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Newly Built Griffin Childcare Centre to Go Under the Hammer as Demand for Places Soars

A purpose-built Goodstart Early Learning centre on Wesley Road, Griffin is heading to auction later this month, listed as part of a national commercial property portfolio campaign.

Read: Childcare Centre Added to Neighbourhood Hub Plans in Joyner

The 110-place centre at 60 Wesley Road, Griffin, has been listed by commercial real estate firm Stonebridge Property Group as part of its March National Portfolio, with the auction scheduled for Wednesday, 25 March at 11am (AEDT).

Goodstart Early Learning will continue operating the centre under its existing lease arrangements. The not-for-profit childcare operator holds a 15-year net lease running through to 2035, with further options that could see it remain in place until 2055, according to the listing.

The listing highlights a combination of factors that have been reshaping Griffin over recent years.

The suburb’s population is forecast to increase by more than 60 per cent by 2046, making it one of Brisbane’s fastest-growing residential catchments. That growth is visible on the ground — Griffin State Primary School, which sits directly opposite the Wesley Road childcare centre, underwent a $22 million expansion in 2020 and now enrols more than 1,159 students. A new Woolworths-anchored shopping centre is also under construction in close proximity to the centre.

Against that backdrop, the childcare numbers are telling. Griffin currently has a demand ratio of approximately 3.3 children aged zero to five for every available childcare place, according to data cited in the Stonebridge listing. That means for every available childcare place in the suburb, there are more than three children aged zero to five in the catchment — a ratio that points to significant unmet demand.

Stonebridge Partner Tom Moreland described the listing as a rare opportunity, saying it is “extremely rare for a newly built Goodstart childcare freehold to hit the public market.” He noted that Goodstart had identified Griffin as an under-supplied metropolitan growth catchment and selected a site directly opposite the primary school.

His colleague Thomas Proberts pointed to the broader investment picture, noting that recent sales of metro childcare centres had demonstrated sustained demand for well-located assets in South East Queensland’s growth corridors. “South East Queensland in particular continues to benefit from strong population growth,” Proberts said, singling out Griffin’s projected 60 per cent expansion over the next two decades as a key drawcard.

The auction is being managed by Stonebridge’s Tom Moreland, Michael Collins, Thomas Proberts and James Freemantle, and forms part of the firm’s wider March National Portfolio campaign.

Read: Retirement Village, Childcare Centre, and Residential Care Facility on Mango Hill Proposed

For the local community, the transaction raises a question that goes beyond property investment: as Griffin continues to grow, will childcare supply keep pace with demand? The centre at Wesley Road was completed in 2021, purpose-built for a suburb already experiencing rapid population growth. With population forecasts pointing sharply upward, and a demand ratio that already leans heavily against families seeking a place, it is a question worth asking.

Published 14-March-2026

First Nations Youth Mental Health Service Opens In Deception Bay

Photo Credit: Brisbane North PHN

A youth mental health service in Deception Bay is now providing culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people across Brisbane and the Moreton Bay region.

The service, known as Staying Deadly | headspace Deception Bay, offers support for young people aged 10 to 25 who are experiencing, or may be at risk of, mild to moderate mental health concerns. It is located on the lands of the Kabi Kabi people along Deception Bay Road.

The centre provides free access to a range of health and wellbeing services designed to support young people and their families in a culturally safe environment.

Culturally Focused Youth Support In Deception Bay

The Deception Bay service has been described as a headspace model in an urban setting with a strong focus on care for First Nations young people.

Support is available across several areas including mental health care, physical and sexual health, assistance with work and study, and counselling related to alcohol and other drug use.

Young people can walk into the centre or contact the service directly to seek help, with no referral required. Practitioners may meet young people at the centre or within community settings depending on individual needs.

Deception Bay youth mental health — Photo Credit: Brisbane North PHN

Community-Based Care Model

The centre operates with a multidisciplinary team including mental health clinicians, health practitioners and care coordinators from the local community. Identified Indigenous roles are included in the workforce to strengthen cultural understanding and trust.

