Care at home, help for children struggling at school and support for women rebuilding after domestic violence are among the services represented by Westfield North Lakes’ 2026 Local Heroes finalists.

Read: Marvel Crafts and Plush Giveaways Head to Westfield North Lakes

Christine Neiland of Rainbow Care Home Services, Diana Green of Hope Ventures and Mimi’s House, and Lou Feltham Smith of Miracle Mums Movement are the three finalists for Westfield North Lakes. Voting closed on 20 September, with the successful Local Hero due to be announced on 20 October.

The successful finalist will receive a $20,000 grant for their organisation, while the other two finalists will each receive $5,000.

Christine Neiland makes care more inclusive

Christine Neiland leads Rainbow Care Home Services, which provides aged care and disability support with a focus on inclusion and individual choice. The organisation was established in 2020 and provides in-home aged care, NDIS services, support coordination and plan management, alongside specialist services for LGBTQI+ clients.

Its Rainbow Support services include personal care, help with daily living, transport, respite, community access and domestic assistance. Staff delivering the service are either members of the LGBTQI+ community or allies. Neiland’s work focuses on people who may have experienced discrimination or isolation and who want care that respects their identity, relationships and independence.

Rainbow Care Home Services is also a registered NDIS provider, with its registration listed through to May 2028.

Diana Green helps children reconnect with school

Diana Green works with primary school-aged children who are at risk of disengaging from education through Mimi’s House. The program supports children from Prep to Grade 5 who face barriers to learning, using a small-group, home-like environment to build confidence, social skills, resilience and stronger engagement with school.

Children attend on the same day each week across a full school year, giving them continuity and regular contact with staff and volunteers. Mimi’s House operates in Logan and Moreton Bay, including a site at Rothwell, and works with schools, families and local communities.

Hope Ventures, which supports the program, says more than 500 children have taken part in Mimi’s House since it began.

Lou Feltham Smith supports life after abuse

Lou Feltham Smith founded Miracle Mums Movement after her own experience of domestic and family violence. The Redcliffe-based charity focuses on women who have moved beyond the immediate crisis stage and are trying to rebuild confidence, identity and independence after abuse.

Feltham Smith developed the organisation around survivor-led and trauma-informed support, including workshops, peer connection and programs intended to help women regain a sense of control over their lives. Her own experience shaped the direction of the charity. After leaving an abusive relationship, she identified what she saw as a gap in support for women after separation, when practical safety concerns can remain alongside longer-term emotional and financial pressures.

Feltham Smith has also contributed to public discussion around coercive control and post-separation abuse. In a Queensland parliamentary submission, she described her experience as a survivor and mentor to women leaving abusive relationships through Miracle Mums Movement.

Read: New Petrie TAFE Centre Could Expand Trade Training In Moreton Bay

Different needs, practical support

Neiland’s work centres on inclusive care, Green focuses on children at risk of disengaging from education, while Feltham Smith supports women rebuilding after abuse. Their organisations operate across different parts of the Moreton Bay community, but each finalist has developed practical services around people who can face isolation, disruption or reduced access to support.

The successful 2026 Westfield North Lakes Local Hero will be announced on 20 October.

Published 21-Sept-2026

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Spider-Man bookmarks, Hulk slime and personalised tote bags are among the free activities heading to Westfield North Lakes, with a small daily giveaway adding another reason for Marvel fans to stop by during the school holidays.

Read: North Lakes to Get New Scooter Track and Dog Park

The program runs from 28 September to 3 October, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each day, between Concierge and Boost Juice. A different activity is scheduled across the six-day run.

Start with Spider-Man

The week opens with Spider-Man bookmark-making on Monday before switching to Marvel door signs on Tuesday.

From Wednesday to Friday, children can customise their own tote bags, while Hulk slime takes over the final session on Saturday.

The sessions are free and sit within a broader school holiday program at the centre, which also includes other family activities and entertainment. 

Plush toys while stocks last

Westfield members can also redeem a reversible Marvel plush at the activity station while stocks last.

The giveaway is available from 28 September to 3 October, with 30 plush toys available each day and a total allocation of 180. Members must also enter the Hong Kong Disneyland competition to redeem one, with a maximum of two plush toys per member per day. 

