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Bayside Redland Business Network: From Tavern Talks to Local Business Powerhouse

In 1998, ten business owners gathered over breakfast at the Capalaba Tavern. Their goal was simple but urgent: build a stronger support system for small businesses in the Redlands. That casual meeting laid the foundation for what would become the Bayside Redland Business Network, now one of the area’s most established not-for-profit referral groups.

A Grassroots Start with Real Impact

The Bayside Redland Business Network (BRBN) began in 1998 when local business owner Ian Black started small meetings to create better support for small businesses. Frustrated with other networking events, he invited like-minded owners to connect and share ideas.

*Photo Credit: Bayside Redland Business Network/Facebook*

Within weeks of its first official meeting, the group rallied to challenge a proposed council ban on street-front signage. Their efforts succeeded, reversing the policy. It was a strong early sign that united local businesses could drive real change.

More Than Meetings: A Culture of Giving and Growth

BRBN continues to support local businesses through weekly Wednesday morning meetings focused on connection, referrals, and advice. Its core value, that “givers will receive”, encourages members to help each other grow. Only one business per industry is allowed, which builds trust and avoids competition.

With over 20 years behind it, many members have stayed for a decade or more. They credit the network with boosting their confidence, building partnerships, and creating lasting friendships.

Making a Difference Beyond Business

The network isn’t just focused on profits, it’s deeply tied to the wider Redlands community. Longtime member Sharon Simeon, who has been with BRBN for over 20 years, balances her role at Aviso Broking with volunteer work for Night Ninjas, a group supporting the homeless. Through her company, she secured a $10,000 grant to help Night Ninjas build a drop-in centre in Capalaba.

This kind of community involvement reflects BRBN’s mission. Surplus funds are donated to local charities and causes, including health research and holiday support drives. The group also uses its online platform to promote events and issues that matter to residents.

How to Join the Network

Locals can attend up to three BRBN meetings as guests to see if the group is the right fit. If they choose to join, there’s a one-time $100 fee and an annual $1,490 membership, with flexible payment options.

Join weekly meeting

Each industry is represented by only one member, ensuring a close-knit, non-competitive environment. New members are formally welcomed and added to the directory before joining the weekly flow of networking and support.

To enquire or express interest, locals can contact BRBN’s administrator, Pal Juvancz, by phone at 0437 734 565 or email at info@brbn.org.au.

Published 27-May-2025

Photo Credit: Bayside Redland Business Network/Facebook

Capalaba ALDI Site Snapped Up by Hardware Giant in Record Sale

A high-traffic site in Capalaba has sold for $6.5 million, marking a record-breaking deal for a vacant supermarket in Queensland, as national retailer Sydney Tools secures the former ALDI building for its growing showroom network.

Local Spotlight on Capalaba

Located at 35–37 Mount Cotton Road, about 20 kilometres southeast of Brisbane, the former ALDI site sits in Capalaba’s busy commercial precinct. The single-level building spans 1,266 square metres on a 4,266-square-metre block, with 71 car spaces and flexible zoning for various commercial uses.

The sale highlights growing demand for established commercial sites in high-traffic areas, where redevelopment is costly. Its corner position on Moreton Bay and Mount Cotton roads offers strong visibility and access for tradespeople, DIYers, and local businesses in Redland City.

Record-Setting Sale Reflects Shifting Market

Sydney Tools secured the Capalaba site through a competitive Colliers Queensland campaign, setting a Queensland record for a vacant supermarket at $5,134 per square metre of lettable space and $1,523 per square metre of land.

Colliers agents Harry Dever and Hunter Higgins managed the sale for ALDI Australia, attracting over 140 enquiries and 17 bids from sectors like retail, childcare and healthcare. Sydney Tools secured the site as an owner-occupier, expanding its network of community-focused stores.

Demand Driven by Development Challenges

Strong competition for the Capalaba site reflects a trend toward built properties, as rising construction costs and limited development-ready stock drive demand for move-in-ready commercial spaces.

With flexible PC Principal zoning, the Capalaba site offered multiple uses, but Sydney Tools’ plan for a showroom suited local demand. Industry sources say national brands are targeting suburban centres like Capalaba for cost-effective sites needing minimal upgrades.

A Win for Local Business Activity

Sydney Tools is expected to boost trade and add to Capalaba’s role as a key retail hub in Redland City. With over $83 million in unmet buyer interest, agents say the demand reflects strong long-term confidence in the area’s potential.

While the ALDI brand has moved on from the site, its reuse by another major retailer ensures the building will remain a commercial asset to the community, contributing to jobs, foot traffic, and convenient services.

Published 5-February-2025

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Have Your Say: Redlands Launches Community Consultation for City Plan

What do you want Redland to look like in five years? Redland City Council wants to hear from you as it gets started on its next big plan for the city’s future.