Programs delivered through the centre include cultural connection activities, community-led programs and early intervention support designed to help young people access assistance before concerns escalate.

Instead of a formal intake process, the service begins with a “connection yarn”, a conversation that focuses on building trust and understanding between young people and practitioners from the first interaction.

Addressing Youth Mental Health Needs

The service was established to strengthen mental health literacy and encourage young people to seek support earlier when they experience distress.

National data referenced in service information indicates suicide rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain more than twice those of non-Indigenous Australians, with almost 80 per cent of deaths occurring among people aged 15 to 44.

By providing culturally grounded care within the community, the Deception Bay service aims to improve access to mental health support for young people across the region.

Part Of A National Youth Mental Health Network

The centre forms part of the national headspace network of youth mental health services.

Across Australia there are currently 175 headspace centres, with plans to expand the network to 203 locations.

The Deception Bay service was commissioned by Brisbane North Primary Health Network and is delivered through a partnership with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and the headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation.

The centre operates Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., providing walk-in support as well as scheduled appointments.

Published 12-Mar-2026

How One Buyer Used Her Superannuation to Score a Dakabin Investment

A Dakabin property might look like any other rental from the outside, but for its new owner, it represents something far more deliberate: a retirement plan funded by superannuation, and a first step onto the property ladder taken in a way most Australians have never considered.

Read: New Deception Bay Urgent Care Clinic Opens Near Dakabin

Yvette Buckley, a renter from Nundah, paid $720,000 for the Dakabin property in November 2025. She has never lived in it, and under Australian law, she never can. That is not a problem — it is the whole point.

Buckley used her superannuation to fund the deposit and purchase the property as an investment asset. Because the home is held inside a super fund, she is legally prohibited from living in it, as are her family and friends. It must remain permanently tenanted, with rental income and ongoing super contributions directed toward repaying the mortgage.

It is a strategy that sits within the broader concept of “rentvesting,” which is buying an investment property while continuing to rent where you want to live, but with superannuation doing the work of the deposit. While it is not widely known, it gave Buckley options she felt she did not have through conventional home ownership. Despite having worked since she was 16, she did not want to be weighed down by a mortgage she could not comfortably afford.

Her inspiration came from a Defence Force housing program that operated along similar lines. Once she understood the structure, she applied the same logic to her own superannuation, allowing her to access a larger deposit than she could have saved independently and take on a smaller overall loan. She has continued renting in Nundah while the Dakabin property remains tenanted.

The process was far from straightforward. Very few banks offer loans for this type of purchase, and finding a property that both qualified and sat within her budget proved exhausting. She described the search as nearly a full-time job in itself, and came close to abandoning the plan altogether before enlisting the help of a buyers agent.

The buyers agent who assisted with the purchase, helped Buckley secure the Dakabin property before the market moved on. The speed of that shift was telling, an identical property in the same complex sold for $770,000 just one week later. Jones has noted that buyers in Brisbane now need a budget of around $800,000 to find something suitable for a super fund.

The strategy carries real risks, and Buckley has been candid about that. When a retirement fund is tied to a single property, the fund’s performance becomes inseparable from that asset’s value. A poor purchase can put retirement savings at serious risk. Her advice to anyone considering this path is to focus on properties that appeal to owner-occupiers, not just investors.

Her decision was also shaped by what she had witnessed in her own family. Watching her parents reach older age without sufficient savings, unable to access the care or housing they needed, made her determined to plan differently while she still had time. She believes many people her age are watching their parents face the same situation.

Read: Street Spotlight: Hughes Rd E, Dakabin

For North Lakes and Dakabin residents, Buckley’s story is a reminder that the area is attracting buyers with a long view, and that the window to buy in this price range may not stay open for long.

Published 12-March-2026

Waterfront Apartment Development Site Listed In Deception Bay

Photo Credit: DA/10090946

A waterfront development site approved for a multi-building apartment project has been listed for sale in Deception Bay, highlighting renewed interest in residential development within the growing Moreton Bay area.

