Homepage Latest News Archives - Page 12 of 16

Live Sustainably One Purchase at A Time at Maroochydore’s The Source Bulk Foods

Switch your grocery shopping habits into a more sustainable one by visiting The Source Bulk Foods at Maroochydore.

Going zero waste or ‘greenifying’ your grocery shopping practice is now made easier thanks to The Source Bulk Foods— Australia’s largest specialised bulk food retailer that is 100% waste-free.

Located inside the Big Top Shopping Centre at Ocean Street, The Source Bulk Foods Maroochydore has more than 450 amazing varieties of bulk products at this health food store. With items such as oils, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, flours, spices, dried fruits and more, it is no wonder that The Source Bulk Foods Maroochydore is considered as a foodie haven by many.

But of course, more than just being a health food store, The Source Bulk Foods aims to provide the entire community with fresh and wholesome ingredients that will nourish their families and our planet as a whole.

Buy as much or as little as you want

Customers of The Source Bulk Foods can choose how much of any product they want to purchase.

Shopping at the store allows customers to only buy what they need—for a recipe, a day or two, or even a week— instead of ending up having to throw away all the excess food they had purchased.

The store is properly arranged with huge tubs with lids and handy scoops per container. Each container also has written instructions and information about the product.

The Source Bulk Foods highly recommends that customers bring their own reusable containers and sturdy reusable bags so as to avoid package waste. In case customers do not have any containers with them, the store can provide paper bags for small items. Containers and reusable bags are also available for purchase at the store.

Apart from offering healthy food options, The Source Bulk Foods also hosts regular workshops about food, diet, zero waste, sustainability and more. Visit The Source Bulk Foods Maroochydore to know their latest deals and workshops.

Opening Hours

Monday- Wednesday	9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday- Friday	9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday	9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday	10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Is Coolum Beach the Location of Kelly Slater’s Next Surf Ranch?

Photo Credit: World Surf League/Facebook

The World Surf League has been on the lookout for a location for Kelly Slater’s next surf ranch and it appears the Sunshine Coast is under serious consideration for the $100-million development, specifically Coolum, the “surfing mecca” of the Coast.

If approved, the proposed multi-million dollar surf ranch is going to be the first of its kind not just in Queensland but in Australia. There are talks that the artificial wave pool will have the same features as Slater’s first surf ranch located in Lemoore, California that comes with tourism facilities.

Coolum Beach, Sunshine Coast (Photo credit: Michal Hope/Wikimedia Commons)

Having Slater’s surf ranch in Coolum is also expected to be a huge attraction in the coastal suburb. The beach is only a 10-minute drive from the Sunshine Coast Airport at Maroochydoore and only half an hour away from Brisbane. In the coming weeks, WSL is planning to talk to the Coolum community to discuss the concepts of the surf ranch, and to get to know what they think of this project.

Slater’s surf ranch in California has proven to be a success as it was chosen as the venue of the 2018 WSL Founders Cup. The $30 million surf ranch counts on hydrofoils to make artificial waves rise up over the rectangular pool.

The surf ranch is a hundred percent solar-powered, which is an environment-friendly way of building man-made waves. It’s just one of the many ways the legendary surfer has shown his concern for the ocean and beaches. In June 2019, he took part in the WSL “Stop Trashing Waves” campaign to raise awareness of environmental issues.

In addition to the surf ranch in Australia, Kelly Slater Wave Pool Company is planning more man-made wave pools in the years to come, with Brazil and Japan as the possible locations.

Sippy Downs’ USC Saves $100 Million with Renewable Energy Revolution

Clean and sustainable energy isn’t just a topic inside the classrooms of the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) at Sippy Downs. The University also shows its commitment to sustainability by practising it through the use of solar-powered rooftops and a newly installed giant water battery.

Having these two cost-saving technologies hand in hand will allow the University to significantly cut its energy consumption.

“USC has calculated that this system will reduce their electricity use by 40 per cent and save the campus $100 million over 25 years,” Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said.

Dr Lynham, who turned on the switch the solar-battery facility with USC Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill and Veolia Australia and New Zealand chief Danny Conlon, also praised how the scheme helped boost employment in the state.

“This $12 million project has created 80 local construction jobs and adds to more than 42,000 rooftop solar systems on the Sunny Coast, and the 520,000 residential solar systems across Queensland,” Dr Lynham said.

*Photo credit: USC: University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia/ Facebook*

A first of its kind

So how does this energy-saving scheme work?

The USC has about 6,000 solar panels installed on rooftops of all its buildings and carparks. Having this much amount of solar panels would generate about 2.1 megawatts of power, thanks to the abundant supply of sunshine that Australia receives each day.

The power collected through the solar panels will then cool the 4.5 megalitres of water inside the three-storey water tanks. These water tanks serve as a thermal energy storage tank or what USC calls “the giant water battery”.

