North Lakes Archives - North Lakes Today

North Lakes, Mango Hill And Petrie Commuters Face Longer Waits Under Reduced Train Timetable

Commuters in and around North Lakes, Mango Hill and Petrie are being urged to allow extra travel time as Queensland Rail runs a reduced weekday timetable across South East Queensland, with key northern services operating less often and some trains reduced to three-car services.

Northern Rail Lines Move To Reduced Services

The changes affect the Redcliffe Peninsula and Caboolture lines, both of which are important routes for commuters travelling through Brisbane’s northern corridor.

The reduced timetable began on Tuesday, 5 May, and remains in place until further notice. Weekday services are operating on a modified schedule similar to a Saturday timetable, with extra trains during the morning and afternoon peaks.

The changes have been introduced due to protected industrial action. Across the wider network, the reduction amounts to 273 fewer weekday train services.

North Lakes trains — Photo Credit: Translink/Facebook

North Lakes, Mango Hill And Petrie Passengers Face Busier Trips

During peak travel periods, services on the Redcliffe Peninsula and Caboolture lines are running every 15 minutes. Outside peak times, most trains are operating about every 30 minutes.

For commuters in areas such as North Lakes, Mango Hill and Petrie, that means longer gaps between some services and more pressure on peak-hour travel. Passengers who usually rely on frequent weekday trains may need to adjust their routines while the reduced timetable remains in place.

Some trains will also operate as three-car services until further notice. Passengers have been advised to allow extra travel time and consider catching an earlier or later service where possible, as trains are expected to be more crowded than usual.

Passengers Told To Check Before Travelling

Queensland Rail has advised passengers to check the TransLink journey planner before travelling. The journey planner has been updated until Friday, 8 May, with the latest timetable information.

The advice applies across affected South East Queensland services, including the Redcliffe Peninsula and Caboolture lines. Commuters are being encouraged to replan their journeys before leaving home, particularly during peak travel periods.

No end date has been confirmed for the reduced timetable. Further changes may be made if network conditions change, but passengers are currently being told to expect the altered schedule to remain in place until further notice.

Published 7-May-2026

Deception Bay’s 50m Pool Will Stay Unheated, Despite a Push from Local Swimmers

Deception Bay Aquatic Centre

A petition calling for the 50-metre pool at Deception Bay Aquatic Centre to be heated and opened year-round has not succeeded, with the City of Moreton Bay citing low patronage as the reason heating the outdoor pool is not financially viable.

The petition, organised by local swimmer Emanuela Bassi, gathered 53 signatures from residents calling for the facility at 153 Maine Terrace to remain open through winter, currently May to August. The response, delivered following a general meeting earlier this month, was clear: the numbers do not stack up.

“The very low patronage of Deception Bay’s 50m pool means it is currently not sustainable to install heaters and subsidise the cost of energy, water, staff, and maintenance at this venue,” a City of Moreton Bay spokesperson said.

A Facility with Everything But a Heater

While the Deception Bay Aquatic Centre already hosts a heated indoor programme pool for therapy and rehabilitation, it’s the outdoor 50m pool that lap swimmers rely on that remains cold and closed throughout the winter.

Photo Credit: Deception Bay Aquatic Centre

For Bassi, who swims at the centre four or five times a week, that distinction matters enormously. She drives further to access a heated 50m pool each winter and says she is not alone in that inconvenience.

“I had a chat last year with some people coming to swim and all of them would have stayed in Deception Bay in winter if the pool was heated,” she said. “It’s a beautiful facility. It’s big, has a 50m pool, everything is there. If they organised winter classes, like in Redcliffe and Burpengary, people would come in winter.”

Bassi ran the petition as a trial run rather than an organised campaign, and believes a stronger effort could attract more support.

“I did this as a trial, not knowing if anyone else felt the same way. I think I could have raised more signatures if I was there.”