Approved Development Site In Deception Bay

The land is located at 5–7 Wallin Avenue and 7 Captain Cook Parade, and covers approximately 4,785 square metres with direct access to the foreshore.

Planning approval allows for the construction of 95 apartments across three residential buildings, along with 101 car parks. The approved project includes a range of apartment sizes, including one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units.

The site is currently being marketed through an expressions of interest campaign closing at 4 p.m. on 9 April 2026.

waterfront development site — Photo Credit: DA/10090946

Development Approval Background

Approval for the project was granted in August 2025, allowing redevelopment of the foreshore parcel for residential use.

The site has previously received development approvals in 2013 and 2016, although those proposals were not progressed.

Public descriptions of the approved buildings indicate three structures of varying heights positioned across the site. Some reporting describes the development as including one smaller building and two taller residential buildings, with minor differences in the reported storey counts.

Moreton Bay property — Photo Credit: DA/10090946

Housing Demand In The Area

The listing comes during a period of tight housing supply across the Moreton Bay region, where rental vacancy has been reported at around 0.83 per cent.

Median house prices in the area reached approximately $939,000 in 2025, following several years of sustained growth.

Property listings have also been reported as 18 per cent below the five-year average, reflecting limited available housing stock in the market.

These conditions have increased attention on development sites that already hold planning approval and can move forward without further approval processes.

Deception Bay development — Photo Credit: DA/10090946

Expressions Of Interest Campaign

Waterfront development sites of this scale are uncommon within established coastal suburbs such as Deception Bay.

The current campaign invites interest from developers and investors seeking approved residential projects within the Moreton Bay growth corridor.

Expressions of interest for the site are scheduled to close at 4 p.m. on 9 April 2026.

Published 10-Mar-2026

Women Leading the Way in SEQ Catholic School Communities

Communities across South East Queensland are seeing more women step into the top jobs at their local Catholic schools, with a growing number of female educators appointed as principals and heads of college in recent years. As International Women’s Day approaches on 8 March, Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) has highlighted the appointment of 29 women to principalship or head of college or campus roles over the past two years, reflecting a shift toward stronger female representation in school leadership.

From Graceville and Bardon to Mango Hill, Birkdale and Scarborough, these appointments are shaping the future of education in neighbourhoods across the region. For families, students and staff, it means welcoming experienced educators who will guide school communities through the next chapter of learning and growth.

BCE’s People and Culture Executive Cathy Heffernan said the appointments reflect a broader effort to support and prepare more women for leadership roles in schools.

“Since the program commenced, 38 per cent of participants have progressed into Head of College, Principal or BCE office leadership roles,” Ms Heffernan said.

“Beyond appointments, the program builds confidence, capability and connection, qualities that are essential for leadership in today’s educational landscape.”

*Jessica Lusk, Head of College Unity College (Secondary), Caloundra West*
*Photo Credit: Supplied*

Across BCE schools, female principalship has increased from 33 per cent in 2021 to 50 per cent in 2026. In BCE offices, women now make up 64 per cent of leadership roles, up from 48 per cent in 2021.

Many of the recently appointed leaders have participated in BCE’s Women in Leadership program, which was reimagined in 2024 to strengthen leadership pathways and build a pipeline of future-ready female leaders.

For educators like Notre Dame College, Bells Creek Head of College Jasmine Brown, the program has had a lasting impact.

“For me the program highlighted the importance of women actively supporting and advocating for one another,” she said.

“I also found the course an opportunity to connect with other like-minded women who shared the same aspirations for senior leadership.

“The impact of the program has endured well beyond its conclusion, particularly for me through the lasting professional relationships I have built.”

Jasmine Brown, Head of College Notre Dame College, Bells Creek
Photo Credit: Supplied

Since March 2024, a number of schools across South East Queensland have welcomed new female leaders, including appointments at St Mary’s College in Ipswich, St Patrick’s Primary School in Nanango, Unity College in Caloundra West, and St Francis College in Crestmead.

Other appointments span communities including Graceville, Bardon, Mango Hill, Ferny Grove, Birkdale, Zillmere, New Farm, Scarborough and Enoggera, where local school communities are now led by experienced educators committed to supporting students, families and staff.

