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See The Stunning Mural At Soda Factory In West End

Aboriginal artists Tori-Jay Mordey and Warraba Weatherall (Photo credit: Soda Factory/Facebook)

The Markets West End, recently rebranded as Soda Factory, has unveiled a stunning mural that highlights suburb’s connection with its Aboriginal heritage.

Read: Coles Scraps Little Shop Collectables For Sustainability Goals

The mural is Soda Factory’s collaboration with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists, Tori-Jay Mordey and Warraba Weatherall, which draws inspiration from the native flora traditionally grown in the West End area.

Weatherall, an installation and street artist from the Kamilaroi Nation of South-West Queensland said that they looked at the historical and environmental aspects of the site in an artistic way, making sure that there’s still an acknowledgement of place even though there is a building there now.

“In coming up with the concept for the mural we focused on looking at what was here before there was a building, especially the native plants that would have grown. The painting itself takes a lot of time – around a week in addition to the concept design. Getting the colours right was very important. Anything with colour that pops was key and lightens up the space and stands out,” said Mordey, an established Torres Strait Islander illustrator.

Soda Factory’s Refurbishment

The rebranded retail precinct pays homage to the building’s original use as a soda making facility. The Spanish Mission styled factory building remained in use by Tristrams until 1979 and has since been converted into a market.

Soda Factory’s multi-million-dollar refurbishment, which commenced January 2021 is nearing completion. The redevelopment will see the site elevated into a new-look, convenience-based centre anchored by a newly redeveloped full-line Coles Supermarket and an additional 22 specialty stores.

In addition to the internal mall area’s renovations, other improvements will include new travellators and lift, upgraded amenities, activated street frontage, and redeveloped car park.

Stockwell Buys Bailey Street Property for Future Residential Development

A well-established developer of several apartment buildings in West End has acquired another property on Bailey Street for its future residential development plans. Stockwell now owns the 2,347 square metre industrial block that also provides access to Kurilpa Street and Tondara Lane.

Mark Stockwell, the company’s founder, negotiated with the investor who owned the property since the 1980s through Jones Lang Lasalle. After closing the deal in August 2021, Mr Stockwell said that this latest asset will allow his company to serve more retirees, downsizers, and young families or first homeowners with the construction of another apartment complex.

Development plans for 8 Bailey Street have not yet been filed with Brisbane City Council but since 1997, Stockwell has been transforming former industrial sites into sought-after residential and commercial properties.

The developer completed its first West End project in 2003 with the Regatta Apartments on Kurilpa Street.

To date, the company has built over 14 residential apartments in West End, including the upcoming Ferry Road apartments in conjunction with 3P Projects, the Muse with its twin boutique buildings in Tondara Lane, and the Riverpoint in Forbes Street.

Stockwell started as a Queensland construction company in the 1950s. Founded by William and Necia Stockwell and Tom and Norma Rumley, the cross-generational business prospered for decades as its partnered with local businesses for developments, leasing, property funds, and retail management.

Aside from its West End core projects, the company’s current projects include lifestyle and residential projects in South Brisbane, Dutton Park, Bribie Island, and Agnes Water.

Coles Scraps Little Shop Collectables For Sustainability Goals

Photo credit: maxmoefoePokemon/YouTube

Staying true to its mission to become the most sustainable supermarket in Australia, Coles vowed to no longer give away its widely popular plastic toys, also known as the Little Shop collectables, in all of its stores, including West End.

Read: West Village’s Free Courses And Activities To Do Online

The retail giant launched The Little Shop in 2018 as part of its marketing campaign, wherein customers could get miniature replicas of iconic household brands including Vegemite, Nutella, Weet-Bix, and Tim Tams for every $30 spent at the checkout.

It was followed by another line of mini replicas in 2019 featuring plastic fruit or vegetable toys as part of its Stikeez campaign to encourage Australians to eat more fruit and vegetables and “make healthy eating fun for the whole family.”

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Coles’ Little Shop was a huge success, helping to lift the company’s sales by 5% in the first quarter of 2019. There were even Facebook groups created for trading the replicas whilst there were people who sold the rarest items for hundreds of dollars on eBay. The Little Shop case and a shopping trolley, for instance, were sold for $400 each, approximately ten times the price than availing it at the supermarket.

‘Together to Zero’

Coles commenced ‘Together to Zero’ in July 2021, highlighting their aspiration towards zero waste, zero emissions and zero hunger and encourages all Australians to work together to ensure Australia is a better place for future generations. It was first unveiled in March 2021, when Coles announced emissions targets including a commitment to be 100% powered by renewable electricity by the end of 2025.

Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson said while collectible toy programs like Little Shop and Stikeez have been popular with customers in the past, they no longer align with Coles’ sustainability ambitions or with customers’ preferences and priorities.

