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Get To Know Renae McBrien, Founder of Tarragindi Community Garden

From a vision of creating a shared backyard where the community can grow their own food and share it with others, Renae McBrien is now leading one of the most successful community gardens in Brisbane, the Tarragindi Community Garden.

Read: Tarragindi Community Garden: Championing Domestic Waste Reduction

Whilst leading Tarragindi Community Garden, Renae McBrien has been serving as the Community, Horticulture and Environment Consultant for the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service since 2020.

As an environment consultant, her work involves promoting a healthier future for the children of Queensland through creating sensory and therapy landscapes of patients and staff and by reducing the environmental impact of the health care service through innovative recycling.

Before working at Queensland Children’s Hospital, she also served as the community garden and recycling consultant for Metro South Health.

Renae McBrien — Photo Credit: Tarragindi Community Garden/Facebook

Through Tarragindi Community Garden, Ms McBrien gets to lead free community workshops on composting, native bees, and worm farming.

Since opening the garden in 2020, the group has diverted 9 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill and converted it into free landscape supplies for the garden.

Every month, the group visits local Tarragindi child care centres and local primary schools to conduct recycling education sessions, and also give away free compost bags for the community.

One of their notable initiatives is the Tarragindi Toppers recycling hub, where recyclable materials such as bread tags, plastic lids, and beer and wine metal tops are being processed and then reused for circular economy projects.

For instance, the 61.4 kg of bread tags were handsorted into colours and donated to Transmutation in South Australia, where they are made into different plastic products, such as bowls, platters, and plant pots.

All their efforts have paid off, when the community garden received the 2021 WasteSMART Community Award, whilst Renae McBrien was named that year’s University of Queensland Brisbane’s WasteSMART Champion.

Read: Tarragindi Community Garden Celebrates WasteSMART Award Wins

At the last Sustainability and Science Showcase held in June 2022 at the Queensland Museum, Ms McBrien got to share her insights on how small steps in our homes can build a sustainable future.

Just recently, the group has successfully applied for the Lord Mayor’s Community Sustainability and Environmental Grants, and was awarded $2,244 which will be used to provide free herbs, harvest and plants to the community all year round as well as purse some big plans to make the garden bigger and better.

Brisbane’s Bus Network Services to Change But Have Your Say First

Brisbane’s bus network services are set to evolve with the activation of Brisbane Metro in a few years and Tarragindi residents now have a chance to provide their feedback on the expected changes.

Brisbane City Council will be conducting a series of community information sessions until the 14th of December 2022 in various suburbs to gather feedback from commuters who will be affected by any changes or adoption to this transportation service.

Some of these changes include:

The introduction of two new Brisbane Metro lines
Reducing the bottlenecks and congestions with a simplified bus network
Increasing connections to other public transport modes, such as the Cross River Rail.

For Tarragindi locals, the community information sessions will be on Saturday, 10 December 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Wellers Hills Bowls Club.

Other sessions in South Brisbane will take place on these dates and locations:

Date/Time	Location
Saturday 26 November 2022 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m.	Coopers Plains Library 107 Orange Grove Rd Coopers Plains QLD 4108
Saturday 3 December 2022 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m.	Warrigal Square Shopping Centre 261 Warrigal Rd Eight Mile Plains – a Mandarin interpreter will be available

Locals may also participate by completing the online survey if they cannot go to the in-person sessions.

Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Ryan Murphy is encouraging locals to participate in these drop-in sessions to help the Council map out a solid new bus network services plan.

“By 2041 our population will increase by almost 25 per cent and it is important the bus network evolves as our city grows,” Mr Murphy said.

“At peak times there are currently more than 385 buses jamming up the Cultural Centre Station, which is a result of our current over-reliance on direct bus journeys from the suburbs to the CBD.

“As part of the changes, a number of routes will be combined to simplify the network and some routes with extremely low patronage will be removed.

“This allows us to make better use of our resources to give high-frequency services to more streets, introduce new routes and deliver more reliable services from the suburbs to the city.

“The improvements being delivered through the Brisbane Metro will help to significantly ease bottlenecks in the current network and prevent future problems as we grow.

“Brisbane’s New Bus Network redesigns services to connect customers to the two high-frequency Metro lines between Eight Mile Plains and Roma Street and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and the University of Queensland.

“There is also significant scope to expand the Metro further into Brisbane’s north and east through investment into the dedicated bus network.

“We want residents to join the conversation and provide their feedback to help us create the best possible transport network.”

After the community information sessions, Council will work with Translink and release the new network plan. The bus network services changes will be adopted in late 2024.

