Iconic Logan manufacturer steel themselves for future growth

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Beenleigh Steel Fabrications will soon expand to a new $4.2 million facility, with works underway at a greenfield site in Berrinba.

Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick said construction of the new workspace reinforces Beenleigh Steel Fabrications’ commitment to Logan and employment in the city.

“This new $4.2 million manufacturing facility will double Beenleigh Steel Fabrications’ floorspace and production capacity,” Mr Dick said.

“Most importantly, this means more local jobs, with at least 59 new jobs set to be created with BSF over the next five years.

“Beenleigh Steel Fabrications have been helping build our state for more than four decades, and our government is proud to support this expansion to fuel the company’s next 40 years and beyond.

“BSF steel is at the core of new developments like Queen’s Wharf and Cross River Rail, and legendary local structures such as the Gabba and North Queensland Stadium.

“This is another great project that will contribute to Queensland’s Economic Recovery Plan as we keep battling the impacts of COVID-19,” he said.

“It also shows the investment confidence businesses have in our state and the City of Logan as we work towards hosting the 2032 Olympic Games.”

BSF Director Frank Boyes, federal Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, Logan Deputy Mayor Jon Raven & BSF Director Anthony Stoeckert turning sod

BSF Director Frank Boyes, federal Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, Logan Deputy Mayor Jon Raven & BSF Director Anthony Stoeckert turning sod

BSF has been operating in Crestmead since 1980, carving out a strong market niche in architectural steel fabrications for large-scale projects Australia-wide.

They supply into projects ranging from stadiums, bridges and hospitals to army barracks, multi-level carparks and rail stations.

Beenleigh Steel Fabrication Director Anthony Stoeckert said construction will soon begin ramping up and is expected to take six months to complete.

“We’re very excited about our future and that of the Logan area,” Mr Stoeckert said.

“Our expansion will create job opportunities for up to eight apprentices and trainees per year in boilermaking, rigging, dogging, machine operation and computer skills.

“We are keen to find local Logan people to take up these opportunities and to be a part of growing our city.”

Federal Member for Rankin Jim Chalmers and Logan Deputy Mayor Jon Raven also attended today’s ceremonial sod turn, alongside the Treasurer and BSF representatives.

 

World-first shopping centre drone delivery service takes off in Logan

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Wing, Australia’s first on-demand residential drone delivery service, is partnering with leading Australian retail property group, Vicinity Centres, to pilot a new model of delivery, flying goods from retail shopping centre rooftops, directly to homes and businesses in southeast Queensland.

Wing and Vicinity Centres have been piloting the drone delivery service, the first-of-its-kind in the world, from the rooftop of Grand Plaza in Logan, Queensland, since mid-August, delivering goods on-demand from a range of businesses located at the centre directly to consumers, by drone.

Participating businesses include food and beverage outlets, Sushi Hub, Boost Juice, and Chatime. From today, local community pharmacy TerryWhite Chemmart will also commence offering drone delivery of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, personal care, general health, and beauty products.

In the first six weeks of service, Wing made more than 2,500 contactless drone deliveries from Grand Plaza to customers in parts of the Logan suburbs of Regents Park, Heritage Park, Park Ridge, Browns Plains, Marsden, Crestmead, and Berrinba. The service will soon expand to more customers and other delivery from other businesses located at the centre.

Last month, Wing marked two years of drone delivery service in Logan, having already made more than 50,000 drone deliveries to the local community in 2021. The introduction of this new delivery model follows expansion of the service earlier this year, with Wing now offering delivery to 19 suburbs in Logan with a combined population of more than 110,000 people.

“We’re delighted to explore this new model of delivery with Vicinity Centres. For the first time, we are co-locating our drones with businesses at their premises, rather than local businesses having to co-locate their goods with us at our delivery facility,” Jesse Suskin, Wing’s Head of Policy & Community Affairs, Australia, said.

“With the increase in consumers’ desire for convenience and speed, on-demand drone delivery can help address the costly last-mile delivery challenge, reduce road congestion and emissions, and create new economic opportunities for businesses by utilising their existing retail space as logistics hubs and fulfillment centres.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the team at Vicinity Centres to further develop new delivery models that can complement the retail businesses located at Grand Plaza, and if successful, potentially roll out similar models in other locations across Vicinity Centres’ retail property portfolio.”

