Global food markets on international display

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Celebrity British chef Ainsley Harriott is doing his part to showcase our city’s diverse produce and markets with the screening of Ainsley’s Market Menu featuring our Logan Central Global Food Markets.

The popular TV series, which is screened in 130 countries will be broadcast throughout Australia on SBS on 24 October.

When the episode was shot earlier this year, Ainsley visited stalls collecting locally-grown ingredients and tasted many of the largely ethnic cuisines on offer while deciding which dishes to prepare.

He bought Halal lamb, kundru, cassava, turmeric, ginger and plenty of Asian greens provided by local vendors and then used the ingredients to cook three gourmet dishes on site at his stall as hundreds of market-goers and vendors looked on.

The first dishes he made were a global green shot and coconut smoothie and Asian lamb patties on char-grilled cassava. As a main course he created Ram’s kundru pumpkin vegetable curry, which  he made for stallholder Ram Harakh Maharaj, of Shailer Park, who was celebrating his 85th birthday.

During filming Ainsley said the markets were among the most diverse he had visited—with the range of local produce rivalling some of the huge street markets in London.

“The food here (in Logan) was fantastic, fresh and vibrant and I just wanted to cook it,” he said.

“Everyone was so friendly. It was just a brilliant day.”

Ainsley’s visit to the City of Logan’s Global Food Markets follows the hugely successful guest appearance at the markets in 2017 by MasterChef runnerup Poh Ling Yeow.

The Sunday morning Global Food Markets, based in Croydon Rd, Logan Central, are a weekly event run by Ethnic Communities Council of Logan Inc. with support from Logan City Council.

The majority of the produce on sale is sourced from backyard gardens and community vegetable plots across the city and includes ingredients suited to Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Indian and Pacific Island cuisines.

For more information on the weekly Global Food Markets go to globalfoodmarkets.com.au

Black Sky Aerospace rockets towards manufacturing solid rocket boosters

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Black Sky Aerospace has just been given the green light by regulators to begin the process towards the manufacture of Solid Rocket Motors (SRM).

The South East Queensland space company, based in the City of Logan, will be the first manufacturer of its kind in Australia and will be able to provide access to solid fuels for orbital and sub-orbital launch vehicles.

SRMs are the fuel (propellant) that boosts rockets in to space, such as the boosters on the space shuttle and is the preferred fuel to use by many space launch companies due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

Solid Rocket Motors are particularly useful too, in the ever – emerging market that requires responsive access to space. This is because SRMs have a long shelf life and can be stockpiled with little upkeep, yet still be ready to use many months or years later.

Black Sky Aerospace has spent several years planning to step its operation over from the U.S.A to New Zealand, to its now permanent home in Logan, Queensland; opening both domestic and international markets for the product.

Director of Black Sky, Blake Nikolic said “our propulsion arm is integral to the bigger picture for us; without fuel, the industry stalls. Our SRM manufacturing provides industry with accessible rocket boosters, made right here in Queensland.”

Nikolic continued with “this also allows us to continue with our testing and launch capabilities that we carry out at our facility in Goondiwindi.”

The one stop – shop for SRM, testing and launch will make the logistics of space work and research far less challenging for companies looking to send their payloads in to lower earth orbit.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, applauded Black Sky’s latest achievement and said Logan is positioning itself as a world-class innovation city.

“City of Logan continues to punch above its weight when it comes to tech and innovation companies launching big ideas – and rockets,” he said.

“Council is a proud supporter of Black Sky Aerospace and seeing its trajectory from start-up to become a scaled-up manufacturer and leading exporter is exciting for the city.

“Council sponsored Black Sky’s maiden commercial rocket launch last year and has worked closely with the business to assist in managing growth and to help accommodate the company’s expanding operations.

“The direct economic impact means more jobs for Logan, but it also puts the city on the international map as a reputable base for the future of the aerospace industry.”

The first batch of solid rocket motors is expected to be ready for delivery before the end of 2019.

Commercial confidence in Logan builds with $100m underway

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MORE than $100 million in business investment in the past 12 months has funnelled into the City of Logan – South East Queensland’s newest growth region where almost 170,000 sqm in commercial property will be taken up by the end of next year.

International tech companies, a national coffee franchisor and an array of multi-nationals are setting up shop in Logan due to its prime location, spread between Brisbane and Gold Coast, where commercial property opportunities are abundant and affordable.

