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Todd Winther of Nundah Advocates for Mandatory Fire Sprinklers in Disability Housing

Todd Winther, a 42-year-old Nundah resident with cerebral palsy, leads advocacy efforts to mandate fire sprinklers in all Specialist Disability Accommodation properties across Australia, citing severe safety risks for residents unable to evacuate independently during emergencies.

Winther lives in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom High Physical Support SDA property in Nundah, approximately 15 minutes north of Brisbane CBD. His home includes water sprinklers, but he describes the terror of knowing such safety features remain optional rather than mandatory in disability accommodation despite residents’ heightened vulnerability.

The wheelchair user cannot get out of bed independently and acknowledges that even when mobile, evacuating his apartment would take considerable time. Fire sprinklers provide another safety barrier for someone unable to handle fire extinguishers independently, yet current regulations only recommend rather than require these systems.

Disability Community Fire Risk

People with disability face disproportionate risk from residential fires. A 2019 Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre report found that 62 per cent of Australians who died in preventable residential fires between 2003 and 2017 had a disability, despite this group comprising a much smaller proportion of the overall population.

More than 15,500 NDIS participants currently live in SDAs designed to help them live more independently, according to the NDIS Quarterly Report released in September. These properties house residents with extreme functional impairment requiring very high support levels, yet fire sprinklers remain recommended rather than required.

Current SDA design standards mandate smoke alarms in bedroom and living spaces alongside evacuation plans. However, sprinklers carry recommendation status only. The National Disability Insurance Agency confirmed SDA design standards are under review, with outcomes expected later this year.

Advocacy Campaign and Technology Effectiveness

The Specialist Disability Accommodation Alliance, led by CEO Jeramy Hope, has called for mandatory home fire sprinklers and interconnected smoke alarms across all SDA properties. Hope reports that SDA residents express fear at night, knowing inadequate safety measures could prove fatal.

The alliance positions fire sprinklers as proven technology costing between $5,000 and $20,000 per dwelling. Hope characterises this as fairly inexpensive implementation that prevents people with disability dying in their homes.

Mark Whybro, chair of Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition Australia and former assistant commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales, advocates for the same regulatory changes applied to aged care following the 2011 Quakers Hill nursing home fire that killed 11 elderly residents. Whybro successfully campaigned for retrofitting sprinklers in residential aged care in New South Wales, which subsequently became mandatory nationally under the National Construction Code.

Smoke alarms alone provide approximately 50 per cent improvement in surviving typical house fires whilst doing nothing to suppress blazes. Home fire sprinklers deliver around 90 per cent improvement in surviving house fires by managing flames to allow evacuation.

Modern fires involving plastics, synthetics, and polystyrene foam can engulf entire rooms in two to three minutes. Fire sprinklers manage fire spread to allow people to exit safely, particularly critical for residents requiring assistance or using mobility devices.

Background and Advocacy

Todd Winther works as NDIS subject matter specialist, providing training for service providers on housing policy, best practice, and the social model of disability. His professional expertise combines with personal experience as NDIS participant receiving approximately 7 hours per day of support through core funding, plus Supported Independent Living funding of approximately $140,000 annually.

His SIL funding operates under the Concierge model, where funding across tenants of 10 high physical support apartments combines to enable emergency on-call response mechanisms outside core hours. This represented the first time Winther could choose where he lived with consumer power to determine the best options.

Winther authored the Australian Disability Dialogue on Housing discussion paper in 2023, examining how housing and living supply responses can be more innovative and aligned with participant needs. The paper explores foundational principles of choice, change, community, and cost-benefit in disability housing.

His discussion paper identifies that only 6 per cent of NDIS participants receive purpose-built accommodation or SDA funding. The work questions how legacy group housing models can transform into systems offering real choice and control.

Living in SDA has transformed Winther’s life, enabling full-time employment and independent living that facilitated meeting his wife. Without disability accommodation, he would likely still be living with parents. Winther emphasises SDAs as one of the most important parts of the NDIS, stressing the need for enhanced safety measures including mandatory fire sprinklers.

NDIS Housing Context

Todd Winther’s discussion paper examines tensions between choice and control for people with disability and commercial imperatives to deliver sustainable supports. The number of NDIS participants with housing and living supports has doubled in the last four years, creating opportunities for investment whilst supply lags behind demand.