Community Voice at the Centre

The Council is launching a public consultation to help shape its Corporate Plan for the next five years. Residents are invited to share their ideas and priorities for infrastructure, services, and spending.

*Photo Credit: Redland City Council/Flickr*

The Council is running an online survey and in-person sessions to hear from locals, including Capalaba residents. Feedback is open until 22 June via the Your Say Redlands Coast website.

How the Plan Will Work

The Corporate Plan is a legal requirement under Queensland’s local government laws and serves as the city’s roadmap for services, planning and growth. The new plan, once finalised, will replace the current 2021–2026 version and cover a range of priorities based on feedback from the community.

In mid-2025, Council officers will review all the community input and prepare a draft document. This will be made available to the public later in the year for further feedback, before being considered for adoption at the Council’s general meeting in December.

Opportunities to Participate

Locals can drop by pop-ups at events like Redlands Touch Football on 30 May and John Frederick Park on 7 June. They’re also invited to join focus groups covering sport, the arts and young people’s needs.

For those who prefer paper forms, survey postcards are available at Redland City Libraries and Council Service Centres across the region, including in Capalaba.

Focus on Local Priorities

The Council is keen to hear from all corners of the city, not just on big-picture plans but on everyday neighbourhood needs. In Capalaba, that might mean easing traffic near the shops, improving sports grounds or boosting youth programs.

have your say

In previous community consultations, thousands of people provided input on the city’s future direction. The Council says similar feedback this time will help ensure the next Corporate Plan reflects the values and daily needs of local residents.

Published 24-May-2025

Photo Credit: Redland City Council/Flickr

The Radio Site That Connected Capalaba to Washington, DC

Tucked into the leafy suburb of Capalaba, a low-rise brick building once buzzed with wartime secrets that linked Queensland to the front lines of the Pacific. Few residents knew it then, but the US Army Radio Receiving Station in Capalaba was critical in one of history’s largest communication networks during World War II.

A Global Message Hub in Local Bushland

Built between 1942 and 1943, the Capalaba station was designed as a secure node in the U.S. Army’s Army Command and Administrative Network. Known as ACAN, this network helped commanders pass urgent messages across continents—some travelling thousands of kilometres between General Douglas MacArthur’s Brisbane headquarters and Washington, D.C. It was wartime communication at its most advanced, hidden behind bushland in Redland City.

US Army Radio Receiving Station, Capalaba — *Photo Credit: Queensland Heritage Register*

Secret Signals, Long Reach

The station wasn’t flashy, but with rhombic aerials stretching across open fields, the receiving station could capture long-range signals from Allied command posts. These massive wire antennae, barely visible to the untrained eye, were crucial in the high-frequency operations needed for global war planning.

Locals at the time may have seen the antennas or buildings without realising their purpose. Security around the facility meant the work inside remained confidential. Only military personnel and authorised operators knew that messages intercepted in Capalaba could influence battlefield decisions across the Pacific.

A Site Chosen for Silence

Capalaba’s quiet, undeveloped landscape was perfect for radio work. Surrounded by minimal electrical noise, the station could clearly receive transmissions that more urban areas might disrupt. The area’s remoteness helped shield operations from prying eyes and potential enemy detection.

At the height of the war, the radio site wasn’t operating alone. It was part of a larger effort to create secure communication routes throughout Australia, often involving satellite stations and underground cables. Yet few matched Capalaba’s role as a direct international link.

From Military Asset to Civil Use

Once the war ended, the site shifted from military to civilian hands. By the late 1940s, the Postmaster-General’s Department took over. Later, it came under the management of the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Although its strategic use had ended, the site supported Australia’s growing communication infrastructure until it finally closed in 2017.

Protecting the Past

In 2020, the property was officially added to the Queensland Heritage Register. This recognition came after growing public interest in preserving what remained of the wartime facility. The main receiving building, generator shed and parts of the original aerial layout were still intact. These elements helped researchers and heritage authorities confirm the site’s significance.

The heritage listing does not mean the site is frozen in time. Instead, it opens possibilities for educational use, historical tours and community input into how the land is preserved and interpreted for future generations.

Capalaba’s Piece of the Puzzle

For Capalaba residents, knowing this station once linked their suburb to decisions that shaped world history gives a new layer of meaning to a familiar stretch of Old Cleveland Road East. While quiet today, the station’s past reveals how local land can carry global weight.

As efforts to honour the site continue, locals have a chance to help shape its future use—whether as a learning centre, preserved green space or heritage display. In remembering what once happened there, Capalaba gains not just historical recognition, but a place to reflect on community identity during and after times of global challenge.

In 2019, Redland City Council acquired the property, and by November 2023, restoration efforts commenced to repurpose the former World War II radio receiving station. The plan involves transforming the site into a temporary office for council staff and a central meeting point for visitors to the Birkdale Community Precinct.

Published 21-May-2025
Featured Image Photo Credit: Queensland Heritage Register