Moreton Bay Archives - Newport News

Newport’s Fifth and Final Park Planned for Pier North

Newport’s network of neighbourhood parks has another addition on the drawing board, with Stockland identifying a proposed linear park at Pier North as the fifth and final park in its residential community.

The planned Pier North Linear Park would join the playgrounds, landscaped reserves and walking routes that have become familiar parts of Newport’s residential landscape. Rather than another large playground destination, the new space could offer something different: a green corridor where residents can walk, spend time outdoors and move between nearby streets.

For Pier North, it is another piece of the neighbourhood still to take shape, with the eventual design likely to determine how the space fits into everyday local life.

A Different Kind of Park for Pier North

Not every neighbourhood park needs a playground at its centre. Linear parks typically follow longer, narrower stretches of land, providing opportunities for landscaping, informal recreation and pedestrian connections through residential areas.

They can be particularly useful where a short walk or a quiet patch of greenery matters more than a destination for an afternoon outing.

Stockland has identified the future Pier North Linear Park within the northern part of its Newport development, although its precise layout and facilities have not been detailed in the publicly available material.

Whether the finished park includes dedicated walking and cycling paths, seating or other recreational features will depend on the final design. For now, the linear park concept offers an indication of the kind of open space envisaged for this part of Newport, without establishing exactly what residents will find there.

Newport’s Familiar Green Spaces

Across Newport, established parks already provide places for children to play, families to gather and residents to enjoy time outdoors.

Spinnaker Park on Lakeview Promenade is among the best-known, with its playground, water play features, picnic facilities and shaded areas making it a regular destination for local families.

READ: From Award-Winner to Local Favourite: The Enduring Appeal of Spinnaker Park

Smaller neighbourhood parks and landscaped spaces offer another kind of outdoor experience, often closer to home and suited to a quick walk or a short break during the day.

The connections between these spaces have also featured in Newport’s broader landscape planning. Landscape architecture firm CUSP previously described a green spine through the development, incorporating shaded pedestrian and cycling routes towards Kippa-Ring railway station.

Although it has not been established whether Pier North Linear Park forms part of that particular route, the earlier plans illustrate the attention given to connected open spaces throughout the community.

Those connections become increasingly relevant as neighbourhood destinations such as Newport Marketplace become part of local routines, alongside the established parks and walking routes.

READ: Is Newport Marketplace Becoming the Suburb’s Town Centre?

The Last Park in Stockland’s Plans

Stockland’s current parks and playgrounds information describes four parks as already delivered within its Newport community, with Pier North Linear Park identified as the fifth and final addition.

There is no confirmed opening date in the available developer information, and detailed facilities have not been published. A park-specific council approval has not been independently verified.

The proposed park therefore remains a future community space rather than an amenity residents can already use.

Newport’s existing parks have become part of the neighbourhood’s daily rhythms, from children’s playdates and weekend picnics to regular walks close to home. Pier North may eventually offer its own version of those familiar routines, depending on how the park is designed and connected to surrounding streets.

For a community that has continued to grow around its parks and walking routes, the planned Pier North green space represents another part of Newport’s neighbourhood landscape still waiting to take shape.

Published 9-Nov-2026

How Does Sediment from Deception Bay End Up on Newport’s Canal Floors?

Photo Credit: Newport Canals Brisbane/Facebook

The tide comes into Newport’s canals, bringing tiny particles of sediment from Deception Bay. Hours later, the water flows back out, but some of those particles never make the return journey. It is a small but persistent puzzle beneath Newport’s waterways, where years of engineering research have examined how sediment moves, where it settles, and why the tides do not simply carry it all away.

Read: Major Dredging Project Targets Newport Waterways

The connection runs through a dredged entrance channel approximately 2.4 kilometres long, linking Newport’s residential canals and marina to Deception Bay and the wider Moreton Bay. Water moves through the channel with the tides, bringing suspended particles along for the journey.

Not all of those particles remain in Newport. Some are carried back out, while others settle when local currents weaken. Over time, the difference between what arrives, what settles and what leaves can produce a gradual build-up on the canal floor.

Why the Outgoing Tide Doesn’t Take Everything Back

Sediment does not always travel along the seabed. Very fine particles can remain suspended in moving water, particularly when waves and currents stir up material that has previously settled.

Deception Bay contains sediment that may have travelled from surrounding waterways or other parts of the coastal environment. Waves and tidal currents can lift some of that material into the water, allowing it to move towards Newport’s entrance channel.

