Renovation projects are at an all-time high in Brisbane, with Paddington, Camp Hill, and Bardon taking the top three spots for having the most renovations done in the last nine months, following the reduction of development fees.
Across the city, some 2,000 renovation projects have reportedly been undertaken, driving more demands for tradies and boosting the building and construction industry during an economically challenging period as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that various residents across 150 suburbs, especially from Paddington, Camp Hill and Bardon, as well as Pallara and Bulimba, have enjoyed the renovation discounts launched by Brisbane City Council in July 2020.
“It’s all part of my Council’s plan to support Brisbane residents and boost local business when they need it most,” the mayor said.
Photo Credit: jarmolouk/Pixabay
Mike Roberts of the Housing Industry Australia Queensland said the Council’s initiative was a big win for the economy, the tradies who still have jobs, and for the homeowners. As residents are spending more time at home due to their new work-at-home set-ups, they’re also taking on home improvement projects.
Among the most common renovation projects were adding more rooms to the house, modifications in the carport, installing a pool or deck (shared living areas), and adding a shed in the backyard.
Here’s how the suburbs have stacked up with renovation projects from mid-2020 to mid-2021:
Realestate.com.au reports that the renovation boom is also happening across the country with a national average cost of $63,188 per project. In Queensland, the average renovation project cost is $60,560.
Offering a delectable modern brunch menu, this café serves up delicious all-day options such as their Brisket Benny, which consists of spice-rubbed brisket, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, jalapeno cornbread, confit garlic and rosemary.
Their more savoury meals are contrasted by their sweeter, more dessert-like Sweetshop Waffles served with PBJ ice cream, macerated strawberry and choc hazelnut crumb. Other sugary options include their smoothies. The Cuban, for instance, is made up of banana, pineapple, papaya, apple and coconut water all blended together.
As their name suggests, the café also serves specialty coffee. Their house blend, Seven Seeds Espresso Blend, possesses a sweet and balanced flavour with hints of caramel. It consists of a fifty-fifty split between beans from Gallito De La Roca, Peru, and Palermo, Colombia. Seven Seeds’ coffee in particular highlights good acidity, clarity, and sweetness.
Reviews from customers have been generally positive, with comments speaking favourably of the restaurant’s coffee and atmosphere. One person remarked that it was a “Relaxing space to be in” and complimented the café on its expert baristas and convenient location. Another wrote that “The staff are highly trained with vast knowledge on the blends they use and how to make them.”
Photo credit: Facebook/Sweetshop Specialty Coffee
The café can be found at Shop 3/1A, Stuartholme Road, Bardon, open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 8:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. on Sundays.
To learn more about the café, visit their website here. Follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on meals, deals and dates, as well as any other special announcements.
Bardon recorded a house price growth of 25 percent in the first quarter of 2021, making it one of the top choices for homebuyers looking to invest in Brisbane’s inner-west.
In 2021, the quarterly growth rate for Bardon is at 25.8-percent whilst the median house price is $1.17million.
Meanwhile, topping this year’s list is Chelmer, with a 65.1% growth rate and a median house price of $1.27m. Just this year, Chelmer already recorded two significant sales and the latest one is a contemporary house along Laurel Ave sold for $1.85 million.
Bardon is considered one of the best suburbs for raising a family or settling down. Besides its proximity to the CBD, Bardon has an appealing environment and accessible public transport system.
In February 2021, a four-bedroom, a post-war home located at 55 Outlook Crescent in Bardon sold for $2 million. The 1,264-sqm property was subdivided into two lots.
A separate report by Realestate.com.au finds that around 20 percent of people who live in Bardon are established couples and families. Around 18.7 percent are older couples and families whilst the remaining 15.6 percent are maturing couples and families.
Bardon is one of Brisbane’s school catchment zone, no wonder why families choose to live in the area. It’s home to Rainworth State School, one of the top-performing primary schools in Queensland.
Many long-time residents stay in Bardon because of the excellent schools within the suburb’s catchment area, such as Rainworth State School, Brisbane Girls Grammar, and St Joseph’s in Gregory Terrace.