Where to Swim This Winter

For Deception Bay, Murrumba Downs, Dayboro and Woodford residents whose local pools will close in May, the City of Moreton Bay has pointed to three nearby heated alternatives: Redcliffe War Memorial Pool, which features a 50m indoor heated pool; Burpengary Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre; and North Lakes Aquatic Centre, which offers both indoor and outdoor heated pools alongside aqua aerobics, squad training and learn-to-swim programmes.

Deception Bay Aquatic Centre is at 153 Maine Terrace, Deception Bay. For seasonal opening hours and programme information, visit deceptionbaypool.com.au or call the centre directly at 07 3204 7845.

Published 29-April-2026

North Lakes Athlete Evan Han Wins Silver At Oceania Taekwondo Championships

Photo Credit: PK Taekwondo/Facebook

A North Lakes taekwondo athlete has secured a silver medal at the Oceania Championships, adding to a strong run of results for PK Taekwondo.

Silver Finish At Oceania Championships

North Lakes competitor Evan Han placed second at the Oceania Taekwondo Championships, held in New South Wales following the March 28 event in Liverpool, competing in the Cadet Male -41kg division. He finished behind Brayden Zhu, with Benjamin Banh and Roy Ahn sharing third place.

Han earned his place at the championships through the selection trials, where he came through five fights in a single day to secure a podium finish and qualify for the Australian team. At the Oceania event, he finished second in his division after a close loss in the deciding bout.

North Lakes Preparation Leads Into Titles

Han’s silver medal followed his result at the Sunshine Coast Open in early March, where he won gold in the Cadet -41kg division and was named Best Male Athlete.

That event served as his final preparation before competing at the Oceania Championship in Liverpool on March 28. His qualification campaign had also seen him finish third at the trials last month, securing his place at the international event after progressing through multiple bouts in one day.

Evan Han PK Taekwondo — *Photo Credit: PK Taekwondo/Facebook*

Club Results Extend North Lakes Success

While Han competed in Liverpool, his North Lakes-based club recorded strong results at the Australian Taekwondo Queensland State Open at Brendale.

PK Taekwondo secured the Overall Kyorugi Club Championship, along with the Male and Female Kyorugi club titles. In sparring, the club collected 36 gold medals, nine silver and one bronze.

In poomsae, athletes added five gold medals and two bronze, contributing to a broad medal haul across divisions.

Results Add To North Lakes Achievements

Han’s silver medal follows his earlier gold medal and Best Male Athlete award at the Sunshine Coast Open in March. It also comes alongside the club’s multiple titles and medal results at Brendale, marking a strong period for the North Lakes-based program.

Published 22-Apr-2026

A Cross Built From a Fallen Tree: Mt Maria College Petrie Finds Hope at the Heart of Easter

Mt Maria College Petrie/Facebook

Students and staff at Mt Maria College in Petrie gathered this Easter to remember the Passion of Good Friday and celebrate the hope of the Resurrection, marking the season with a moment that brought together faith, community and the unexpected beauty of something made from loss.

Petrie parish priest Fr Louie Jimenez blessed and installed a new college cross during the school’s Easter gathering, carved from the timber of a college tree brought down by Cyclone Alfred. For a community that weathered the storm together, the cross carries a meaning that goes well beyond decoration.

Something Beautiful From the Storm

Mt Maria College principal Kerry Maher described the cross as a powerful symbol of resilience and renewal for the whole community. “Easter invites us to pause and reflect on suffering, sacrifice and renewal,” she said. “Even in times of challenge, hope can be restored and new life can emerge.”

The cross was not kept within the school’s walls. It was also used during Petrie Parish’s Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, deepening the connection between the college and its parish community and giving the symbol a life that reached beyond the school gates.

That connection between school and parish is central to how Mt Maria approaches formation. Students and staff from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and beliefs gathered in shared prayer for the occasion, finding common ground in the season’s themes of suffering, hope and renewal.

“When we educate the whole person, spiritually, academically, socially and emotionally, we create the conditions for young people to grow as hopeful and confident learners,” Ms Maher said.

