North Lakes Archives - North Lakes Today

Lakes Knights Complete Hat-Trick With Australian Community Club of the Year Win

The Lakes Knights Cricket Club has achieved a stunning national hat-trick, sweeping three tiers of community awards in a single season to claim the titles of Brisbane North, Queensland, and now Australian Community Club of the Year. The Knights beat out more than 3,500 cricket clubs across the country to take the top spot.

It is the kind of achievement that takes years to build and a moment to announce. For the Knights, based in North Lakes and playing across fields in Woodside, Burpengary, Newport, and several local schools, the national award caps a four-year stretch that has seen the club transform from a modest suburban outfit into one of the most talked-about grassroots cricket communities in the country.

Club president Daniel Moyle found out about the national win in the most unlikely of circumstances. “It was pretty exciting,” he says. “We were actually told while filming for the Queensland award and had to keep the secret!”

A club that grew when it needed to

North Lakes has grown fast. It is a suburb built over the last two decades on what was mostly farmland, and the sporting infrastructure has had to catch up with the population at pace. The Knights have been part of that story since the start, and the numbers tell their own tale: four years ago, the club had around 240 registered players. Today, that figure sits at more than 700.

Photo Credit: The Lakes Knights Cricket Club/Facebook

That growth is not accidental. The club recently merged with the Burpengary Brumbies, expanding its footprint into a broader regional cricket hub and strengthening the pathway for junior players from Under 10s right through to the senior ranks.

The merger has added teams, coaches, and development opportunities while preserving the tight-knit community feel that made both clubs work in the first place.

Demand has exploded so quickly that the club had to cap its winter competition teams at seven due to a severe shortage of available pitches, turning away more than 50 players who wanted to lace up. For a volunteer-run community club, that is an extraordinary position to be in.

“Our growth has been phenomenal,” Moyle says, “but as with every sport, keeping people interested in that sport is so important.”

Volunteers who made it happen

Cricket Australia’s recognition came via the Toyota Community Cricket Club of the Year award, a flagship category of the national body’s annual Community Cricket Awards, now in their 10th year. The award recognises clubs that demonstrate sustainable growth, strong governance, community spirit, and a fierce commitment to inclusive participation.

James Allsopp, Cricket Australia’s Chief of Cricket, praised the club’s holistic approach to building a community. “The Lakes Knights Cricket Club embodies the absolute best qualities of grassroots cricket,” Allsopp said. “They’ve created a strong, vibrant environment for all members of the family to participate in the sport they love, while heavily giving back to the broader community through initiatives like Clean Up Australia Day.”

Max Parsons, from the Brisbane North Junior Cricket Association, offered a tribute to the people behind the scenes. “The club doesn’t just aspire to be welcoming and inclusive. It lives these values through its everyday actions in the club and wider community. This is just reward for the hard-working committee members and volunteers of the club.”

Daniel Kearney, Head of Participation and Club Development at Queensland Cricket, added that the state body is “extremely proud of the work The Lakes Knights and so many clubs around the state do,” noting that Moyle and his team of volunteers had “fostered some incredible growth in a rapidly expanding community.”

The club’s involvement in Clean Up Australia Day is just one example of that broader community ethic. Membership fees are deliberately kept low to reduce financial barriers for local families, with the club actively redirecting what it saves on infrastructure costs straight back into gear, coaching, and player development.

“We keep our prices quite low. We understand pressures on people,” Moyle says, “and with not a lot of infrastructure, more is spent on equipment, coaching and developing players.”

A ground to grow into

The one piece still missing from the puzzle is a permanent home. The Knights currently share fields across Woodside, Burpengary, and Newport, alongside school grounds at Bounty Boulevard and Mango Hill State Schools, Deception Bay State High School, North Lakes State College, and Grace Lutheran College in Rothwell. It works, but only just, and the pitch shortage is now actively choking further growth.

Securing a dedicated, permanent ground is the ultimate goal, which Moyle sees as the key to unlocking the next phase of what the club can offer the region. A dedicated facility would allow year-round programming, specialized academies, and winter cricket tailored specifically for younger age groups.

“Having our own ground would allow us to run programs all year round, especially running a winter program for our little ones, or academies,” he says.

For a club that has already outgrown its current footprint while conquering the country on community impact, the argument for a permanent home speaks for itself. The Lakes Knights have proved what they can achieve with borrowed fields and volunteer hours. The next chapter is about building something they can finally call their own.

Families and players interested in joining the Lakes Knights for the upcoming season can find more information here.

Published 25-May-2026

Investigation Underway After Police Allegedly Shoot Man in Narangba

QPS/Facebook

Queensland Police shot and killed a 48-year-old man on Cavill Way in Narangba after officers attending a domestic violence callout allegedly encountered him at the front door of a home armed with a long-arm rifle-related weapon.

First responders rushed to the scene at approximately 12.30am on Sunday 25 May, where the armed confrontation quickly escalated.