As the tide rises, suspended particles can travel into the canal network. Their movement depends on several factors, including current speed, particle size and the shape of individual waterways.

A glass of muddy water offers a simple comparison. Stir the contents and fine particles spread throughout the water. Stop stirring and some begin to sink, although the smallest particles may take longer to settle.

Newport’s waterways are more complicated because currents continue to change. Around the turn of the tide, however, slower water movement can allow some suspended sediment to settle.

When the current strengthens again, particles on the bottom may be stirred up and carried elsewhere. Others remain undisturbed.

The outgoing tide therefore does not automatically reverse everything that happened during the incoming tide. Water can leave without removing all the sediment deposited earlier.

Deception Bay’s Dominant Role in Sediment Build-Up

Newport’s sediment origins were examined in engineering investigations summarised in the Newport Waterways Long Term Maintenance Plan, prepared by BMT JFA Consultants in August 2016.

The plan cites an earlier investigation identified as KBR 2013a, which attributed approximately 95 per cent of settled sediment in the canal estate to material entering from Deception Bay through natural tidal exchange.

The remaining five per cent was attributed to freshwater-related sources, including stormwater outlets and Walkers Creek.

Those proportions are historical engineering estimates, not measurements of the sediment entering Newport in 2026. The original KBR report has not been independently examined for this article, although its findings are explicitly referenced in the published maintenance plan.

Deception Bay’s role also needs a distinction. Identifying the bay as the immediate source of incoming sediment does not establish where every particle originally formed.

Some material may have reached the bay through rivers, creeks, coastal erosion or earlier sediment movement before being stirred up and carried into Newport. The available Newport maintenance records do not establish how much each of those more distant sources contributed.

Local rainfall can also influence sediment movement. Stormwater may carry soil and fine particles into waterways, while flows through Walkers Creek provide another route for material to enter the canal system.

The 2016 plan identified variations in rainfall, suspended sediment concentrations and tidal velocities among the factors affecting accumulation. It also cautioned that future sedimentation rates could not be forecast accurately because the processes were complex and variable.

Why Some Newport Canals Accumulate More Sediment

Sediment does not accumulate evenly across Newport’s waterways.

The maintenance plan adopted historical average annual accumulation estimates of 1,880 cubic metres for the Northern Marina Basin, 790 cubic metres for Kingfisher Canal and 430 cubic metres for Curlew Canal.

The figures were developed for long-term planning using earlier assessment periods, including 2004–2009 and 2009–2015. They are not current annual measurements, nor do they mean that the same amount settles in each location every year.

Engineers investigate changes beneath the surface using hydrographic surveys, which map underwater depths. Comparing surveys taken at different times can reveal where the canal bed has risen or fallen.

The City of Moreton Bay publishes Newport hydrographic survey documents from 2020, providing an example of the underwater measurements used to understand the canal network.

Depth measurements can show where the floor has changed, but they cannot alone reveal the original source of individual sediment particles.

The explanation for Newport’s accumulating mud ultimately comes down to the difference between moving water and moving sediment. Tides carry water into and out of the canals, but the particles travelling with it can settle, lift again or take a different route.

Read: New Research Highlights Dolphins Living Beyond Newport’s Canals

For Newport, the canal floor is shaped by that continuing exchange with Deception Bay, one tide at a time.

Published 28-Oct-2026

New Research Highlights Dolphins Living Beyond Newport’s Canals

New research has put fresh attention on the pressures facing dolphins in Moreton Bay, where a Newport-based wildlife operator has spent years taking passengers into the waters used by two resident dolphin species.

The 2026 study identified 12 threats linked to human activity facing Australian humpback dolphins in the bay, with pathogens, pollution, habitat degradation and climate change ranked highest for their potential consequences.

For Newport, the research concerns wildlife found surprisingly close to home.

Dolphin Wild Island Cruises operates from Newport Marina, where its 22-metre catamaran Supercat heads across Moreton Bay towards Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) and the Tangalooma Wrecks.

David Boon and Hayley Creamer have owned the operation since 2023. Dolphin Wild says the business has been running for more than 30 years, although the exact year it established its Newport base is unclear from publicly available records.

Read: Newport Marina Plan Adds 17 Homes, Dining Hubs Beside Working Berths

Two Dolphin Species Call the Bay Home

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Australian humpback dolphins both live in Moreton Bay year-round.