SDA active participants increased 18 per cent annually over three years, reaching 22,680 as of March 2023. Average plan budgets increased approximately 12 per cent per annum, leading to total SDA supports rising around 31 per cent annually from $156 million to $353 million. The Australian Disability Dialogue framework identified design challenges focusing on participant voice, community connections, models that people want, and long-term economic independence.

Nundah and Fire Safety Advocacy

Nundah, located approximately 8 kilometres northeast of Brisbane CBD, developed as railway suburb following the 1882 opening of Nundah railway station. Public transport access via the station and multiple bus routes enables residents with mobility requirements to access Brisbane services.

The suburb’s relatively flat topography and established footpath network support wheelchair accessibility. Proximity to medical services, shopping facilities, and community amenities creates suitable environment for independent living through NDIS supports.

Specialist Disability Accommodation Alliance continues advocacy efforts whilst awaiting NDIA design standard review outcomes, urging immediate action to mandate fire sprinklers in all SDA properties.

Published 08-February-2026.

Banyo Land Sale Puts 400 Homes on the Table

A six-hectare block on Blinzinger Rd in Banyo, once used as an Energex depot and left idle for about a decade, will be the first site brought to market under the new Land Activation Program. The site, which sits close to transport links, shops and schools, is expected to deliver up to 400 new homes and is being promoted as a way to lift housing supply more quickly in Brisbane’s north.

The Banyo site covers just over six hectares and has remained fenced and unused despite growing demand for housing in the surrounding suburbs.

Program material published by Economic Development Queensland states the land is suitable for residential development and could support several hundred dwellings. Information about how industry participants can register interest and submit proposals is available on the Economic Development Queensland Land Activation Program page.

How the Program Works

The Land Activation Program allows private developers to identify under-used public land and register interest in building housing, while public agencies are expected to flag sites that are no longer required for operational use. Economic Development Queensland will assess proposals to determine whether land is genuinely surplus and suitable for housing, with additional sites expected to be released across the state following the Banyo rollout.

Details of the program were published through an official statement outlining the aim of accelerating land supply and reducing delays tied to planning and approvals.

The Key Flashpoint: Affordability

Unlike earlier land partnership models, the current approach does not require social or affordable housing to be included when sites are sold to private developers. Supporters of the program argue that removing these conditions allows housing to be delivered faster and at lower upfront cost.

Critics say the absence of affordability settings means the plan is unlikely to help households on low incomes or those waiting for social housing, particularly as prices and rents continue to rise.

Why the Approach Has Shifted

The move follows reporting on a KPMG review of the former Ground Lease Model, which found the approach would have required significant public funding while delivering a limited number of homes. That analysis estimated a cost of $1.7 billion for 715 dwellings, prompting a shift toward a market-led strategy focused on releasing land rather than subsidising rents.

Property forecasts cited in recent reporting warn Brisbane home values could continue climbing, intensifying debate about whether increased supply alone will ease affordability pressures.

History of the Energex depot site in Banyo

The site on Blinzinger Rd in Banyo has a long industrial past tied to the electricity network in Brisbane’s north. A public notice about remediation works states that the facility was originally built for the electricity arm of Brisbane City Council and was later transferred to the former South East Queensland Electricity Board in 1977, before becoming known locally as the Energex Banyo depot.

The property operated from the 1950s until 2007, including use as an electrical transformer refurbishment facility. It was listed under Queensland’s Environmental Management Register due to its historical use for oil storage.

Planning material within Brisbane’s City Plan neighbourhood plan documents flags the Blinzinger Road precinct and notes housing outcomes tied to the site’s future once it was no longer needed for its former purpose. Separately, an industry project page on a replacement distribution centre states that the new facility was intended to replace the ageing Banyo operation for warehousing needs, supporting the view that activities shifted away from the Banyo depot over time.

Published 3-Feb-2026

Speed Awareness Monitors Back on Duty as Nundah Students Return to School

The familiar sight of ‘Slow for SAM’ (Speed Awareness Monitors) signs has returned to streets around Nundah as thousands of Brisbane students head back to school, with speed awareness monitors working overtime to protect children during the busy morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up periods.