World’s First Rooftop Drone Delivery Service | Wing – YouTube

Vicinity’s Chief Innovation and Information Officer, Justin Mills, said the Wing drone delivery pilot helped retailers unlock the value of their physical store to optimise omnichannel retail.

“The retail industry is changing, and Vicinity is employing a test and learn approach in areas critical to the role of Australian shopping centres in the future. We believe the partnership with Wing will be an important component of our overall distribution and fulfillment strategy and support our new growth strategy,” said Mr Mills.

“Almost two thirds of Australia’s population live within 30 minutes of one of our 61 strategically located centres. This national footprint provides a strong foundation to implement our distribution and fulfilment strategy by rapidly scaling our drone delivery partnership with Wing and further developing our co-located logistics hubs and micro fulfillment centres.

“Exploring new technologies like drone delivery means our retailers may provide customers with game-changing product deliveries in minutes rather than days, while also reducing their carbon footprint.

“Our partnership with Wing is a natural extension of our distribution and fulfilment strategy which will help retailers use physical stores and our shopping centre network to get their products in customer hands quicker and more efficiently.”

Learn more about Wing

Construction commences on $30 million Springwood Health Hub

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Work has commenced on the new $30 million Springwood Health Hub, following a sod turning ceremony this week hosted by developer Rogerscorp, with attendance including project builder Niclin, City of Logan Mayor Darren Power, Deputy Mayor Jon Raven, and Division 1 Councillor Lisa Bradley.

The development is now on its way to making a difference throughout the Logan region by providing patient-centred care within the 7 storey state of the art, purpose-built health facility.

Rogerscorp’s Director, Simon Rogers said “The decision for Rogerscorp to embark on this project was driven by demand and data. With over 74% of residents needing to leave Logan for their health care needs.”

“Easily accessible off the M1, the site sits proud and visible. We worked with an award-winning architect to ensure we could deliver a prestigious building that people want to work from and visit.”

“We are in discussion with many tenants including IVF, cancer care and allied health operators, and already have commitment from a twin theatre gastro centre who will occupy the majority of the top floor.”

“In addition we have commitments from iMed Radiology, incorporating an MRI machine, as well as Myhealth GP Clinic.”

“We look forward to working alongside our tenants in delivering a brilliant space for them to operate from, and assisting where we can to ensure their business is a great success.”

Mr Rogers also praised the relationship with Council and the development application process.

“Logan City Council have been tremendous to work with throughout the planning and development approval process, and it is great to see such a pro-active council that is certainly stimulating business interest, and working hard to showcase the great benefits that Logan has to offer.” he said.

Artist render of Springwood Health Hub

Artist render of Springwood Health Hub

City of Logan Mayor, Darren Power said “Rogerscorp’s Springwood Health Hub would be a game changer for health facilities in the city.”

“Our city is experiencing growth like never before. With this growth comes the need for more health services.”

“Springwood Health Hub is not only an investment in our city but the health of our residents.”

“This state-of-art health hub will mean City of Logan residents have access to a range of medical services here in their own backyard,” Mayor Power said.

Niclin Group’s Managing Director, Nick Cave said “The project will create up to 1500 direct and indirect jobs.”

“We look forward to being a part of a project that will further strengthen the health services for the Logan area.” he said.

The Springwood Health Hub joins an increasing list of health and medical investments in the city, which include:

Logan City Council and Logan Office of Economic Development commissioned research in 2018 to identify the health and medical development and investment opportunities in the Logan Local Government Area. Based on evidence driven data, the research completed provided an understanding of the current and future health demand to identify gaps (existing and future) and direct investment attraction activities using key investment drivers. Springwood was identified as a potential location for health & medical investment, and the Springwood Health Hub will be a welcome addition to the area serving as a catalyst for jobs and providing easier access to specialty health and well-being facilities.

For leasing enquiries and more information on the project, please visit the Springwood Health Hub website.

 

Fund to attract new business

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A Logan City Council initiative to attract business and create employment has been tailored to target emerging sectors such as clean technology, health and medical providers and tourism.

The highly successful Investment Attraction Incentive Fund (IAIF) was this year allocated $3 million over the next three years to attract investment from business operations and projects that provide significant economic benefit and job creation for the City of Logan.