In order to accommodate the Tour de Brisbane, major roads along Bardon and beyond will temporarily be closed down, including Milton Road, Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, Birdwood Terrace, and Mt Coot-tha Road.
To guarantee the safety and security for both riders and spectators, Nxsport’s cyclist event organisers of the Tour de Brisbane — scheduled for April 11, 2021 — have taken extra measures to close major roads and divert traffic along the route with the help and management of the Queensland Police Service and Altus Traffic Control.
Major roads across Brisbane will temporarily be closed to accommodate the tour participants and spectators, including roads near Bardon such as Milton Road, Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, Birdwood Terrace, and Mt Coot-tha Road. For a complete schedule of all temporary road closures, visit their website.
It is estimated that over 7,000 cyclists of various ages and skill levels will join the event across Brisbane and partake in a 110-kilometre bike ride around closed city roads.
The cyclist event was created in partnership with Splatt Lawyers as a fundraiser for a transplant research initiative titled The Common Good — a project of the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. Goals have been set to raise $200,000 to support the initiative.
Roads closed for the 110-km cyclist event are marked in red. Photo credit: Google Maps/Tour de Brisbane
The Tour de Brisbane is scheduled to take place on the 11th of April, 2021, and official entries are to close on the 31st of March. Those interested in partaking or learning more about the event can visit their website. For more information and for the latest updates concerning the event, follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Did you know that the suburbs comprising the 4065 postcode (that’s Rainworth, Bardon, and Bardon West), had one of the lowest reported offences in Brisbane last year, making 4065 third on the list of the safest suburbs list In Brisbane, after Nathan in the south and Eatons Hill in the north?
From January 2020 to January 2021, 177 offences were reported in the area, according to Queensland Police Service Online Crime Map. Most of these were unlawful entry, theft and drug-related reports, which peaked during the holidays, whilst just five offences relating to assault or disorderly conducted were filed with the police.
For a 14-day period from late December 2020 to early January 2021, the Inner West Patrol Group warned residents of an increase in home burglaries and vehicular thefts. At least 20 home dwellings had an attempted break-in whilst the police logged 16 stolen cars. In Bardon, the incidents happened on Empress Terrace, Carroll Street and Mahara Street.
As a result, the police increased patrols and conducted proactive crime prevention and security engagements with the Inner West Neighbourhood Watch Groups and the local government.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
To the over 10,000 residents of Bardon, this quiet and leafy western suburb is more than just open spaces, trees or hills. It is a place with a high socio-economic community, thriving local cafes, beautiful homes, and heaps of good public and private schools.
Bardon has been pegged as a great place to raise a family. This appealing environment is close to the CBD with an effective and accessible public transport system.
Most people may prefer a spacious and trendy bookstore with a cosy atmosphere for browsing but there’s nothing quite like this Bardon bookshop found on Morgan Terrace. Truth be told, this store wasn’t set up to impress visitors but behind its run-down appearance, Logical Unsanity Books and Miscellaneous Phantasmagoria could be described as a treasured sanctuary.
Among styrofoam boxes that work as shelves and a hodgepodge of old furniture, Logical Unsanity Books has a book collection that may be the envy of other well-funded and well-maintained libraries.
People come inside, browse the current books and simply pay whatever they could afford — or take the books for free. Bring a suitcase for your haul, just in case!
Photo Credit: FacebookPhoto Credit: Facebook
Yarran Jenkins has had this Bardon bookshop for more than five years and it surprisingly thrives 24-hours-a-day without a staff nor security. He admitted that he initially didn’t want to mind a store day in, day out so he decided to leave it open for anyone interested.
Over the years, Logical Unsanity Books has built a loyal following, who aren’t necessarily from Bardon. Mr Jenkins believes that people enjoy coming to the shop despite the way it looks because no one will judge them.
The owner said that he has seen blue-collar workers, who actually love a good book or two, coming back to his store.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Logical Unsanity Books has a guest book with inspiring messages from the shoppers. Many of these messages express gratitude for leaving the store open 24/7 as it has saved them from stress and anxiety, especially during late nights.
This bookshop doesn’t provide for Mr Jenkins’ basic needs, like food or rent, but it brings him a lot of good karma. It has opened the doors for him to set up his main store in West End. The Book Merchant Jenkins is a specialty shop for rare or antiquarian books.