Police confirmed the man advanced toward officers after they arrived at the address. Officers gave verbal commands and performed a tactical withdrawal before the man allegedly continued to approach them and made threats. He was subsequently shot. Officers rendered first aid and commenced CPR at the scene, but the man died from his injuries.

The incident is being treated as a death in custody. The Ethical Standards Command is preparing a report for the State Coroner, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission. Investigations remain ongoing.

Family members who were present at the property at the time were treated for shock, police said.

What police said at the scene

Acting Chief Superintendent Kerry Johnson confirmed the incident at a briefing shortly after. He said police were investigating whether the weapon allegedly carried by the man was legally owned. He noted the man was known to police.

“He advanced towards police. They did the verbal commands and then did a tactical withdrawal from the situation,” Acting Chief Superintendent Johnson said.

Johnson said he had no concerns about the actions of the officers involved, and described the situation as one that “can escalate and de-escalate as quickly as possible.”

Queensland Police Union President Shane Prior said the union’s critical response team attended the scene, and would continue to offer support to the officers and their families. Prior indicated that the union alleged the man had a military background.

Photo Credit: Shane Prior – QPUE General President/Facebook

“It would seem, on the facts known, that mental health is going to be very significant in the investigation,” Prior said.

Prior said the union’s view, based on the information available to it at the time, was that the officers’ actions were justified.

Neighbours woken in the early hours

For the residents of Cavill Way, Sunday morning began with unexplained noises and then the realisation something serious had happened close to home.

One neighbour said she noticed a police car arrive at the house and then heard four to six gunshots. “Obviously witnessing that has really shook me up,” she said.

Another neighbour said she was asleep when she heard what she described as banging or popping noises. She initially thought little of it. “It almost sounded like someone was banging on the water tank out the back of our house,” she said. “I didn’t really think anything of it because it’s such a nice neighbourhood around here.”

She also said the incident left her unsettled. “Everyone’s so friendly and so it kind of makes you feel a little better that everyone’s feeling the same.”

The fifth police-involved shooting in Queensland in 2026

The Narangba incident is the fifth police-involved shooting recorded in Queensland so far this year. On 3 March, a 21-year-old man died after being shot by police during a welfare check in Tingalpa. The following day, a man allegedly armed with a firearm was shot in Woombye on the Sunshine Coast following a car crash on the motorway.

On 22 March, police shot a 27-year-old man at a shopping centre in Logan Central, where he was allegedly armed with a knife. On 1 April, a 19-year-old man allegedly armed with a large kitchen knife was shot in Arana Hills in Brisbane’s north and subsequently charged with assaulting an officer.

Each of those incidents, like the Narangba shooting, is subject to separate oversight processes.

Anyone experiencing distress following this incident can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 07 3364 6464. Domestic violence support is available through DVConnect on 1800 811 811, 24 hours a day.

Published 25-May-2026

Old Petrie Town Revival Mirrors Petrie’s Changing Identity

Photo Credit: Peter Akers/Google Maps

For years, Old Petrie Town stood as a reminder of the suburb Petrie used to be — practical, familiar and shaped by its industrial past. Now, as restoration works move ahead across the historic village, the site is becoming part of a much bigger story unfolding north of Brisbane, where Petrie has steadily shifted from a commuter suburb into one of Moreton Bay’s fastest-changing education and lifestyle precincts.

A Suburb Once Defined by the Paper Mill

Long before the arrival of university students and new commercial developments, Petrie was closely tied to the Australian Paper Mill, which operated beside the North Pine River for decades. The mill shaped the local economy and identity until its closure in 2011 left behind a massive industrial site near Petrie railway station.

What followed was one of the largest redevelopment projects in the region.

The Queensland Government later declared the area a Priority Development Area, paving the way for what is now known as Moreton Bay Central. The project spans hundreds of hectares and includes public spaces, commercial land, future housing and the growing UniSC Moreton Bay campus.

This period marked the first major shift in how Petrie was being viewed.

Moreton Bay Central
Photo Credit: EDQ QLD

UniSC Changed More Than the Skyline

When the University of the Sunshine Coast opened its Moreton Bay campus in 2020, the suburb began attracting a different mix of people. Students, researchers, hospitality businesses and new residents started moving through an area once known mainly for train commuters and passing traffic.

The campus has continued expanding, with three major buildings added in 2024, including health, engineering and research facilities.

That growth has flowed into surrounding suburbs including Kallangur, Lawnton and North Lakes, where increased demand for housing and local businesses has followed the area’s population growth.

New student accommodation proposals and upgrades around the lake precinct have added to the sense that Petrie is no longer developing around a single project, but through several layers of change happening at once.

Old Petrie Town Finds a New Place in the Story

Against that backdrop, Old Petrie Town has taken on fresh importance.