Read: How Campus Life Helps Young Adults with Disability Transition to Work and Study

For parents navigating the school run along Nudgee Road and surrounding streets, the bright yellow signs serve as a crucial reminder to ease off the accelerator. It’s a message that couldn’t be more relevant to local drivers—data from the past year revealed Nudgee Road in Nundah recorded one of the most shocking speeding violations across Brisbane’s entire monitoring network, with one driver clocked at 187km/h in a 60km/h zone.

What are SAMs?

Buckland Rd, Nundah (Photo credit: Google Street View)

Speed awareness monitors, or SAMs, are designed to encourage drivers to slow down by displaying real-time speed feedback. Brisbane now operates more than 250 SAMs across over 800 locations throughout the city. One hundred of these monitors are permanently positioned around schools, forming a dedicated network focused on protecting students during school hours.

Unlike speed cameras, SAMs don’t issue fines or capture number plates. Instead, they display speed information to encourage immediate behaviour change.

Proven Results Across Brisbane

Brisbane’s dedicated school zone speed awareness monitors were first introduced in 2021, with 100 now in operation as part of Brisbane’s broader traffic safety monitoring network.

The numbers tell a compelling story about the program’s effectiveness. Since 2013, more than 1.4 billion vehicles have passed Brisbane’s ‘Slow for SAM’ signs, with the monitors achieving an average speed reduction of 6.3km/h. Between April and September last year alone, over 82 million vehicles were recorded citywide, with approximately half of speeding drivers adjusting their behaviour to travel under the speed limit after encountering a SAM.

The success stories vary across Brisbane. Drivers using Frasers Road in Ashgrove showed the most improvement, with average speeds dropping by 9km/h in a 50km/h zone. Meanwhile, motorists travelling along Leopard Street in Kangaroo Point demonstrated exemplary behaviour, with 1.66 million vehicles recorded driving at or below the school zone speed limit.

While the data captured through the ‘Slow for SAM’ program cannot be used for enforcement purposes, it provides valuable intelligence that informs police driver safety campaigns and helps identify problem areas requiring additional attention.

A Comprehensive Safety Approach

The SAM initiative forms just one component of Brisbane’s comprehensive school safety program. It works alongside flashing school zone signs, high-visibility road markings, and infrastructure upgrades designed to create safer environments for students.

Since 2015, the city has installed 140 school zone signs at 70 schools with support from the State. These physical improvements complement behavioural programs aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving safety around schools.

This year, almost 17,000 students from 30 schools across Brisbane are set to participate in the Council’s Active School Travel program, which encourages safe walking and cycling to school. The initiative not only promotes student health and wellbeing but also helps reduce the number of vehicles on roads during peak school times.

Future Improvements

Looking ahead, Brisbane’s school safety infrastructure is set for significant expansion. Safer School Precinct upgrades are rolling out across multiple suburbs, with consultation recently completed in Kedron, Mansfield, and Wynnum Manly. Work on the first Safer School Precinct in Kedron is expected to begin mid-2026, while consultation for a new Indooroopilly Safer School Precinct will commence in early 2026.

Read: Music and Arts Boost for Banyo School with New Hall Upgrade

For Nundah families, the return of SAMs to local school zones offers reassurance during what can be a chaotic time of year. As students settle back into their routines and parents navigate the school run, these unassuming yellow signs continue their quiet work—reminding drivers that a few seconds saved simply isn’t worth a child’s safety.

The message is simple: when you see SAM, slow down. It’s a small action that makes Brisbane’s streets safer for everyone.

Published 29-January-2026

Music and Arts Boost for Banyo School with New Hall Upgrade

Photo Credit: DA A006768975

A Banyo primary school is set to expand its creative arts capabilities with the approval of a new construction project that turns an open undercroft area into dedicated learning spaces.

Converting Space for Creativity

St Pius V Primary School has secured permission to build extensions associated with its existing Multi-purpose Hall located on Apperley Street and St Vincents Road. The approved development focuses on using the space underneath the current hall structure to create two new multi-purpose rooms.

These additions are designed to provide a new home for music classes, which will relocate from other areas of the campus to this central hub. Alongside the classrooms, a dedicated music store will be built to house instruments and equipment securely.

Weather-Proofing for Year-Round Use

A key feature of the upgrade involves making the facility usable regardless of the weather conditions. The design, prepared by CVN Consultants, outlines the partial enclosure of the existing hall structure.