The cooled water will be stored and used for air conditioning, which is currently the single biggest user of electricity at the campus.

According to USC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill, having this kind of renewable energy system will result in a massive leap towards the University’s bid on becoming carbon neutral by year 2025.

“For a regional university to be leading the way on this is proof that we don’t need to be in the big cities to be taking big strides in new ideas in renewables, and for us that’s very exciting,” Professor Hill said.

“The team behind this are already sharing the technology with schools, universities and companies around the world.”

Partnership with Veolia

This renewable energy project of the University of the Sunshine Coast would not have been a success if it wasn’t for the fruitful partnership between the University and Veolia, a global company that is known for delivering renewable energy solutions.

Water Tank — *Photo credit: https://www.veolia.com/*

Veolia’s partnership agreement with the USC is comprised of installing and delivering infrastructure, namely the solar panels and the water tanks. Veolia will also operate and maintain the infrastructure for 10 years, and after this period the ownership of the infrastructure will be transferred to the University.

As for the collected energy from this energy-saving scheme, Veolia will sell the energy generated back to the University of the Sunshine Coast at a rate cheaper than electricity from the grid.

Increased Residential Dwellings Approved at New Maroochydore City Centre

The State Government has approved up to 4000 residential dwellings to be constructed at the new Maroochydore City Centre.

Maroochydore is being fast-tracked to become the business, community, and employment hub of Sunshine Coast. In 2013, the State Government declared that the new Maroochydore City Centre as a Priority Development Area, considered to be a ground-breaking city-making project that will strengthen the entire region by providing sustainable infrastructures for the purpose of commercial, retail, residential, and civic uses.

In August 2019, the State Government approved increasing the number of apartment units to be built from 2000 to nearly 4000. Maximum building heights have also been increased. These changes were generously approved by the State Government in order to accommodate the speedy growth of the city centre.

However, development of these residential buildings must still meet the design requirements relating to residential privacy and natural light access, as stated in the regulatory document of the development scheme.

This latest approval by the State Government is seen to eventually be beneficial as it addresses the future need of the Sunshine Coast’s urban areas. The South East Queensland regional plan revealed that there will be a need of extra 53,700 dwellings within the urban areas of Sunshine Coast by 2041.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson supports the given changes by stating how “Maroochydore is ideally placed to deliver more apartment living options for the region, and these changes will enable the city centre to grow.”

About the Maroochydore City Centre

The construction of the first commercial building at the core commercial area of the Maroochydore City Centre site kicked off last July 2019. It is a $30 million Cottee Parker-designed Foundation Place to be constructed by local developer Evans Long.

This privately-owned eight-level building will accommodate various offices and retail stores.

The Cottee Parker-designed project is expected to be opened by mid-2020.

Another first that will soon be constructed at the city centre site is a nine-storey 167-room hotel. The country’s leading hotel investment and development company, Pro-Invest, has announced its plan of developing and operating Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel right at the heart of the new CBD.

The hotel is scheduled to open to the public by late 2020, and it will coincide with the launch of the new airport runway that will enable direct flights to and from Asia on the Sunshine Coast for the first time.

Retired Buderim Couple Wins $1 Million at the Saturday Gold Lotto Draw

A retired Buderim couple has become part of the line-up of Lotto millionaires, after winning the Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3971 last 10 August 2019.

The couple, who wishes to remain anonymous, held one of the four division one winning entries at the Saturday Gold Lotto draw⁠— allowing them to take home a total of $1,017,643.37. The other winners for this draw were from Victoria (2 winners) and from South Australia (1 winner).

The winning numbers in the Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3971 were 39, 9, 6, 37, 1 and 38, whilst the supplementary numbers were 11 and 45.

Even after checking and confirming their winning ticket through a Golden Casket official, the retired Buderim couple were still in shock over their new millionaire status.

Still overwhelmed with joy, the couple expressed how much this win would change their plans for retirement. According to the woman, “It’s turned our lives upside down and inside out. This is fantastic. Unbelievable. It’s sinking in very slowly.”

When they were asked about how they are planning on using their lotto prize, the couple mentioned on travelling the world, doing some charity work, and sharing their win with their family.

Winning Streak

The couple purchased their winning entry at the outlet of Wurtulla Newsagency.

Wade Broderick, owner of the said outlet mentioned how they have been on a winning streak recently.

Just a week before the Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3971, Wurtulla Newsagency had just sold a division two winning entry. And upon knowing the news that the new millionaire also came from a Wurtulla Newsagency entry, they were all shocked and super excited about it.

According to Broderick, “they have been eagerly waiting to sell a division one winning entry since taking over the outlet 18 months ago.” He further mentioned how all their customers were extremely happy for the outlet and of course, for the lucky winner.