Hong Kong prize runs separately

A second promotion gives Westfield members the chance to win a Marvel-themed family holiday to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Entries are open from 17 September to 11 October, with one Australian winner to receive a trip valued at up to $9,245 for two adults and two children aged two to 11.

The prize includes return flights, accommodation and park tickets, while the North Lakes craft program finishes earlier, on Saturday, 3 October.

Read: New Petrie TAFE Centre Could Expand Trade Training In Moreton Bay

Saturday ends with Hulk

The final day shifts away from bookmarks and tote bags and ends the week with Hulk slime. Activities run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with the plush giveaway also continuing while daily stocks last.

Published 20-Sept-2026

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For people experiencing homelessness in Moreton Bay, Wyllie Park in Petrie has become a temporary place to pitch a tent while staying within reach of local outreach and housing support during a 12-month trial.

Read: North Lakes to Get New Scooter Track and Dog Park

Support Takes Shape Around Wyllie Park Trial

Encircle Community Services has been preparing for the camping ground by working with accredited organisations and services on a regular roster of support for people staying at Wyllie Park.

Its HOAP team was already visiting the park and other locations across Moreton Bay before the camping ground was announced. The team will continue attending Wyllie Park twice a week alongside other support services.

Just 650 metres from the park, Encircle’s Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre is also preparing for a possible increase in people seeking help.

The organisation has long advocated for safe locations close to support services where people experiencing homelessness can have some stability while accessing further assistance.

Other recognised support organisations, including government departments, will have ongoing access to campers at Wyllie Park, with services able to assist people towards secure accommodation.

Community organisation Nourish Street Inc also visited the site in late August as preparations were under way. At the time, it reported that people already staying in the park had described interactions with other park users as generally going well, with little tension.

Its update also raised the importance of support and pathways into housing operating alongside the camping area.

A Temporary Place to Stay

The Wyllie Park trial has 30 designated tent sites for no more than 60 people, with registration now open.

Campers must be at least 18 and registered to receive housing or housing support through the State before a site can be allocated.

Stays are limited to 21 days at a time and a maximum of 42 days in any rolling 12-month period. Longer stays may be considered at the authorities’ discretion.

The camping ground is free, but only tents can be used for overnight stays. Caravans, camper trailers, camper vans and motorhomes are not permitted to remain overnight.

Park Facilities Remain Shared

Preparations at Wyllie Park have included designated camping sites, lighting and security measures. The camping ground has toilets, waste bins and other public amenities, while showers were also identified among the facilities available to campers.

CCTV and regular security patrols are in place. Fires and generators are prohibited, while animals are not allowed except for guide, hearing or assistance animals.

The wider Wyllie Park remains available to the public, with campers required to keep their sites tidy, keep paths clear, minimise noise and use signed parking areas.

Read: Black Spot Safety Hump Planned for Prospect Street at Bruce Highway Service Road

The camping ground is not intended to replace emergency housing, crisis accommodation or homelessness support services. Instead, the Wyllie Park trial operates as a temporary camping option while local organisations continue outreach and assistance for people seeking more secure accommodation.

Published 15-September-2026

The post Wyllie Park Trial Brings Homelessness Support Closer in Petrie appeared first on North Lakes Today.

Young scooter riders and four-legged locals are both set to get new territory in North Lakes, with a children’s scooter track and dog off-leash area planned for Memorial Drive.

A shelter and new car park are also part of the Memorial Drive project, bringing several recreation facilities together rather than creating a stand-alone dog park.

For families, the more unusual addition will be the scooter track. City of Moreton Bay describes it specifically as a “scooter track for young children” — not a skate park or pump track — pointing to a space aimed at younger riders finding their feet on wheels.

Read: Coding, Robots and Minecraft on the Program at North Lakes Library

A Track for the Younger Crowd

Exactly what the track will look like has not yet been made public.

Council has tried the idea elsewhere in Moreton Bay. At Blatchford Sporting and Recreation Reserve in Murrumba Downs, a scooter track was designed for children from toddler to primary-school age, with a concrete riding area, obstacles, seating and landscaping.

There is not yet enough public detail to say whether Memorial Drive will follow that model or include the miniature streets, signs and intersections sometimes found in learn-to-ride circuits.

What is clear is that it would fill a different recreation niche in North Lakes.