City of Moreton Bay has committed millions of dollars towards restoration and maintenance works across the heritage village, including upgrades to ageing buildings, infrastructure repairs and improvements to public areas. The council has also flagged plans to refurbish the Heritage Hotel and Function Centre following the retirement of its long-term leaseholder.

The village has remained a regular stop for markets, weddings, school excursions and community events over the years, even as the surrounding suburb changed around it.

Rather than removing the area’s older identity, the current works aim to keep one of Petrie’s best-known landmarks active while newer developments continue reshaping the district.

Council statements linked the project to preserving the site’s historical value while improving the visitor experience and supporting future tourism activity.

Growth Around Petrie Starts Reaching Further North

The changes taking place in Petrie are also being felt across the northern corridor, particularly in North Lakes, where population growth and transport links have increasingly tied the suburbs together.

Petrie railway station remains a key connection point for workers and students travelling between Brisbane and Moreton Bay, while nearby road upgrades and commercial investment have continued drawing attention to the area.

The transformation has not arrived in the same way as masterplanned suburbs like North Lakes, which expanded rapidly over a shorter period. Petrie’s shift has happened gradually through redevelopment, education investment, public infrastructure and community projects spread over several years.

That slower pace has made the changes less dramatic day-to-day, but more noticeable over time.

A Different Future Taking Shape

Old Petrie Town still looks much the same in many places, with heritage buildings, market stalls and timber shopfronts remaining central to the site’s character. But around it, the suburb has entered a very different chapter from the one many long-term residents remember.

Between the university expansion, redevelopment of the former mill land and continued investment in community spaces, Petrie has become one of the region’s most closely watched growth areas.

The work now happening at Old Petrie Town reflects that broader shift — not replacing the suburb’s past, but finding a place for it inside a rapidly changing part of Moreton Bay.

Published 20-May-2026

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

Photo Credit: Translink/Facebook

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

From North Lakes to Vancouver: Max Cunningham Earns His Junior Dolphins Call-up

Max Cunningham/Instagram

North Lakes swimmer Max Cunningham has earned selection in Australia’s Junior Dolphins squad for the 2026 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Vancouver, Canada, fulfilling what the 16-year-old described as one of his main goals heading into the Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast.

The Brisbane Grammar swimmer, whose full name is Maxwell Cunningham, qualified with times in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, events in which he also took out Age 16 Years gold at the championships. His individual program in Vancouver from 17 to 20 August is yet to be confirmed, but the call-up itself represents a significant leap forward in a career that is developing quickly.

“This was always a goal leading up to the Age Championships and will definitely be the toughest level of competition I’ve faced,” Max said.

A breakthrough week on the Gold Coast

Max’s performances across the meet earned him his place in the 32-strong junior squad. He won the Age 16 Years 100m butterfly in 53.37 seconds and the 100m freestyle in 49.97 seconds, both qualifying times for Junior Pan Pacs. He also claimed the 50m butterfly final in 24.17 seconds, having set an Australian age group record of 24.09 in the heats.

That record-breaking swim was not enough to qualify for Vancouver in that event, but it signals the kind of raw speed that has his coaches and supporters paying close attention.

“At the Age Championships my main goal was to make Junior Pan Pacs,” he said. “I already had the 100m butterfly qualifying time from the State titles. I wanted to do the qualifying time again and just missed out on a couple of other targets, but that’s all good. I’m happy with where I am at the moment, but there’s always more to find, more to come.”

Brisbane Grammar provided two swimmers to the Junior Dolphins squad, with Cunningham joined by Eloise McLellan, contributing to a team of 15 Queensland representatives among the 32 selected from across the country.

A step up from New Zealand to the world stage

Max’s previous overseas competition was with Swimming Queensland at the New Zealand Short Course Championships in 2024, a useful introduction to international racing. Vancouver is a considerably bigger stage. The Junior Pan Pacs are held every two years between charter nations Australia, USA, Japan and Canada, and have consistently produced swimmers who go on to represent Australia at senior level.

The 2024 edition, held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, sent graduates straight into senior Dolphins contention.

For a 16-year-old from North Lakes who trained at Grace Lutheran Rothwell before moving to Brisbane Grammar, the competition in Vancouver will mark his first time racing in the green and gold on the international stage.

Bigger goals already in sight

Max is focused on Vancouver rather than the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which he will not trial for. His longer-term targets, however, are set with considerable ambition. Los Angeles 2028 is “kind of in the view,” and Brisbane 2032, a home Olympics, is a “massive goal.”

He is pursuing all of this while juggling Year 12 schoolwork and a part-time job, a balancing act that most 16-year-olds would find daunting without the training load. Max is matter-of-fact about it. “After that we’ll see where the wind takes me,” he said. “I’m almost 17, so hopefully I’ll also be able to drive myself soon.”

For a swimmer who has already set an Australian age record and earned a national junior call-up in the same week, the wind seems to be blowing in the right direction.

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