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Approved: 15-Storey Apartment Tower Next to Heritage-Listed Shafston House

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/

A controversial 15-level luxury apartment tower next to the heritage-listed Shafston House has been approved after development plans were suitably revised.

The approval follows a State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) decision in January 2023, giving the proposed development the green light after the developer revised its plans. The Burgundy Group proposes a 15-storey tower comprising 37 luxury three- and four-bedroom apartment units on the grounds of the home at 23 Castlebar Street in Kangaroo Point.

Approved: 15-Storey Apartment Tower Next to Heritage-Listed Shafston House — Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/

The State Assessment and Referral Agency initially told the developers to amend its original plans and reconsider the location, scale, bulk, form and architectural details of the proposed tower that they want to build next to the heritage house, among other reasons.

According to the revised plans, the proposed apartment building will be located further from the heritage-listed Shafston House and the height reduced by 5.3 metres as well as the use of a lighter colour scheme.

The two riverside homes on the northern edge of the site have been scrapped whilst the two terrace homes on the southern edge have been reduced in scale.

Shafston House

Initially built in 1851 by Rev Robert Creyke, the heritage-listed Shafston House is one of the oldest homes in Brisbane. From being a private residence, the site became an Anzac Hostel (1919-69) and also served as an accommodation for the Royal Australian Air Force (1969-87) before it was redeveloped as part of the Shafston International College (1995-96). The single-storey cottage had several owners and had also undergone several stages of construction, renovations and extension.

The proposal attracted 200 submissions with a majority opposing the plans due to several issues including its impact on traffic, loss of community open green space, overshadowing of neighbouring buildings, and that it is undermining the heritage importance of Shafston House.

Published 28-March-2023

Kangaroo Point Playground and Dog Park Closed Following Lead Discovery

Kangaroo Point’s C.T. White Park and James Warner Park have been temporarily closed to the public, after routine soil testing yielded traces of lead on park grounds.

Following a routine soil testing tied to the preparations for the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project nearby, the two sites were quietly closed for remediation in February 2023. The playground and dog park are expected to re-open by April 2023.

There were no signages explaining the temporary closure to the locals who frequent the parks, per Cr Jonathan Sriranganathan. After asking Council, Cr Sriranganathan was told that the level of contaminated soil on C.T. White Park and James Warner Park necessitated the temporary closure.

“Elevated lead levels have been detected in parts of the two parks. Areas where soil is exposed, as in the DOLA, can increase the risk of exposure for users of the parks and therefore Council’s immediate response is to close these areas while an interim solution is implemented,” a Council spokesperson said.

Kangaroo Point CT White Park — Photo Credits: Google Maps screengrab

The spokesperson further stated that C.T. White Park and James Warner Park are not on the list of Queensland’s Environmental Management Register for contaminated land. But based on the historic information, these parks were a shipyard in the 1800s and an industrial site before the 1940s. The Kangaroo Point parks were not developed until after 1946 thus the contamination likely happened more than 80 years ago.

“Council is working to put in place measures to allow the facilities to reopen while a longer term solution is planned,” the spokesperson said.

In 2021, James Warner Park was transformed into an off-leash dog park despite some objections from the locals who said that Kangaroo Point residents can continue to walk their dogs whilst leashed.

A public health expert, however, said that there is no need to panic about possible contamination to lead.

“You have to consider how much time you spent in the location where this lead is, the routes [of ingestion] and amount of lead that is present,” University of Queensland School of Public Health Associate Professor Nicholas Osborne said.

“It might not be a worry at all, it might be three feet under a very secure amount of dirt which means that humans don’t get any exposure.”

Published 25 March 2023

Proposed Climate Transition Plan: No New Coal and Gas Approvals, Wind Down Fossil Fuel Industry by 2030

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

A proposal to ban new coal and gas approvals and phase out fossil fuel exports by 2030 has been formally introduced in the house.

On Wednesday morning, 15 March 2023, protesters carrying a 4.5 metre-tall “zombie koala” shut down Brisbane’s CBD as the Greens are set to introduce a new bill in the house that seeks to ban new coal and gas approvals and to wind down the fossil fuel industry this decade.