The suburb has developed an increasingly varied collection of parks and sporting spaces as it has grown, from the playing fields around Woodside and Kinsellas to the recreation facilities at Aurora Boulevard Park. Aurora Boulevard already has a skate park alongside playgrounds and a fenced dog off-leash area, giving older and more confident riders somewhere to practise.

Memorial Drive would add something deliberately pitched at younger children.

New Territory for North Lakes Dogs

The dog off-leash component has been in the works for longer.

In 2025, Council identified 731 Memorial Drive as a potential location for a new North Lakes dog off-leash area. At the time, it was one of two sites being considered in the suburb, along with Oxley Street Park.

The latest budget now identifies a Memorial Drive project combining a dog off-leash area with the children’s scooter track, shelter and new car park. However, the published budget information does not specify a street number, so 731 Memorial Drive should not yet be treated as the confirmed footprint of the combined project.

North Lakes already has off-leash facilities at Aurora Boulevard Park and Woodside Sports Ground, but the Memorial Drive proposal emerged from Council’s broader search for additional dog recreation sites.

The final layout has not yet been published. That leaves details such as the size of the dog area, its fencing arrangement, whether dogs of different sizes will have separate spaces and whether agility equipment will be provided still to be confirmed.

Council’s general guidelines for new off-leash areas consider secure entrances, shade, drinking water, seating and links to paths, but they do not confirm what will ultimately be installed as part of the Memorial Drive project.

More Than the Original Dog Park Idea

The latest budget takes the Memorial Drive plans beyond a stand-alone dog park proposal, with several recreation elements now listed together.

City of Moreton Bay’s adopted 2026–27 Budget lists construction of the children’s scooter track and dog off-leash area together with a shelter and new car park.

That represents a clear step forward from 2025, when the potential Memorial Drive dog park was still among a collection of sites requiring further assessment, planning and design.

Some important details are still to come. The published budget material does not provide a stand-alone total cost for the project, while a final public concept plan, detailed construction timetable and confirmed opening date have not been located.

But the shape of the Memorial Drive project is now much clearer. Instead of another single-purpose recreation space, the plan brings together somewhere for little riders to practise, dogs to run and families to stop for a while.

Published 9-September-2026

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A raised traffic-calming treatment is planned for the southern end of Prospect Street in North Lakes, with $93,000 in Australian Government Black Spot funding allocated to slow vehicles approaching the service road north of the Bruce Highway.

Rather than a major intersection rebuild, the project centres on one specific measure: a raised hump on the Prospect Street approach. Federal project records describe the site as “Prospect Street – Service Road north of Bruce Highway” and identify the project as being in planning.

The work applies to the Bruce Highway end of Prospect Street, not the full road through the North Lakes commercial and town-centre area.

Read: Dakabin Wildlife Hospital Moves Closer to Construction

A 2025 Finish Has Slipped Well Into 2027

The Australian Government committed $93,000 to the project through the Black Spot Program, with the initial federal timetable putting the work between July and December 2025.

That schedule did not hold. A Commonwealth status report in September 2025 listed the project as “Not Started”, and subsequent federal program material extended the expected completion window to June 2027.

City of Moreton Bay has also carried the Prospect Street project into its 2026–27 Budget.

As of September 2026, North Lakes Today has found no later public record confirming that construction or preliminary works have begun, nor evidence that a contractor has been appointed. A firm construction start date has not been published, so the upgrade should not yet be described as underway.

One Treatment Targets the Approach

The approved scope is considerably narrower than many intersection safety projects. Federal records describe the core treatment simply as “providing a raised hump on approach”.

There is no indication in the published scope of new traffic signals, turning lanes, pedestrian refuges, cycle facilities, medians or substantial intersection reconstruction. Instead, the physical road treatment is intended to make motorists reduce speed as they approach the service-road junction.

The location is also important. The project concerns the Prospect Street approach to the service road north of the Bruce Highway, rather than the North Lakes Drive end of Prospect Street near Westfield North Lakes.

What Put the Site on the Black Spot List?

The reason this particular location secured Black Spot funding is less clear from the material released publicly.

Commonwealth project records do not provide a crash count for the site, identify particular collision types or say whether pedestrians or cyclists were involved. North Lakes Today also found no publicly released road-safety audit or Black Spot nomination assessment setting out the case behind the treatment.

That means the funding should not be taken by itself as evidence that Prospect Street has a particular crash record. Black Spot projects can qualify through casualty-crash history, while the program also allows proactive treatments where an engineering assessment identifies a serious safety risk.