Economic Development Chair, Deputy Mayor Jon Raven, said amendments to the scheme, to be adopted at a future Council meeting, would enable Council to diversify the types of industry looking to set up business in the city.

“As our city continues to grow, we had to think about the kind of industries we could attract that would also provide employment opportunities for locals,” Councillor Raven said.

“This creates real opportunities for the next generation, kids who attend school here, can go to university here or get a trade and then start a career somewhere close to home.

“By targeting emerging industries, we know there will be demand for these products and services well into the future.

“This provides some certainty around long-term economic outcomes for the city and has a ripple effect by attracting further investment.”

Industrial biotechnology, education and health, transport and logistics and the creative arts are industries on the radar.

Council will also introduce a high priority investment list which targets assets that are either non-existent, under-represented or highly sought after by the business or residential communities.

This could include a hotel, short-term accommodation, tourism attraction, or boutique food outlets.

Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has attracted 15 businesses and is estimated to generate more than 940 new and retained jobs and inject around $120 million into the local economy once all projects have been completed.

LSKD CEO Jason Daniel at the site of his new headquarters building in Loganholme

LSKD have recently invested in Logan with a new HQ and warehouse underway in Loganholme

Successful recipients include street sportswear brand LSKD; DHL Supply Chain; V Resource; Help Enterprises; Go1; The Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre; ATP Science; Border Express; and BlockTexx.

BlockTexx founders Graham Ross and Adrian Jones recently relocated their textile recycling business from Sydney to a 2220 sqm operation at Loganholme.

The clean technology company recovers polyester and cellulose from textiles and clothing and will inject around $43 million into the local economy.

It will provide 30 jobs in the short-term and recycle 4,000 tonnes of textiles using the company’s proprietary Separation of Fibre Technology (S.O.F.T.) solution.

Mr Ross said large manufacturers, government bodies, corporations and charities are all looking for opportunities to reuse and repurpose unwanted fabrics – such as uniforms, hotel sheets and unsold stock.

Deputy Mayor Jon Raven with BlockTexx co-founder Graham Ross and samples of recycled fabric

Deputy Mayor Jon Raven with BlockTexx co-founder Graham Ross and samples of recycled fabric“We spoke to a lot of Councils from around the county and we decided on Logan. The council has been highly supportive of our relocation from Sydney,” he said.

“Logan ticks all the right boxes and we are excited to build Australia’s first commercial scale textile recovery facility at our new location in Loganholme.”

Visit our incentives page for more information on the Investment Attraction Incentive Fund and other incentives to invest in the City of Logan

Drone delivery service Wing expands to more suburbs

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Global drone delivery service Wing saw dramatic growth in the City of Logan during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing their deliveries by 500 per cent in 2020 from the previous year. With Logan residents at home last year, demand for air delivery soared with people relying on the service to deliver items they needed.

In 2021, use of the drone delivery service in Logan has continued to grow; with more than 18,000 deliveries to the community. More than 1,000 deliveries took place in just a few days during the most recent Queensland COVID-19 lockdown period, prior to the Easter long weekend, according to Jesse Suskin, Head of Policy and Community Affairs at Wing.

“Many people in Logan have contacted us asking for service, and in response to that feedback, we’ve recently expanded beyond our initial service suburbs of Crestmead, Marsden, and Berrinba. Wing is now available in more than a dozen suburbs in Logan, including drone delivery to customers in parts of Loganlea, Waterford West, Slacks Creek, Logan Central, Woodridge, Kingston, Park Ridge, Browns Plains, Heritage Park, and Regents Park. In the coming weeks we’ll also be expanding even further to include service for customers in Edens Landing, Bethania, Holmview, Waterford, and Beenleigh.”

As Wing expands, they will be improving their service offering, delivery range, and making changes to their aircraft in response to community feedback. Such changes have already taken place, with Jesse announcing new, quieter aircraft to be introduced to Logan’s skies in the coming weeks.

“Having made thousands of deliveries to customers in Logan over the last 18 months, we’ve also heard community feedback regarding noise and overflight of our drone in the neighbourhood, and we are committed to making improvements in response to their feedback. Today, we’re excited to be announcing the roll out of our new aircraft in the Logan community, a quieter drone model that almost halves the sound level experienced during overflight. We’ll be introducing the quieter drone model into service gradually in the coming weeks.”