Part of Something Bigger Than One School

Mt Maria’s Easter gathering took place against a backdrop of Easter activities across Brisbane Catholic Education’s 146 schools, each finding their own way to live out the season’s meaning in community.

St Eugene College in Burpengary raised more than $8,000 for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion this Easter, channelling their patron saint’s spirit of charity and generosity into house initiatives and whole-school events. The fundraising reflected a conviction that belonging extends beyond the school community and out towards what students described as a global family.

“Their aim was to show how small, shared actions could bring hope and change for people at the margins,” a spokesperson for the college said.

St Ignatius School in Toowong also raised funds for Project Compassion, combining an Easter Hat Parade with donation drives for Easter eggs, soft toys, activities and stickers. Principal Benedict Campbell described hope as the thread running through the whole effort.

“Hope is not about ignoring the challenges people face,” he said. “Rather, hope invites students to walk alongside others with compassion, trusting that love and faith can bring light even in difficult times. At Easter, we are reminded of Jesus’ example; he did not turn away from the suffering of the world but responded with care, generosity and self-giving love.”

Walking the Road Together

Sophia College in Plainland offered its first-ever cohort of Year 12 students an Easter experience designed to be immersive rather than observational. The students walked the Stations of the Cross with Franciscan Father Bernie Thomas at St Mary’s Church in Ipswich, praying and reflecting together at each station.

Principal Narelle Dobson said the experience reminded students that they were not walking alone. “Hope brings people together, gives meaning to shared moments and helps a community grow not just in size but in spirit,” she said.

Why It Resonates Here in Petrie

For the North Lakes and Petrie community, Mt Maria College’s Easter gathering carries a particular local resonance. Cyclone Alfred was not an abstract weather event for this part of southeast Queensland; it was something residents lived through, cleaned up after and are still processing. A cross made from a tree that the cyclone brought down, blessed and installed at the heart of the school, is the kind of thing that turns a religious observance into something genuinely local and deeply felt.

That is what community schools do at their best. They take the universal themes of a season, hope, renewal, the idea that something good can come from something hard, and make them specific to the place and the people who call it home.

Published 8-April-2026

Haley Cobb Heads to National Final with Focus on Cancer Prevention and Mental Health

Haley Cobb/Facebook

Haley Cobb has spent five years turning a love of pageantry into something much larger than a crown, and this month the 28-year-old Narangba resident steps onto the national stage as one of eight finalists in the Ms Galaxy Australia division of the 2026 Australia Galaxy Pageants National Final.

The Crowning Gala takes place on Saturday 2 May at Bankstown Sports Club in Sydney, marking the pageant system’s 15th anniversary. But for Haley, the competition itself is only part of what drives her. Since entering her first pageant in 2021, she has raised almost $15,000 for various causes, earned the Miss Australia International and Miss Charity Australia titles, and built a community presence in Moreton Bay that stretches from school classrooms to retirement villages to clean-up days along the coast.

“I fell in love with pageantry,” said Haley, who graduated from UniSC Moreton Bay at Petrie. The campus at Petrie, approximately 30 kilometres north of Brisbane, was the first full-service university campus ever built in the Moreton Bay region and the place where Haley’s identity as both a student and a community advocate began to take shape. She now holds a Masters in teaching and works as a financial controller.

A Platform That Actually Does Something

Haley’s pageant platform is cancer prevention, and she has developed her own approach to communicating it. She visits schools and distributes health and wellness colouring-in books for children, accompanied by information flyers designed to help parents understand the message behind the activities. The approach is deliberately accessible: complex health conversations translated into something a child can engage with and take home.

Haley Cobb uses pageantry as her platform to spread awareness — Photo Credit: Haley Cobb/Facebook

“Pageant is about getting individuals out and about in the community, volunteering and fundraising and making sure the next generation of leaders is out there advocating for change,” Haley said. “We have our own platform, mine is cancer prevention. I do things like going to schools and helping educate children about being preventative in a kid-friendly way.”

