving would instead use the old runway, once border restrictions are lifted. When everything is back to “normal,” about 60 per cent of the flights will arrive or depart from the legacy runway and 40 per cent from the new runway.

Two online petitions have been launched by residents who have been affected by the aircraft noise with more than 3,000 people who have signed so far. One of the petitions said that low-level flights over their suburbs are unnecessary and that noise mitigation strategies, which were required as part of the approval process, were not being used.

The group already met with Brisbane MP Trevor Evans who agreed that the noise volume and footprint of the BAC’s new runway flight path is “a significant issue that must be addressed.” He also said that he will discuss the issues raised with the airports and the relevant commonwealth agencies and will seek a review of the situation.

Meanwhile, the other petition said that BAC should address issues that aggravate the noise impact of its operations to the community including:

ensure that departures over the bay are maximised when conditions are suitable (instead of over residential areas); and
require all jet aircraft to utilise the full length of the runway (instead of using “intersection departures”).

Kingsford Smith Drive Upgrade Completed, $30 Rebate Announced

Brisbane City Council / YouTube

The $650-million Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade has been completed and features six lanes of traffic between Cooksley Street and Theodore Street in Hamilton.

The upgraded Kingsford Smith Drive was officially opened last 27 October 2020. The speed limit along this arterial road was also restored to 60km/h from 40km/h.

$15 million project savings to result in $30 rebate

The council also announced the project was delivered $15 million under budget, hence, rate payers will be provided with a one-off rate rebate of almost $30 to be applied to rate notices issued 1 January 2021. The rebate effectively extends the six-month freeze on new rates for an additional quarter.

The massive project was first announced in 2013 which involved the widening of the road to six lanes allowing it to accommodate 70,000 vehicles each day. Expected to be delivered in 2019, the project was delayed for a year due to geotechnical issues.

Last year, the company contracted to deliver the upgrade project, Lendlease, reported a $47 million project cost blowout due to issues with the river’s retaining wall. Lendlease shouldered the additional cost of the project. Then-lord mayor Graham Quirk said that he was expecting very little of the contingency fund to be saved.

Cr Schrinner described the project as an engineering marvel which has employed more than 5,000 people who have, over the life of the project, undertaken more than 4.1 million work hours.

The now six-lane Kingsford Smith Drive links the CBD to the Airport, Port of Brisbane, Northshore Hamilton and Australia TradeCoast area. The upgraded road features two built out over the Brisbane River, intersection upgrades, and enhanced safety for road users.

The Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade project involved the addition of two new lanes and 7 kilometres of revitalised outdoor space with pedestrian and cycle lanes, 10 intersection modifications and 11 upgraded bus stops.

Kingsford Smith Drive Officially Opens, Tax Rebates Expected in 2021

The five-year Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade in Hamilton and Albion is finally done following the official reopening of the busy arterial road on Tuesday, the 27th of Oct 2020.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Councillor David McLachlan celebrated the upgrade’s completion with the installation of the speed limit sign from 40km/h to 60km/h for over 70,000 vehicles travelling through this road.

Mr Schrinner also announced that the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade’s completion was under budget for $15 million. As a result, ratepayers will receive a $30 rebate beginning 1 Jan 2021.

“Kingsford Smith Drive is officially complete and delivered under budget, with Brisbane ratepayers to pocket $15 million in savings from this transformational road project – that’s a rates rebate of almost $30 for all Brisbane ratepayers this January which will see the average residential rates bill go down for the first time in living memory,” Team Schrinner stated on Facebook.

Dubbed the “largest and most complex road projects” of the Brisbane City Council, the upgrade will deliver the following benefits:

33% increase in traffic carrying capacity
5,000 jobs supported
New Lores Bonney Riverwalk
7km of new & improved paths
8 intersections upgraded to improve safety
Upgraded public parks & spaces
134,000 plants & trees put in
Indented bus stop bays to improve traffic flow

This is welcome news for many residents and business owners in Hamilton who were severely impacted by the road closures. Originally aimed for a 2019 opening, geotechnical and engineering issues delayed the completion of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrades for nearly a year.

Hamilton to House Facility for Needle-Free Vaccines Production

Hamilton will become the homebase of a medical facility that will create needle-free vaccines for COVID-19. The proposed site at the Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area is expected to bring 139 jobs and $497 million to the Queensland economy, with active production spanning 10 years.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the partnership with Vaxxas, the manufacturer of the High-Density Micro-projection Array Patch (MAP) vaccine. A building from the Economic Development Queensland will be prepared for the medical company before the vaccine manufacture of 300 million patches every year beginning in 2022.

“For every parent worried about the anxiousness that comes with the delivery of a vaccine to a child through a shot, this technology has the potential to eliminate that anxiety,” Treasurer and Infrastructure and Planning Minister Cameron Dick said in a press statement.

Mr Dick also said that this facility will be significant to the economic recovery of the state from the pandemic as Queensland will attract highly-skilled jobs and advanced technology manufacturers.

The advanced technology entails a dry-coated vaccine patch to be applied to the skin. The vaccine deposits into the skin’s immune cells, which will create an efficient immune response. A doctor or a nurse won’t have to administer the patch.

