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New Classrooms and Music Spaces Mark New Chapter for Manly State School

Manly State School has opened its new G Block learning building and music precinct, adding eight classrooms and a dedicated music and performing arts space to the bayside school’s campus.

Read: St Paul’s Parish to Relocate for Manly State School Expansion Project

The opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a tour of the new learning spaces, attended by invited guests and members of the school community. Among the facilities showcased was the former St Paul’s Anglican Church, which has been converted into a dedicated music building.

The project combines new learning facilities with the refurbishment of an existing building, increasing classroom capacity while retaining elements of the church’s original architectural character.

New classrooms designed for changing learning needs

Photo credit: Architectural Collaborative

The new General Learning Centre comprises eight classrooms, staff facilities, breakout spaces, amenities and outdoor learning space, according to Architectural Collaborative, the architecture and interior design practice responsible for the project.

The building also makes provision for five additional infill classrooms to be added in the future, allowing the school to adapt its facilities as enrolment demands grow. Design features include an emphasis on natural light, fresh air and natural ventilation. Screening has been incorporated to shield interiors from direct sunlight and reduce heat load, while new planting complements significant existing trees across the site.

Architectural Collaborative also identifies low-maintenance materials and finishes as part of the design, with the aim of reducing ongoing upkeep. The new centre forms part of a broader campus that includes refurbished buildings. Manly State School’s facilities information lists a refurbished street-front building housing its library and computer lab, alongside a dedicated music block and other school amenities.

The combination of classrooms, breakout spaces and outdoor learning areas provides different settings for school activities. The provision for future classrooms also leaves room for the campus to accommodate changing enrolment needs without requiring all potential additional spaces to be built immediately.

Former church becomes a music and performing arts space

A distinctive part of the redevelopment is the conversion of the former St Paul’s Anglican Church into a dedicated facility for the school’s music program. Architectural Collaborative said the refurbishment was designed to preserve the character of the church’s 1960s architecture while upgrading the building to meet modern acoustic, energy-efficiency and educational standards.

The building now has a new educational purpose while retaining elements of its architectural character, creating a dedicated setting for music and performing arts activities.

An opening-day social media post by Cr Alex Givney acknowledged Father Dan and the church congregation for making the site available to the school, describing their generosity as an important contribution to its growth. The post also thanked former principal Clayton Carnes, current principal Mark Hitchen and others involved in delivering the project.

Describing the opening as an exciting new chapter in the school’s history, the post referred to Manly State School’s 116-year history. Cr Givney highlighted the opportunities the new spaces could provide for students to ask questions, tackle challenges, work together, discover talents and build confidence.

Read: New Learning Centre, Outdoor Centre Coming To Manly State School

Those opportunities reflect the intended role of the facilities, from supporting classroom learning to providing a dedicated setting for music and performance. The opening marks the addition of new learning spaces and a refurbished music building to Manly State School’s campus, combining extra classroom capacity with a renewed purpose for a former church building.

Published 15-October-2026

From Football Boots to Pickleball Paddles: Cox Park’s Changing Life in Lota

Photo Credit: CrAlexGivney

Long before pickleball paddles arrived at Cox Park, the patch of open ground off Richard Street was already being fought for.

During the 1920s, as Lota was being divided into residential estates, local campaigners pushed for part of the suburb to be kept aside for recreation. A proposal was put to BCC to secure about five acres for Manly and Lota, including land along Richard Street, at a time when the district had no recreation ground of its own.

The Land Lota Chose To Keep

The campaign gathered around the Lota Progress Association, with secretary W. Binmore recognising an opportunity when part of an estate was offered for sale. Rather than see the whole parcel broken into residential allotments, efforts were made to preserve a section for recreation. BCC later acquired the land and moved towards dedicating it as a park.

Alfred Edward Cox was already living in the area by the early 1920s. Electoral records place him at 65 Richard Street in 1923 and again in 1925. A family history preserved by South Canterbury Museum says Cox helped obtain land for a park from the developer during the 1920s and that BCC later named Cox Park after him. His family home was said to overlook the grounds.