Beyond cancer prevention, her diary reads like a map of Moreton Bay’s community calendar. In a single five-day stretch recently, she helped at a Share the Dignity collection in Petrie, delivered a school speech, attended a hospital Giving Day, joined a Tour de Cure lunch for cancer research, participated in a Conservation Australia Clean Up Day, and helped restore houses with Habitat for Humanity. She has also helped with gift wrapping, marshalled fun runs and spoken in retirement villages.

“I find my way into every community and charity group!” she said.

Why Mental Health Is Personal

This year’s Australia Galaxy Pageants competition requires every finalist to raise $2,000 for batyr, the national youth preventative mental health charity. Batyr is a youth-led mental health organisation pioneering preventative approaches through peer-to-peer education and lived experience storytelling, creating safe, stigma-free spaces where young people feel empowered to prioritise their mental health before challenges escalate.

For Haley, the connection is personal. She moved out of the family farm at 17, began university, and navigated those years with the support batyr provides. “I grew up with mental health issues. Batyr guided me,” she said. “It has young adults, those your own age, talking to you, rather than people like your mum or dad. It focuses on young adults or those who have been through similar situations, helping those from teenagers to university students make their way through mental health.”

The experience has shaped not just what she advocates for, but how she does it. Knowing firsthand what it feels like to arrive somewhere unfamiliar and uncertain has made her a more grounded and empathetic voice in the Moreton Bay communities she serves.

The Community Behind Haley’s Journey

Haley’s connection to the region is not incidental. She credits the Moreton Bay community with shaping who she has become, and that sense of belonging is what makes representing it on a national stage feel meaningful rather than simply competitive.

“I genuinely find the Moreton Bay community to be incredibly welcoming and supportive,” she said. “Moreton Bay has played a significant role in shaping my journey, which is why it feels especially meaningful to be representing and fundraising within the region.”

The 2026 Australia Galaxy Pageants National Final runs from 29 April to 2 May at Bankstown Sports Club in Sydney. Tickets are available here. To support Haley’s fundraising for batyr, visit australiagalaxypageants.com or follow her journey on social media.

Published 13-April-2026

Moreton Bay Wildlife Road Safety Network Wins National Recognition

City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

A wildlife road safety network spanning more than 3,800 kilometres of roads across the Moreton Bay region has received a national project award from the peak body for ecology and transportation research.

The Australasian Network for Ecology and Transportation (ANET) presented City of Moreton Bay with its Project Award for the Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program, recognising over a decade of work to help native animals cross roads safely across suburbs including North Lakes, Narangba, Morayfield, Bribie and Everton Hills.

The programme has been running since 2014 and has grown into one of the most comprehensive wildlife road safety networks in the country.

What the Network Has Built Since 2014

The scale of the infrastructure is considerable. The programme has delivered more than 47 canopy bridges, 21 kilometres of wildlife exclusion fencing, 16 fauna escape hatches and 48 wildlife underpasses across the region. More than 150 vehicle-activated LED signs now provide real-time alerts to motorists in koala and kangaroo zones, raising awareness at the moments it matters most.

Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program — Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

A permanent 4G camera network monitors fauna crossing structures at 14 locations across the region. Since 2020, those cameras have recorded more than 80,000 crossings, capturing not just kangaroos and koalas but rarely seen species including the marsupial Brush-tailed Phascogale and the Feather-tailed Glider, recognised as the world’s smallest gliding mammal.

Connecting Habitats Across Busy Roads

For communities in North Lakes and Narangba, where residential development sits alongside bushland corridors, the programme addresses a daily reality. As population growth pushes new housing closer to reserves and parks, the pressure on wildlife to navigate roads to move between habitat patches increases alongside it.

Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

The network provides those animals with safer options, whether that is a canopy bridge allowing possums and gliders to move through the treetops above a busy road, or a wildlife underpass letting ground-dwelling species cross beneath it. The exclusion fencing channels animals toward these dedicated crossing points rather than onto the road surface itself.

ANET Chairperson Rodney Van der Ree noted that the programme demonstrated what becomes possible when different departments work together toward a shared outcome, and pointed to it as a model for local governments around the country.