The available Prospect Street records do not establish which pathway was used. What they do establish is that slowing vehicles on the approach was selected as the appropriate treatment.

Read: Historic Kallangur Church to Stay as New Special School Moves Ahead

Motorists Are Still Waiting for the Works Schedule

With the delivery window now extending to June 2027, the practical construction details are yet to emerge.

No public construction notice located for the project sets out lane closures, traffic control, working hours, parking restrictions or changes to pedestrian and property access. Those details should become clearer once the project moves beyond planning.

For now, Prospect Street has a funded Black Spot treatment and a revised delivery window, but no confirmed construction start. Once installed, the change should be straightforward for motorists: a physical traffic-calming treatment requiring vehicles to slow before reaching the service-road junction.

Published 9-September-2026

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A new vision for Narangba East would open parts of the district to suburban housing and industrial development while retaining other pockets as rural residential land, as City of Moreton Bay asks residents to weigh in on how the 1020-hectare area should change.

Council has released its draft Future Directions Report for the Narangba East Rural Residential Investigation Area after almost three years of planning investigations and consultation.

Public feedback is open until 4pm on Friday, 9 October 2026. The report does not rezone properties or approve development, but will help shape a future planning scheme amendment governing what can eventually be built across the area.

Read: Narangba Flying Fox Colony More Than Doubles as Management Plan Remains Unresolved

Housing Is Back in the Picture

One of the most consequential elements of the updated vision is the amount of land identified for future housing.

The Queensland Government placed conditions on Council’s current Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI), including a requirement to provide for housing as well as employment within the affected area. Several parts of Narangba East are consequently identified for residential development.

The draft envisages small-lot detached homes, duplexes, townhouses and retirement living. Emerging Community areas would generally have a minimum net residential density of 20 lots per hectare, with buildings around a maximum 12 metres, or three storeys.

Mayor Peter Flannery said Narangba East had long been identified as an area capable of supporting Moreton Bay’s growth.

“It’s no secret that growth is coming to City of Moreton Bay and parts of Narangba East have long been earmarked as a key location to support future urban growth,” Cr Flannery said.

He said the city’s population was projected to grow from roughly 530,000 today to one million over the next 30 or so years.

Industry Stays, but With Buffers

Employment land remains a sizeable part of the vision, particularly around existing industrial areas near Old Gympie Road and Richards Road.

Both light and general industry are proposed, with controls intended to manage noise, vibration, odour, lighting, traffic and operating hours near homes. General industry would generally be separated from future urban residential areas by at least 250 metres, with lower-intensity light industry providing a transition in some locations.

Not every acreage neighbourhood would change. Dean Drive, Casino Court, Gavin Court and Jane Place are proposed to remain Rural Residential because they sit within an environmental health buffer west of Old Gympie Road.

Earlier Consultation Revealed the Fault Lines

Council already has a sense of where some of the debate will lie.

During consultation in 2025, it received 108 survey responses, while another 99 people took part in 14 small-group sessions. The participants were self-selecting, so the figures cannot be treated as a poll of Narangba East as a whole, but they show considerable concern about both major forms of development being considered.

Thirty per cent of survey respondents opposed residential development and another 24 per cent expressed concern. Twenty per cent were supportive and 16 per cent cautiously open.

Industrial and employment development met stronger resistance: 40 per cent opposed it and 29 per cent were concerned, compared with 15 per cent supportive and 7 per cent cautiously open.

Roads, infrastructure, environmental protection, neighbourhood character and certainty for existing landowners also emerged repeatedly. Roads and pathways ranked as the most important immediate priority, while protection and enhancement of the natural environment came first when participants looked 20 to 30 years ahead.

Growth Will Depend on the Infrastructure

Old Gympie Road and New Settlement Road would eventually need significant upgrades, including provision for a four-lane standard. Callaghan, Mackie and McPhail roads are also identified for future work, along with an extension of Marks Road to Callaghan Road.

Council also wants better public transport links between Narangba railway station, Narangba East and destinations including North Lakes.

The report identifies what would be needed to support future development rather than setting out a fully funded construction timetable. Delivery would occur over time and depend on development, funding and coordination between Council, the State Government, utilities and developers.