For BCE, the growing number of women stepping into leadership roles reflects a commitment to creating inclusive leadership pathways and recognising the vital contribution women make to education and their communities.

As schools across the region celebrate International Women’s Day, these appointments highlight the strong role women continue to play in shaping the future of Catholic education across South East Queensland.

Name	Position	School	Suburb
Alison Gilbert	Principal	St Mary’s College	Ipswich
Sarah McCarthy	Principal	St Patrick’s Primary School	Nanango
Jessica Lusk	Head of College (Secondary)	Unity College	Caloundra West
Nicole de Vries	Head of College (Primary)	Unity College	Caloundra West
Andrea Hickey	Head of Campus	St Francis College	Crestmead
Bernadette Wright	Principal	Christ the King School	Graceville
Carol Seagar	Principal	St Joseph’s School	Bardon
Clare Hogan	Principal	Our Lady of Good Counsel School	Gatton
Renay Condon	Principal	St Benedict’s Primary School	Mango Hill
Louise Parry	Principal	St Thomas More Primary School	Sunshine Beach
Amanda Steer	Principal	St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School	Ferny Grove
Nadia Galetto	Head of College	St Bonaventure’s College	Flagstone
Jo-Anne Boyle	Principal	Holy Spirit School	Bray Park
Gabrielle Jansen	Principal	St Mary MacKillop Primary School	Birkdale
Cheryl Bell	Principal	St Flannan’s Primary School	Zillmere
Bianca Murphy	Principal	Holy Spirit School	New Farm
Liesl Profke	Principal	St Clare’s Primary School	Yarrabilba
Tracey-lee Cheesman	Principal	Our Lady of Fatima Primary School	Acacia Ridge
Veronica Wasiak	Principal	St Michael’s College	Merrimac
Gemma Lovell	Principal	Mother Teresa Primary School	Ormeau
Velma Erskine	Principal	St Joseph’s Primary School	North Ipswich
Megan Pidskalny	Head of Campus	FisherONE Online Education	—
Jasmine Brown	Head of College	Notre Dame College	Bells Creek
Melissa Fallarino	Head of Campus	Southern Cross Catholic College	Scarborough
Felicity Pryer	Principal	St Pius X School	Salisbury
Lisa Atholwood	Head of Campus	Emmaus College	Jimboomba
Sharon Collins	Principal	Siena Catholic College	Sippy Downs
Kate MacArthur	Principal	Our Lady of Assumption School	Enoggera
Helen Boyes	Principal	St Paul’s School	Woodridge

Published 6-March-2026

Pultron Composites to Base New HQ Next to UniSC Moreton Bay Campus

A New Zealand advanced manufacturer is set to build its Australian base beside the UniSC Moreton Bay campus in Petrie after winning the City of Moreton Bay’s $1 million Ultimate HQ competition, a prize package aimed at bringing more skilled jobs and investment into the local community.

Headquarters Set for Moreton Bay Central Near UniSC

On 4 March 2026, the City of Moreton Bay announced Pultron Composites as the winner of the Ultimate HQ headquarters package, with the new base to be established at Moreton Bay Central next to the UniSC Moreton Bay campus. The precinct has been described as a place built to connect businesses with researchers, students and facilities in a growing education-and-industry hub.

The prize includes five years of rent-free headquarters space, a $250,000 contribution towards a fit-out and professional support from partners including BDO, Constant Contact, K&L Gates, Telstra, Westpac and Innovate Moreton Bay.

Pultron Composites is an advanced manufacturer specialising in corrosion-resistant composite technologies. The company’s Mateenbar glass fibre reinforced polymer rebar is used in major infrastructure projects internationally and is promoted as supporting lower-carbon, longer-life construction solutions in the council material.

Global Contest, Local Pitch Week

Organisers said the competition attracted entries from six countries, reached more than six million people, and represented a group of applicants worth more than $500 million in potential capital investment, along with 1,000 prospective jobs.