From Recreation Ground to Football Home

By 1954, Cox Park had become a base for organised sport. Horrie Stephens and Bert Taylor formed the Lota Recreation Club at the park that year, giving children in the area access to organised football. The club operated until 1963, according to a later local history.

Football shared the grounds with other activities. Bayside United’s club history records badminton, table tennis, basketball and fencing among the sports associated with the recreation club, with the football games played on Cox Park under a BCC lease.

The next football chapter began in 1971-72, when Wondall United Soccer Club was formed and games returned to Cox Park. Bayside United Football Club followed in 1974 as player numbers across the bayside district continued to grow. Cox Park remained the club’s home ground until 1984, when Bayside United moved to Don Randall Oval in Lota.

Pickleball Takes The Next Turn

More than 40 years after Bayside United left Cox Park, another sport has brought the ground back into local debate. Plans for four pickleball courts at the southern end of the park drew opposition in 2026, with about 40 people gathering there in July to discuss the proposal. Nearby residents raised concerns about noise, safety, the proximity of the courts to homes and the consultation process.

Some also wanted the existing hardstand retained, saying it was regularly used by children on bikes and scooters. Pickleball players argued the Wynnum-Manly area needed dedicated facilities, with participants otherwise relying on school courts when available. Ms Alex Givney backed the project, saying the ageing court area could be put to greater recreational use.

By 2026, Cox Park was again at the centre of a discussion about recreation in Lota. The argument had changed from whether five acres should be saved for play to what kind of play should occupy them.

Published 29-September-2026

No Injuries After Manly Boat Harbour Fire, Paramedics Say

Photo Credit: Harvey Shore/ Facebook

No one was hurt when fire tore through two boats at Manly Boat Harbour, even with a gas bottle close to the flames.

Several vessels caught fire shortly after 3pm on Monday, according to PressNewsAgency. Residents and passers-by reported thick black smoke billowing from the harbour and drifting across nearby Royal Esplanade.

Emergency services arrived at about 3.20pm. The fire was on the eastern side of the marina, along a spit of land that juts out from the shore, and two boats had been fully engulfed.

One detail explains it. Police said a burning vessel was close to a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottle. Officers moved people out of the marina and helped fire crews while they worked.

Neighbours played their part too. Residents rang the office of MP Joan Pease to report what was described as a yacht fire at the harbour. In a public post, Joan Pease thanked those who called and confirmed the blaze had been put out.

Fire crews had the fire contained about 20 minutes after they arrived and extinguished it at about 3.45pm, roughly 25 minutes after reaching the scene. Paramedics reported no injuries but stayed on site while firefighters searched both vessels. How the fire started, and who owned the boats, has not been reported.

Published Date 28-September-2026

142 Years On, Manly’s Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Keeps Landing Global Events

Photo Credit: Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron/ Facebook

Manly has quietly become one of Australia’s busiest meeting points for world-class sailing, with the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron now running international regattas back-to-back while still holding onto century-old traditions passed down through generations of local sailors.

The club’s 142nd sailing season opened on August 29. Hundreds of members and guests packed the Manly clubhouse for the occasion. Next up is Sail Brisbane, running December 15 to 20, according to Australian Sailing — the latest stop in a year that already saw the Finn Gold Cup and Finn World Masters bring sailors from across the globe to this stretch of Moreton Bay.

A Pattern Worth Noticing

*Photo Credit:* *Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron/ Facebook*

One season opening, viewed alone, is just tradition. Three international events in a single year is something else entirely. What does it take for a small bayside suburb to land that kind of calendar? Decades of infrastructure, an experienced volunteer base, and a reputation built long before this year’s regattas were ever scheduled. Manly isn’t auditioning for a spot on the international sailing circuit — it’s already there.

Roots Going Back to 1885

Everything traces back to 1885, when the club began as the Brisbane Sailing Club. It would take more than a century of steady growth to become the sailing powerhouse Queensland now recognises, one that has never lost its focus on competition and mentoring newer sailors alongside seasoned ones.