Likewise, a future change in zoning would not force an existing landowner to sell or redevelop. Lawful uses could continue, potentially leaving established acreage properties beside areas that change progressively over time.

For some residents, the question may therefore be not only what Narangba East becomes, but how quickly the transition happens and what infrastructure arrives with it.

Read: More Details Emerge as Narangba Heights Shopping Centre Takes Shape

The Map Is Not the Final Word

The current TLPI remains in place while the longer-term framework is settled and is due to expire in June 2028 unless repealed earlier.

The consultation now under way is focused on the broad direction for Narangba East. A second opportunity for public input will come when the proposed planning scheme amendment sets out the formal planning controls.

Deputy Mayor Jodie Shipway said residents would have another chance to comment.

“You can have your say on the draft Future Directions Report, but it won’t be your last chance to provide feedback on the future of the Narangba East Rural Residential Investigation Area,” she said.

Submissions from this round will help inform the next stage. Until the planning scheme amendment process is completed, the new Narangba East map remains Council’s proposed direction rather than new zoning.

Published 8-September-2026

The post Narangba East Future Takes Shape as Housing, Industry and Acreage Plans Go Public appeared first on North Lakes Today.

Coding challenges, programmable robots and Minecraft are among the activities on offer at North Lakes Library, where the current program includes hands-on digital sessions for children, teenagers and adults.

Read: Petrie Campus Scholarship Program Reaches Milestone Supporting Nearly 100 Undergraduates

The line-up stretches from introductory robotics for children to STEAM activities, a weekly Minecraft Club and an adult group devoted to game programming and design.

One of the more unusual offerings is TryBots, a free session built around programmable robots. The latest North Lakes session was held on Saturday, 5 September, with the next currently listed for 7 November.

Getting to Grips With Robots

TryBots is for ages five and over and does not require bookings. Children can use Blue-Bots in games, build a maze or challenge for a robot, try coding activities using the library’s Tech Trolley and join a Storytime session featuring a robot.

Blue-Bots are small programmable floor robots that follow sequences of movement instructions. They can also connect to a tablet or computer via Bluetooth, giving children a simple way to experiment with basic coding concepts.

No previous coding experience is listed as a requirement, and the library also has Blue-Bots available to borrow for use at home.

Minecraft is another regular fixture at North Lakes Library, with Minecraft Club running on Tuesdays from 3.30pm to 4.30pm for ages six to 17.

Players take on challenges using the library’s Minecraft server, with the sessions open to different levels of experience. Bookings are required. Participants can play remotely using their own Java or Bedrock account or attend the library and use its computers and accounts.

North Lakes also hosts STEAM Station for children aged five to 11, combining science, technology, engineering, art and maths through hands-on activities. Upcoming sessions are scheduled for 14 and 23 September and 12 and 28 October, from 3.30pm to 4pm. The sessions are free and do not require bookings.

Game Development for Grown-Ups

The digital program is not limited to younger library users.

The Game Development and Design Group meets every Thursday from 6pm to 7pm, giving adults a place to share ideas, collaborate and learn about game programming and design practices.

The group is free and does not require bookings. Its current listing does not specify a minimum level of experience or whether participants need to bring a laptop, so anyone unsure about equipment or the level of the sessions can check with the library before attending.

Meetings continue throughout September and October.

More to Try During the Holidays

Some of the regular activities continue into the September school holidays.

Minecraft Club is scheduled for 22 and 29 September, while STEAM Station will run on 23 September. LEGO Engineers Club, which uses LEGO in design and engineering challenges, is also scheduled for 21 September.

There is more to come after the holidays. On Saturday, 17 October, North Lakes Library will hold a free Studios Open Day from 9.30am to noon.

People aged 12 and over can try activities including podcasting, Cricut cutting and robotics, with no booking required.

The open day also provides a look inside the library’s Digital Studio, a bookable space equipped for activities including podcasting, content creation, vinyl and paper cutting and experimenting with robots.

Read: New Tent Camping Site Announced for Wyllie Park in Petrie

It is a less traditional part of the program at the library at 10 The Corso, sitting alongside books, public computers, Wi-Fi, printing and scanning services and a wider calendar of children’s and community activities.

Published 8-September-2026

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A new TAFE Centre of Excellence planned for Petrie is taking shape, with plans for the proposed $60 million facility revealing how it could expand training opportunities across construction, engineering, and other skilled industries.