Photo of Wing's new drone

Photo of Wing’s new drone

Wing established in Logan in 2019 as the first location in Queensland, and one of the first locations in the world to offer an air delivery service. Wing has invested in multiple sites across Logan and works with local retailers to deliver items such as cooked chickens, coffee, sushi and hardware.

To learn more about Wing, visit their website

Hundreds of jobs as Council initiative attracts $110m in development

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A Logan City Council initiative aimed at attracting big business and to create jobs has cemented $110 million in new projects in the last 12 months.

Council’s Investment Attraction Program has generated 758 jobs since its inception, with more companies lining up to relocate to the city this year.

Global logistics provider DHL Supply Chain is the latest to benefit from the scheme after yesterday opening its new facility in the growth industrial hub of Berrinba.

Providing more than 100 jobs, the facility comprises two large warehouses spanning 19,000 sqm and a 10,000 sqm hard span linking the two buildings, to service the South East Queensland market.

men in front of DHL truck in warehouse

DHL State Manager Sean Hall, Deputy Mayor Jon Raven and DHL
CEO Australia and New Zealand Saul Resnick celebrate the opening of DHL at
Berrinba.

Economic Development Chair, Deputy Mayor Jon Raven, said DHL Supply Chain’s opening was another exciting step in the city’s economic trajectory.

“Investing in Logan just makes sense. Great location, easy access to highways and a young population so businesses have a readymade workforce,” Cr Raven said.

“The success of these companies means jobs for the people of Logan. Each company that is supported through the Investment Attraction Program must meet local job targets.

“By making sure locals get employment opportunities, we leverage these investments to create lasting wealth for our city.”

The DHL Supply Chain opening follows two other multinational companies with Rinnai Australia, a national manufacturer of gas appliances, and McPhee, a fifth generation transport company in a co-located Berrinba facility.

The $40 million project will create 130 jobs once fully operational.

DHL Supply Chain CEO Australia and New Zealand, Saul Resnick, said setting up in Logan would improve efficiencies.

“DHL Supply Chain is committed to ensuring our customers’ supply chains are cost efficient and operationally excellent,” Mr Resnick said.

“This new site combines our warehousing and transport under the one roof and provides better connections to motorways.

“We are pleased to see the efficiencies and improvements to delivery times that this site brings to our customers and to be part of the growth in the Logan region.”

Other companies to launch in City of Logan the program include:

  • HELP enterprises – an employment provider for people with disability. It assists people who have been out of the workforce for long periods to re-enter the workforce as well as supporting disadvantaged people to secure employment. Employing 77 people, the business has built a warehouse and distribution facility at Crestmead to service City of Logan.
  • Pinnacle Hardware – a national garage storage supplier, specialising in innovative and quality storage solutions, garden sheds, pet enclosures and hardware. They supply exclusively to Bunnings and their new site at Berrinba is a distribution facility for Queensland. They employ more than 30 people.
  • Go1 – an online training and education service provider with their global headquarters at Underwood. The business moved to Brisbane but returned to its Logan roots and is now leading the way in innovation. The company has raised $40 million, including a big chunk of funding from Microsoft’s venture funding arm M12.
  • The Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre – an industry-led organisation, combining employers and unions to create and teach the highest standards of vocational training for plumbing, gas fitting, air conditioning and fire safety. Their new site in Beenleigh combines two of their existing Queensland training facilities to become their largest site in the state.
  • ATP Science – set to employ 70 people at its new Meadowbrook facility. The pharmaceutical and health supplement manufacturer has increased its capability and capacity to do research and development and access international markets.

Border Express, Imaging Solutions and B&C Plastics have also expanded their operations in the city.

Last year, City of Logan launched the $1.5 billion Crestmead Logistics Estate. The nine-stage, 157-hectare estate will deliver 650,000 square metres of warehousing, business, logistics and manufacturing buildings.

It will generate around 6000 full-time jobs over the next five years. Tenants include the recently launched $500m Mapletree Logistics Park, set to deliver around 200,000 square metres of high-grade logistic warehousing and office space.

The project is expected to create at least 2500 jobs over four stages of construction.

