A community leader who established her own private school and led it for 25 years has been named Citizen of the Year at the Redlands Coast Australia Day Awards 2022.

Mayor Karen Williams said Dr Lyn Bishop was one of 11 outstanding local residents who were recognised with an award today, 26 January 2022.

“Lyn spent more than 25 years with Education Queensland before opening Sheldon College in 1997 with 110 students and six staff,” she said.

“At the time of her retirement last year, the College had grown to about 1450 students and 300 staff.

“Lyn is also a qualified psychologist and Justice of the Peace, and regularly participates in community, charity and cultural events.”

Mayor Karen Williams, left, with Dr Lyn Bishop OAM.

Young Citizen of the Year is shared by joint winners Xavier Mitchell and Isabelle Treasure.

“As school captain at Victoria Point State School, Xavier brought the community together by creating Kids Crew, organising food drives and raising funds for local charities, his school, local sporting club and Love and Hope Redlands,” Cr Williams said.

“Isabelle has also been active at her school, Sheldon College – implementing a recycling program, establishing a Student Community Council, running a week-long RUOK? Day series of events, and establishing a Buddy Up program for junior and senior students.”

Senior Citizen of the Year is Beryl Sutcliffe, who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to community service and volunteering.

“Beryl has provided fundraising and volunteering support for CWA, Rotary, Probus, U3A Redlands District and Historic Ormiston House,” Cr Williams said.

The full list of Redlands Coast Australia Day Award winners are:

• Citizen of the Year – Dr Lyn Bishop OAM
• Young Citizen of the Year – Isabelle Treasure and Xavier Mitchell (joint winners)
• Senior Citizen of the Year – Beryl Sutcliffe
• Community Organisation Award – The Cage Youth Foundation
• Local Hero Award – Harry Taske
• Cultural Award – Cleveland Film Company
• Environment and Sustainability Award – Pelican and Seabird Rescue
• Sports Award – Tim Low
• Reconciliation Award – Matthew Burns and Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders-in-Council (joint winners)

Cr Williams said selecting winners across the nine categories of the awards was always a tough challenge as all nominees were deserving of recognition.

“It is an honour to acknowledge these dedicated and passionate people who give so generously to help make Redlands Coast a great place to live,” she said.

“I thank all nominees and winners and assure them that Redlands Coast is proud of them all for their outstanding contributions to our community.”

Redlands Coast Australia Day 2022 award recipients, Natalie Forest (Pelican and Seabird Rescue), Beryl Sutcliffe, Harry Taske, Linda Grieve (Cage Youth Foundation), Dr Lyn Bishop OAM, Uncle Norman Enoch (Minerribah Moorgumpin Elders-in- Council), Tim Low, Isabelle Treasure, Bradford Walton (Cleveland Film Company). Absent: Matthew Burns, Xavier Mitchell.

Due to staff illness, Council’s IndigiScapes Native Nursery at Capalaba will be closed temporarily from Friday 7 January 2022 until further notice.

Visitors can still purchase a variety of native plants at the pop-up nursery situated at the front of the Centre, which is located at 17 Runnymede Road, Capalaba.

Council apologises for any inconvenience.

Redland City Council has opened sandbagging stations for the community following Bureau of Meteorology forecasts for heavy rain this week.

The sandbagging stations will be open at the following times and locations:

Council Depot Cleveland – 199-205 South St, Cleveland – Click here for directions
Council staff and SES will be onsite to assist. Sand, bags and shovels will be supplied.

Open today, Monday 29 November: until 6pm

Open Tuesday 30 November and Wednesday 1 December: 7am to 6pm

The following 24-hour self-service sandbagging stations will be open from 5pm Monday 29 November to 6pm Wednesday 1 December:

Council Depot Dunwich – 11-37 Mitchell Cres, Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island – Click here for directions
Outside the Redland City Council Depot, 11-37 Mitchell Crescent, Dunwich. Sand and bags supplied. Please take your own shovel.

Council Depot Russell Island – 6 Cambridge Rd, Russell Island – Click here for directions
Outside the Council Depot on Cambridge Road. Sand and bags supplied. Please take your own shovel.

Council Depot Macleay Island – 22-24 Scarborough Rd, Macleay Island – Click here for directions
Outside the Council Depot on Scarborough Terrace. Sand and bags supplied. Please take your own shovel.

Please note: enclosed shoes must be worn at all Council sandbagging stations.