“Coles has been in the lives and homes of Australians for more than 100 years and our unique position in Australia comes with responsibility,” Ms Ronson said.

“As part of our Together to Zero mission, we’ve been reviewing our marketing campaigns through a sustainability lens. While very popular, we must listen to our customers who say their priorities are changing,” she said.

Based on Coles’ recent survey of 9,000 customers, reducing waste to landfill and plastic packaging was the number one concern when it comes to environmental issues in retail, with 69% of those surveyed saying it was of high importance to them.

“We know that customers will understand the need to ensure our campaigns are more sustainable for future generations,” she said.

Coles has stopped selling single-use plastic tableware including cups, plates, bowls, straws and cutlery. Additionally, in March, Coles announced a joint feasibility study to determine the benefits of a local advanced recycling facility in Victoria. Advanced recycling offers new life to old soft plastic by turning it back into oil which can be used to produce new soft plastic food packaging.

Sustainable packaging (Photo credit: Coles)

It has also removed 31 million soaker pads from meat trays this year. The company is planning to use packaging made from 100% Recycled PET a sustainable solution that also requires less energy to manufacture per kilogram than virgin PET, further contributing to a decrease in the environmental footprint.

Despite ditching their Little Shop collectables, Coles promised that they will continue to explore reward programs that inspire and offer value to customers, such as the recent MasterChef cookware campaign which provides practical items for customers to use in their homes, or more sustainable items such as last year’s popular Little Treehouse book series made from FSC certified paper.

Police Warns Car Theft and Break-Ins On the Rise in West End

West End locals are advised to take extra measures amid the rising cases of car thefts and break-ins, as police logged 133 incidents in the suburb within the last six months.

According to the Queensland Police Service, more than 4,000 burglaries across Brisbane happened in 180 days, including 169 recorded cases of car thefts. West End leads the number in car theft with 37 cases and car break-ins with 96 cases, whilst the CBD has 32 car thefts and 137 break-ins.

Suburb	Car Break-Ins	Car Thefts
West End	96	37
Eagle Farm	5	33
Fortitude Valley	87	33
Brisbane City	137	32
Inala	48	32
South Brisbane	86	31
Forest Lake	59	30
Moorooka	39	30
Woolloongabba	102	30
Sunnybank	58	28

However, while car thefts and break-ins are increasing, incidents of property offences and unlawful entry have slightly dipped in 2021 to 18 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

Data also revealed that 55 percent of car thefts in Queensland were done by young repeat offenders. Frustration has been brewing among the police ranks as these repeat offenders are back on the streets. Most of the offenders received probation as the common penalty whilst only 22.3 percent have been sentenced to prison. Over 3,700 cases remain unsolved.

Meanwhile, residents are advised to be more aware of where and how they park their vehicles in the streets. Thieves are keen on unlocked and unsecured cars, thus it’s always advisable to park in high foot traffic and well-lit areas.

Car owners must also never assume that the vicinity is safe and they need to lock their cars and close the windows properly. They must not leave valuables inside their car, which could tempt thieves to break in or steal.

Visit QPS online to report a stolen vehicle or a break-in or contact Policelink – 131444 and Crime Stoppers -1800 333 000. The Facebook group Stolen Vehicles QLD also helps get the word out for the victims.

Developer Unveils Plans for a 12-Storey Residential Tower on Ferry Road

A 12-storey residential tower with 38 three-bedroom units could rise on Ferry Road if the development plan receives approval.

Proposed by Urbis for Pikos Property Group, the new dwelling (DA A005777075) has been designed by Congrad Gargett with an impressive rooftop area for communal gatherings. It has a pool, a barbecue site, and an expansive view of the Brisbane River. The building will also incorporate solar power.

The development, which will be called Ferry Road Apartments on its launch, will have a red-based design on the ground and podium level to reflect the architectural elements of its neighbouring sites.

On the other hand, the terrace will be veiled with cascading plants, creating a subtropical appeal. According to the development application, 15 percent of the property will include deep planting.

The Ferry Road project was initially planned as a townhouse facility with 28 car spaces in a high residential zone. The new plan will now have six basement car park levels for 77 residential cars, 48 bike spaces, and six visitor car parking areas.

According to town planners, the development would likely generate an additional 25 extra cars on Ferry Road during peak hours yet no traffic assessment has been asked from the developers as this will not be a massive development.

However, the project has received some objections from West End residents, citing that the building’s excessive height would allow little light and air to circulate to the properties beside it.

“I live next door to the proposed development,” wrote Honor Tebutt in the Council submissions. “The set back from my apartment, which is on the ground floor of the west side of 14 Ferry road, will be blocked by a massive podium parking structure. This will take away any sunlight I had, and will mean people can see directly into my bedrooms and others’ on this side of the building. My unit does not have air conditioning so there will be no breeze.”