Finalists spent five days in the City of Moreton Bay as part of an “Investor Safari” program, which included meetings with business and industry stakeholders, UniSC researchers and civic leaders, along with site visits and a live pitch. Council said the program included experiences such as the “Beach Boardroom” on Bribie Island, designed to give finalists a sense of the region and its business networks.

UniSC leadership said the headquarters location at Moreton Bay Central would place the company close to UniSC researchers, facilities and students across engineering, technology and business, creating scope for research partnerships and talent pathways.

Pultron’s spokesperson said the company valued the chance to build locally, work with UniSC and tap into the region’s strengths, based on statements included in the media release.

A Precinct Built on a Former Mill Site

Moreton Bay Central forms part of a major redevelopment of the former paper mill site in Petrie. The Economic Development Queensland project page for Moreton Bay Central describes plans for a mixed-use precinct that includes the UniSC Moreton Bay campus along with commercial and community infrastructure.

Published 5-March-2026

Mango Hill Local Lynda Barry Honoured for Decades of Lifesaving Service

Photo Credit: Royal Life Saving Society Queensland/ Facebook

With more than 5,800 volunteer hours under her belt, Lynda Barry OAM has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her relentless work in lifeguard training.

A Lifetime on the Sand

Lynda Barry began her journey with the Caloundra City Life Saving Club in 1989 and has since become a fixture of the local coastline. Over nearly four decades, she moved from a patrolling member to taking on leadership roles, including serving as the Club Captain for twenty years.

Her work has not been limited to the beach itself; she has also spent a significant portion of her life as a trainer, teaching others the vital skills of first aid and resuscitation. By mid-2025, her records showed she had completed over 5,800 hours of volunteer patrol work, a feat that led to her being named a Life Member of her club.

Teaching the Next Generation

Beyond her own time on patrol, Barry has focused heavily on the future of Australian lifesaving. Since 2002, she has led junior lifeguard programs, helping young people find their own path into the service. She has also worked with the Royal Life Saving Society Queensland in various roles, from managing state teams at national competitions to acting as a referee for beach carnivals.

Her influence even reached overseas when she travelled to China in 2010 to help train a delegation in Xiamen. Her professional life similarly revolved around supporting young people, including a long career as a teacher and her ongoing work with the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

National Recognition for Community Impact

The announcement of her Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2026 served as a formal acknowledgement of her 37 years of dedication. Barry described the award as a significant honour that felt like a final reward for her years of teamwork. She noted that the true value of her work comes from the personal satisfaction of helping the community and being part of a team that puts others first.

This latest accolade follows a string of previous awards, including a National Medal in 2025 and her induction into a local community Hall of Fame, all of which highlight her status as a pillar of the Mango Hill and Caloundra areas.

Published Date 03-March-2026

PK Taekwondo’s Evan Han Earns Australian Team Spot for 2026 Oceania Taekwondo Championships

Evan Han of North Lakes-based PK Taekwondo has secured his place on the Australian team for the 2026 Oceania Taekwondo Championships after winning a bronze medal in the Cadet -41kg division at the Junior World and Oceania Championship Team Selections in Sydney.

Han came through five fights in a single day at the selections event to earn his team berth, a physically and mentally demanding feat that underlines just how competitive the pathway to an Australian singlet is. His third-place finish in the Cadet -41kg division was enough to lock in his place on the squad heading to the championships on 28 and 29 March.

That result carries real weight. The 2026 Oceania Taekwondo Championships is a World Taekwondo-sanctioned G-4 event, placing it among the most significant regional competitions on the international taekwondo calendar. The championships take place at the Whitlam Leisure Centre at 90A Memorial Avenue, Liverpool, in Sydney.

A Club with a Long Record of Producing Champions

Han’s selection continues a strong run for PK Taekwondo, the North Lakes club that has operated from Unit 4/9 Flinders Parade since becoming a full-time centre in January 2021. The club runs under Kukkiwon standards and holds affiliations with World Taekwondo, World Taekwondo Oceania, Australian Taekwondo and Australian Taekwondo Queensland, and has produced medallists at local, state, national and international levels of competition.