There’s a detail that stops people in their tracks: the Squadron predates Australia’s own navy. According to the original event coverage, Commander Christopher Unwin of HMAS Moreton raised the point himself during the season-opening ceremony. The Navy traces its official founding to 1901, when the colonial naval forces amalgamated following Federation — though it wouldn’t carry the title “Royal Australian Navy” until a decade later. Either way, RQYS had already been on the water for well over a decade by the time that naval history began.

A Ceremony Built on Old Customs

Bagpipes led the way this year, courtesy of the Emmanuel College Highlander Band, as Commodore Curtis Skinner welcomed patron Professor Graeme Nimmo and Commander Unwin in a formal procession. A Royal Australian Navy Band performance and a morning tea set a relaxed tone before the ceremony turned formal — helped along by unseasonably mild winter weather.

Then came the Sail Past, the day’s real spectacle. Boats from across the fleet moved together past the inspecting officers, ensigns dipping in salute as they passed. It’s a tradition with serious age behind it: 1815, to be exact, when a yacht club at Cowes on England’s Isle of Wight borrowed the idea from naval fleet reviews. Clubs worldwide picked it up as a way to mark a new season, and RQYS has kept it alive ever since. A blessing of the fleet followed, tying this year’s sailors to everyone who came before them.

Community Still at the Centre

For all the international attention, this was still very much a local affair. Other sailing clubs sent representatives. So did local politicians. Life members and veteran sailors turned out too, filling the clubhouse with the kind of familiarity that only comes from decades of shared history. When evening arrived, the mood shifted — a country and western-themed party closed out the day before the real work of the season began.

So where does that leave Manly? Somewhere between its past and its future. The club that started as a modest sailing outfit in 1885 is now gearing up for Sail Brisbane in December, carrying forward a reputation that keeps drawing the world’s sailors back to its shores.

Published Date 26-September-2026

A Century of Splashing Memories: Manly Pool in Brisbane Turns 100

Photo Credit: NSW Government

For a hundred years, families in Brisbane’s Wynnum-Manly area have cooled off, learned to swim, and made memories at Manly Pool, a local fixture now marking its 100th year.

The milestone will be celebrated with a community event on Saturday, 26 September, starting at 10am. The celebration will be held at Manly Pool, located at 1 Fairlead Crescent, Manly, Queensland, with pool entry priced at just $5 and free entry for members.

A Century by the Water

Manly Pool has been part of daily life in the Wynnum-Manly area for generations. Locals have used it for school swimming carnivals, aqua aerobics classes and simple summer afternoons spent cooling off with family. Brisbane City Council has also acknowledged the milestone separately, noting that 2026 marks 100 years since the pool’s original construction, a piece of local history tied closely to the suburb’s identity.

The anniversary event has been built around that shared history. Visitors will be able to use the venue’s signature waterslide, watch a fashion parade featuring 1950s swimwear, and take part in an aqua aerobics session designed to show how the activity has changed over the decades. Races will also be held, giving both former competitive swimmers and casual entrants the chance to take part.

A social area will be set up for people to catch up with old friends and swap stories about the pool over the years, while food and coffee will be available near the entrance. Families with young children will be catered for with free face painting and a jumping castle, funded through the Lord Mayor’s Community Fund.

More Than Just a Pool

Today, Manly Pool offers a heated 25-metre outdoor pool along with a fenced splash pool, a wading pool and an onsite kiosk. The site also includes a gym, with the venue used regularly for learn-to-swim lessons, group fitness classes and triathlon training. Its accessible entrance and facilities mean the pool caters to visitors of all ages and abilities, not just competitive swimmers.

The pool’s longevity has made it something of a fixture in the area, with generations of local children learning to swim there before going on to bring their own kids through the gates. Its waterslide, closed only during the cooler winter months, remains one of its most popular features for young visitors.

Why the Anniversary Matters to the Community

For many residents of Wynnum-Manly, the pool represents more than a recreational facility. It has quietly shaped local routines for a hundred years, from school carnivals to weekend family outings. The centenary event has been designed as an open invitation for the wider community to reconnect with that history together, regardless of how long ago someone’s own memories of the pool were made.

