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SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
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Former student offers uni scholarship
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Dream homes
$400m 490-home social housing development launched Queensland’s largest social and affordable housing project has been launched on the old Woree drive-in site. It will contain nearly 500 homes. Picture: Supplied
l WOREE | Nick Dalton WORK started this week on Queensland’s biggest social and affordable housing project at Woree, jointly funded by the Albanese and Miles Labor governments. It’s aimed at older Queens-
landers who are looking to downsize from their current home and in turn free up larger homes for families. The $400 million complex will include 245 social, 223 affordable and 22 specialist disability apartments. The purpose-built, architecturally-designed precinct fea-
tures modern, low maintenance and energy efficient one and two-bedroom homes for people over 55 and those with disability and is set among landscaped gardens and picnic grounds. The Woree site has direct access to transport routes, the Bruce Highway, a local shopping centre and the Woree Aquatic
Centre. The project is being funded through the Miles government’s Housing Investment Fund, as well as lending from Housing Australia, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) and ANZ, and a capital grant from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility. Community Housing Limited (CHL)
and Tetris Capital are joining forces to deliver and manage the homes with construction undertaken by FCC Construction Australia and Modscape. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, weather and construction conditions permitting. CONTINUED PAGE 6
Bridge’s two lanes re-open l KURANDA THE Barron River Bridge at Kuranda has re-opened to two lanes with a 42.5 tonne load limit. As a precaution, the bridge was shut earlier this year after inspections in May 2024 identified previously unidentified issues with the Macalloy bars, which were installed in 1963. The Macalloy post-tensioning bars were retrofitted to provide extra strength after the bridge opened to traffic earlier that year. TMR implemented a single lane operation of the bridge to ensure safety for the crew and road users while further investigations and work to protect the Macalloy bars were carried out. TMR has applied a protective wrap to the affected areas of the Macalloy bars. Investigations on the bridge and laboratory tests have confirmed that the Macalloy bars may remain in place until a long-term solution is implemented. The Miles Labor government has committed $450 million to construct a new Barron River Bridge if re-elected. Transport and Main Roads Minister Bart Mellish said safety was “our number one priority and we needed to be absolutely sure that it is safe to reopen the bridge to two lanes”. “We are doing everything we can to keep the bridge in service until construction of a new bridge is completed,” he said.
Stay & Play Dates!
Nuturing growth & learning for over 30 years!
Our "Stay & Play" dates are the perfect way to experience our centre and seeing firsthand how the children in our care are inspired to explore, learn, and grow. This provides opportunity to spend time with and get to know our Educators and Teachers and see how your child will be inspired throughout the day.