Clinical trials at Australia’s Translational Research Institute in Woolloongabba show that the needle-free vaccines produce six times more antibodies within a short period compared to vaccines administered through the needle.

Photo Credit: Translational Research Institute/Facebook

Vaxxas’ new vaccine has the support of the World Health Organisation, the pharmaceutical company Merck and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Hamilton, Sherwood and West End Suncorp Branches to Close Following Major COVID-19 Revamp

Hamilton and Sherwood will join seven other Suncorp Queensland branches that are shutting down due to dwindling customer traffic.

The bank confirmed that nine Queensland branches will cease operation as bank services will migrate online.

Apart from Hamilton and Sherwood, Elanora, Stafford, Victoria Point and the Burpengary business centre will also close, whilst branches in Beenleigh and West End will shut down in October. These branches comprise 16 percent of the bank’s network across the country.

Suncorp has been closing offices since April, when strict COVID-19 restrictions were set in place.

The bank revealed that over-the-counter transactions have declined due to the pandemic. Most of their clients have switched to digital services and have been logging into the app or website instead of going to physical branches.

Suncorp’s app apparently has 10.78 million logins and over 517,000 unique users as of June 30. Usage also accelerated to four times the average early this year, just as the pandemic crisis started.

Several Suncorp staff are expected to lose their jobs but other qualified and suitable workers will be re-assigned at nearby branches or at the call centres.

Suncorp chief executive is Steve Johnston said that they expect more changes, especially with workers’ status, as the bank adopts the new model to respond to COVID-19.

Wendy Streets of the Finance Sector Union of Australia Queensland, however, said that Suncorp’s drastic measures to close branches have been going on for two years. Customers have had no branch services prior to the pandemic but the company attributed the closures to “changing customer behaviours.”

Disney+ Drive-In Cinema Popping Up In Hamilton this September

2020 has been met with a mixed bag of emotions by almost everyone so perhaps a dose of feel-good movies, like Disney classics, might help things seem brighter. For a whole month beginning 17 Sept 2020, a Disney+ drive-in cinema featuring popular movies — including Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar — is popping up at the Northshore Riverfront in Hamilton.

Presented by OpenAir Cinemas, the movies you grew up on or repeatedly enjoyed with families and friends will be beamed on the big screen and you can watch it safely inside your vehicle. Here’s your chance to relive the magic of Disney despite the limitations due to the pandemic.

The drive-in cinema will run until 18 Oct 2020. This event coincides with the launch of the Disney+ streaming service in Australia by November.

Disney+ Drive-In Movie List

Here are just some of the films you can expect to watch at the pop-up drive-in theater:

10 Things I Hate About You
101 Dalmatians (Animated)
Aladdin (Animated)
Aladdin (Live Action) w/ captions
Beauty and the Beast (Animated)
Beauty and the Beast (Live Action)
Black Panther
Captain Marvel
Cars
Cool Runnings
Edward Scissorhands
Finding Nemo
Frozen II Sing-Along
Frozen Sing-Along
Guardians of the Galaxy
Hocus Pocus
Inside Out
Lady and the Tramp (Animated)
Moana Sing-Along
Monsters Inc
Mrs Doubtfire
Ratatouille
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Greatest Showman Sing-Along
The Incredibles
The Jungle Book (Animated)
The Jungle Book (Live Action)
The Lion King (Animated)
The Lion King (Live Action) w/ captions
The Little Mermaid Sing-Along
The Mighty Ducks
The Princess Diaries
Thor Ragnarok
Toy Story
Up
Wall-e

OpenAir Cinemas will set up state-of-the-art audio-visual technology to enhance your viewing experience. Operations at the drive-in theater are fully contactless with a QR code system for ordering and customer service.

Check the dates and times of the viewing and book a ticket online. Take note of the movie theme nights to scale down your choices: Marvel Mondays, Star Wars Wednesdays, Throwback Thursdays, Fan Friday, Sing-a-long Saturdays and Pixar Sundays.

Car Park Proposed at Abandoned Post Delivery Centre in Albion

The site of an abandoned delivery centre used by the Australian Post in Albion may soon become a car park garage and warehouse depot.

Developer Reeljez Pty Ltd submitted a development application with the Brisbane City Council to transform the site on Lever St as a car park for commuters and residents who have been parking in the streets. The warehouse facility, on the other hand, is for storing materials for construction projects in the inner northeast suburbs.

Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council

Despite the rezoning of the area for residential use, the developer nixed plans to build a large medium-density residential building. Instead, Reeljez Pty Ltd optioned a Material Change since the company deemed a residential development is “commercially premature” at this time.

The abandoned site has an existing car park with 31 slots but Reeljez Pty Ltd said that, if approved, this new facility will be electronic and managed on a day-to-day basis. Customers of the car park will also be allowed to use the space until 7:00 p.m. only.

But the Council informed the developer during the pre-lodgement meeting on 29 July 2020 to submit a strategic framework demonstrating how it plans to correct the issues seen, given that the area is for residential use. The parking and warehouse might also generate non-residential traffic that could lead to conflicts with pedestrians on Lever St and the nearby streets.