The recognition from ANET follows the Australian Road Safety Foundation presenting the programme with its Local Government Programs Award at last year’s Australian Road Safety Awards, making it back-to-back national acknowledgements for the work.

Finding Out More

Residents who want to learn more about the Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program or the fauna monitoring network can visit the City of Moreton Bay website. Sightings of injured or distressed wildlife on or near roads can be reported to RSPCA Queensland on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) or Wildcare Australia on 07 5527 2444.

Published 02-April-2026

The Lakes College Officially Opens New Performing Arts Precinct

The Lakes College community came together recently to celebrate the official opening of its new Performing Arts Precinct and Gym, marking one of the most significant milestones in the North Lakes school’s 21-year history.

Read: The Lakes College Shines in Primary and Secondary NAPLAN Results

Families, staff, students and special guests gathered for the occasion, which included student performances and a chance to explore the brand-new facilities firsthand. The mood was celebratory, and for good reason. Just twelve months ago, the space beneath the College’s Multi-Purpose Hall was little more than a muddy undercroft. Today, it has been transformed into a purpose-built 1,000-plus square metre precinct designed to nurture creativity, collaboration and student wellbeing.

The development forms Stage 2 of the College’s Multi-Purpose Hall project, and the scale of the transformation is hard to miss. Where there was once an underutilised void, there is now a music classroom, seven music tutor rooms, an orchestra room, a recording studio connected to rehearsal spaces and tutor rooms, and a versatile dance and drama studio that can expand into a larger performance venue when the occasion calls for it.

Principal Nicole Gregory spoke at the opening ceremony about the significance of the development, describing it as a testament to more than two decades of passion and persistence behind the College’s arts education programs. She said subjects like Music, Drama, Dance, Media and Visual Arts hold an extraordinary capacity to engage, challenge and transform young people.

Gregory also acknowledged the humble origins of those programs, noting that in the early days, teachers and tutors created opportunities wherever space could be found across the campus. The new precinct, she said, honours that hard work while laying the groundwork for what comes next.

Students have been quick to embrace the new spaces. Year 12 student Grace said the precinct had created an inspiring environment for the whole school community, adding that the old space had been far too cramped and that the new facility finally gives students the room to come together and collaborate.

That sense of togetherness appears to be exactly what the College had in mind when planning the precinct. Rather than isolated practice rooms tucked away in unused corners of the campus, the new facility brings students, teachers and tutors into a shared creative hub, one designed to spark the kind of spontaneous collaboration that tends to produce the best work.

Alongside the performing arts spaces, the new Gym adds further value to the precinct by supporting Secondary HPE classes and bolstering the College’s Athletics, Swimming and Dance programs. It rounds out what is now a genuinely comprehensive creative and physical wellbeing facility.

The Lakes College caters to students from Prep through to Year 12, and the opening of this precinct signals a continued commitment to providing learning environments that support the whole student, not just their academic development. The school has long championed the arts as a vehicle for growth, and this investment backs that philosophy with bricks and mortar.

For a school community that has watched these programs grow from the ground up, the opening of the Performing Arts Precinct and Gym is more than just a ribbon-cutting moment. It is the physical realisation of years of dedication from teachers, students and the families who supported them along the way.

Read: Street Spotlight: College St, North Lakes

The Lakes College is located on Elatostema Street in North Lakes. For more information about the College and its programs, visit thelakescollege.com.au.

Published 27-March-2026

Final Phase Of Lakes Vista Office Park To Begin In North Lakes

Photo Credit: Lake Vista

Construction is set to begin on the final stage of Lakes Vista Office Park in North Lakes, with the last three commercial buildings planned for the site at 2–4 Flinders Drive.

A Long-Awaited Final Stage In North Lakes

The Lakes Vista Office Park development is moving toward completion, with the final three buildings to be delivered as part of the last stage.

The eastern portion of the site has remained undeveloped since the original approval in 2008, and this phase will complete the broader office precinct in North Lakes.