Aluminium glass louvres will be installed on the north-western and south-eastern sides of the building. The report indicates that closing these openings will allow students and staff to utilise the hall comfortably throughout the year, protecting them from wind and rain while maintaining natural light.

Practical Campus Additions

Beyond the educational spaces, the project addresses practical needs for the school community. The plans include a new bike storage area capable of holding 40 bicycles, encouraging active transport to school. A maintenance shed will also be constructed within the undercroft footprint. The site works are strictly confined to the existing footprint of the hall, ensuring no additional land is taken up by the construction.

Published Date 15-January-2026

How Campus Life Helps Young Adults with Disability Transition to Work and Study

Campus Life, a program operating from Australian Catholic University’s campus in Banyo, is quietly revolutionising what’s possible for young people with disability, creating pathways to employment and further study where few existed before.

Read: New Campus Hub to Support ACU Students and Staff in Banyo

Bringing small groups of young adults with disability together each week for activities designed to build confidence, skills and independence, the initiative has become the flagship program of the Centre for Inclusive Supports Inc charity.

The program’s origins lie in a mother’s determination to create better opportunities for her son. When Kathy Harris looked at what awaited her son Rory after he finished special school, she was disappointed by what she found. The available options were limited, with many programs offering what she characterises as adult minding rather than genuine preparation for work or further study.

Harris decided to design something different. What began as a six-month research project with six participants in 2021 has evolved into a comprehensive three-year program that’s changing lives.

Campus Life participants engage in diverse activities including speech and music therapy, learning content from first-year business courses, and attending exercise classes. The campus setting provides an authentic tertiary education environment, helping participants envision themselves as university students or workers rather than perpetual program attendees.

The partnership with ACU has proven particularly valuable. University students volunteer to run exercise sessions and lead activities during their semesters, creating meaningful connections between the Campus Life participants and the broader student community. Harris describes the collaboration as wonderful, noting that genuine friendships have developed between the two groups.

For Rory Harris, now 22, the program opened doors he didn’t know existed. He was part of that first cohort in 2021 and says, using a text-to-speech device, that there really were no other options available. His favourite aspect of Campus Life has been making new friends—a benefit that research has confirmed as one of the program’s most important features. Studies conducted with Autism Spectrum Australia and Griffith University found that the friendships formed during the program were crucial to participants’ development.

Since graduating from Campus Life, Rory has transitioned into work programs where he makes items to sell in a shop. He also works in a games library connected to the charity. His mother has observed significant changes in long-term participants, including improved confidence, enhanced problem-solving abilities and developed work skills. Some participants have even shown physical improvements, with young men who previously struggled with walking and navigating stairs growing noticeably stronger through the program’s exercise components.

The emotional impact on families has been profound. Harris recalls one parent expressing shock and delight that their youngest son could attend university just as their eldest had done—something they’d never imagined possible.

The need for programs like Campus Life is becoming increasingly urgent. Recent research from Griffith University reveals a troubling trend: a statistically significant decline in education and training opportunities for people with disability over the past three years. The Voice of Queenslanders with Disability report found that just over 50 per cent of participants with disability could access courses and training with support in 2025—a 15 per cent decrease since 2023.

Read: Banyo’s Holy Trinity Church Honours Val Stafford After Decades Of Service

Given that more than 290,000 Australians have an autism diagnosis and are six times more likely to be unemployed than people without disability, according to the national autism strategy released last year, initiatives like Campus Life represent more than just a nice idea—they’re a necessary response to a significant gap in support services.

For Harris, the most rewarding moments come when participants become restless near the end of the program—not from dissatisfaction, but because they’re ready for their next challenge. It’s a sign that Campus Life has done its job, preparing young people to move forward into employment, further study or other opportunities. Watching different pathways open up for young people who once had so few options has been, she says, genuinely exciting.

Published 15-January-2026

Biosecurity Oyster Warnings Intensify in Pinkenba

Photo Credit: QLD Gov

Boaties and waterway users in Pinkenba are being urged to take extra precautions as biosecurity warnings intensify to limit the spread of an invasive oyster species detected in nearby waterways.

Increased Vigilance at Pinkenba Access Points

Large biosecurity warning billboards have been installed at boat ramps and marina areas around Moreton Bay, including locations linked to Pinkenba, as summer boating activity increases. The signage focuses on preventing the spread of the Suminoe oyster, also known as the Chinese river oyster, which has been detected in Boggy Creek near the mouth of the Brisbane River at Pinkenba.