A Bardon childcare centre development proposal has received hundreds of resistance from residents because of its dangerous intersection location on Chiswick Road.
Public submissions continue to pour on the development application (A005563407) lodged with Brisbane City Council in October.
The developer, Corella Property Investment Trust, wants to build a childcare centre with a left-in, left-out Chiswick Road access and a 22-vehicle parking space. A traffic assessment indicated that the planned driveway will not bring any significant impact to a pedestrian refuge island near the crossover.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council
However, residents are voicing out serious concerns about safety. Chiswick Road is opposite the hilly Cecil Road, which peaks in traffic during school runs and pick-ups since there are three primary schools in the area.
Multiple chicanes have been installed on Cecil Road to encourage cars to slow down but locals said that driving through this particular street might be comparable to the challenging Bathurst racing car course.
“This part of Bardon is already burdened by 2 schools that jam traffic up in the morning and the evening—and now you want to add a third hazard?” one resident said.
“The T-intersection adjacent to the site is extremely busy now especially during peak hours which is not good considering small children will be thrown into the mix. Secondly. the area is already well serviced by child care centres, there are at least ten. Thirdly, the community demographic is not one of the families with very young children, most are primary or secondary school age, so why the need?” another local shared in the public submission.
Michael Berk, Greens MP for Maiwar, posted on Facebook that he also submitted his reasons for opposing the Bardon childcare centre development after residents informed him of their concerns. Mr Berk said he’ll make a formal submission to the Council as well.
“We would like to see significant safety upgrades, especially to make sure parents can safely walk with their kids for drop-off and pick-up,” Mr Berkman said.
Bardon mumpreneur Sarah Yip of KEASE International has been named as a finalist in four categories of the 2020 AusMumpreneur Awards which aim to celebrate and recognise outstanding Australian Mums in business.
Sarah, who is the managing director for Kease International will be competing against fellow mumpreneurs in the following categories:
The awards, presented by The Women’s Business School, are given to outstanding businesswomen who have achieved success in areas such as business excellence, product development, customer service, and digital innovation. They are particularly designed to recognise women who have done successfully well in balancing motherhood and business.
For 14 years, Sarah has established a strong reputation in the areas of emotional intelligence, leadership, and team dynamics. She is a well-known global keynote speaker on “EI in the Age of AI” as well as on topics of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Photo: Supplied
In 2019, Sarah led KEASE in its expansion and rebranding to “KEASE International,” offering holistic and bespoke leadership solution services that include capability development, coaching, and on-going support.
The company’s list of clients includes those in government, private corporations, ASX200 listed companies, and elite sporting managers.
Sarah’s biggest achievement is evident in how KEASE International operates. Each associate in the company is a subject matter expert in a certain field. The fields of expertise range from digital transformation to creative thinking, design, and emotional intelligence. KEASE International creates long-term relationships with its clients to identify areas of growth that can be turned into projects.
New Business Venture During the Pandemic
Sarah is happy to be named as a finalist for AusMumpreneur Awards and is proud of her team’s achievements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m particularly proud of how we’ve come together as a team and pivoted the business to not only find relevance but also in helping other leaders thrive through COVID‐19,” she said.
Photo: Supplied
In the wake of COVID-19, Sarah and her team found an opportunity to gather business leaders to share challenges and come up with realistic solutions during such uncertain times. This has culminated in a new business venture called The Leaders Lounge.
“In April this year we set-up Leaders Lounge as a safe learning space and a way to provide on-demand coaching and mentoring to leaders, where content was 100% designed around their specific challenges; they asked the questions, we provided the guidance and answers.
“This service has made a measurable difference to leaders who felt isolated, uncertain and under pressure in these extraordinary times, and has continued to grow month by month.”
As Ausmumpreneur Awards celebrate business mums in the country, Sarah feels proud of the opportunities that KEASE International is providing her mostly female team.
“Over 90% of the KEASE Associates are females and mothers. Through KEASE they’ve found a safe place to connect with others who understand and a workplace that offers flexibility and inclusion, not often found in standard workplaces,” Sarah said.