An independent Queensland Climate Transition Authority will be created for the purpose of overseeing the targets and developing a fair transition plan that will replace coal and gas jobs with alternative job opportunities by 2030.

Greens MP Michael Berkman said that Queensland is also a major contributor to the climate crisis and has also seen some of its worst impacts which call for a climate action plan that will cut emissions in the coming decade.

Climate science, he said, calls for getting rid of fossil fuels completely which is why the new bill would seek to ban new coal and gas approvals and phase out fossil fuel exports by 2030.

An International Energy Agency report on the global energy sector’s roadmap to net-zero emissions by 2050, suggested that governments should already stop investing in “new fossil fuel supply projects” and there should be “no further final investment decisions for new unabated coal plants.”

Currently, Queensland’s emissions reduction targets are a 30 per cent reduction by 2030 and a net zero by 2050. However, he said that independent modelling shows that these reduction targets do not comply with the Paris Agreement objective of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To meet these objectives, emissions should be reduced by approximately 74 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net zero by the mid-2030s.

“I’m introducing a bill for a climate action plan that is consistent with the science and will help build Queensland’s future beyond coal and gas,” he said.

“If we don’t make these changes Queenslanders will see more floods, fires and heatwaves, higher grocery prices, skyrocketing insurance premiums and sudden job losses.

“One way or another, coal and gas are on the way out.

The Queensland Climate Transition Bill at a glance:

Bans new coal, oil and gas approvals
Sets stronger emission reduction targets of 75% by 2030 and net zero by 2035
Creates an independent Queensland Climate Transition Authority to oversee the targets and develop a plan to phase out coal, oil and gas exports by 2030

Published 19-March-2023

Residential Tower With Sports and Recreation Facilities Proposed on Darragh Street

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au

A proposal for 49 dwelling units across a 15-storey residential tower on Darragh Street in Kangaroo Point is currently being assessed by Council.

Su Ing Pty Ltd lodged a proposal last December 2022 seeking to establish a 15-storey tower containing 49 dwelling units, a 33 sqm small food and drink outlet with an adjacent outdoor seating area.

Located at 51 Darragh Street, the Peddle Thorp Architects-designed proposed development includes a continued provision of indoor and outdoor sports and recreation facilities – two tennis courts, change facilities and a swimming pool.

Artist’s impression of tennis courts, change facilities and a swimming pool on the proposed 15-storey residential tower on Darragh Street | Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The 49 dwellings comprise 42 three-bedroom units and seven four-bedroom units. Generous balcony sizes between 25sqm and 67sqm will be provided for each dwelling unit. A 2,672 sqm of communal open space is also proposed in the form of a roof garden containing a rooftop pool, pool terrace recreation area, yoga lawn, communal exercise equipment, communal barbecue area and a multi-purpose lawn.

“The proposed multiple dwelling has been designed as a ‘tower in a garden’ and will provide a high-quality architectural and landscape architectural outcome for the site. The building has been designed to incorporate a combination of architectural features, materials and building recesses across all facades of the building. in particular, the architecture of the building takes inspiration from the materiality and features of the Kangaroo Point landscape. This will ensure a highly articulated and visually interesting building that will make a positive contribution to the Kangaroo Point skyline.” – Urbis

The indoor sports and recreation facilities will include a gymnasium on the ground floor level and will have a gross floor area of 184 square metres. Meanwhile, the outdoor sports and recreation facilities will contain a two-level tennis court with an adjacent pool on the northwest part of the site. Change rooms and amenities are also provided in the plans.

The proposal’s design ensures that the sports and recreation facilities can continue their operations at all times during the development’s construction and operation.

proposed food and drink outlet and outdoor seating — Proposed food and drink outlet and outdoor seating | Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au

A cafe is proposed at the building’s ground level with a gross floor area of 33 sqm and is proposed to operate between 6 am to 8 pm. It will have additional outdoor seating in the adjacent garden.

A total of 109 car parking spaces will be provided across three basement levels consisting of 102 resident and seven visitor car parking spaces.

To facilitate the development, the existing three-storey building which contains a pool, gym, tennis courts and associated cafe will be demolished.

