A Nundah windfall win has delivered a $1 million division one prize after a ticket purchased in the suburb secured the top result in a national weekday draw.
The Nundah resident indicated the outcome would allow him to bring forward plans to retire. He intends to continue working through the year before stepping away from employment.
He also outlined plans to travel overseas to visit extended family in Vietnam, including his mother-in-law.
The weekday result was followed by another division one outcome in Saturday Gold draw 4645, conducted on Saturday 24 January 2026.
A Logan woman held one of five division one winning entries nationally and received $1,286,602.77. Her entry was purchased at Slacks Creek Discount Drug Store, 1/268 Kingston Road, Slacks Creek.
The winning numbers for draw 4645 were 29, 24, 22, 33, 28 and 8, with supplementary numbers 27 and 19. Nationally, five division one entries were recorded — two in New South Wales and one each in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.
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.
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
Photo credit: Facebook/BCC
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Photo credit: Facebook/Campuslife
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.
Photo credit: Facebook/Campuslife
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.
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.
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.
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.
Photo Credit: QLD Gov
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.
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.
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.
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.
Photo Credit: Supplied
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.
Photo Credit: Supplied
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.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Photo Credit: Supplied
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The milestone was marked on Sunday, 14 December 2025, with the arrival of Carnival Luminosa at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal. The vessel became the 500th cruise ship to call at the terminal since operations began in 2022.
The terminal welcomed its first cruise ship on 2 June 2022. Since then, it has hosted vessels from many of the world’s major cruise lines, supporting both domestic and international cruise routes.
In just over three and a half years of operation, the terminal has handled more than 2.5 million passenger movements. Cruise operations have continued through a range of operational conditions, including a cyclone experienced earlier in 2025.
Each cruise ship visit involves a coordinated operational effort, with around 130 staff and partner personnel supporting arrivals, departures and passenger processing.
Economic Contribution Of Cruise Activity
Each cruise ship call at the Pinkenba terminal contributes more than $1 million in economic value to Queensland. Over a ten-year period from the 2024 financial year, the total contribution is forecast to reach around $1.5 billion.
Cruise itineraries departing from Brisbane also include visits to other Queensland destinations, extending tourism and economic activity beyond the city.
Community feedback following the milestone highlighted strong support for terminal staff and onboard operations. Passengers frequently praised staff assistance and terminal organisation.
At the same time, comments raised ongoing concerns about road congestion and limited public transport access to and from the Pinkenba terminal, particularly during peak cruise periods.
The 2025–26 cruise season is expected to bring more than 140 cruise ship calls to the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, involving 11 cruise lines and including nine first-time visiting vessels.