5 Reasons Why You Should Go to The Food Fair at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore

The Food Fair, the newest curated 3-day food festival, is happening at the Black Swan Park at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore this 9 August until 11 August 2019.

Gather up, food enthusiasts! The Curated Plate is heading to Sunshine Coast this August for an epic and tasteful celebration of food, dining, and cooking.

As part of the listed events for this celebration, The Curated Plate is having a 3-day food festival called “The Food Fair” at the Black Swan Park at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore.

Still not convinced whether this event is worth the hype and your time? Well, here is a list of reasons why The Food Fair is an event you wouldn’t want to miss out.

1. Series of Hands-On Food Demonstrations

A number of incredible and award-winning local and international talents are participating in this event. This makes it the perfect opportunity for you to witness their skills and learn a thing or two from their expertise.

Included amongst the chefs who will be having food demonstrations are: Zaiyu Hasegawa for creative and artistic technique on local produce, Alanna Sapwell and Jade King for sweet cooking finger lime, Joel Valvasori-Pereza for local produce in a pasta, and Chase Kojima for the art of fish-skillery.

*Chef Alanna Sapwell*
*Photo credit: The Curated Plate/ Facebook*

2. Chef Talks

Aside from food demonstrations, The Food Fair is also having masterclasses or “Chef Talks” wherein different invited chefs will share their experiences in the kitchen to give a glimpse of their profession. At the Chef Talks, each speaker will also get the chance to be asked by the audience anything related to food, dining, cooking, and sustainability.

Peter Gilmore, Troy Rhoades-Brown, Darren Robertson, and Clayton Wells are included amongst the list of chosen speakers for The Food Fair’s Chef Talks.

3. Wide-Range of Bars and Eateries

What is a food festival without food and beverage stalls? At The Food Fair, there will be a lot of bars and eateries for you to feast upon. How exciting is that, right?

Enjoy flavourful custom-made creations from festival-favourites, namely Hoy Pinoy and Gelato Messina. The Meatball Company will also be at the fair serving up numerous choices of premium meatballs. And for local drinks, Hartwells and Craftwerk bars will cover it up as they serve drinks from Brouhaha Brewery, Your Mates Brewing Co. and Sunshine Coast Coast Cider.

4. Everyone is Welcome at The Food Fair (Dogs Too!)

Have a festive weekend at the Black Swan Park for The Food Fair with your entire friends and family. If you have pets, feel free to bring them to the park too since the venue and the event itself is dog-friendly.

5. Free Entry and 50% of Proceeds Will be Given to Rural Aid

The entire event is FREE if you register online ahead of time. If you are interested in going to The Food Fair, you may click here to register.

Alternatively, on the day of the event, an entry fee of $5 per person will be charged for adults whilst children who are under 16 years old get a free entry. However, 50% of the total proceeds of The Food Fair will be given to their chosen charity partner, Rural Aid.

Now with the list of reasons why The Food Fair is an event worth going to, it’s time for you to decide and mark your calendars for this epic food festival happening this August at Maroochydore. To know more information about The Food Fair, click here.

Heal Yourself Naturally at this Expo in Maroochydore

Photo Credit: mohamed_hassan/Pixabay

Following the successful ‘Heal Yourself Expo’ in Redcliffe last May, the healing festival is coming to Sunshine Coast this month with a great lineup of workshops, speakers and stalls.

This month’s event is scheduled 27-28 July 2019 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Millwell Road Community Centre, Maroochydore.

Heal Yourself Expo is filled with a diverse range of information, spiritual readers and health practitioners, helping you find the right tool for your self-healing.

For Day 1, speakers include wellnesspreneur expert Sebastian Hilbert, mentor for parents Ilka Oster, Facebook strategist Chantal Gerardy, Wellness Business Academy founder Kelly Kingston, Think Money founder Chris Childs, and permaculture teacher Ian Trew.

On the second day, there will be lectures about changing one’s vibration from Kirsten Barfoot Patti, The Art of Forgiveness from Pam Siddins, and Vaccination Risks, Effectiveness and Alternatives from Stephanie Messenger.

Aside from being engaged in enlightening workshops, entrants can watch performances from talented artists whilst keeping the kids occupied at the dedicated kids zone.

There will be more than 50 stalls for unique products and local services that can assist in one’s physical, spiritual, and emotional healing.

About the Healing Yourself Expo

Photo credit: Heal Yourself Expo/Facebook

The expo designed to educate, inform and empower people to the ways means and choices available to them to Heal Themselves.

If you are interested to participate in this two-day expo, visit the Heal Yourself Expo website or Events page. Entry is $5 for adults and free for participants under the age of 13.

Buderim Mountain State School Now on the Queensland Heritage Register

Block B of Buderim Mountain State School (Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

Buderim Mountain State School, the first school in Buderim, has earned its place in history and is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

The school, located at 8-42 Main Street, Buderim was entered as a State Heritage on 3 May 2019.