Published Date 25-September-2026

Rapid Carina Growth Reveals the Scale Behind Bayside Pavilion Plans

The organisation behind the proposed Bayside Pavilion has more than doubled the workforce at its Carina home in just 18 months, as an expansion that was meant to accommodate growth finds itself being overtaken by it. CEO Adam Wiencke says Carina Leagues Club now employs around 280 people and expects that number could eventually reach 350 to 380.

The growth extends well beyond staffing. Dining capacity has increased from about 800 to 1,300 and is heading towards 1,600 to 1,700, while five kitchens have already been added to handle demand.

“We’ve grown so quickly that what we’ve put in place just isn’t sustainable for where we’re heading,” Wiencke said.

It offers a revealing look at the organisation proposing the $25 million-plus Bayside Pavilion on the Wynnum waterfront, where the development application is currently progressing through public notification.

Families and Food Changed the Equation

Wiencke attributes much of Carina’s growth to a deliberate effort to reach people who might not traditionally have considered a leagues club somewhere for them.

“We’ve deliberately worked on engaging younger people and families,” he said.

That has meant investing in family facilities while making food a much bigger part of the attraction. The club’s Playland is one element of the strategy, but the dining numbers show how significant the shift has become: Wiencke said a $25 Monday steak night can attract more than 400 diners, while a busy Sunday service can bring 500 to 600 people through.

There are elements of the same thinking behind Bayside Pavilion, which has been proposed as a dining and entertainment destination rather than simply another conventional club premises.

It would, however, be operating in a very different environment. Carina’s existing club has developed over decades alongside the sporting community surrounding the Clem Jones Sporting Precinct. Bayside Pavilion would have to establish its own relationship with the bayside community.

The Expansion That Wasn’t Enough

Perhaps the clearest indication of the pace of change at Carina is that a major redevelopment completed only in 2024 has already been followed by another substantial construction project.

The earlier work delivered a new restaurant, bar, gaming areas and the Wade Core Function Centre and went on to win the 2025 Clubs Queensland award for Best Club Redevelopment – Large Club. Stage 2 is now under construction, with project manager KVR Project Partners putting its value at $21 million.

For Wiencke, the need for more capacity is evident in the daily operation. Hundreds of dining places and five kitchens have already been added, yet the club is again working out how to accommodate what comes next.

That experience also gives some perspective on the scale at which Carina is approaching its move beyond its home suburb. KVR, which is managing both projects, currently values Bayside Pavilion at more than $25 million.

A Workforce Growing With the Club

Wiencke believes community clubs can increasingly provide some of the first-job opportunities traditionally associated with major retailers and fast-food businesses.

Young people and university students from surrounding suburbs are among those employed at Carina, while the organisation has been trying to build a more permanent workforce as its operations become larger.

That represents a considerable change from an earlier period. Fair Work Commission records show that Carina employed about 127 people when evidence was given in 2016, including 104 casual employees.

Carina has also worked with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability Queensland’s Employment Connections Program, providing another pathway into hospitality employment.

Jobs have also featured in the case for Bayside Pavilion, with earlier plans projecting that the development could create more than 100 positions.

That remains a project estimate rather than an eventual employment outcome, particularly as the development has changed during assessment. Carina’s experience at its existing venue nevertheless shows how quickly staffing requirements can rise when a hospitality operation expands.

The Sporting Roots Behind the Business

The other side of Carina’s growth story sits immediately outside the club.

Its new terrace overlooks the Easts Carina Tigers rugby league field within the Clem Jones Sporting Precinct. Wiencke said Carina financially supports 24 sporting clubs, with more than $500,000 a year going to football, while the club says it has contributed more than $35 million to its local community since opening in 1971.

Wiencke sees those relationships as part of the business model rather than something separate from it. Families participate in sport around the precinct and build a connection with the club; the hospitality operation generates employment and revenue that can, in turn, be reinvested into community organisations.

Carina’s relationship with the Brisbane Broncos illustrates how longstanding some of those connections are. The partnership began in 2004 and was extended this year through to the end of 2029, while Michael De Vere has led Carina’s specialised coaching program since 2006.

The broader significance is that Carina’s expansion has occurred within a community network built over many years. That is something a new Bayside Pavilion could not simply bring with it.

Taking the Formula Beyond Carina

The development proposed for the Wynnum waterfront has evolved considerably during assessment, including changes from the original concept, and its future remains subject to the planning process.