The alerts are part of a broader effort to raise awareness during peak vessel movement, when the risk of transferring marine pests between waterways is highest.

Background and Detection History

The Suminoe oyster was first detected in Australia in June 2023 within the Bribie Island canal system. Since then, confirmed detections have occurred in several waterways along the western and northern edges of Moreton Bay, including the Brisbane River, Kedron Brook and Boggy Creek at Pinkenba.

While no detections have been confirmed in the southern reaches of the bay, authorities remain concerned that increased summer traffic could introduce the species to new areas.

biosecurity alert — *Photo Credit: QLD Gov*

Why the Oyster Is a Concern

The Suminoe oyster is a fast-growing invasive species that can reach up to 24 centimetres in length. It can be difficult to distinguish from native oysters until it reaches maturity and is known to attach to hard surfaces such as boat hulls, anchors, ropes, pontoons and trailers.

The species is classified as a biosecurity matter under Queensland law. It is illegal to collect, eat or use the oyster as bait, with warnings that it can accumulate heavy metals and pollutants, particularly in urban waterways such as those around Pinkenba.

Pinkenba oyster alert — *Photo Credit: QLD Gov*

Management Approach and Responsibilities

Authorities have determined the oyster cannot be eradicated and are instead focusing on containment and long-term monitoring. This approach relies heavily on compliance from recreational and commercial waterway users.

Under existing biosecurity obligations, boaters are required to take reasonable and practical steps to prevent the oyster’s spread. This includes cleaning vessels and equipment before moving between locations and reporting suspected sightings.

Reporting and Next Steps

Suspected sightings of the Suminoe oyster must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland to support ongoing monitoring and mapping of affected areas. The current billboard campaign will continue through the summer period as boating activity remains high across Moreton Bay.

Authorities say limiting further spread around Pinkenba and surrounding waterways is critical to reducing potential environmental and economic impacts in the future.

Published 13-Jan-2026

Why Sundays Feel Different When Nundah Markets Are Back

If you’ve ever wondered where your Nundah neighbours disappear to early on Sunday mornings, chances are they’re heading to Station Street. Before most people have finished their first coffee at home, the area is already stirring. There’s the smell of bread in the air, familiar faces stopping mid-walk to chat, and the low hum of a neighbourhood waking up together.

This Sunday, 11 Jan, that ritual returns as Nundah Farmers Markets reopen for the year. After the summer break, the markets resume from 6:00 a.m. to midday, returning to their usual spot near the train station.

For locals, it’s less about an event and more about routine — the place you run into your neighbour, grab fruit for the week, and let the kids wander between stalls while someone strums a guitar nearby.

The stalls themselves are familiar. Growers from across South East Queensland unload crates of produce picked only days earlier. Bakers sell out early, coffee cups are passed hand to hand, and regular food vendors return to their usual corners. It’s the kind of place where stallholders remember what you bought last time, or ask how your mum’s been.

But the markets aren’t only about what’s for sale. They’ve long acted as a meeting point for the suburb, especially for those who might not otherwise cross paths during the week. Artists, plant growers, craftspeople and alternative therapy practitioners set up side by side, creating a space that feels informal and unhurried.

Live music drifts through the street most Sundays, never loud enough to drown out conversation. People linger longer than they plan to. Shopping bags get heavier, schedules get pushed back.

As 2026 begins, the return of the markets marks a small but meaningful reset — a reminder that community still happens face-to-face, early on a Sunday, over coffee and conversation.

The markets will now run every Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Station Street, Nundah, with free entry.

Published 8-Jan-2026

Nudgee Old Boy Jacob Elordi: The Win You Didn’t See

Photo Credit: Frankenstein Film/Facebook

St Joseph’s Nudgee College Old Boy Jacob Elordi has secured his first major international acting prize, starting 2026 with a bang by winning Best Supporting Actor at the Critics’ Choice Awards. The honour marks a significant career milestone — but for friends, family and fans back home, the more compelling story lies behind the headlines.

What transpired at the awards stage was brief. What led to that moment was anything but.

Critics’ Choice Recognition

The 31st Critics’ Choice Awards were held on 4 January 2026 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, officially opening the annual film and television awards season. Elordi emerged as one of the night’s key winners, taking out Best Supporting Actor in a competitive category.