Cr Raven said the community can be proud that City of Logan is leading the way as one of the most dynamic regional cities in the country.

“These are successful companies and they know we’re building something special in Logan,” Cr Raven said.

“To be able to attract and retain national brands to headquarter their operations in our city shows that Council’s vision and growth strategy is working.”

Massive development kickstarts jobs bonanza

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Logan City Council has granted approval to one of the biggest industrial developments in the city’s history.

An industrial park of nine warehouses will be constructed by Mapletree Investments, a leading real estate development, investment, capital and property management company headquartered in Singapore.

The new $500m Mapletree Logistics Park – Crestmead will be built on 36 hectares of the new $1.5 billion Crestmead Logistics Estate launched by Council last year.

The development will deliver approximately 200,000 square metres of high-grade logistic warehousing and office space.

The site is expected to include buildings ranging in size from 5000sqm up to possibly a massive 100,000sqm – the equivalent of almost 20 football fields.

The project is expected to create at least 2500 jobs over four stages of construction.

Artist impression of Mapletree Logistics Park with Crestmead in background

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said the project was a strong endorsement for investment in the city.

“This is the start of a development that will deliver thousands of jobs for locals,” Cr Power said.

“This project is a game-changer, not just for the City of Logan, but all of South East Queensland.

“Mapletree, one of the largest industrial developers in the world, is leading the way in showing investors that the City of Logan is an ideal place for businesses to set-up and grow.

“Despite the setbacks of last year, this project sends a clear message that Logan is again open for business and a new hub for jobs and investment.”

Mapletree Group’s Chief Executive Officer Hiew Yoon Khong said the organisation had a strong conviction on the growth prospects of Australia’s logistics real estate sector.

“Mapletree Logistics Park – Crestmead’s excellent connectivity to key transportation nodes will provide companies with a high-quality space in a strategic location,” Mr Hiew said.

The Mapletree development was approved under Council’s innovative RiskSmart approval process.

It was subject to a comprehensive pre-application review prior to the application being formally lodged and approved by Council and the State Government.

The Crestmead Logistics Estate, on the corner of Green and Clarke Roads, was launched by Council in August last year.

It will be rolled out over the next five years and will eventually deliver 650,000 sqm of warehousing, business, logistics and manufacturing space.

The estate’s appeal includes its easy accessibility to the Logan and Gateway Motorways, two of the busiest transport arterials in South East Queensland.

Artist impression of Mapletree Logistics Estate

Crestmead Logistics Estate adds to an existing 367,000 sqm of commercial activity recently completed or planned in the City of Logan over the coming year.

Developments include:

  • DHL – 19,000sqm $38m 132 jobs (complete)
  • Mitre 10 – 27,000sqm $50m 110 jobs (complete)
  • Alphabet (Wing) – 15,000sqmm 36 jobs (complete)
  • Queensland Logistics Service – 15,000sqm 20 jobs (complete)
  • Pinnacle Hardware – 14,000sqm 36 jobs (complete)
  • CEVA – 21,000sqm (complete)
  • Hutamaki and Phoenix Transport – 25,000sqm (complete)
  • GPT – 13,000sqm (under construction) a further 72,000sqm to complete
  • Rinnai 13,000sqm (complete)
  • McPhee Transport 17,000sqm (under construction)
  • Berrinba Central Shopping Centre (Stage 1 complete, Stage 2 and 3 under construction)
  • Goodman 56,000sqm (under construction)
  • Quilton 60,000sqm (13 sheds under construction)

Ground breaks on essential new Medical Centre for Logan City Health Precinct

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Buildcorp has broken ground with project partners for a new medical centre, which forms part of a significant Health and Knowledge Precinct for the Logan and Greater Brisbane region.

The $20m Southwest Medical Centre is located on a prominent corner of Logandowns Drive, 200m from Logan Hospital. Project partners including Client Horwell Group, DMA Partners and Cottee Parker, gathered to ‘turn the sod’ to celebrate the commencement of  the new build project that will be delivered over the next 8 months.

The multi-level Centre is designed by Cottee Parker and comprises over 2,000m² of retail, medical and office space. UQ Health Care (owned by The University of Queensland) has been secured as the anchor tenant and will provide an extensive range of health services, as well as essential training opportunities for the next generation of doctors, nurses and allied health.