Wiencke’s account of what has happened at Carina does not tell us what Bayside Pavilion would ultimately become. It does, however, provide a clearer picture of the organisation behind it.

Carina has deliberately broadened its audience, invested heavily in food and family facilities, dramatically expanded its workforce and found itself returning to construction soon after completing a major redevelopment. Alongside that commercial growth are sporting and community relationships that have taken decades to establish.

Taking parts of that formula to a new waterfront venue would therefore involve more than reproducing a successful hospitality offering. The community surrounding it would be different, as would the history and relationships on which the existing Carina operation has been built.

The rapid growth at Carina shows what the organisation behind Bayside Pavilion has become. The next chapter will test what happens when it takes that experience beyond home.

Published 21-Sept-2026

Norfolk Point Upgrade Moves Closer to Construction at Manly Harbour

Photo Credit: TMR

Work on safety and accessibility improvements at Norfolk Point in Manly State Boat Harbour is planned to begin soon, with several construction details still to be added to the project’s public information.

Maritime Safety Queensland lists the Trafalgar Street and Norfolk Point parking facility upgrade as being in detailed design. The concept design has been completed and construction is planned to start by October 2026.

The timetable has shifted since February, when the project was expected to move into construction by mid-2026.

Safer Access Along Trafalgar Street

The upgrade covers the parking facility and access road around Trafalgar Street and Norfolk Point, an area used by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists travelling to hospitality venues, boating facilities, marine rescue and government services. Walkers and cyclists also use the area to reach the breakwater and Norfolk Point open space.

Plans include a new accessible path along the southern side of Trafalgar Street, new accessible parking spaces and upgrades to existing accessible bays.

New speed humps, bicycle parking, signs and line marking are also planned, along with resurfacing of the access road. A raised pedestrian crossing will provide a dedicated crossing point and require the removal of three parking spaces.

Existing street trees along Trafalgar Street are also being considered as the design progresses. MSQ is investigating ways to retain trees where possible, including a potential raised-boardwalk section instead of a concrete footpath where necessary.

Wider Planning Continues Around Manly Harbour

The Norfolk Point works are separate from a broader master planning process underway for Manly State Boat Harbour.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads is undertaking further investigations and targeted consultation to prepare a draft master plan covering the harbour’s longer-term use. Areas being considered include marine infrastructure, public access, tourism, environmental values, property and leasing, and urban design.

Public consultation on the draft master plan is planned by late 2026, with the final document expected in 2027.

Published 18-Sept-2026

East Coast Marina Redraws Manly Plans After Concerns Raised

Photo Credit: DA A006949411

Revised plans for East Coast Marina at Manly Boat Harbour include an upper parking deck, new landscaping and updated noise and drainage measures as the Royal Esplanade redevelopment continues through the assessment.

The latest package was lodged on 11 September after Council issued further advice. As of press time, DA A006949411 has not yet been decided.

The proposal would replace existing marina buildings with new marine industry premises and a Marina Club building containing hospitality, retail, office and club uses. Revised architectural drawings show a ground-floor café, shops, club facilities and five marine industry tenancies, with a food and drink outlet above.

Upper Deck Takes Parking to 149 Spaces

Parking is one of the clearest changes in the latest plans. The revised architectural development table lists 149 proposed parking spaces, compared with 92 spaces identified as required. Civil plans show 49 spaces on a new upper parking deck.

Earlier plans proposed reducing the existing 148-space car park to 118 spaces. Council later sought further justification for the parking arrangement, along with additional traffic and vehicle-access information. Vehicle access remains from Royal Esplanade.

Landscaping Would Screen the Parking Structure

The new upper deck would add built form along the Royal Esplanade frontage, while the revised landscape plan proposes planting to screen the structure from the street.

Trees, shrubs, groundcovers and climbing plants are proposed along the frontage, with climbing vegetation across parts of the carpark façade. The landscape consultant says the treatment is intended to reduce the visual prominence of the parking structure and improve the streetscape.

Established trees would be retained where possible, including the large fig tree growing through the existing waterfront timber deck, subject to separate arboricultural assessment.