Need assistance?

Call the SES on 132 500 to log a job, which will be prioritised and tasked. This will help ensure our most vulnerable in the community are addressed as a priority.

Call Triple Zero (000) immediately if the situation is life-threatening.

Call Energex on 13 19 62 to report fallen powerlines. Remember to stay clear and warn others.

Call Council on 3829 8999 to report fallen branches on public spaces across the city.

Please be mindful of conditions when outdoors; Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:

• Never drive, walk or ride through flood waters. If it’s flooded, forget it.
• Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
• Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.

For the latest advice and emergency warnings:

• Head to www.bom.gov.au
• Tune in to 612ABC
• Bay FM 100.3
• Monitor Council’s Disaster Dashboard
• Follow Redland City Council on Facebook and Twitter

The Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBI) ferry terminals upgrade works are due to start at Russell Island this month, with Transport and Main Roads and Redland City Council announcing the start of the on-site works.

Member for Redlands Kim Richards said this was good news for the SMBI communities on Russell, Macleay, Karragarra and Lamb islands, with overall works planned for completion in mid-2023.

“This project will deliver new ferry terminals at Russell, Macleay, Lamb, and Karragarra islands, which is a fantastic outcome for residents and visitors coming to our part of the world,” Ms Richards said.

“The works on Russell Island will start this month with some temporary landside works to occur first.

“It will also include repurposing the existing ferry terminal infrastructure for recreational use such as fishing and mooring and support 45 jobs over the life of the works.”

Ms Richards said ferry customers would see changes to pedestrian access to the Russell Island ferry terminal, drop-off facilities and car park.

“The contractor will install temporary footpaths, a temporary access gangway, and a temporary relocation of the shelters to be closer to the relocated facilities,” she said.

“Transportation of the Russell Island pontoon sections from The Jetty Specialists (TJS) yard to Aluminium Marine at Thornlands occurred last week, which is great news for the local business, supporting local jobs.

“Fabrication of the Macleay Island pontoon will now start at the TJS yard.”

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Council was excited to announce the commencement of the project’s onsite works.

“I’m delighted that the delivery of one of Redlands Coast’s largest marine infrastructure projects will begin next month, with Russell Island’s ferry terminal the first of the four SMBI terminals to undergo the upgrade,” Cr Williams said.

“Our SMBI communities have waited a long time to see these essential island transportation hubs improved, and it will be exciting to see the works take place over the next 24 months following years of planning and community consultation.

“This joint project is an example of what can be achieved when different levels of government work together and I would like to thank the State Government for their support.”

Division 5 Councillor Mark Edwards said the progress was great to see.

“This is fabulous news for the island community,” he said.

“The SMBIs are one of the few communities in south-east Queensland that rely on marine transport and this project will provide safe, reliable and disability accessible transport to and from the mainland.

“Obviously, construction works will be required and we ask that Russell Island residents, business owners and visitors be mindful of temporary changes to parking availability and the new ferry access zone.”

For safety reasons, project contractors at Russell Island will be required to close off a section of the adjoining car park.

From mid-October, several parking bays on the eastern side of the car park will be temporarily unavailable as contractors construct a new footpath leading to a temporary ferry access jetty, which will be the new boarding and disembarking point for commuters during the construction phase.

Council will install maps and signs outlining the location of the new temporary ferry access jetty, which will be approximately 30 metres to the right of the existing ferry terminal, and construction signs will indicate which parking bays need to remain unoccupied.

For more information on the project, visit the project page at yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au/upgrade-of-smbi-ferry-terminals or email the TMR project team at boatinginfrastructure@msq.qld.gov.au

Redland City Council is proposing to establish a basic camping ground that will cater for the self-contained recreational vehicle (RV) and caravan tourism market.

Mayor Karen Williams said Council was inviting expressions of interest (EOI) from not-for-profit or community organisations with experience or capabilities in operating facilities such as these.

“The self-contained RV and caravan market is growing, and Redlands Coast has so much natural beauty to offer these tourists,” she said.

“COVID-19 has changed the way we travel, and people are now engaging in more local tourism.

“What better way to capture this market than to provide a basic camping ground for people who are seeking an affordable short stay close to shops, Moreton Bay and a range of tourism experiences?

“We are south-east Queensland’s gateway to a world of coastal and island discovery and this is a great opportunity for community or not-for-profit organisations to operate a basic camping ground and be ambassadors for our naturally wonderful Redlands Coast.”