Sparking this growth fuse is the Berrinba Industrial Area, where Mitre 10 has just constructed a $50 million warehouse. The 27,000 sqm operation will create 110 jobs. Pinnacle Hardware has also taken up 14,000 sqm with a new $22 million distribution centre.

Neighbours will include Queensland Logistics Service (15,000 sqm) Huhtamaki (12,000 sqm) and global technology giant Alphabet who will bring its autonomous drone delivery service Wing to Australia this year and will occupy 15,000 sqm at Berrinba.

The world’s largest online education and training aggregator GO1 will also call Logan home following a Logan City Council initiative to attract investment and projects that provide significant economic benefits and job creation for Logan.

GO1 co-founder vu Tran said running a global company from Queensland made practical sense.

“Logan is a high-growth area and well-connected with its transport infrastructure, making it easy for our staff to travel and have a work-life balance that is the envy of many,” he said.

Nearby at Eagleby, national coffee franchisor Zarraffa’s Coffee has relocated its headquarters from the Gold Coast with a $20 million open plan head office space, combined with a roastery and an expanded warehousing, packaging and distribution hub spanning 18,000 sqm.

It is part of the $50 million Distillery Road Market project undertaken by Zarraffa’s founder and managing director Kenton Campbell.

Set to open before 2021, it will become world class destination, focused around peoples’ love of great food experiences and the communal activities food provides.

The American ex-pat said the timing was right to relocate midway along the growth corridor between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

“The alignment and relocation of facilities for Zarraffa’s and the launch of Kiwanda Café also signifies the start of an incredible destinational opportunity within our new home at Distillery Road Market,” he said.

“Australia really is the land of opportunity and this particular part of the country is the perfect location to grow business, to foster dreams and deliver experiences like no other.”

This entrepreneurial ethos has also spurred others to base in Logan including Dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services across five continents; packaging giant Avery Dennison; global logistics company DHL; vehicle transport freighters CEVA; wholesale distributor Metcash; Evolve Group and National Tiles.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, said Logan boasted a number of key attributes which made it attractive for big business.

“This investment is a great example of the increased business confidence we are seeing in Logan as an increasing number of multinational companies now call the City of Logan home,” he said.

“City of Logan is in a premium location near the M1, has great access to major transport nodes and Brisbane International Airport and has plenty of open space.”

Economic analysis of Logan showed a 3.9 per cent increase in Gross Regional Product (GRP) to $11.77 billion for 2017-18.

In the last financial year Logan’s population grew by almost 2 per cent to 326,615, the number of businesses grew by 3.4 per cent to 21,978 and the number of jobs based in Logan grew by 7.8 per cent to 115,575.

Data shows the number of Logan residents working in the city has increased with the majority of jobs in construction, health and social, retail and manufacturing sectors.

Retail interest piqued for new SEQ food destination

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One hundred and fifty interested retailers attended a night of discovery, at the official unveiling of commercial leasing opportunities at Distillery Road Market (DRM).

Held onsite at Kiwanda Café on Thursday 29th August, the event combined live music, drinks and presentations from key spokespeople, including the developer of the project, Zarraffa’s Coffee entrepreneur Kenton Campbell.

Throughout the evening, attendees were presented with information designed to answer key questions about the new precinct and hear about the diverse range of flexible spaces available to establish or grow their businesses.

Director, Strategy and Sustainability at Logan City Council, David Hansen, addressed the crowd expressing positivity around the attraction of a destinational project of the scope of DRM to the city, which aligned perfectly with Logan City Council’s strategic vision for growth in the region.

Mr Hansen explained the many benefits of the DRM project for the Logan area, including the improvement of liveability for the residents, it’s influences on driving tourism to the area, as well as increased employment opportunities.

Mr Hansen affirmed that Logan City Council is fully behind the project and are eager to see the vision realised to its full potential in late 2020.

Kenton Campbell, addressed the attendees, delivering an impassioned overview of his ‘retailer first’ approach to being a landlord as CEO of Tonken Property Group, the DRM project developer.

“It will be a great environment and fair-trading platform where tenants have the opportunity to deliver something truly special and unique,” he said.

“Our trading conditions are an indication of how DRM is seeking to ensure retailers thrive with a four-day trade week, from Thursday to Sunday, with select operators given the ability to trade up to seven days a week.”