Published 14-March-2023

Shafston House Could Be Restored To Its Former Glory As Residential Dwelling

Shafston House in Kangaroo Point has been many different things to many people — a family residence, a school, and a care facility after the war, among other uses. Did you know it could soon be restored to its former glory as a residential dwelling if plans push through?

Read: Work Begins On The Tallest Office Tower In Kangaroo Point

A proposed developed project, which has received hundreds of submissions from locals who mostly oppose the project, is now up for Council approval.

The State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) has given its nod to the project, given that the developers will adhere to certain requirements, such as limiting its future use to single dwelling and keeping the grassed lawn area free from development.

Burgundy Group, the developers behind the project, scrapped plans to build two two-storey homes on the northern edge of the site.

In its website, developers highlighted that the formal lawn area between Shafston House and the river will be retained, protected and maintained to a higher standard.

Based on the planning documents, Burgundy is planning to build a single 15-storey residential apartment building on the site. If approved, it will feature 37 spacious three and four bedroom units.

“The proposed development concept ensures that significant view lines to Shafston House, to and from the Brisbane River will be retained, as will the formal lawn through the middle of the site,” Burgundy Group stated.

They said the planned development is in keeping with Council’s planning guidelines for the site and for Kangaroo Point as set out in the Brisbane City Plan 2014 planning scheme.

Further details about the proposed development can be viewed at Council’s PD Online with the reference A005933994.

History of Shafston House

Located at 23 Castlebar Street, Kangaroo Point, the single-storeyed residence, was originally built for Rev. Robert Creyke as ‘Ravenscot’ in 1851.

In 1852, Darling Downs pastoralist and politician Henry Stuart Russell acquired the property and renamed it Shaftson, taken from a place in Jamaica where his wife was born.

By then, it was constructed of brick and stone, contained a drawing room and dining room separated by folding doors, five large bedrooms, closets and a roomy pantry.

After Mr Russell, the property had several owners including grazier and sugar-grower Louis Hope, pastoralist James Henry McConnel, and Mary Jane Foster, wife of Charles Milne Foster of Brisbane ironmongers Foster and Kelk.

In 1915, it was leased to the Creche and Kindergarten Association as a teacher training centre.

However, it was acquired by the Commonwealth government who converted it into Anzac Hotel, a care and treatment facility for ex-servicemen in 1919 after the Great War. It underwent extensive alterations at the time.

The property was converted to freehold title between 1998 and 2002. Shafston House was entered on the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 February 2005.

Read: Kangaroo Point Green Bridge Project Reaches Important Milestone

Burgundy Group Property Development, current owners of the property, reportedly acquired in 2020 for $15 million.

Kangaroo Point Green Bridge Project Reaches Important Milestone

The first steel bridge deck span has been installed for the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project, marking a crucial milestone for one of the city’s new green bridges.

Read: Two Dining Destinations Planned for Kangaroo Point Green Bridge Site

The recently installed bridge deck span will help connect the CBD landing site at Alice and Edward Streets to the first bridge pier.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner anticipates that the Kangaroo Point Green Bridgeproject will be an icon for Brisbane when complete, with images of the bridge and its striking 83-metre mast certain to become synonymous with the city in the years to come.

The bridge is also expected to provide a critical link between the Gabba Stadium and the CBD, especially during the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Wherever I go in Brisbane, people are keen to know more about this fantastic project, so it’s great we can start the year by announcing the bridge has reached this key milestone,” Cr Schrinner said.

Brisbane City Council has added two waterfront food and beverage opportunities to the project. The restaurant, which will feature both indoor and alfresco seating, will be set above water and promises stunning views of the river, the CBD, Story Bridge, and Kangaroo Point Cliffs.

It will also have its own cafe, measuring 90sqm and will be located near the new urban plaza that will be constructed where Edward and Alice Streets meet the Brisbane River.

Construction areas map (Photo credit: www.brisbane.qld.gov.au)

Based on the Council’s timeline, the final fit out of the bridge and landing points, including paving and landscaping will take place in 2023. Later this year, they will work on the construction of the Main Street and Deakin Street connection.

