Moreton Bay Archives - Newport News

Morgans Seafood Tops Honour at Redcliffe Business Awards

One of Scarborough’s best-known businesses has been recognised among the region’s leading enterprises, with Morgans Seafood taking out the Redcliffe Business of the Year Award at the 2026 Redcliffe Business Awards.

The awards were presented on 28 May at The Komo in Redcliffe following a program that attracted 164 nominations across 10 categories. Hosted by the Redcliffe Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and State Member for Redcliffe Kerri-Anne Dooley, the awards celebrate businesses that contribute to the economic and community life of the peninsula.

For Morgans Seafood, the recognition adds another chapter to a business that has become closely linked with Scarborough’s waterfront identity.

A Business Built Around Seafood and Tourism

Located on Bird O’Passage Parade overlooking Moreton Bay, Morgans Seafood has grown from a local seafood retailer into a destination that attracts visitors from across South East Queensland.

The business combines a fresh seafood market, takeaway service and dining experiences centred on locally sourced seafood. Over the years, it has become a regular stop for tourists exploring the Redcliffe Peninsula while remaining a familiar name for local residents.

Its location near Scarborough Harbour has helped position the business as part of the area’s tourism offering, contributing to visitor spending and supporting the local economy.

Photo Credit: Kerri-Anne Dooley/Facebook

Long-Term Contribution Recognised

The Redcliffe Business Awards were established to recognise the dedication, innovation and resilience of small businesses operating across the peninsula. Award organisers said the program aims to showcase businesses that strengthen the local economy and inspire others through their achievements.

Morgans Seafood was selected from a field of nominees spanning industries including tourism, retail, hospitality, trades and community services. The judging panel included Jodie Morphett from The Guides, Lawrence Gow from the Redcliffe Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Gavin Daw from Bendigo Community Bank Margate.

While individual category winners represented communities across the peninsula and surrounding areas, Morgans Seafood was the sole winner from Scarborough.

A Familiar Name on the Peninsula

Scarborough has long been associated with the fishing and boating industries, and businesses connected to the waterfront remain an important part of the suburb’s character.

Photo Credit: Morgans Seaford Market & Takeaway/Facebook

Morgans Seafood’s success reflects that connection. Through its focus on seafood retailing, hospitality and visitor experiences, the business has helped promote Scarborough as a destination while supporting local employment and economic activity.

The award comes at a time when many small and family-owned businesses continue to face economic pressures. Organisers noted that the awards were designed not only to recognise success but also to celebrate the contribution local businesses make to the wider community.

Nominations for the 2027 Redcliffe Business Awards are expected to open in March next year.

Published 5-June-2026
Featured Image Credit: Morgans Seafood/Facebook

Relief Funding Boost Comes as Moreton Bay Families Feel the Squeeze

A fresh boost to emergency relief funding is being welcomed nationwide — but for communities like Newport, it reflects a pressure locals are already feeling in real time.

Some of Australia’s largest support providers, including St Vincent de Paul Society National Council, Anglicare Australia, The Salvation Army Australia and UnitingCare Australia, say demand for help with basics like food, rent and bills has surged — and the latest Federal funding injection comes at a critical moment.

The pressure is no longer abstract

While the announcement is framed at a national level, the underlying trend is playing out across Moreton Bay — including Newport and neighbouring suburbs.

What’s shifting isn’t just the number of people seeking help, but who they are.

Frontline services are reporting more working households, families with children, and people who have never needed support before turning up for assistance. It’s a sign that cost-of-living pressures are cutting deeper — even in areas often seen as relatively stable.

For a suburb like Newport, where many households are balancing mortgages, rising insurance costs and everyday expenses, the squeeze is becoming harder to ignore.

It’s not just demand — it’s who’s asking

Emergency relief organisations say every service across the country is now experiencing increased demand, with some reporting significant spikes.

That includes requests for:

Food parcels and grocery assistance
Help with rent and utility bills
Financial counselling for households under stress

The additional funding is expected to help expand access to these services, including targeted support in high-need and disaster-affected areas.

But providers are clear — it’s a short-term buffer, not a long-term fix.

The new face of financial stress

One of the most telling shifts is the rise in “hidden hardship” — people who are employed but still struggling to keep up.

For many households, it’s no longer about a single crisis. It’s the accumulation of rising costs: groceries, fuel, insurance, and housing all moving at once.

That’s where financial counselling is becoming just as important as emergency relief, helping people navigate mounting pressure before it spirals.

What this means on the Peninsula

For Newport residents, the funding boost is a signal of two things happening at once.

Support services are being strengthened — but the need for them is growing just as quickly.

Local charities and community groups form part of a national network supporting hundreds of thousands of Australians each year, including across Moreton Bay.

And while the extra funding will help keep those services running, providers warn that without broader action on housing affordability and living costs, demand is unlikely to ease anytime soon.

11,000Km To Newport — And No Room To Fail

They fly 11,000km without stopping — and land just off Newport. By the time they reach Moreton Bay, some migratory shorebirds are running on empty.

They have flown more than 11,000 kilometres non-stop from the Arctic — no landing, no rest, no margin for error. When they drop into the tidal flats of the bay, it’s not a scenic stopover. It’s a critical refuelling point that determines whether they live or die.