Associate Director of Retail Leasing for Colliers International, Luke McGrath, also addressed guests revealing that Colliers was initially apprehensive about taking on the project – a project that doesn’t fit the standardised shopping centre model – until they saw the vision and realised that it was going to be something special.

He explained how the precinct would operate as a proper market; an incredible experience-fuelled destination.

“With flexible lease lengths, a range of fitout inclusions and a compelling events and marketing strategy, DRM is sure to entice only the best operators in the market,” said Mr McGrath

At the conclusion of the presentations, attendees were invited to view the Zarraffa’s Coffee headquarters and the DRM space before attending an in-depth precinct leasing presentation in the new amphitheatre, showcasing the trading opportunities in further detail.

All guests were invited to fill out an expression of interest form and so far, interest is high.

“We are thrilled with the turnout to the retailer event but also in general to leasing enquiries and commercial interest,” said Mr Campbell.

“DRM is a fantastic opportunity for retailers to build their business in what is expected to be a truly exceptional market that will transform people’s expectations of what is possible from a lifestyle destination.

“We want the best operators, who see this as a home for their business. We only need one or two of each category; ultimately the opportunity is limited. But for those who are interested, I encourage you to get on board now.”

Expressions of interest can be lodged via www.drm.market or contact Luke McGrath – Colliers International luke.mcgrath@colliers.com | 0418 295 091

Business nbn™ solution finder update

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NBN Co has launched the business nbn™ solution finder

This online tool is helping businesses understand the type of solution to discuss with their retail service provider in order to get the most appropriate service to meet their business needs; and order it.

For businesses of all sizes, it’s important they select the appropriate business nbn™ solution to meet their needs, including the right speeds, committed bandwidth and service level assurance.

The business nbn™ solution finder steps businesses through a series of simple questions about their application and data usage, and the level of service support they require, to help identify a wholesale discount business nbn™ bundle that best suits their needs.

Extensive research of Australian businesses and internet providers found that many businesses may not be connected to the right broadband plan to meet their needs.

Around two thirds of micro businesses (1-4 employees) operate from a residential premises and more than three quarters of those are currently using a residential plan rather than a plan designed for business purposes such as video conferencing, video surveillance, access to remote back-ups and cloud application software.

Try out the Solution Finder here.

Whitewater adventure park to make a splash in Logan

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Logan City Council has progressed its whitewater adventure park plans with the completion of a pre-feasibility study outlining a unique $65 million tourism asset that would also suit a future Olympic Games venue.

The Lucid Economics study shows the park would cater to a raft of activities including kayaking, canoeing, guided rafting, swift water rescue training, unguided rafting and tubing and inflatable obstacle courses.

A restaurant and retail component as well as trails, zip lines, challenge courses and areas ideal for school holiday programs, promotions and special events would also feature.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, said the project would be an exciting tourism boon for the city and would provide significant economic benefits.

The study was earmarked as a priority under Council’s Logan Destination Management Plan 2018-2022.

“This pre-feasibility study is the first phase to see how a project like this would stack up and early indications are that it ticks all the boxes,” he said.

“With potential to become an iconic tourism asset for our growing city, the facility could also be adapted as an Olympic venue through the provision of associated spectator and safety infrastructure or used as a training venue for elite athletes.”

During the construction phase it is estimated that 147 full time jobs would be created with a further 114 employed once complete.

Given Logan’s sub-tropical climate, the facility could operate all year round. The provision of a dual channel facility will also help to maximise usage and revenue during busier summer months when elite athletes from the northern hemisphere could train during their winter in the warmer southern hemisphere climate.

“The possibilities are endless and its ideal location between Gold Coast and Brisbane would attract local residents in the broader region, interstate and international visitors, national and international elite athletes, school groups, corporates and children’s parties,” Mr Hansen said.

Following a Committee endorsement today, confirmation by Council resolution next week will allow officers to proceed with the development of a business case to facilitate investment and will include further work on identifying a preferred site.

Logan has a significant catchment of 3.1 million residents within an hour’s drive from the city. This population is expected to grow to around five million by 2041.

Understanding severe weather business risks

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Severe weather can occur at any time of the year. Taking the time to identify and understand the possible risks to your business can help to minimise any potential damage to your business that could occur during a disaster.