West Village’s Free Courses And Activities To Do Online

Photo credit: Elina Fairytale/Pexels

Stuck at home? It’s important to stay safe indoors as the outbreak of Covid-19 continues, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time. The West Village at West End launched a series of online events, perfect for those who want to gain new skills and knowledge, right in the comforts of their home. These activities are not just for individuals but also for the whole family!

Read: A Special Music Event Inspired By Fruits & Vegetables? Only at West End!

West Village Gardener

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time to plant herbs and vegetables. A resident gardener will give you tips on the best plants to have in your garden as well as advice on how to maintain them. Some of the topics you will learn through the Gardener Online include propagating, regrowing veggies, and caring for citrus trees.

Kids in the Kitchen

Do your kids enjoy helping in the kitchen? Chefs Matt Golinski and Alastair McLeod have put together some easy-to-make recipes that are uploaded every Thursday for the Kids in the Kitchen online series at West Village. Let your little ones learn how to make sushi and other easy to follow recipes such as crunchy cauliflower bites, smoked ham, leek and brie quiche, and coconut yoghurt pannacotta.

Bee Workshops

West Village has partnered with Bee One Third to provide bee workshops, facts, and crafts, and even tips on how to cook with honey. There are a lot you can learn from the Village Bees, from amazing honey-inspired sweet and savoury recipes to attracting bees and butterflies to your garden.

Crafts for Kids

West Village offers free kids craft from 9:00 a.m. Monday to Friday with Creative Kids Brisbane. But those who can’t drop by can visit West Village’s Facebook page where step-by-step instructions are also uploaded.

Yoga

Looking for a midweek stretch? West Village offers free yoga classes that you can do at home in as fast as 10 minutes. Caelan, their yoga instructor will guide you through a variety of flows and also provide useful information in strengthening your body, particularly the nervous system.

Watch one of the yoga exercises below:

To learn more about West Village’s online events, visit their website or follow them on social media.

Archive Beer Boutique Now Up For Sale

Photo credit: Google Street View

The Archive Beer Boutique in West End, one of the pioneers of craft beers in Brisbane, is for sale and now accepting Expressions of Interest.

Read: Archive Beer Boutique: West End Craft Beer Pioneer Up For Sale

Aushotel, the current owner of Archive Beer Boutique, has appointed CBRE Hotels to steer the sale of the 1,335-sqm property. Expressions of Interest will be received until 27 August 2021, unless sold prior.

“Archive was Brisbane’s first and largest craft beer bar which continues to stand the test of time. Many of our great craft brews have all had their start and gained exposure and volume through Archive. Archive is still a significant volume driver for many craft brands on the market and has never poured a “mainstream’ beer on tap,” said Jim Davies, Aushotel Managing Director.

“The sale provides the opportunity for an incoming operator to tap into the continued evolution of the city’s craft beer market via a long-term, 31-year head lease over a building situated on one of Bisbane’s fastest-growing suburbs,” Paul Fraser, CBRE Hotels National Pubs Director, added.

Archive Beer Boutique, located at 100 Boundary St in West End, has undergone a major renovation in 2018. The two-level building boasts a dedicated pool hall and multiple function spaces including booths style and couches. It’s located opposite the West Village, a new community that aims to rejuvenate an industrial West End site by delivering new residences, shops and places in the suburb.

The asset comes with a full commercial late trading liquor licence until 2:00 a.m.and the ability to have three detached bottle shops within 10kms.

The listing description also points out that buyers will gain instant ability to increase their beer brand equity and distribution with enough floor space available for an in-house satellite craft brewery.

Because of strong interest in the pub, sources believe that offers could go from $4.5 million to $5 million. The listing description also noted that Archive Beer Boutique has a successful and consistent high cash flow business from inception over ten years ago.

For further details about the Archive Beer Boutique’s lease, see the listing here.

West End Local Happy To Receive His New Wheelchair Handbike

For the first time in 30 years, West End local Brad Kinsela is enjoying his independence and freedom after receiving his Batec, an electric attachable handbike/power assistance for wheelchairs.

Read: West End Institution Sol Bakery & Cafe Closes after 24 Years

Mr Kinsela, who is suffering from a spinal cord injury, got his Batec through funding from National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). He uses the device to get around his local neighbourhood, visit restaurants in South Bank, go on bike rides with his wife and to travel to work in the city.

“It was the first time in 30 years that I had been out in the community, by myself, without any fears about going up a hill or getting stuck anywhere and I was just free,” Mr Kinsela said.

He was excited to share that he went out to breakfast with his wife the second week after getting the Batec. In their 20 years of marriage, it was the first time she walked beside him rather than behind him.