Tarragindi Girl Receives New, 3D-Printed Ears

Aside from being able to hear, having her ears pierced for earrings was Harriet Sanders’ dream. Today, advanced hearing aid technology and the wonders of 3D printing have combined to give this Tarragindi schoolgirl her heart’s desire, thanks to Sydney surgeon Dr Joe Dusseldorp.

Read: Tarragindi Girl’s Ear Surgery ‘Will Change Her Life Forever’

Harriet Sanders’ Story

Harriet Sanders, 6, suffered from two different conditions–bilateral microtia and atresia. She was diagnosed with hearing loss a day after she was born.

Bilateral microtia, which happens in about 1 in 25,000 babies, is a birth defect where both external ears are missing completely. Atresia is the absence or closure of the external auditory ear canal. Both conditions strongly affected Harriet’s outer ear and ear canal’s development.

At only three weeks old, Harriet was fitted with bone-conducted hearing aids to help with her hearing loss. However, Harriet was also missing both ears, a rare occurence among sufferers of an already rare condition.

Whilst researching, Harriet’s mum, Anna, learned about ear reconstruction surgery, an uncommon procedure in Australia. She learned that most of the surgeries were done overseas. Also, they apparently had to wait until Harriet became old enough to go through reconstruction surgery.

Harriet Sanders — Photo credit: joedusseldorp.com

3D printed ears for Harriet Sanders — Photo credit: joedusseldorp.com

Fortunately, she met Dr Dusseldorp, a reconstructive plastic surgeon from Sydney who performed pioneering, 3D-printed ear implant surgery on a four-year-old boy in early 2019.

Despite the impending risk of pandemic lockdowns due to the pandemic, Dr Dusseldorp successfully performed Harriet’s reconstructive surgery in 2021. This made Harriet the first child with bilateral microtia to undergo custom, 3d-printed ear reconstruction in Australia.

Dr Dusseldorp modeled Harriet’s ears from the ears of her mum, using 3D scans, and shaped the ears carefully to suit her face, using her own skin and tissue within the 3D-printed ear.

The surgery took ten hours and reconstruction was done in stages, first one ear, then the second one after a few months.

At around the same period, doctors also implanted BAHAs, hearing devices that transmit sound from the outside world directly to the hearing nerves of her ears. Harriet had been wearing bilateral, bone-conducted hearing aids with a band on her head since infancy.

Finally, form + function equals Harriet’s new ears!

3D printed ears — Photo credit: joedusseldorp.com

Dr Dusseldorp also acknowledged Hear and Say, for helping raise funds for Harriet and for their continuing support for Microtia and Atresia families.

Read: Aspiring Tarragindi Teacher Participates in G8 Education Traineeship Program

Harriet’s family strongly believes that 3d-printed ear reconstruction is truly life-changing. Today, Harriet can confidently go through life with her head held high, able to hear, and wearing a pair of the pretty, little earrings she once only dreamt about.

Aspiring Tarragindi Teacher Participates in G8 Education Traineeship Program

Photo Credit: G8 Education / g8education.edu.au

Joseph Cooper is a school-based trainee at The Learning Sanctuary Tarragindi. Through the Study Pathways Program of G8 Education, he was given the opportunity to start a career in early childhood education whilst still attending school.

In a bid to counter the worsening workforce shortage in the early childhood education and care sector, the Study Pathways program of G8 Education is investing more resources into education training through its 450 locations in Australia, including the Learning Sanctuary in Tarragindi.

There’s Just Not Enough Educators

G8 has committed to meeting the growing demand for early learning services by opening more centres across the country.

However, workforce shortages in recent years have seen vacancies advertised across QLD reach an all-time high of 1,557 positions. At present, it takes an average of 57 days for a vacant position to be filled.

Through its Trainee and Study Pathway programs, G8 Education is able to address the growing demand for educators. Approximately 41 per cent of its graduates getting permanent employment with the company.

Through the program, around 74 school-based trainees have already started in Queensland services as of July 2022.

Getting a Headstart

For Joseph Cooper, it was a unique opportunity to get a valuable headstart doing something he has dreamed about since childhood.

“I had an amazing teacher in grade three, Mr Hanson, and ever since then I’ve wanted to be a teacher,” Joseph said.

“I always doubted whether it was an achievable goal until I heard about this traineeship opportunity.

“Judging from my first few days at the centre, early learning seems like a perfect fit for me.

“I love watching the children interact and problem solves, and it’s a really fun and welcoming environment to work in.”

G8 Education’s Study Pathways Program includes Certificate III and Diploma Early Childhood traineeships, and the Bachelor of Early Childhood Scholarship Program.

To learn more about the program, click here.

The Learning Sanctuary Tarragindi | 200 Toohey Rd, Tarragindi QLD 4121, Australia

Scooter Track Opens at the Shaftesbury Street Park in Tarragindi

After more than two months of construction, a new scooter track has opened at the Shaftesbury Street Park in Tarragindi, one of four new scooter tracks in Brisbane that are expected to deliver more opportunities for play, exercise, and recreation for families.