According to the Queensland Heritage Register database, the premises added to the register are:

school complex comprising of Blocks B and C
war memorials comprising of Memorial Gate, Memorial Sports Ground and Memorial Arboretum
Mature trees
Views within and to the site

Block B is a temporary classroom building that serves as a standard type of a Queensland state school. It retains its low-set, timber-framed structure, north-facing open verandah, and a gable roof. It was built in 1951 and was extended in 1954.

Block C of Buderim Mountain State School (Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

Block C, on the other hand, is a high-set timber school building built eight years after Block B was constructed. Like the latter, it features an open space to the north and south sides, facilitating abundant natural light and ventilation of interior.

An important feature of the school is its mature trees, including its extensive pine forestry plot and arboretum planted as a war memorial in the late 1940s.

Mature camphor laurel at Buderim Mountain State School (Photo credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

The arboretum, sports grounds, and memorial gates are components of a broader ‘War Memorial Community Centre’, established in 1945 by the Buderim community as a ‘living memorial.’

About Buderim Mountain State School

Photo credit: buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au

When it opened in 1875, Buderim Mountain State School was known as Buderim Mountain Provisional School and only had 18 pupils. The school’s first location was on Panorama Drive but it was closed in 1886.

Provisional schools were established by settler communities whose average student attendance was between 12 and 30 pupils. The local Buderim school committee had to provide a suitable building at their own expense because at that time, the Queensland Board of General Education only built and maintained primary schools with more than 30 pupils.

Fast-forward to the present day, the school has over 1,000 students and continues to honor its traditional custodians, the Gubbi Gubbi people. They are the Indigenous Australian people native to southeastern Queensland.

A more detailed history of these buildings can be found on the Queensland Heritage Register website.

Learn Bike Maintenance at This Ladies-Only Workshop in Buderim

Photo Credit: Manosainz/Pixabay

To all the ladies out there who love cycling, here’s a free workshop in Buderim that will help keep your bike in tip-top condition to improve your riding experience.

The “Visione Cycles Ladies Only Workshop” will be held on 15 June 2019 starting at 5:00 p.m. at Shop 4/53-55 Burnett St, Buderim.

This workshop will cover the basics, such as tyre-changing, drivetrain maintenance, and bike cleaning. You will also learn how to tune gears and check pre-ride conditions.

If you’re interested to join, register either to the event, message, email or phone because the numbers are limited due to space. Food and drinks will be provided at the venue.

Visione Cycles is a family-owned cycling store operating Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Cyclists can come to just admire the bikes and enjoy locally roasted coffee at this premium cycling store and coffee bar. They offer a range of services, from dial-ins to frame strip down or bike build.

Register via Visione Cycle’s Facebook page or give them a call at +61 7 5352 3119 for more information about their upcoming events or services.

Maroochydore’s Plant Based Fast Food

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and MooFree Burgers offer Maroochydore locals a healthier alternative to all their fast food cravings.

Do you want to indulge yourself with a tasty burger with chips, drinks, and dessert on the side, but without the guilt of eating an unhealthy meal? No need to worry for that because Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and MooFree Burgers got you covered!

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and Moo Free Burger both serve nutritious, wholesome, and plant-based drinks, desserts, burgers, and more. All their offerings are very tasty that you wouldn’t even notice you’re eating something healthy.

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze

Freshly made smoothies, squeezed juices, ice-creams, squeeze bowls and salads await at Charlie’s Raw Squeeze. As the name states, all their products are locally supplied from Charlie’s Fruit Market in Everton Park.

fruit bowl — *Photo credit: Raw Squeeze & MooFree Burgers Maroochydore/ Facebook*

Aside from the fact that all their offerings are 100% plant-based, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze also has a number of raw, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free options available depending on your preference. So whether you are in for something really sweet or fruity-like dessert or snack, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze is definitely a must-try!

Fruit shakes — *Photo credit: Raw Squeeze & MooFree Burgers Maroochydore/ Facebook*

For coffee lovers out there, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze also has an organic coffee menu available. Their organic coffee has a variety of plant-based milk options such as almond, soy, and coconut.

MooFree Burgers

MooFree Burgers prides itself for being one of Maroochydore’s plant-based restaurants. It even calls itself as a healthy fast food given its menu is somewhat similar to what you would normally find on a fast food chain except that MooFree Burgers are plant-based.

Just like Charlie’s Raw Squeeze, all MooFree Burgers are 100% , and all are made with fresh and locally produced ingredients. In fact, their patties and sauces are all homemade which makes their burgers taste delicious and unique.

At MooFree Burgers, customers also have an option of having gluten-free buns or patties mixed into an amazing salad.

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and MooFree Burgers in Maroochydore is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. To know more about their menu, click here.