Read: Construction Set for 2026 on Petrie’s $60 Million TAFE Centre of Excellence

The four-storey facility is proposed for Moreton Bay Central on Moreton Parade and would provide training space for up to 450 students. The development application covers about 5700 square metres, with plans for practical training areas, classrooms, specialist facilities and student services.

Specialist training planned for Petrie

The project includes a strong practical training component, with specialist workshops proposed for carpentry, electrical and plumbing, as well as other high-demand trade disciplines.

Construction, engineering, and electrotechnology are key areas identified for the centre, which will also include an advanced manufacturing hub. State officials said the hub is intended to support the Moreton Bay region’s manufacturing industry and provide opportunities in high-tech and high-demand sectors.

The proposed facility is also designed to support different pathways into training and employment. Its planned functions include apprenticeship pathways, industry-led learning, trade qualifications and workforce upskilling.

Inside the building, the layout would include a range of spaces for training, learning and student services. The ground floor is proposed to contain training areas, storage and a food and drink outlet. The first floor would include staff and student services, amenities, a student kitchen, seminar rooms and specialist learning areas.

Upper levels would provide general and specialist classrooms, along with technology-focused facilities. A VR/XR hub and industrial simulation tower are also included in the plans, alongside the general and specialist teaching spaces.

Parking and operating hours

There would be 73 car parking spaces, along with four motorcycle spaces and parking for 29 bicycles. The proposal also allows for the potential addition of another 38 car spaces if required. The centre is planned to operate during a typical academic calendar year, with proposed weekday operating hours from 7am to 5pm. Occasional night classes could run until 9pm.

Major Projects has been engaged by the department to project manage construction of the new facility. A head contractor has not yet been appointed. Queensland has previously identified the Moreton Bay Centre of Excellence as a $60 million project scheduled for delivery by 2028. The project information also identifies Petrie as its location and confirms its focus on construction, engineering, electrotechnology and advanced manufacturing.

Read: Site Secured for $60 Million TAFE Centre of Excellence in Petrie

The proposed TAFE would add vocational education and specialist industry training to the Moreton Bay Central precinct, where the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Moreton Bay campus is already located. The project remains subject to the relevant planning and construction stages, with the head contractor yet to be appointed.

Published 8-September-2026

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Pine Rivers Uniting Church will stay at its longtime Kallangur home, with plans for a new special school redrawn to allow both to share the Narangba Road site.

Read: Deception Bay Apartment Plans Reveal 60 New Homes Across Nine Storeys

The property had been endorsed for the school project in September 2024, with the earlier plan requiring the church to make way for the development.

That changed in July, when Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek announced the plans would be amended to allow the church to remain while the special school went ahead.

The church and the planned Moreton Bay South special school will now coexist at 30 Narangba Road, ending uncertainty over whether the congregation would have to leave the site.

Exactly how the two will fit together is still being worked out. The school remains in the planning phase, with detailed design yet to be completed and issues including traffic, vegetation, acoustics and stormwater still to be considered.

Details such as access, parking, fencing and the final boundaries between the church and school have not yet been made public.

Earlier Plan Put Church’s Future in Doubt

The earlier proposal went considerably further than simply identifying land near the church. The State Government has confirmed that the September 2024 site decision would have resulted in Pine Rivers Uniting Church being demolished to make way for the school.

By 2026, the Department of Education had advised the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod of its intention to compulsorily acquire the property. The Synod objected, arguing that the school and the church’s existing ministries could operate on the same site.

Opposition also emerged locally. Division 7 Councillor Yvonne Barlow presented a 61-signature petition to City of Moreton Bay, while former Pine Rivers Uniting Church minister Barry Allen was among those who publicly called for an alternative to demolition.

The Government has since said it worked with the Uniting Church and considered community concerns before amending the proposal. While those representations formed part of the discussion surrounding the site, there is no evidence that any single petition, person or campaign was responsible for the change.

A Local Church Story Stretching Back Generations

The congregation’s history in Pine Rivers is considerably older than the building standing on Narangba Road today.

The church traces its local beginnings to a Sunday school established at North Pine in 1871. A Wesleyan church followed on Dayboro Road in 1877, while Kallangur later became part of the story through the Marsden Home for Boys.