Noise Study Includes Nearby Homes

Homes across Royal Esplanade were included in an updated acoustic assessment after Council issued further advice. The study modelled noise from patrons, amplified music, vehicle movements, forklifts and marine workshop activity. A 2.4-metre acoustic barrier forms part of the modelling.

The acoustic consultant predicted compliance with Council’s applicable noise criteria at the assessed residential receivers, provided the recommended treatments and management measures are implemented.

The assessment used operating assumptions including a ground-floor café from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. The first-floor food and drink outlet was assessed until 10:00 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday and 12:00 a.m. from Thursday to Saturday. Those hours form part of the acoustic assessment and do not amount to Council approval of operating times.

Drainage Also Reworked

The September engineering report found the existing carpark drainage does not meet current design standards and appears unlikely to have enough capacity for the nominated minor storm event.

Proposed works include additional drainage inlets, larger pipes, stormwater treatment devices and a 10-kilolitre rainwater tank. An existing overland flow route would also be retained through the site.

The engineering consultant found the revised drainage arrangement should maintain or slightly improve conditions in the car park and upstream along Royal Esplanade.

Council Assessment Continues

The revised documents follow several rounds of revisions to the marina proposal. The latest plans keep the main mix of marina, hospitality and commercial uses in place while increasing parking and adding further measures for landscaping, noise and stormwater management.

Published 18-Sept-2026

Where Bayside Cooking Oil Can Go Instead of the Sink

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Pranav Kumar Jain

Manly and Manly West households with used cooking oil have an alternative to pouring it down the drain, with Brisbane’s resource recovery network accepting the material for recycling at centres including Chandler.

Brisbane City Council accepts up to 20 litres of cooking oil at each of its four resource recovery centres. Residential quantities of many recyclable and reusable items can be dropped off free, while general waste and green waste may attract fees or require waste vouchers.

A Busy Centre on Brisbane’s Eastern Side

Chandler is one of two smaller resource recovery centres operated by Council, alongside Ferny Grove. Nudgee and Willawong are classed as the city’s two major centres.

Council figures show Chandler received about 69,700 tonnes of residual waste in 2024–25 against a stated annual design capacity of 50,000 tonnes. The figure put the facility at 139.4 per cent of its design capacity for the year. Chandler has consistently exceeded its operational capacity limits, partly because it accepts kerbside residual waste.

The same Council document identifies traffic pressures at the site. Chandler’s current operating capacity was listed at 812 vehicles during peak periods, while weekend vehicle numbers recorded in March 2021 reached about 1,300. Council said traffic volumes had continued to rise after 2021, although no newer modelling had been undertaken.

Cooking Oil Has a Use Beyond the Kitchen

Chandler also played an early role in the growth of Brisbane business Gold Oil Solutions.

The company began in 2020 after directors Chris Chrysostomou and Len Hutton looked at the problem of waste oil entering Brisbane’s wastewater system. Collection points were later installed at Chandler, Ferny Grove, Nudgee and Willawong, giving the business its initial supply base before collections expanded to cafes and restaurants across South East Queensland.

*Photo Credit:* Grain Central/Gold Oil Solutions

Gold Oil Solutions processes used cooking oil by removing fine particles and heating the material to kill bacteria. Refined oil is then sold into the animal-feed market, where poultry producer Darwalla uses it mainly as an energy source in feed and as a dust suppressant.

The business has since grown beyond its original Council collection points and is looking for additional poultry and livestock customers as the amount of recovered oil increases.

What Happens When Oil Goes Down the Drain

Pouring fats and cooking oils into a kitchen sink can create problems much closer to home.

Once cooled inside sewer pipes, oil and grease can solidify and bind with wet wipes, food residue and other material. The resulting blockages are commonly known as fatbergs.

Queensland Urban Utilities reported more than 360 fatberg-related sewer blockages across its network in 2017–18. Its service area included Brisbane, Ipswich, the Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim. The utility also said at the time that one in four people poured cooking oil down the kitchen sink.

Brisbane has produced some sizeable examples. The biggest fatberg Queensland Urban Utilities had recorded by 2019 was found beneath Bowen Hills, measuring about seven metres long and 60 centimetres wide. A crane was needed to remove it.