Dolphin Research Australia has previously estimated the bottlenose population at about 554. Australian humpback dolphins are much less numerous, with an estimated 128 animals, although that figure dates from 2016.

The latest research examined the pressures facing the humpback dolphins. Vessel traffic and illegal feeding were considered particularly likely threats, while researchers also found more than 70 per cent of areas with high exposure to threats were in sections of the marine park carrying its lowest level of protection.

The findings drew partly on 1,717 hours of vessel observations collected between 2014 and 2022.

Dolphin Wild also reports encountering dugongs and turtles during its cruises, although what passengers see varies from trip to trip. There is no certainty that dolphins or any other wild animal will appear.

Decades of Trips Across the Bay

That unpredictability means crews regularly covering the same waters build up a very different experience of Moreton Bay from the occasional visitor.

Over time, individual dolphins can potentially become familiar, as can the places where different animals tend to appear. Whether Dolphin Wild formally records those encounters, recognises individual animals or has noticed changes in sightings over its years on the bay remains to be established with the operator.

Those observations should not be confused with scientific population monitoring. But against the backdrop of the new research, there is value in asking people who repeatedly work these waters what they are seeing.

Newport has had its own connection with the bay for decades. The marina’s history reaches back to the Newport Estate and Marina masterplan drawn up in 1977, long before Newport became an officially named suburb in 2008.

Read: Major Dredging Project Targets Newport Waterways

Today, boats leaving the marina can move from Newport’s residential canals into Moreton Bay and, within about an hour, reach waters around Mulgumpin.

For Dolphin Wild, that trip has been repeated for years.

The new research is a reminder that the dolphins encountered beyond Newport’s canals are sharing an increasingly busy bay — and that what happens in those waters is also a local story.

Updated 1-October-2026

Why Newport Didn’t Officially Exist Until 2008

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Shiftchange

Newport’s canals were already about 30 years old, its waterfront homes were well established and locals had been calling the area Newport for decades when something rather unusual happened: Newport finally became an official suburb.

That did not occur until 15 August 2008.

Before then, Newport existed as a community and as the Newport Waterways development, but not as a formally named Queensland suburb. The area residents knew as Newport was divided between Scarborough and Kippa-Ring.

READ: Major Dredging Project Targets Newport Waterways

Newport Existed Long Before the Suburb Did

The name came from the Newport Waterways canal estate, approved in the 1970s and developed from the late 1970s. Council’s later maintenance history records Kingfisher, Sandpiper and northern Albatross canals in 1978, with further waterways added in stages during the following decades. The canal system reached its established configuration in 2000.

By the mid-1980s, street directories were already showing the proposed Newport canals and streets. Residents had also formed the Newport Waterways Property Owners Association in 1985, giving the community a collective identity long before Newport appeared officially on the suburb map.

The administrative geography, however, had not caught up.

Albatross and Walkers Creek canals effectively formed part of the old divide: the established area to the east was within Scarborough, while land to the west was within Kippa-Ring. Government documents from the early 1990s could therefore refer to the “Newport Waterways canal estate at Scarborough”, despite Newport already being a familiar local name.

Then the Map Caught Up

Redcliffe City Council made a submission to the Queensland Government in October 2006 seeking the creation of Newport as a separate suburb.

The formal change came almost two years later. On 15 August 2008, the Queensland Government published Place Name Decision Notice (No. 21) 2008 in the Queensland Government Gazette, formally establishing Newport by changing the boundaries of Scarborough and Kippa-Ring.

So describing Newport as having been “gazetted” in 2008 is reasonable shorthand, although technically the Gazette carried a place-name decision notice under Queensland’s geographical naming process.

By then, Newport was no longer merely the name of a canal estate. It had developed a recognised community identity across an awkward two-suburb boundary. As early as 2003, a submission to a Queensland local-government boundary review was already referring simply to “Newport residents”.

Claims that Council made an earlier unsuccessful attempt to create Newport during the 1990s appear in secondary histories, but a sufficiently strong primary record confirming the details could not be located, so that episode is best left out.

READ: Lighthouse Newport Almost Fully Taken Up as Buyers Lock In Final Waterfront Positions

Newport Kept Growing

Newport has changed dramatically since official recognition. The first census after its creation recorded 3,184 residents in 2011; by 2021, that had grown to 5,964 as development spread well beyond the original canal neighbourhood.

In other words, Newport did not suddenly appear in 2008.