The award was presented for his performance as the Creature in Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The result marked Elordi’s first major acting award at an international ceremony, representing a significant career milestone.

Elordi’s win came as Frankenstein emerged as one of the night’s most recognised films, also collecting multiple technical awards including costume design, hair and makeup, and production design — categories that underscore just how collaborative his performance was.

The film’s success reflected strong critical support, particularly for its visual presentation and production craftsmanship. Elordi’s performance was selected from a field that included several established international actors, underscoring growing recognition for his work in complex, character-driven roles. Other Australian winners included Sarah Snook who won Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for All Her Fault.

The Critics’ Choice Awards are widely regarded as a strong indicator of momentum ahead of other major industry ceremonies later in the year. With Frankenstein securing multiple awards, the film has emerged as one to watch as the awards season progresses.

From striped blazer to stitched-together Creature

Long before red carpets and awards-season momentum, Elordi was known locally as a student at St Joseph’s Nudgee College — a connection that has resurfaced repeatedly as his career has accelerated. Recent local coverage highlighted old school images circulating through the Nudgee Old Boys network: blazer-era Elordi, instantly recognisable to classmates, now contrasted with one of the most physically demanding roles of his career.

Jacob Elordi then and now — Photo Credit: Facebook/St Joseph’s Nudgee College

In Frankenstein, he is almost unrecognisable. The leap from north-side school corridors to gothic cinema is stark, and it frames just how far the journey has travelled — not just in distance, but in discipline.

The win you didn’t see: the work behind the role

Awards rarely account for endurance. In this case, it mattered.

Frankenstein was among the most recognised films of the night, collecting multiple Critics’ Choice Awards across technical categories. Alongside Elordi’s acting win, the film also received honours for costume design, hair and makeup, and production design.

Elordi reportedly underwent full-body prosthetic applications around 20 times, with approximately 42 separate prosthetic pieces used to construct the Creature’s appearance. Only small parts of his face — the tip of his nose, upper lip and chin — remained uncovered.

Frankenstein film — *Photo Credit: Frankenstein Film/Facebook*

Those sessions ran for hours. Rather than treating them as downtime, Elordi used the stillness to work on character. The performance was built slowly, piece by piece, long before critics took notice.

Before the spotlight: a north-side theatre kid

Earlier reporting traced Elordi’s beginnings not to overnight fame but to theatre — the kind of acting shaped by repetition, restraint and unglamorous work. Before screen recognition, he was described as a theatre kid from Brisbane’s north side, drawn to performance well before Hollywood attention arrived.

That background helps explain the patience required for Frankenstein. Long shoots, heavy prosthetics and limited movement demand a performer comfortable with process rather than immediacy — a sensibility often forged years before success.

From uncredited extra to international recognition

One early career detail still surprises casual fans: Elordi once appeared as an uncredited extra in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Blink and you would have missed him.

Viewed now, that moment reads less as trivia and more as a marker. The path from background appearances to international awards wasn’t sudden. It was cumulative — shaped by persistence rather than momentum.

A creative reset, quietly decisive

Elordi has previously described Frankenstein as a creative reset — a project that reminded him why he wanted to make films in the first place. That framing matters.

Critics Choice Awards — *Photo Credit: Frankenstein Film/Facebook*

Rather than leaning into familiarity, the role demanded discomfort: physical restriction, emotional economy and a character defined as much by silence as speech. The result was a performance that stood apart in a crowded awards field — not louder, but more deliberate.

What travels home

Jacob Elordi Critics’ Choice — *Photo Credit: Frankenstein Film/Facebook*

Director Guillermo del Toro reportedly praised Elordi’s efficiency on set, noting that many scenes required no more than two takes. Just as telling were accounts that he never complained during lengthy prosthetics sessions — professionalism that resonated through the production.

Back home, that work ethic has been quietly followed. Alumni networks have tracked his progress not as celebrity spectacle, but as a long-form story of someone who kept showing up, role by role.

The trophy may have been handed over in California, but the habits that earned it were shaped much closer to home.

Published 7-Jan-2026

Retired Aircraft Tail to Feature in New Plane Viewing Area for Brisbane Airport Centenary

Photo Credit: Brisbane Airport

As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, a new plane spotting area anchored by a retired aircraft tail is planned within the Brisbane Airport precinct, with improved viewing conditions designed for aviation enthusiasts and visiting families.