Waste disposal is already a familiar issue for Manly and Manly West households, where Council kerbside collections provide another route for large household items that cannot fit into regular bins.

Resource recovery centres accept materials that are not suited to kerbside collections or household bins, including batteries, electronic waste, hard plastics, metals, engine oil and cooking oil.

Council Plans the Next Generation of Waste Centres

Brisbane’s four resource recovery centres are also earmarked for longer-term changes.

Council has consulted residents and businesses on plans to transform Chandler, Ferny Grove, Nudgee and Willawong into circular-economy hubs intended to support Brisbane’s waste-reduction needs over the next 30 years.

Published 12-Sept-2026

Four of Six Tingalpa Toilet Facilities Listed Without Accessible Toilets

Photo Credit: Google Maps/Scott Nichols

Four of the six public toilet sites registered in the eastern Brisbane suburb of Tingalpa lack accessible features, according to official data maintained by the National Public Toilet Map.

A September 2026 export of the national directory lists BP Tingalpa, Kianawah Park, Shell Coles Express Tingalpa, and Shell Tingalpa with an “Accessible = FALSE” designation. Porter’s Paddock Park at Minnippi Parklands and Woolworths Caltex Manly are logged as accessible within the same system.

Facilities without recorded wheelchair access account for roughly 67 per cent of all listings in Tingalpa. Across the broader Brisbane local government area, a recent analysis of the same national database found that approximately 18 per cent of recorded facilities—105 out of 580 locations—were listed without accessible options.

Smaller sample sizes at a suburban level can skew comparative percentages, given that Tingalpa currently has only six registered sites in the repository.

Commercial venues dominate inaccessible listings

Service stations make up three of the four local listings tagged without accessible features. Kianawah Park remains the sole public park among the non-accessible entries.

Brisbane City Council does not directly manage every location appearing in the national dataset. Municipal records rely on data sourced from the National Public Toilet Map, filtering the results to cover facilities within local government boundaries. Publicly accessible amenities operated by private businesses are included alongside council-managed assets in these figures.

Facility	Type	Address	Accessible toilet recorded?
Porter’s Paddock Park (Minnippi Parklands)	Park or reserve	Stanton Road West, Tingalpa	Yes
BP Tingalpa	Service station	Cnr Manly Rd & Wynnum Rds, Tingalpa	No
Woolworths Caltex Manly	Service station	869 Manly Road, Tingalpa	Yes
Shell Coles Express Tingalpa	Service station	1469 Wynnum Road, Tingalpa	No
Shell Tingalpa	Service station	1354 Wynnum Road, Tingalpa	No
Kianawah Park	Park or reserve	1522 Wynnum Road, Tingalpa	No

An “Accessible = FALSE” database entry serves purely as an informational marker within the mapping tool. The tag reflects the data currently logged in the national register and does not constitute a formal finding of non-compliance under Australian building standards or the Disability Discrimination Act. Database entries are updated periodically as venue information is submitted or revised.

Paralympian raises concerns over daily access

Former Paralympian and disability advocate Karni Liddell has previously warned that inadequate access to suitable bathrooms can limit social participation for people who use wheelchairs. In comments reported recently, she also raised concerns about potential health consequences when appropriate facilities are unavailable.

Accessibility has come under increased scrutiny as Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Recent analysis of National Public Toilet Map data found 105 of 580 publicly available toilet facilities across Brisbane were recorded as not having an accessible toilet, or about 18 per cent.

Council points to citywide accessibility work

Brisbane City Council says its Inclusive Brisbane Plan 2019-2029 guides accessibility upgrades and community projects across the city.

Council also provides Accessible Adult Changing Facilities at parks, pools and other venues across Brisbane. Its inclusion plan describes those facilities as toilets for people with profound disability that can include full-sized change tables and hoists. Council’s inclusion plan also calls for information on ramps, lifts and accessible toilets at Council facilities so residents can make informed choices about access.

The figures reflect information held in the National Public Toilet Map rather than the findings of a building or disability-access compliance audit.

Published 8-Sept-2026