Cr Williams said while basic camping grounds offered the few facilities needed by self-contained RVs and caravans, they also preserved the appeal and amenity of a location.

“Basic camping grounds are supported by minor infrastructure and are strictly limited to self-contained vehicles, which have their own water, power, toilets and showers,” she said.

“The EOI process is an important step towards establishing a camping ground for self-contained RVs and caravans, delivering benefits to local businesses, the tourism industry and the community.

“If Council shortlists a not-for-profit or community organisation through the EOI process, the community will be consulted on the preferred site and the proposal prior to commencement of any basic camping ground.”

Four sites have been identified by Council officers as potentially suitable for a basic camping ground, following a recent economic needs assessment.

Potential sites are located at:

• Island Street, Cleveland; adjoining Cleveland Bowls Club
• Norm Price Park – Redland Showgrounds, 44 Smith Street, Cleveland
• Raby Bay Boulevard Park; next to William Street boat ramp
• 594-596 Main Road, Wellington Point

For more information, visit the project page on Council’s Your Say website.

Council is proposing to amend Redland City Plan to strengthen protection of the most important urban habitats and wildlife corridors on Redlands Coast.

Mayor Karen Williams said the proposed stronger protections under the major amendment to Redland City Plan would be submitted to Planning Minister Steven Miles for State Interest Review before being released for public consultation.

“This is the first step in changing the City Plan to bring in stronger protections and will be followed by public consultation in which the community can have their say on this proposal,” she said.

“We expect that public consultation will commence early in 2022.”

Cr Williams said the amendment reflected the findings and recommendations of a review requested by Council in November 2020 of options to improve statutory land use planning protections to environmental corridors within the urban footprint, as identified in the Wildlife Connections Plan 2018-2028.

“The proposed changes will only affect parts of properties that are currently mapped as having local or state environmental values and are located in the urban footprint of ShapingSEQ,” she said.

“These amendments ensure that native vegetation clearing in the city’s most important urban habitat and corridors that connect them are mapped in City Plan through a new category of Matters of Local Environmental Significance (MLES) called wildlife core and habitat and are subject to a higher level of regulation in City Plan.

“In effect, this will remove existing native vegetation clearing exemptions in these important mapped urban habitats and corridors, making all such clearing assessable against the environmental significance overlay of City Plan.

“To support stronger protections in these important urban habitats, the amendment proposes new assessment criteria to clearly require that any proposed clearing firstly avoids clearing native vegetation within a mapped MLES wildlife core and corridor habitat.

“Where this is not reasonably possible, the clearing will need to be minimised and mitigated, and an offset provided for any unavoidable loss of native vegetation.

“The amendment is proposed to apply to just over 1000 privately owned properties, with another 1080 publicly-owned properties.”

Cr Williams said Council has provided in-principle support for assisting private landowners affected by the proposed amendment should it be introduced following public consultation.

“To recognise the contribution that affected private landowners make to the protection of the city’s environmental values, an environmental rate concession, tied to the environmental levy, for all private properties that pay a general rate included in the amendment is considered most appropriate,” she said.

“Council will also write to each private landowner to highlight the environmental management support and assistance currently provided under Council’s Environmental Partnership Program.

“The amendment also updates mapped Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES) in City Plan to reflect changes made to this state mapping since the City Plan commenced in 2018.

“It also proposes some minor changes to mapped MLES to update this mapping, particularly in areas of Mount Cotton that no longer contain these values.”

Cr Williams said Council would provide updates and background information on the amendment to the community via a project page on its Your Say website.

“This will outline the proposed changes as well as highlight the future opportunities for the community to provide comments as part of the statutory public consultation process in 2022, following completion of the State interest review,” she said.

Council is working on re-engineering some aspects of the Stage 1 design for the Minjerribah Panorama Coastal Walk.

Works were paused in June to allow Council to consider engineering solutions to improve the walkway design in response to a nearby landslip following a wet weather event in late March.

The new design includes an additional barrier along a part of the Snapper Street walkway, providing extra safety  measures for users.

Stage 1 of the Coastal Walk project will formalise an existing track on the ocean side of Mooloomba Road, allowing locals and visitors to enjoy a scenic and safe walk between Snapper Street and Frenchmans Stairs.

Council expects work to recommence in coming weeks.

For more information about Stage 1 of the Minjerribah Panorama Coastal Walk, visit yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au