“When I was talking to her I could see her face rather than… talking to her without actually seeing her,” he shared.

A Batec electric handbike (Photo credit: batec-mobility.com)

At first, he found it difficult to turn the ignition and clip the device on and off his manual wheelchair but he eventually learned how to do it. He’s glad that he’s pretty much independent now because he longer has any hesitations about going out. When he goes to restaurants, he just disconnects the Batec, park it, and sit at the table.

Mr Kinsela, an Executive Director with the Queensland Government, thanked the NDIS for the Batec, which did not only allow him to still use his manual wheelchair but also gave him the freedom that an electric chair does in terms of getting out. Carers Queensland assisted Mr Kinsela in applying for and implementing his NDIS funding through their Local Area Coordination Partner in the Community Program.

If you need assistance in finding more about NDIS, contact Carers Queensland on 1300 999 636, or cq.enquiries@ndis.gov.au.

About the NDIS

Photo credit: NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme/Facebook

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a scheme by the National Disability Insurance Agency, an independent government organisation that decides whether someone is eligible to become an NDIS participant and, if so, how much funding they receive.

The NDIS provides funding to eligible people based on their individual needs. Every NDIS participant has an individual plan that lists their goals and the funding they have received.

To learn more about NDIS and the changes the NDIA implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic(e.g. securing a request form, meeting with local area coordinator, and reviewing existing plans), visit the website at www.ndis.gov.au.

West End Institution Sol Bakery & Cafe Closes after 24 Years

West End has bid goodbye to a 24-year mainstay of the area’s bakery-cafe scene. Best known for its organic, handcrafted and stoned-baked sourdough bread, Sol Bakery & Cafe said goodbye to its Vulture Street shop, another casualty of the effect the pandemic has had on small businesses and rents.

Prior to the shop’s last trading day on 11 July 2021, Sol Bakery & Cafe owner Andrea Poole had been working out with a potential buyer to save the West End store. However, the landlord rejected the offer of that investor.

Ms Poole said that her lease technically ends in July and she’s strapped for time to look for another investor. Thus, there was nothing else to do but to fold and start clearing the Vulture Street site.

Highlights

Sol Bakery & Cafe on Vulture Street, West End has closed for good on 11 July 2021.
Owner Andrea Poole said that they couldn’t keep with the rising cost of the rent.
She tried to find a buyer for the bakery but the said investor’s offer was rejected by the landlords.

Sol Bakery & Cafe, which first opened doors in 1997 under a different owner, had some reprieve during the first wave of the pandemic, thanks to the government’s rent freeze program. After the freeze ended, the landlords raised rents as this was stipulated in their contract.

The bakery tried to stay afloat despite the economic impact of the pandemic but the business couldn’t bounce back fast enough to cover the rising cost of the rent.

“Heartbreaking. My favourite brunch place 🥲 thank you guys for the great service and wholesome food. You will truely be missed!” one customer said when word of the bakery’s end was confirmed on West End social media groups.

“I flew down and drove 8 hours to get their bread. Maybe they will open up somewhere else as they have a good name and a great product…They just need a new home perhaps.”

Meanwhile, Sol Bakery in Darra, where the goods are actually baked, will continue to operate and supply shops and restaurants across Queensland.

Goodwill Team Oversees Rebranded West End Markets

Changes are happening behind the scenes at the West End Markets, formerly known as the Davies Park Market, as new management has taken over running this popular Saturday site. Goodwill Projects Pty Ltd was awarded the contract to run the local favourite weekend market for the next five years.

Goodwill Projects has officially started organising the West End Markets in mid-May 2021, taking over for Blue Sky Events Pty Ltd. The team led by Mark Power has been overseeing 150 vendors who converge at the Davies Park early Saturday morning to set up their stalls filled with food, produce, fashion and handcrafted pieces.

Mr Power and Goodwill are no strangers to mounting markets and liaising with the vendors as they are the group behind some of the most active and exciting markets around Brisbane — Nundah Farmers Markets, Brisbane City Markets, and Milton Markets, to name a few.

“We want to provide a platform for skilled, passionate individuals to start their dream business, launch their passion project or realise their ideas without the significant up-front challenges of a brick-and-mortar store, or long-term contract. Market activation’s offer a genuine alternative to those starting out,” the group said.

“We love seeing success stories and people’s hard work and passion turn into something special, growing into the next big thing in retail or food throughout Australia.”

With West End Markets, Mr Power intends to bring in new stallholders and secure permanent vendors, who have now been using EFTPOS machines on the site to make transactions easier.

The Goodwill team also wants to improve the traffic and parking situation around Davies Park every Saturday by providing subsidised Uber trips for some of the frequent shoppers as well as negotiating with Neuron scooters.

The West End Markets is held every Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.