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One hundred and seventy-five new nurses and midwives will begin their careers at Metro North Hospital and Health Service over the coming weeks, as part of the 2017 graduate nurse and midwife intake.

Chris Whiting MP, Member for Murrumba said it was an exciting time for the new starters and the region.

“These people have committed themselves to the health and welfare of our community,” Mr Whiting said.

“While roles in healthcare are not for the faint-hearted, they are incredibly rewarding as people have the opportunity to make a difference in other’s lives daily.

“While most nursing positions are in the medical and surgical ward environments, others will be in specialised areas such as emergency and mental health.

“Graduate midwives will practice in community antenatal and postnatal services, and hospital-based maternity services and birthing centres.

“The delivery of these jobs illustrates the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to community welfare, not to mention boosting the local economy.”

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick said the number of nursing and midwifery graduates opting for placement in Queensland proved the state remained a popular choice for a nursing or midwifery career.

“The Palaszczuk Government has delivered 3000 additional nurses and 800 doctors to the front line,” Mr Dick said.

“Nurses and midwives are the backbone of our health system and they are vital in improving people’s general health and wellbeing.

“That is why the Palaszczuk Government has implemented a number of initiatives to not only provide more nurses and midwives for our hospitals, but also improve their workplaces, scope of practice and career development opportunities.

“A strong, educated workforce of nursing and midwifery professionals is vital in achieving our goal of ensuring Queenslanders become among the healthiest people in the world by 2026.

“I welcome them to the Queensland public health system and thank them for the roles they will play in helping reach this goal and improving the lives of Queenslanders.”

To see more jobs available with Queensland Health Metro North, please visit this link.

At 7.50am this morning, Fire Services and Police were called to a bus stop at Anzac Avenue (eastbound), near Gynther Road, Rothwell, to attend a blazing bus carrying 11 school students from Hercules Road State School.

The Kangaroo Lines bus had caught fire near the engine bay in the rear of the bus. The driver managed to pull to the side of the road, out of direct traffic flow and the primary school students evacuated safely and moved a safe distance from the vehicle.

QAS Units on standby at Bus fire near Wattle rd #Rothwell. No injuries reported. @QldFES pic.twitter.com/WM81qmL4Fb

— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) January 29, 2017

The Bus Driver used two extinguishers in an attempt to extinguish the fire, which was unsuccessful.

Local school, Hercules Road State School, responded by alerting parents of the incident in a timely manner. The students are being monitored by their Principal for signs of trauma.

The Operations Supervisor of Kangaroo Bus Lines attended the school to ensure that everyone was unharmed and  to offer trauma counselling services to the parents for the children affected.

The affected engine type was identified and all Kangaroo Bus Line vehicles with the same engine were inspected by their mechanics prior to deploying on the afternoon school runs. Further investigations continue.

The bus driver has been praised for his quick thinking by the Principal and parents. All passengers were accounted for.

Image credit: Tim Cronan via facebook

A statement was issued on their facebook page: 

Kangaroo Bus Lines would like to acknowledge that an incident took place this morning on Anzac Avenue, Rothwell at around 7:50am involving one of our buses.

We just wanted to let everyone know that all passengers on board the bus were evacuated quickly and efficiently by our driver. Passengers were transferred to an alternate service and delivered safe and sound to their destination. Due to the quick thinking and fast actions of the driver involved there were no injuries and a more serious situation was avoided.

The case is strong for a new local high school, or campus, in the North Lakes / Mango Hill area.

It has been boosted by news that Building Queensland is examining a proposal for extra high school capacity north of Brisbane, Chris Whiting MP said.

The December 2016 ‘Infrastructure Pipeline Report’ confirmed that Building Queensland is helping build a preliminary case for extra secondary schooling capacity in the region.

“Just as we are getting ready for school in 2017, it is very exciting to learn that a new local high school, or high school campus may be entering the infrastructure pipeline,” Mr Whiting said.

“It is encouraging news for all the families who know that we live in one of the fastest growing areas of Australia, and we have a lot of pressure on our very popular schools,”

“It is early days yet, but I will continue to lobby Education Minister, Kate Jones, for an additional high school in Mango Hill, North Lakes or Griffin,” Chris Whiting said.

The Palaszczuk Government has invested $32 million in education infrastructure in Murrumba, including a $15 million multi-storey classroom block to start construction soon at North Lakes State College, and new classrooms at Mango Hill and Bounty Boulevard State Schools.

The Infrastructure Pipeline Report stated on Page 8 that the ‘Additional Secondary Schooling Capacity North of Brisbane’ proposal was one of just two new projects that have ‘entered the pipeline’. You can read the report here.

The proposal is at the Strategic Business Case Stage, which is the earliest stage of development.

Building Queensland is an independent body that sets out the state’s infrastructure priorities.

Image: Business Case chart for new High School in region.

Non-state schools in Deception Bay, Rothwell and North Lakes are big winners with an announcement of more than $2 million in infrastructure spending today by Member for Murrumba, Chris Whiting MP.

‘This funding for infrastructure at our non-state schools is in addition to the more than $30 million invested in infrastructure at state schools in Deception Bay, Mango Hill and North Lakes in the last few years,’

‘This $2 million in funding means that students in Independent and Catholic school will soon be benefiting from new state of the art learning environments.’

‘The funding is part of the Palaszczuk Government’s $92 million commitment to non-state schools in Queensland,’ Mr Whiting said.

Mr Whiting said that the investment in non-state schools would support construction jobs across the state.

‘Investment in schools infrastructure sees improvements to schools, but every project also provides valuable jobs for tradies, and training opportunities for apprentices,’

‘We want to ensure that our schools cater for enrolment growth and continue to provide quality educational opportunities to students,’

‘The Palaszczuk Government supports parents’ right to choose a state or non-state education for their children,’

‘We want to see every child benefiting from quality classrooms, no matter where they go to school,’ Mr Whiting said.

Local schools receiving funding are:

Christ the King, Deception Bay: More than $70,000

Mueller College, Rothwell: $815,000

The Lakes College, North Lakes: More than $1.1 million

Our “Sneek Peek” tour below is reminiscent of a scene from ‘The Block’ just before the Final Reveal, on a much larger scale!

With just two days until the Grand Opening, there appears to be a lot of behind the scenes action and much left to do! Confidence and excitement is high that all will be ready for registers to take sales on Thursday morning.

The official ribbon cutting ceremony takes place in the Centre Court at 10:00am on Thursday morning, the 17th of November.

Take an image tour below – the artists impression has come to life!

A sneak peek into the new Kmart store.

A sneak peek of some of the specialty stores due to open Thursday:

Dissh Boutiques.

BONDS.

Skechers.

Valleygirl.

Zing Pop Culture.

IKEA in all of it’s glory.

An extra 2500 parking spaces will be available for use from the 17th of November, including a multi-storey carpark.

The Anzac Avenue carpark entrance is now open for use!

Four days of activities and events have been planned to encourage visitors to come and see the new mall.

Westfield Grand Opening Activities and Events Timetable

Have you noticed the North South Arterial Road signs popping up?

The $11 million final stage of the North South Arterial which stretches from Discovery Drive to Endeavour Boulevard and includes a bridge over Copeland Drive is nearing completion.

Council advises that the North South Arterial is currently anticipated to open to traffic during August, with mid-August being a likely outcome.

These works will complete the North South Arterial road link through North Lakes from Anzac Avenue to Boundary Road, bringing considerable improved connectivity to the immediate and greater Brisbane area.