Artist render of Southwest Medical Centre

Artist render of Southwest Medical Centre

Family development group Horwell Property Investments has long believed in the potential for the Meadowbrook site, having owned the land for more than 35 years.

Horwell Property Investments’ Ben Horwell said, “As a family, we’ve maintained our belief in this 100-hectare site through many property cycles and it’s extremely pleasing to see the final piece of the puzzle put into place.

“In committing to the development of the Southwest Medical Precinct, we sought to build a project team that, like us, had a strong level of confidence in the area, excellent knowledge of the current market and a determination to get the job done.

“We’ve gotten to this milestone today thanks to the input, support and expertise of the project team and the City of Logan.”

Buildcorp has developed a plan to minimise the construction impact on the local area and protect the operations of the local retail and Childcare Centre. This includes the use of a double height precast concrete panels made offsite, a detail traffic management plan to protect access and an innovative design for the foundations that negated the need for heavy construction works.

The construction project will bring community benefit through opportunities for local suppliers, trades and employment opportunities. Over the course of the project over 400 workers will be inducted to help deliver the Centre.

Buildcorp’s Managing Director Tony Sukkar said: “Buildcorp is honoured to start work on this project that draws from our extensive experience in delivering new build construction, medical facility fit-outs and developing partnerships based on family values.

“This innovative facility will bring much opportunity to the area in essential medical services, education and training, and employment. Buildcorp is proud to be working with a team of aligned and experienced partners to bring it to life.”

DMA Partners Associate Director Matthew Cummins said:

“We were engaged right at the beginning before the concept phase and that allowed us to work closely with the client and the architect to create a project which had high market appeal.”

“The Southwest Medical Precinct is backed by a strong and experienced project team, which truly has allowed for the best possible outcome for the site and for the region.

The overall result is an innovative medical precinct, which has been delivered in a way that benefits the surrounding community as well as the developer.

Positive outlook for Logan

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City of Logan Mayor Darren Power today painted a positive economic outlook for the city during a State Budget Breakfast event hosted by Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick.

Around 150 business leaders, community stalwarts and local and state politicians attended the COVID-safe planned event at the Logan Entertainment Centre, MC’d by Deputy Mayor Jon Raven.

Councillor Power compared Logan’s fight and economic resilience to the Rocky Balboa character from the Rocky movies.

“Rocky is humble, hard-working, determined and he beats the odds to win his big break. It’s a powerful story of backing yourself to rise to the top,” he said.

“I liken this story to the way Logan has evolved into the city you see today. From humble beginnings, Logan is proving to be the one to watch.

“We don’t have the glitz of the Gold Coast or the sky-high office buildings of Brisbane, but what we do have is pride, determination and fighting spirit.”

Logan continues to punch above its weight with billions of dollars in investment pouring into the city at time when the global economy contracted.

A host of multi-national companies are setting up their business in commercial hotspots like Park Ridge, Berrinba and Crestmead.

Cr Power noted the completion of Transurban’s $512 million Logan Enhancement Project in August 2019 and a surge in commercial activity along the Logan Motorway corridor.

“Large national and multinational businesses are choosing Logan over Ipswich, Brisbane and even our southern states,” he said.

Queensland’s largest industrial project, the Crestmead Logistics Estate, is one such project.

The $1.5 billion dollar, nine-stage, 157-hectare, Logistics Estate will deliver 650,000 square metres of warehousing, business, logistics and manufacturing buildings. It will generate around 6000 full-time jobs in just five years.

Companies like Wing, Go1, DHL, Rinnai Australia, Border Express, ATP Science and McPhee are now proudly headquartered in the city.

“Logan has the winning formula of efficient transport connections and affordable land that is driving enormous investment,” said Cr Power.

“The housing market in Logan is also one to watch. Logan continues to be the place to raise your family, offering a great lifestyle and affordable housing.”

More than 26,000 new houses have been approved with numerous residential development fronts across Logan over the last decade.

By 2036, under the current planning scheme, Logan has the potential to grow by an additional 56,000 dwellings.

Queensland Treasurer and Member for Woodridge, Cameron Dick, highlighted the ‘valuable partnership’ Logan shared with the State Government as he reeled out a highlights package for the city in the recent State Budget.