Han’s competition record at the club stretches back several years. At nine years old, he won a bronze medal in the 10-11 Years Black Belt 25-28kg division at the Australian National Championships held at Nissan Arena in Brisbane, with Head Instructor Master Kangho Park leading the coaching team. He also claimed a gold medal in the World Taekwondo Oceania online flying side kick competition, part of a 36-medal haul PK Taekwondo amassed across state and Oceania competitions. More recently, competition records from the 2024 National Championships confirm Han competing for PK Taekwondo at national level.

That consistency across age groups and competition levels reflects what the club aims to build in its athletes from an early age.

Jeffrey Park Goes Deep at Junior World Championship Selections

Han was not the only PK Taekwondo athlete to make an impression at the Sydney selections. Clubmate Jeffrey Park reached the quarter-finals of the Junior World Championship selections in the Junior -55kg division before his run ended against the eventual gold medallist. Park has been among PK Taekwondo’s established competitors, winning gold medals at both the ATQ Open and World Taekwondo Oceania online competitions in earlier seasons.

Park’s progress to the quarter-finals of a national selection event against the field’s eventual winner points to the depth PK Taekwondo continues to develop across weight categories and age groups.

What the Oceania Championships Represent

For any Australian taekwondo athlete, making the national team for a World Taekwondo-sanctioned Oceania Championships represents a significant step in the sport’s high-performance pathway. The Oceania Taekwondo Union governs the sport across the region and oversees championships that bring together competitors from across the Pacific, with the 2026 event one of the region’s flagship competitions for the season.

PK Taekwondo operates elite sparring and poomsae classes specifically for registered competitors, alongside its broader community programmes, providing the structured training environment that produces athletes capable of competing at this level. Head Instructor Master Kangho Park coaches the competitive team, with Pauline Boyama also serving as coach at national events.

Follow Evan Han and PK Taekwondo

The 2026 Oceania Taekwondo Championships take place on 28 and 29 March at the Whitlam Leisure Centre, Liverpool, Sydney. Families wanting to follow PK Taekwondo’s competitive squad or enquire about training programmes can visit pktkdaus.com or find the club at Unit 4/9 Flinders Parade, North Lakes. Registration and event details for the championships are available here.

Published 2-March-2026.

Lawnton’s All Star Boxing Academy Celebrates Double Victory at the 2026 Elite Selection Trial

Jye Dixon and Darcy O’Malley from All Star Boxing Academy in Lawnton have both won their weight divisions at the 2026 Elite Selection Trial held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, putting them firmly in contention for selection in Australia’s boxing team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The pair’s victories at the Elite Selection Trial mark one of the biggest results in the Lawnton gym’s history, with two fighters from the same club winning national titles in the same week. Dixon, 21, dominated the 55kg division, winning all of his bouts 5-0. O’Malley, 18, fought five times in seven days to claim the 60kg title. Both athletes started at All Star Boxing Academy when they were around 11 or 12 years old, making their rise from junior members to national Elite Selection Trial champions a story that runs the full length of what the club has built at Lawnton.

Two Champions, Two Paths to the Same Result

Dixon grew up in Caboolture and now trains from Brendale, but his boxing development has been shaped entirely by the All Star program. His performance at the Elite Selection Trial was near-flawless, winning every bout by unanimous decision, and he describes the result as among the defining moments of his career alongside his appearance at last year’s World Championships in Liverpool.

The selection trial win carries particular significance for Dixon given his proximity to the Commonwealth Games story. While preparing for the world titles in Liverpool, he spent time in Glasgow and was close to the venues where this year’s Games will take place. He knows what is at stake and what the city looks like. After the final bout in Canberra, he described the feeling as equal parts relief and disbelief: he had done it, and the magnitude of it took a moment to land.

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O’Malley’s path to the same Elite Selection Trial podium has been built across years of state and national age-group competition. He is a five-time Queensland Under-19 60kg Champion and the Australian Schools Youth Champion, and the trial final in Canberra represented his first bout without headguard, marking his formal transition into senior competition. A recent graduate of St Paul’s School at Bald Hills, he is 18 years old and already measuring himself against the best senior men in the country.