Centenary Plans Drive New Viewing Precinct

Brisbane Airport has announced plans for a new plane spotting precinct as part of its centenary celebrations. The project responds to increasing public interest in watching aircraft operations up close.

The new facility will be positioned south of the existing viewing platform, which will close temporarily while construction is underway.

Nundah plane spotting area — *Photo Credit: Brisbane Airport*

Retired Aircraft Forms Central Feature

The centrepiece of the viewing area will be the tail of a decommissioned Fokker F28 Fellowship. The 50-year-old aircraft tail was donated by Aviation Australia.

The installation creates a historical connection to another Fokker aircraft on display at Brisbane Airport, the Southern Cross, reinforcing the site’s aviation heritage.

Clearer Views of Aircraft Movements

The elevated platform will be located closer to the Zulu and Yankee taxiways than the current viewing area. This positioning is expected to provide less obstructed views of aircraft taxiing to and from the western runway.

Visitors will also be able to see aircraft landing and departing on the eastern runway, offering broader coverage of airport activity from a single location.

Facilities Designed for Visitors

Plans include shade and shelter, along with seating to improve comfort for families and photographers. The layout is intended to support longer visits and regular plane-spotting activity.

Brisbane Airport — *Photo Credit: Pexels*

Longstanding Interest From Plane Spotters

Long-time plane spotters have welcomed the announcement, noting the opportunity to be closer to aircraft movements. Some regular visitors have followed aviation activity at the airport since its earlier operations at Eagle Farm.

Construction Timeline and Opening

Construction is scheduled to take place in 2026 and will require about 927 cubic metres of fill to establish the foundations. The existing viewing area will be closed during this period.

Brisbane Airport expects the new plane spotting precinct to open in 2026, with one report indicating the opening will occur in the second half of the year.

Published 27-Dec-2025

Nudgee Alumnus Jacob Elordi Leads Australian Charge at Golden Globes

Photo Credit: Jacob Elordi Fan Page/ Instagram

St Joseph’s Nudgee College is celebrating one of its own after former student Jacob Elordi secured two prestigious Golden Globe nominations, cementing his place as a leading figure in international cinema.

A Local School’s Pride

The Brisbane school’s Old Boys’ Association recently shared a photo of Elordi from his school days to highlight his journey from a local student to a global star. In the picture, a young Elordi is seen smiling in his blue-and-white striped blazer, a stark contrast to the gritty roles he is now famous for.

The association posted the image on its community network, expressing how proud the school is of his achievements. Elordi grew up in Brisbane and considered himself a “theatre kid” before heading to America as a teenager to chase his acting dreams.

Bringing the Creature to Life

Elordi’s nomination for best supporting male actor comes from his role in the movie Frankenstein, where he plays the famous Creature. This performance required a massive physical change. Makeup artist Mike Hill explained that he applied full-body prosthetics to the actor about 20 times. The process used 42 different pieces, including fake teeth and a reshaped brow. Hill noted that only the tip of Elordi’s nose, his upper lip, and his chin were visible, while the rest was rubber. Despite the long hours in the makeup chair, Hill said Elordi never complained and used the quiet time to focus on his character.

The film’s director, Guillermo del Toro, praised the Australian actor’s skill on set. Reports state that del Toro said Elordi rarely needed more than two takes to get a scene right. Elordi has described this role as a chance to put his own experiences into his work, calling it a creative reset that made him love movies again.

Aussies Take on the Awards

Elordi also received a nomination for his role in the TV series The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which is based on a book by Richard Flanagan.

He is not the only Australian hoping to win at the 83rd Golden Globes. Other Australian stars are also in the running. Rose Byrne is nominated for best female actor in a musical or comedy for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Joel Edgerton is up for best male actor in a drama for Train Dreams, and musician Nick Cave is nominated for Original Song in the same film. Sarah Snook is competing for a best actress award for the series All Her Fault.

Changes in the Industry

While Australian talent shines, the awards season is happening during a time of big business changes in Hollywood. Netflix recently made a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, but Paramount has challenged this with a cash offer to shareholders. Amidst these shifts, the Golden Globes ceremony has moved to CBS with a new voting body of over 300 people. Comedian Nikki Glaser will return to host the event. For the first time, the ceremony will also include a trophy for the best podcast.

Published Date 22-December-2025