Church records say Frederick Marsden founded the home and a church was built beside it in 1930, serving first the Congregational Church and later the Uniting Church.

A push to bring several Pine Rivers congregations together gathered pace in the late 1980s. Strathpine and Lawnton formally united in 1990, followed by South Pine and Kallangur in 1991, bringing Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist traditions into the one congregation.

The present worship centre at 30 Narangba Road opened on 21 April 1996.

It remains in active use. Pine Rivers Uniting Church holds Sunday services there and runs children’s and community programs from the Kallangur site.

The distinction matters when describing the site’s history: while the congregation and its predecessors have a long association with Pine Rivers and Kallangur, no formal State or local heritage listing for the present 1996 worship centre has been identified.

Special School Still Planned for 2029

Changing the plan for the church has not changed the Government’s intention to build the new school.

The Department of Education continues to list the project as the new special school for Moreton Bay South, with an opening planned for 2029. It says the school is intended to increase special schooling capacity and provide enrolment relief across the local school network.

Departmental material also identifies Pine Rivers Special School at Lawnton as the existing school associated with the Moreton Bay South project.

There is still some way to go before construction. As of September 2026, the project remains in the planning phase, a design contract is yet to be awarded and a construction contractor has not been appointed.

The Department has not published a final project budget, listing the cost as subject to detailed design and contract award. Nor has it published a confirmed enrolment capacity for the Kallangur school.

Read: Idle Land Opposite Mango Hill Station Set for New Housing

Those details should become clearer as the project moves into design.

For Pine Rivers Uniting Church, however, the central question has been resolved. The special school is still coming to Kallangur, but the congregation will remain at the Narangba Road site as the plans take shape around it.

Published 8-September-2026

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A missing walking and cycling connection between Griffin and Mango Hill is moving closer to reality, with a new bridge planned across Freshwater Creek between Aspire Parade and Brushwood Court.

Read: Bruce Highway Ramp Upgrade Takes Shape at Murrumba Downs

The crossing would join two neighbouring residential areas currently separated by the creek corridor. There is no direct formal pedestrian or cycle crossing at the proposed location, forcing people using the existing street and path network to take a more indirect route between the two sides.

For Griffin residents, the link would also provide a more direct route towards Mango Hill railway station, public transport and the Moreton Bay Rail Cycleway.

A New Way Across Freshwater Creek

The bridge will extend from the Aspire Parade side of Freshwater Creek in Griffin towards Brushwood Court in Mango Hill.

Council describes it as a “much-needed active transport link” and says it will create a strategic walking and cycling connection between the two communities.

The project is for pedestrians and cyclists rather than vehicles. Once on the Mango Hill side, users will be able to connect with the existing path and street network towards the railway station and rail cycleway.

Council has not published journey-time or distance savings, but the practical change is clear: the project would provide a formal crossing where the creek currently breaks the local walking and cycling network.

Construction Still Planned for 2027

Site investigations were scheduled to begin from 27 July 2026, including drilling, soil testing and surveys to establish ground conditions for the bridge design.

Council’s current project information does not confirm that those investigations have been completed. It continues to list construction as starting in early 2027, with earlier material pointing to completion during the 2027–28 financial year.

The project has progressed beyond its earlier design phase. City of Moreton Bay’s 2026–27 Budget identifies construction of the new active-travel connection between Aspire Parade and Brushwood Court, with Queensland Government support through the Cycling Network Local Government Grants program.

Council has not published a total construction cost, final bridge dimensions, a contractor appointment or a more precise opening date.

Creek Corridor Shapes the Design

Freshwater Creek runs through a vegetated corridor between Griffin and Mango Hill, making the setting more complicated than an ordinary suburban pathway project.

Council says the alignment has been designed to minimise impacts on existing Melaleuca and Eucalypt trees. Some vegetation may still need to be removed, although a confirmed number of trees has not been published.

Environmental approval conditions will also apply to construction, with measures required to manage potential disturbance from the works.

For Griffin, the result will be a relatively small piece of infrastructure filling a conspicuous gap in the local network. Aspire Parade and Brushwood Court sit on opposite sides of Freshwater Creek; the planned bridge will finally give walkers and cyclists a direct way between them.

Read: Major Road and Drainage Upgrade Gets Underway in Mango Hill

If the current timetable holds, construction is expected to begin in early 2027.

Published 8-September-2026

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