The map simply caught up with a place that locals already knew was there.

Updated 1-October-2026

From Morning Coffee to Cocktails: Sidonié Expands Its Newport Offering

For years, Sidonié was the Newport Marketplace place most closely associated with early coffee, pastries and breakfast. Now the waterfront café is stretching well beyond the morning trade, with dinner, tapas, wine and cocktails carrying the venue into the evening.

The change has been building through 2026. Sidonié installed a dedicated bar in April, moving its coffee counter and adding a new cocktail and wine offering, before rolling out an expanded day-to-night menu. Its current website lists hours from 6am to 8.30pm seven days a week, with separate morning and afternoon/evening menus.

General Manager Ethan Newcombe said when the bar work was announced that the aim was to make Sidonié somewhere customers could come for breakfast, lunch or dinner, then stay for cocktails or wine.

“It’s all about elevating the experience while keeping the relaxed atmosphere we’re known for,” he said.

READ: Lighthouse Newport Almost Fully Taken Up as Buyers Lock In Final Waterfront Positions

A Café Changes With Newport

The shift is a significant one for a business that began at Newport Marketplace as the French-inspired Sidonié Patisserie & Boulangerie.

When new operators took over in February 2025, breakfast and pastries remained central to the business. But evening trading was already on the agenda, with plans at the time for smaller dinner meals, drinks and cocktails.

That transition became more visible this year with the new bar and expanded menu. The business, now styled simply as Sidonié Newport, remains open for breakfast and lunch while adding an evening reason to visit.

It also comes as the potential customer base around it has changed considerably.

Newport had 2,964 residents at the 2016 Census. Five years later, that had risen to 5,964 — effectively doubling between censuses as newer parts of the suburb developed.

READ: Parking Concerns Halt Hotel and Childcare Proposal at Newport Marketplace

More Choice After Dark

Sidonié is not making the move into a hospitality vacuum.

Newport Marketplace’s first stage opened in 2022, bringing several food businesses together on Lakeview Promenade. Today, Fishport serves lunch and dinner six days a week, while Quê Dining trades into the evening from Wednesday to Saturday.

The mix continues to change. Italian restaurant Sì Baby has since closed, and its former premises became Taquiza, a Mexican restaurant which opened in July and now serves dinner from Wednesday to Saturday.

That means Newport residents now have several places within the Marketplace where dinner is part of the regular offer rather than having to look automatically towards the established restaurant strips elsewhere on the Redcliffe Peninsula.

The evolution has not been entirely straightforward. A proposal to add a hotel, food and drink outlet and other uses in later stages of Newport Marketplace was refused by the City of Moreton Bay amid concerns including parking and traffic impacts.

AM/PM MENU

For Sidonié, however, the move from a daytime patisserie and café towards a venue spanning coffee, meals and evening drinks is already under way.

The croissants have not disappeared. They just no longer mark the end of Sidonié’s day.

Published 7-September-2026

Kippa-Ring Theft Case Puts Homelessness in Focus

Photo Credit: QPS/Facebook

A bottle-shop stealing case at Kippa-Ring has placed housing instability at the centre of a sentencing hearing, with a 31-year-old man saying he had nowhere to live if released from custody.

Jonathen Joinbee pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court to four counts of stealing after previous conviction, including an offence at BWS Peninsula Fair in Kippa-Ring.

The hearing was told Joinbee had experienced homelessness for about eight years before his arrest in May and did not intend to apply for parole because he had no accommodation to return to.

Kippa-Ring Offence Among Four Thefts

The Kippa-Ring offence occurred at about 9:40am on 1 May.

CCTV showed Joinbee taking a bottle of Jack Daniel’s worth about $50 before telling staff he was taking it and that security could be contacted.

Other offences involved alcohol taken from shops at Cleveland and Raby Bay.

A police prosecutor said Joinbee had become known for calmly informing bottle-shop staff he was taking alcohol before leaving.

Homelessness Shapes Release Plans

Joinbee’s housing situation became a significant part of sentencing.

His lawyer said he did not intend to seek parole because he had nowhere to live and lacked confidence in the process.

His parole had been suspended since 6 May, while an existing District Court sentence had a full-time expiry date of 26 May 2027.

The police prosecutor argued Joinbee should remain able to seek parole, giving him the option of returning to the community under supervision while addressing his alcohol problem.