Works for the green bridge are expected to be complete by 2024. Because of the works being done, Council is advising pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists to go on detour routes during the temporary fully road and footpath closure at the corner of Edward and Alice Streets.

Read: Story Bridge Restoration Project in Kangaroo Point to take More than 10 Years

Further construction updates about the project can be viewed via Council’s website. You may also sign up for email/SMS updates about the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project.

New Director at Catherine’s House – Mater Moves to Kangaroo Point To Take on Inaugural Role

Infant and perinatal psychiatrist Dr Beth Mah has moved to Brisbane from New South Wales to take on the inaugural role of Director of Catherine’s House for Mothers, Babies and Families at Mater Hill.

“Goosebumps” is how the former Saint John of God Healthcare clinical lead psychiatrist described what she felt about the prospects of leading Mater’s new perinatal mental health centre and its multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, lactation consultations, allied health practitioners, paediatricians, nurses, and other professionals.

Queensland’s first integrated perinatal mental health service, Catherine’s House is set to open in early 2023. The facility will cater to parents experiencing serious depression, anxiety and other mental health issues around the birth of their baby. Here, they can stay with their infants whilst receiving treatment.

Catherine’s House, formerly Sisters of Mercy convent, features a comprehensive, integrated perinatal mental health service including 10 in-patient beds that are available for public and private patients. There’s also a Parent Support Centre for parents and babies up to six months after birth, a home-visiting service to help improve infant-parent relationships, individual and group therapy treatments and day programs.

“Catherine’s House will be helping women who are not well enough to be looked after in their own community,” Dr Mah, from Kangaroo Point, said.

“We will also admit mums who are suffering post-partum psychosis, which is a severe and debilitating illness that really interrupts family life, and mums who have complex and numerous diagnoses that often stem from childhood trauma, severe depression, and anxiety.

“It makes me feel very proud and excited. I am so impressed with the huge body of work my colleagues have done over the past years to get this project to where it is today, close to opening.”

Dr Mah, 56, is the recipient of more than 10 research scholarships, including a grant from the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation for Neurofeedback for complex PTSD symptoms in Aboriginal foster children.

“I want families to palpably feel that we respect their growth as a parent,” she said.

“We want them to use the time in our centre to settle the symptoms they are struggling with to become the kind of parent they want to be.

The fit-for-purpose, custom-built Catherine’s House was delivered through community donations to Mater Foundation amounting to more than $17 million, as well as funding from the State Government.

Published 29-January-2023

W Brisbane’s Float In Cinema Returns For A One-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day

If your idea of a perfect Valentine’s is spending an evening watching a film whilst sipping cocktails, W Brisbane’s Float In Cinema has you covered.

Read: New Bubble Tea Shop In Brisbane CBD Will Leave You Wanting ‘Moo’-re

This year, it will be taking over WET Deck at the iconic hotel for a special three-night event, with these films to look forward to!

The Other Woman

Sunday, 12 February 2023 at 6:30PM

Photo credit: www.20thcenturystudios.com

The 2014 rom-com, starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton, is often regarded as one of the best movies to watch with friends. Beyond the romance, revenge, and infidelity, this movie deals more about friendship and how the lead characters support and empower each other despite their differences.

Focus

Monday, 13 February 2023 at 6:30PM

Although Focus isn’t a rom-com movie, this Will Smith-starrer tells the story of how his character Nicky, a veteran con man, was reunited with Jess (Margot Robbie), the woman from his past who later became an accomplished femme fatale.

Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, 14 February 2023 at 6:30PM

The star-studded movie is worth watching if you’re into romantic comedy. As the tagline of the movie says, it’s a love story, more or less.

Meanwhile, each ticket at W Brisbane’s Float in Cinema ($109pp) comes with your choice of Grazing Box, and a glass of bubbles or the “I Heart You,” specialty cocktail on arrival.

Guests will be able to enjoy these romance-inspired films whilst settling into their own ultra-comfy inflatable pool recliner lounge. Additional drinks and food will also be available for purchase throughout the night.