Design Updates Focus On Function And Capacity

The final stage has undergone design refinements through collaboration with Nettleton Tribe Architects, Mewing Planning Consultants and DMA Partners.

These changes aim to meet planning expectations while improving the balance between floor space and parking, a key consideration for future tenants within the precinct.

North Lakes development — Photo Credit: Lake Vista

Leasing Activity Continues Across The Precinct

Lakes Vista Office Park is currently advertising leasing opportunities, highlighting features such as basement parking, an on-site café, advanced IT platforms and dark fibre connectivity.

Flexible leasing options are available from 50 square metres, catering to a range of business sizes. The precinct is also positioned close to major retail centres and public transport links.

Building 5 Availability Signals Ongoing Demand

Leasing information shows that Building 5 has limited remaining space, with 170 square metres available on Level 1 and 88 square metres on the ground floor.

The lower ground level is fully leased, indicating ongoing occupancy within the development.

office leasing North Lakes — Photo Credit: Lake Vista

Construction Activity And What To Expect

Intermittent noise and construction activity are expected as works commence. Plans are in place to minimise disruption and maintain safe access throughout the precinct during the build period.

While a specific construction start date has not been confirmed, the project has been flagged to begin soon.

commercial property Queensland — Photo Credit: Lake Vista

Completion Set To Finalise The Precinct

Once the final buildings are delivered, Lakes Vista Office Park in North Lakes will reach full completion, concluding a development that has been in planning for more than a decade.

Published 25-Mar-2026

Olympians Back Moreton Bay Rowing Proposal as 850 Homes Planned

City of Moreton Bay/YouTube

Olympic athletes Emily Seebohm and Curtis McGrath have joined the campaign for a purpose-built rowing venue in Moreton Bay for the Brisbane 2032 Games, as the city highlights plans for 850 homes within the broader precinct.

The proposal centres on the former Boral quarry site at Lawnton, near Petrie, which the City of Moreton Bay is promoting as a permanent flatwater venue for rowing and canoe sprint events. The site is being presented as an alternative to the preferred location on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton.

Athlete support adds weight to the proposal

Seebohm and McGrath have appeared in promotional material backing the Moreton Bay bid.

McGrath has previously raised concerns about whether river conditions in Rockhampton would provide an even course for Olympic competition. In supporting the Moreton Bay plan, he pointed to the value of a purpose-built venue designed for consistent racing conditions.

Seebohm’s support focused on the long-term value of a permanent facility, including its potential use by future athletes and the wider community.

Their involvement gives the proposal added public profile as debate continues over where rowing and canoe sprint events should be staged in 2032.

Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/YouTube

Housing and legacy plans brought into focus

City of Moreton Bay has now placed greater emphasis on the precinct’s housing component, saying the development could deliver 850 homes through a staged rollout.

The project would combine the sporting venue with residential areas, commercial space, recreation facilities and transport links connected to Petrie railway station. The planned housing mix includes family homes, smaller options for downsizers and medium-density dwellings.

Mayor Peter Flannery said the proposal was intended to leave a lasting benefit for the region rather than serve only as Games infrastructure.

Council has also identified the possibility of student accommodation linked to the nearby University of the Sunshine Coast campus, arguing that the project could support both housing supply and future workforce needs.

Partnership with Boral

The proposal is being advanced as a public-private partnership involving Boral, which owns the quarry land.

Boral executive general manager Kate Jackson said the project showed how a former quarry site could be repurposed through coordinated planning involving industry, housing and education uses.

Council says the approach would allow Games-related investment to be tied to infrastructure with an ongoing local use after 2032.

Still an alternative to Rockhampton

While support for the Moreton Bay option is growing, Rockhampton remains the state’s nominated venue for rowing and canoe sprint events.

That plan is still subject to review by the International Olympic Committee, World Rowing and the International Canoe Federation.

But with athlete support, a housing component now clearly defined, and council continuing to press the legacy case, the Lawnton-Petrie site is being positioned as more than just a sporting venue.

Published 19-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.