Kippa-Ring homelessness case — *Photo Credit: Pexels*

Homelessness Remains A Wider Challenge

Joinbee’s circumstances are individual, but recent figures show homelessness and housing insecurity continue to affect people seeking assistance across Queensland.

The Queensland Government recorded 19,623 people engaging with a funded specialist homelessness service during May 2026. These services assist people who are either experiencing homelessness or considered at risk of homelessness. A further 2,707 Queenslanders were in short-term temporary accommodation as at 30 June 2026.

In Brisbane, the most recent Homeless Connect event on 13 May 2026 attracted 859 guests, with 5,158 visits made to 65 service providers offering assistance including housing, health, employment and community support.

Those figures do not relate directly to Joinbee’s offending, but provide broader context to the housing instability raised during the proceedings.

Parole Remains Available

Acting Magistrate Rebecca Bellamy considered Joinbee’s previous periods on probation, intensive correction orders, parole and imprisonment before sentencing him to nine months in jail.

Time already spent in custody was credited towards the sentence and Joinbee was made immediately eligible to apply for parole.

The outcome left a pathway back into the community available, although Joinbee had indicated he did not intend to pursue it while facing the prospect of having no stable accommodation on release.

Published 2-September-2026

Newport’s Unexpected Connection to Moreton Bay’s Dolphins

Photo Credit: Dolphin Wild Island Cruises

Newport is better known for waterfront homes and canals than wildlife tourism. But tucked inside its marina is a business that has been taking people into Moreton Bay in search of dolphins and other marine life for years.

Dolphin Wild Island Cruises operates from Newport Marina, where its 22-metre catamaran Supercat heads across the bay towards Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) and the Tangalooma Wrecks.

David Boon and Hayley Creamer have owned the operation since 2023. Dolphin Wild says the business itself has been operating for more than 30 years, although the exact year it established its Newport base is difficult to pin down from publicly available records.

It is an unusual operation to find in the middle of a suburban canal development. Within about an hour of leaving Newport, Supercat can be in waters used by some of Moreton Bay’s best-known marine residents.

Read: Newport Marina Plan Adds 17 Homes, Dining Hubs Beside Working Berths

Dolphins Aren’t the Only Regulars

Two dolphin species live in Moreton Bay year-round: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Australian humpback dolphins.

Dolphin Research Australia has previously estimated there are about 554 bottlenose dolphins in the bay. Australian humpback dolphins are far less numerous, with an estimated population of about 128, although that figure dates from 2016.

Dolphin Wild also lists dugongs and turtles among the wildlife encountered on its trips. What turns up on any particular day is another matter. These are wild animals moving through a large bay, and sightings are never certain.

For crews covering the same waters over and over again, that uncertainty is part of the job. It also raises some interesting questions about what becomes familiar over time — whether individual dolphins are recognised, whether animals keep turning up in the same places and whether those patterns change from one year to the next.

Read: Major Dredging Project Targets Newport Waterways

Years on the Same Waters

This year, researchers added another piece to the picture.

New research into Moreton Bay’s Australian humpback dolphins identified 12 threats linked to human activity. Pathogens, pollution, habitat degradation and climate change ranked highest for their potential consequences, while vessel traffic and illegal feeding were considered particularly likely threats.

Researchers also found more than 70 per cent of areas with high exposure to threats were in sections of the marine park carrying its lowest level of protection. Their findings drew partly on 1,717 hours of vessel observations collected between 2014 and 2022.

That doesn’t turn the observations of a cruise crew into scientific evidence. But people who spend much of their working lives on Moreton Bay can notice things occasional visitors would miss.

It is one reason Dolphin Wild’s history in Newport is worth documenting more closely: when did it begin operating from the marina, what have its crews seen over those years, and has anything noticeably changed?

The marina’s history reaches back to the original Newport Estate and Marina masterplan drawn up in 1977. Today, it remains a working marina surrounded by a suburb that has grown substantially around it.

Among the boats based there is one regularly heading into Moreton Bay looking for wildlife.

For a suburb built around the water, it is a connection that has largely gone unnoticed.

Published 1-September-2026

Milestone Reached in Suttons Beach Redevelopment

Workers have poured 160 cubic metres of concrete for the main building’s ground floor, marking a significant milestone in the construction of the new Suttons Beach Pavilion. Located near Newport, the waterfront precinct will include indoor and outdoor food and beverage options as part of the redeveloped Suttons Beach site.