Read: Two Dining Destinations Planned for Kangaroo Point Green Bridge Site

For more details about the event, including getting your tickets, visit W Brisbane’s Facebook page or visit Eventbrite.com.au.

Duke Street, Kangaroo Point Soon to Be Home of New 86-Unit Apartment Development

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au

Council has recently granted approval to a development proposal seeking to establish a new 86-unit apartment project on Duke Street at Kangaroo Point.

The Pelicano project will be built on a 1,400 sqm site located at 21 Duke Street, Kangaroo Point. To be called “Story House”, the eight-storey building will comprise 86 one and two-bedroom apartments plus a lap pool with a pool deck and spa, a yoga lawn, a lounge, a dining and barbecue area, and an outdoor gym.

Duke Street, Kangaroo Point Soon to Be Home of New 86-Unit Apartment Development — Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The units at Levels 1 to 3 are designed to be “flexible’, in that they can be utilised as either short-term accommodation or multiple-dwelling units. This is to take advantage of the project’s location next to the planned Olympics Stadium. Meanwhile, the rest of the units on the above levels will be for multiple dwelling use only.

Each unit will be provided with a private open space area except for the accommodation units on levels 2 and 3 which will instead be provided with access to the rooftop open space area.

There will also be 73 parking spaces across two levels with onsite bicycle parking also provided within the bicycle parking room on the ground floor and on the basement levels.

“…the design includes warm, natural tones, textures and finishes to the building ‘base’, providing a more natural feel to the public realm and recollection of material tones historically in the area. The top section of the building responds to the current trends of the developing area, with a play on textured off white and grey finishes to break down the vertical layering of the building while emphasizing the sculptural articulation of the balcony form’ – DBI Architecture

Family-owned Pellicano also has several other developments underway including Perry House in Bowen Hills, Solarino House in Brunswick, Pivot House in Geelong and the Berwick House in Fortitude Valley.

Published 19-January-2023

Eagle Street Pier Complex Nearing Demolition After Court Allows Waterfront Brisbane

Residents and businesses have lost a hard-fought campaign against a developer’s plans to tear down 30-year-old Eagle Street Pier complex to build the $2.1-billion Waterfront Brisbane, located across the Brisbane River from Kangaroo Point.

Read: Two Dining Destinations Planned for Kangaroo Point Green Bridge Site

This comes after Judge Michael Williamson of the Planning and Environment Court has dismissed the appeal, ending a two-year battle between residents and Dexus, the developers of Waterfront Brisbane.

Eagle Street Pier — Photo credit: David Patterson/Google Maps

Brisbane City Council approved the project back in December 2020. However, it received opposition from the community, particularly property owners nearby, just a couple of months later. Among those who wished to have Council’s rulings overturned were the apartment owners of the neighbouring 53-storey Riparian Plaza.

One of the tenants of the skyscraper believes Waterfront Brisbane is just oversized and would be disproportionate to the rest of the riverside buildings.

The demolition of Eagle Street Pier impacted many establishments in the area, especially restaurants which were forced to close in July 2022 in preparation for the billion-dollar development of the precinct.

A handful of restaurants and bars already ceased trading in the area, including Coppa, City Winery, Naga Thai, The Coffee Club, The Bavarian, and Mr and Mrs G.

Waterfront Brisbane Construction

Photo credit: https://www.waterfrontbrisbane.com.au/

Waterfront Brisbane will deliver two new towers with a combined 120,000sqm of office space, enhanced retail offering, and substantial improvements to the riverwalk.

Works also include construction of large public plazas opening on to the river, a widening of the riverwalk to at least six metres for the full length of the site, ramping to allow cyclists ease of access to street level.

John Holland, contractors of the 49-storey, north tower of the project, originally planned to begin construction by the end of 2022 and have it complete by 2027. The company is expecting to employ up to 650 workers at the peak of construction.

Read: Story Bridge Restoration Project in Kangaroo Point to take More than 10 Years

The delivery of the Waterfront Brisbane scheme will also require temporary closure and diversion of the Riverwalk. Riverwalk closure is planned for 2023, with reopening scheduled for 2024.

For updates about Waterfront Brisbane, visit Dexus’ website.