From Newport, that global journey ends just offshore.

What’s often framed as a Banksia Beach or Bribie Island story is, in reality, a bay-wide system. The same mudflats, seagrass beds and tidal zones that support birds in the Pumicestone Passage are part of the broader Moreton Bay network that extends across to the Redcliffe Peninsula.

Running on fumes when they arrive

Among the species making the journey are bar-tailed godwits and far eastern curlews — both built for distance, but with limits.

Godwits are among the most extreme endurance flyers on the planet. They cannot land on water, meaning once they leave the Arctic, they must reach land in a single continuous flight. Some have been tracked flying close to 12,000 kilometres over more than a week.

By the time they reach Queensland, they have burned through a large portion of their body mass.

The far eastern curlew, the largest migratory shorebird, faces a different challenge. It is now critically endangered, and Moreton Bay remains one of its most important refuges globally.

These birds are not just passing through — they are returning. Year after year, many come back to the same sections of mudflat. If those habitats degrade or disappear, they do not easily relocate.

Everything depends on the tide turning

What keeps them alive is timing.

At low tide, the bay exposes vast mudflats rich in small invertebrates. This is where birds rebuild energy quickly, feeding intensively to recover from the journey.

At high tide, those feeding grounds vanish. Birds move to roosting areas where they rest and conserve what little energy they have regained.

Both parts of that cycle are essential. Disturbance at the wrong time — particularly at roosting sites — forces birds into flight, burning energy they cannot afford to lose. Enough disruption, and they simply don’t recover.

Across Moreton Bay, a mix of natural and managed roosts exists to keep birds close to feeding grounds and minimise that risk.

Why this stretch of water matters globally

Moreton Bay is not just locally important — it sits on a migration route that spans continents.

It forms part of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, linking breeding grounds in the Arctic with non-breeding habitats across Australia and Southeast Asia. Tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds rely on the bay each year.

Its strength is in how it functions: mudflats, mangroves, seagrass beds and tidal channels working together as a single, highly productive system.

If one part is compromised, the impact is felt across the whole.

The quiet link to the local economy

The same environments that support migratory birds also sustain local livelihoods.

Seagrass beds and mangroves act as nurseries for fish, prawns and crabs. Moreton Bay produces a significant share of Queensland’s seafood relative to its size, with both commercial and recreational fishing contributing substantial economic value.

It’s the same foundation — just seen from a different angle.

One Connected System

This isn’t happening somewhere else.

The bay operates as one connected system. What happens along the Redcliffe Peninsula — including Newport — feeds into the same water quality and habitat conditions that birds depend on elsewhere.

Runoff, shoreline use and disturbance don’t stay local. They accumulate across the bay.

Where the journey either works — or doesn’t

From Newport, the water looks steady and familiar.

But for a bird arriving from the Arctic, this is the point where everything is decided.

No backup stop. No second attempt.

Just one stretch of coastline — and whether it can recover enough to keep going.

Published 20-April-2026

Featured image credit: Healthy Land & Water

From Horror to the King of Rock: What’s On This Week from 26 February to 4 March 2026

Cinemas across Moreton Bay light up this week with massive horror and fresh drama. Whether you’re in North Lakes, Strathpine, Redcliffe, or Morayfield, there’s something fresh to enjoy on the silver screen.

Opening This Week

Scream 7

In cinemas from 26 February

The rules have changed again. Ghostface returns to stalk a new generation in this massive horror blockbuster. Catch it at Event Cinemas North Lakes, Springfield Central, BCC Strathpine, Limelight (Ipswich, Morayfield), Bribie Cinema, and HOYTS Redcliffe.

Solo Mio

In cinemas from 26 February

A captivating new release hitting the region this week. Catch it at Event Cinemas North Lakes, Springfield Central, BCC Strathpine, Limelight (Ipswich, Morayfield), and HOYTS Redcliffe.

Still Showing

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

The ultimate tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll continues at North Lakes, Strathpine, Morayfield, Bribie, and Redcliffe.

Fackham Hall

Catch the laugh-out-loud period comedy at North Lakes, Strathpine, Morayfield, Bribie, and Redcliffe.

Crime 101

The high-stakes thriller starring Chris Hemsworth is still showing at North Lakes, Strathpine, Morayfield, and Redcliffe.

Wuthering Heights

The sweeping gothic romance continues at North Lakes, Strathpine, Morayfield, Bribie, and Redcliffe.

Where to Watch

Event Cinemas North Lakes – Westfield North Lakes
BCC Cinemas Strathpine – Strathpine Centre
Limelight Cinemas Morayfield – Morayfield Shopping Centre
HOYTS Redcliffe – Peninsula Fair Shopping Centre
Bribie Cinema – Bongaree

From heart-pounding horror to incredible concert films, Moreton Bay’s cinemas are packed with great entertainment this week. Grab some popcorn and enjoy a local screening near you.

From the King to the Manor: What’s On This Week for February 19-25 2026

Cinemas across Moreton Bay light up this week with a global musical event and a laugh-out-loud comedy. Whether you’re in North Lakes, Strathpine, Redcliffe, or Morayfield, there’s something fresh to enjoy on the silver screen.