Logan’s PD Hub is an online interactive planning tool which allows businesses to view hazard mapping and identify areas which may be at risk from flooding or bushfire. The mapping can help to identify how your business and the neighbourhood may be affected by a particular hazard, and can assist you in making arrangements ahead of time, such as identifying alternative routes should local roads be cut off by flooding.

A Flood Level Report for the property can also be downloaded from the Logan PD Hub. The report provides the most up-to-date flood information that Council has for that property, and summarises the relevant information for the Flood Hazard overlay code.

Identifying and understanding the hazards that may affect your business can help you to actively prepare your business ahead of a disaster so your business can continue to operate and recover quickly.

Visit Logan’s PD Hub at loganhub.com.au to view Council’s hazard mapping and identify the potential risks that may affect your business.

Berrinba’s Third Avenue extension is open

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The green light has been given at Third Avenue in Berrinba with the new road link open to traffic.

Traffic signals were switched on at the Third Avenue and Wembley Road intersection today.

Third Avenue now connects Wembley Road to the Gilmore Road roundabout.

The extension will improve traffic flow through the growing industrial zone.

The project is also expected to lessen congestion during peak hours at the nearby Berrinba East State School, as general through traffic now has the opportunity to conveniently bypass the school precinct.

Logan City Council Roads and Water Director Daryl Ross said the road extension was a huge boost for Berrinba.

“The extension of Third Avenue will ensure traffic flows are efficient and will make the suburb’s businesses more accessible and more connected,” he said.

“This road link is also a win for residents and families in the area, particularly those accessing the local school.

“Logan City Council is proud to continue delivering the infrastructure our community needs.”

Wing lands in Logan

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Residents in the Logan suburbs of Crestmead and Marsden will be among the first residents of Queensland to experience air delivery, as Wing will be delivering a range of items to their homes, by drone, within minutes.

Using the Wing app, customers will be able to order hot coffee, fresh eggs and milk, hot roasted chickens, and hardware products from three Logan businesses: Extraction Artisan Coffee, Friendly Grocer Crestmead, and Browns Plains Hardware.

Delivery service will initially be available to a small number of households in the suburbs of Crestmead and Marsden as part of Wing’s Early Flyer program.

“We’re excited to be bringing our fast, safe and environmentally friendly service to South East Queensland,” Wing CEO James Ryan Burgess said.

“Our service helps busy parents who’ve forgotten to pick up a bottle of milk, hosts who need a meal for guests that pop around on short-notice, or weekend DIYers who need the right drill bit to complete their project.”

Minister for Innovation Kate Jones said the Government was working hard to make Queensland the capital of drone technology in Australia.

“Today’s launch of Wing’s drone delivery service to Logan residents is another feather in Queensland’s cap. Being able to take advantage of drone deliveries will not only mean greater convenience for consumers but will also allow businesses to capitalise on the opportunities provided by technological advancements.”

Minister for State Development and Manufacturing Cameron Dick called Wing’s decision to choose the electorate of Woodridge and the City of Logan as one of its first drone delivery locations on the planet “a huge vote of confidence in our community”.

“The business is eager to grow in the south-east, and once at full capacity, it’s expected to generate millions for our economy while offering greater buying convenience for residents and reducing traffic on our roads,” Mr Dick said.

Logan City Council Director of Strategy and Sustainability, David Hansen, welcomed the Wing technology.

“This is exciting for the City of Logan and for the residents of Crestmead and Marsden who will become Wing’s first customers in Queensland,” he said.

“Logan is fast becoming a city rich with innovation and Council is committed to supporting and attracting new business to the city. The arrival of Wing is a significant step in Logan’s evolutionary journey to become an innovative, dynamic city of the future.

“We are confident this new drone delivery service will be embraced by the community and we look forward to seeing the opportunities for local businesses selected to trial the technology. Council will continue to work closely with Wing on community awareness initiatives as it hosts flight demonstrations and information stalls in the coming weeks.”

Wing has obtained approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to commence operations in Logan. They have also received development approval from Logan City Council for modifications to their delivery facility in Berrinba.

This week, Wing will continue hosting a series of information stalls and flight demonstrations, giving the community the opportunity to experience drone deliveries in person and share feedback.

Wing plans to begin air delivery to the first customers in Logan in the coming weeks. Residents of Crestmead and Marsden interested in joining the Wing service or wanting to stay updated on the latest delivery areas, can visit wing.com/australia/logan to sign-up.

Anyone with questions about the service, can email support-AU@wing.com.