It included more than $600 million on upgrading the Logan Hospital, $50 million towards upgrading and building new schools with a further $26.9 million in 2020-21 to construct a new primary school in North Maclean.

Funding also continued for several high-profile projects that Council had advocated for, including the extension of the south-east busway to Loganholme ($500 million) and upgrades to the Mt Lindesay Highway ($10.6 million).

Meanwhile a state-wide $15 million Community Infrastructure Investment Partnership program will be established to deliver additional and improved community infrastructure to support social services in communities.

A flagship initiative under the program will be in Logan – the Access Economic Hub.

The pilot project will provide a full range of employment readiness, job training, social enterprise and business incubator services and link people to social services.

It will support up to 22 construction jobs in Logan and makes good on an election commitment of $7 million.

There’s also a new $1 million commitment for intersection improvement works at Waterford-Tamborine Road and Easterly Street at Waterford to ease congestion issues, and additional funding for the planning of the Park Ridge Connector.

Cr Power said despite the challenges of 2020, Logan had fared well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We in Queensland – and in Logan – have been very fortunate. We’ve had the opportunity to attend work, run our businesses and rebuild our economy,” he said.

Coffee King innovates with new ‘Aus-Tex’ Smokehouse

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Sugar Creek Smokehouse is the latest venture to open at Zarraffa’s multi-million-dollar HQ and the future home of Distillery Road Market (DRM).

Sugar Creek Smokehouse will offer guests locally sourced meats smoked fresh on-site out of two re-purposed shipping containers which will eventually be rehoused within the DRM precinct.

Owner Kenton Campbell says it was the result of the COVID-19 lockdowns that created the necessary conditions to start creating his dream and celebrating an authentic food experience within reach of the Gold Coast, Brisbane and surrounds.

“I love barbequing, the enjoyment that food provides, and being able to bring good company together to share a meal in the outdoors,” Kenton said.

“Over the last couple of years, I started smoking meats purely as a hobby, then purchased a small smoker and decided to take a trip over to Texas to experience the home of smoked meats—it was then that the idea was born.”

The container fit-out will feature a rotisserie-style offset smoker, enabling the smoking process and flavours to be controlled while providing an authentic flavour profile, and has the capability to smoke hundreds of kilograms of meat per day.

The venue will also be fully licensed with drinks, including tinnies of local craft beers and spirits, available to complement the meaty menu.

“It was my vision to create signature flavours; an authentic ‘Aus-Tex’ venue, using the highest quality meats sourced locally that are smoked fresh daily and to perfection for everyone’s enjoyment,” Kenton said.

“Flavours will be everything at Sugar Creek Smokehouse. The entire menu has been crafted to harvest a deeper sense of enjoyment and a flavour hit from every bite, turning a casual lunch or dinner for the whole family into something to savour and really enjoy.”

Open Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm with seating for up to 44 diners, Sugar Creek Smokehouse will offer a shaded outdoor area located near the smoker for the ultimate sensory experience.

Sugar Creek Smokehouse, Zarraffa’s Coffee’s national headquarters and its bespoke café experience – Kiwanda Café, are the anchor tenants of the cultural dining mecca that will be DRM, set to offer a world class destination for authentic food experiences and entertainment.

Located midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the one-of-a-kind DRM venue will provide a compelling destination designed to celebrate Australia’s love of fresh produce, dining and entertainment with a mix of retail letting options.

Rising from the ashes of a reclaimed commercial warehouse, the 18,000+ sqm site is being reimagined as a space for families, a source of regional growth and a magnet for tourists and the global food generation.

DRM is expected to open late end 2021 and the Sugar Creek Smokehouse is proof-positive of what’s to come.

“I’ve personally invested my heart and energy into a long-held dream to create food and beverage experiences that make people happy.

It started with Zarraffa’s over 20 years ago; the simple joy in making something that brings a smile to people’s faces. With Distillery Road Market, it will be about creating a home for these types of experiences.”

“Sugar Creek Smokehouse is named for its historical significance to cane growing in the Eagleby area and the generations who grew the sugar cane. Today, my hope is that it signifies life’s little pleasures – to enjoy and share in great food experiences in your own backyard.”

Sugar Creek Smokehouse
124 Distillery Road, Eagleby
Opening hours: 11am to 7pm, Thursdays through to Sundays