“By creating an inclusive and supportive environment, we have been able to attract and retain top talent.
“Furthermore, fostering an environment of mutual trust, support and rewarding meaningful contribution, we have been able to form new collaborations and client relationships. It’s a win/win situation.”
A Coles Local and Vintage Cellars bottle shop may soon open across a retail complex in MacGregor Tce, if a development application lodged with the Brisbane City Council successfully passes approval. While it may mean business and jobs coming to the ward, traffic concerns over the location could hamper its success.
Those opposed to the development said that the location of the mini-store is a busy area and a Coles Local will likely intensify the congested traffic in a known bottleneck. MacGregor Tce has two narrow lanes that easily fill up with cars coming from the retail stores.
The proposal also includes 105 parking spaces. This means more carpark access for shoppers but more traffic on the road, which could also lead to road accidents.
“The location of a shopping precinct in this area will negatively impact the flow of traffic in an already busy and difficult to exit area,” one opposition to the development application stated.
“The amount of car parking provided will encourage car trips levels that will have a significant impact on surrounding land, including amenity and pedestrian connectivity, ” another resident said.
Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council
But Pradella, the developer, sought a traffic assessment of the site from an independent consultant, which stated that a Coles Local may generate less traffic even during peak periods.
“The proposed development is anticipated to generate in the order of 250 vph (vehicles per hour) during the weekday PM peak period and 286 vph in the Saturday peak period,” Cardno stated in its assessment. “This indicates the proposed development generates 78 less vehicles in the weekday PM peak and 148 less vehicles in the Saturday.”
Councillor James Mackay said that Council should carefully weigh the proposal’s traffic implications in as much as he welcomes the development. MP Michael Berkman, on the other hand, also asked the Council to study the proposal and consult with the community as it will affect commuters and the neigbourhood.
The MP’s call comes as Cr Peter Matic said that the proposed development fits with the zoning requirements, which means it’s code-accessible and won’t require appeals from residents. He said that State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) should also look into the traffic implications since Macgregor Tce is a State Government controlled road.
If approved, the development will knock down three mixed-use commercial and retail buildings. Coles said it’s not the developer or the owner of the site but it advocates for safety and will ensure that this is a key consideration in the planned site.
Commuters traveling on one of Bardon’s busy roads will soon notice that their trips have taken a turn for the better.
Local state MP Michael Berkman (Greens) is pushing for the improvement of several dangerous sections of MetRoad 5 and the roundabout at the Rainworth, Boundary, and Rouen Roads intersection.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads, under Minister Mark Bailey, and Mr Berkman have been working together to identify and address safety hotspots.
Signages and Handrails
The Bardon roundabout is a notoriously dangerous spot for pedestrians. It is a hub for community traffic from the nearby Bardon shed, a childcare centre, shopping strip, Rainworth State School, and Norman Buchan Park.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
“I have recently secured some simple safety improvements at the roundabout including high-vis signage and handrails, much better warning signs for motorists and some vegetation trimming to improve visibility,’’ Mr Berkman said in a statement for the press.
Meanwhile, portions of MetRoad 5 running through Bardon are included in the safety campaign, from Kedron to Toowong, including MacGregor Tce, Boundary Rd, Rouen Rd, and Frederick Street.
Speed Limit Downgrade & Traffic Light Upgrades
MetRoad 5 (Photo Credit: Google Maps)
The major changes being recommended along MetRoad 5 include a reduction of the speed limit along the stretch between the MacGregor Tce shops and the roundabout on Rouen Rd and an upgrade of the visibility of traffic lights at the MacGregor Tce and Simpsons Rd intersection.
Residents have long complained about speeding drivers disregarding traffic lights at the intersection around that shopping strip.
It is unlikely, however, that any speed limit change could materialise soon. Such changes need to have the support and participation of stakeholders from the QLD Police Service and BCC, along with a plethora of technical research and recommendations from traffic engineers and inspectors.
Barrier-Protected Pedestrian Crossing
Pedestrians will also have a barrier-protected refuge to make crossing the area of MacGregor Tce located south of the roundabout at Latrobe Tce, safer and easier. This would be particularly helpful for people pushing prams, older people and those with limited mobility, and those in wheelchairs.