A Gym and a Coach Behind Every Win

All Star Boxing Academy operates from Lawnton in the Moreton Bay region and has developed a reputation as one of Queensland’s most productive pathways for amateur boxing talent. Coach Paul Utia has overseen both Dixon and O’Malley’s development across the years since they first walked into the gym as preteens, and the club was direct in acknowledging his role in the week’s results.

Winning at the Elite Selection Trial against the best men in Australia requires more than talent. It requires years of structured preparation, disciplined weight management, tactical development and the mental toughness to compete at full intensity five times in seven days. The academy’s statement put it plainly: to win at this level is a testament to the dedication, sacrifice and relentless daily work both athletes put in, and to the standards Utia drives inside the program.

When the pair returned from Canberra, a large group of All Star boxers, supporters and family greeted them at Brisbane Airport, showing how strongly the Lawnton and North Lakes community felt their success.

What Comes Next

Boxing Australia will announce the Commonwealth Games team on 8 April 2026. Both Dixon and O’Malley now sit in strong contention for selection following their Elite Selection Trial victories, though final team composition remains the national body’s decision. If selected, Australia’s boxing team will follow an extensive preparation program ahead of the Games, including potential international training camps in Brazil and China.

The Commonwealth Games run from 23 July to 2 August 2026 in Glasgow. All Star Boxing Academy is based in Lawnton and can be found via its Facebook page. The club welcomes junior members from around the North Lakes, Petrie and Moreton Bay region.

Published 26-February-2026.

New Owners Set to Rebrand and Expand Popular North Lakes Shopping Site

Photo Credit: Sam Hatcher/ LinkedIn

Centennial Property Group has invested 52 million dollars to purchase the HomeCo retail centre in North Lakes to anchor the suburb’s future as a primary independent shopping destination for Brisbane families.

A Growing Hub for Local Families

The recent acquisition of the four-hectare site on North Lakes Drive marks a major shift for the area as it moves toward becoming a self-sustaining community hub. With the local population growing at 1.9 per cent, which is significantly faster than the national average, the demand for local services and household goods is rising.

This specific location was chosen because it sits in a land-constrained market, meaning there is limited room for new competing developments. The property is already a well-known landmark for residents, sitting in a busy cluster next to the major Westfield and visible to thousands of commuters travelling along the Bruce Highway each day.

Plans for Expansion and Rebranding

The new owners plan to rename the facility Home+ North Lakes as part of a broader strategy to serve the Moreton Bay region. Because the current buildings only cover 34 per cent of the total land, there is a significant amount of surplus space available for future construction. Centennial executives have indicated that this extra land provides a rare chance to build more shops or services to meet the needs of the community as more people move into the area.

This purchase follows other recent investments by the group in 2025, including the Portside Wharf precinct, showing a clear focus on high-growth Queensland locations.

Supporting the Moreton Bay Economy

The centre is already home to several national brands that locals rely on, such as Chemist Warehouse, Nick Scali, and Anaconda. These tenants represent 95 per cent of the income for the site, providing a stable foundation for the local economy. Industry experts noted that the area is particularly popular with young couples and families, with a median age of 35. This demographic typically seeks out lifestyle and hardware goods, which are the main focus of this retail centre.

Recent land sales in the surrounding area suggest that up to 1,400 new homes could be built nearby soon, further increasing the number of people who will use these local facilities.

Investor Confidence in the Region

When the opportunity to invest in this North Lakes site was first offered to wholesale backers, the interest was so high that the fund became oversubscribed before it officially closed. This level of interest reflects a strong belief in the long-term value of the Moreton Bay catchment area, which now services residents all the way from Brisbane’s outer suburbs up to the Sunshine Coast. Centennial leadership believes that securing such a high-quality asset in one of the fastest-growing urban corridors in the country will help protect against broader market changes while providing essential services to the growing population.

Published Date 26-February-2026