The scooter tracks are based on the award-winning recreational facility that was opened at Kedron’s Bradbury Park in 2020. The Shaftesbury Street Park improvements include a new picnic shelter as well.

“I am told by the designers that this track is the only one of its kind in Brisbane with the slalom design,” Cr Krista Adams said following the park’s official re-opening.

Aside from Tarragindi, Wittonga Park in The Gap has commenced construction as of August 2022. Paul Conti Park in Hemmant and Kathleen Street Park in Forest Lake are also going to have their own scooter parks, according to Council.

“As Richlands, Hemmant, The Gap and surrounding areas continue to grow, it is important to ensure that our parks continue to meet the recreational needs of residents and visitors, and Council is looking to enhance and diversify the recreational opportunities in these popular green spaces to ensure they cater to a broad spectrum of the community,” the Council said.

“Long gone are the days of a few trees and an old swing set. Our parks offer options for kids of all ages from scooter tracks and ninja warrior courses to nature playgrounds and water features,” per Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

Shopper in Disbelief Over $18 Cabbage Sold in Tarragindi

Inflation in Australia is the highest it has been since the early 1990s, hurting the pockets of Australian consumers like this shopper who found whole cabbage sold for $18 at a Tarragindi fruit and vegetable market.

A family-owned fruit and vegetable market along Toohey Rd is a local go-to place for better-quality food choices. However, a shopper was shocked at how expensive whole cabbages have gotten at the market this summer of 2022.

Green crops have been one of the hardest-hit commodities as Australia’s cost of living rises due to inflation. The recent unseasonal rains and the unusually wet weather may have also contributed to the price hike.

In June, regular whole cabbage prices spiked to about $9 whilst the organic variant costs about $10 to $12 at big-chain stores. Regular half-cabbages were selling at $3.50 but organic half-cabbages went for $5.20.

The price hike follows a lettuce shortage that had many restaurants switching and supplementing lettuce/cabbage mixed ingredients. However, lettuce has gone back down to its regular price in recent weeks.

“Happy to pay whatever as long as the farmers are getting most of the profits. However, if it’s profiteering from the suppliers and or grocers then the government needs to step in and stop this.”

“I’ve lived in Brisbane all my life and I’ve seen rain like we have had in recent time years ago but it never spiked veggie price like this. Someone is making a killing.”

“I saw these for $15.99 at our fruit and veg shop at Helensvale and thought it must have been an error. Apparently not.”

“So what happens to all the wasted fruit and veg now that we can’t afford to buy it? These prices are ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, Tarragindi locals have other options for green food supplies that they can plant, cultivate and harvest for free via the Tarragindi Community Garden and the Wellers Hill Bowls Club community garden.

The Shed Community Fitness Inc in Salisbury Offers First Aid Training

Learn how to apply first aid during an emergency situation at the special training course offered by The Shed Community Fitness Inc, along Commerce St in Salisbury.

Whether it’s for a job requirement or learning a skill that may be useful one day. It’s good to be prepared during an emergency as first aid training can help save someone’s life. The session at The Shed Community Fitness Inc will take place on Saturday, 25 June 2022, and will be handled by a qualified trainer.

The instructors will be utilising nationally accredited First Aid/CPR training packages recognised by other training organisations, such as the Australian Resuscitation Council and ASQA Guidelines.

The session will cover:

SESSION	TIME
CPR Course	9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
First Aid Training (including CPR & Defib)	9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Participants may choose to join the CPR course only or as a first aid refresher. Coffee or tea will be provided but participants are expected to bring their own lunch.

Learning first aid isn’t just for medical workers because accidents happen anywhere at any time. Someone with training can help families, loved ones, co-workers, or even strangers.

Trained individuals may fill the gap and prevent tragic outcomes by aiding victims of accidents, cardiac arrest, and heart attack before the first responders arrive.

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Tarragindi Dad Breaks Gender Stereotype As One Of The Few Male Midwives In QLD

data from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Mr Cameron, along with other midwives at the hospital have been recognised in May 2022 in time for the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May.

He’s aware that he stands out, being a male midwife, but he acknowledges his supportive team at Mater and said that the job is the same for all of them regardless of the gender.

mater mothers — Photo credit: Mater Mothers/Facebook

“We are motivated by the same goal and that’s to provide the very best support to mums and their babies at what is often the most important time in their lives,” he said.

Mr Cameron continues to break stereotypes and is encouraging other men to consider a career in midwifery. He believes it’s an incredibly rewarding job, especially because he becomes part of another family’s memories and milestones.