Construction began in February 2026, with crews completing piling, the elevator pit foundation and ground infrastructure for power and water before the slab pour. Construction of the main pavilion structure is due for completion around mid-2027, weather permitting, with fit-outs of the tenanted spaces to commence afterwards.

A rotunda built in 1998 has also been relocated to another part of the site, where it will provide an additional shaded seating option.

Design and Community Amenities

The completed pavilion will include indoor and outdoor food and beverage options, a rooftop space and a public viewing deck with ocean views. Plans also include accessible toilets, accessible showers and a Changing Places facility.

Enhanced shade features are planned as part of the redevelopment, while bricks from the old structure will be repurposed for landscaping at the site. Beyond the pavilion itself, the project also includes revitalisation of the surrounding park area.

Civic and Economic Impact

Council representatives have described the concrete pour as an important milestone in the project.

City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said completion of the concrete base for the main building represented a major step forward for the build.

He said he was looking forward to the pavilion opening and the employment, economic and tourism benefits it was expected to deliver for the city.

The redevelopment is jointly funded through a $12.1 million commitment from the Australian and Queensland Governments via the South East Queensland Liveability Fund, with the City of Moreton Bay also contributing to the project.

Federal Member for Petrie Emma Comer said the pavilion would create a vibrant destination where local residents and visitors could come together and support local businesses.

Division 6 Councillor Karl Winchester said residents were counting down the days until the pavilion opens, adding that locals would be able to enjoy a meal on the beachfront for many years to come.

Published 12-Aug-2026

New Youth Foyer Near Newport Moves Closer to Construction

Photo Credit: QLDGov

More than 14,500 free meals were served to people doing it tough at Redcliffe’s Peninsula Support Hub during its first year. For nearby Newport and the wider Peninsula, another part of the local response to housing insecurity is now moving closer to construction.

The Queensland Government has released a construction tender for the Moreton Bay Youth Foyer, a 40-unit supported housing development planned for Redcliffe.

The project will accommodate eligible young people aged 16 to 25 who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness while they undertake education, training or employment. Residents will pay about 25 per cent of their income in rent and receive 24/7 on-site support.

Thousands seek support in Redcliffe

The Youth Foyer is progressing as existing community services in Redcliffe record thousands of contacts with people seeking assistance.

During its first year, the Peninsula Support Hub at Portwood Street served 14,563 free meals through The Breakfast Club. The hub also recorded 7,052 service connections, facilitated 2,501 showers, completed 1,057 loads of washing and distributed 2,799 food hampers.

The centre brings The Breakfast Club and The Salvation Army together at one site, providing food, showers, laundry facilities and links to financial, housing and other support services.

Those figures show the volume of practical assistance being delivered through the hub, but they are not a measure of youth homelessness, the number of people experiencing homelessness across Newport or the wider Peninsula, or prospective demand for the Youth Foyer.

Housing linked to education and work

The Youth Foyer will provide a different form of assistance, combining supported accommodation with education, training or employment for eligible residents aged 16 to 25.

Its 40 self-contained units will provide stable housing while residents receive on-site support and work towards greater independence.

National data shows younger people seeking homelessness assistance often have accommodation-related needs. In 2024–25, people aged 12 to 24 who received specialist homelessness support on their own accounted for about one in seven clients nationally, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Among that group, 72 per cent were not enrolled in formal education or training. AIHW also found young people receiving homelessness support alone were more likely than other specialist homelessness-service clients to be couch surfing.

Redcliffe site puts project close to Newport

The Queensland Government confirmed Redcliffe as the Moreton Bay location for the Youth Foyer in October 2025 after purchasing a site earlier that year.

The site was selected for its proximity to public transport, community services, employment opportunities and TAFE. Brisbane architect Arkhefield was appointed to design the project. It will be an addition to the supported housing network of services already based around Redcliffe. Its location also places the project within the same Peninsula service area used by residents of Newport, Scarborough, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Rothwell and Clontarf.

The Moreton Bay project is one of eight new Youth Foyers planned across Queensland, with other developments earmarked for Brisbane, Ipswich, Hervey Bay, Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton and Cairns.

Existing foyers operate in Townsville, Logan and on the Gold Coast. The State Government says all eight new projects will be completed or underway by 2028.

Published 10-Aug-2026

Newport Locals Flock to Massive Community Fitness Push to Beat Rising Costs

Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay

Fighting back against a punishing cost-of-living squeeze, residents of Newport and the broader Moreton Bay area are driving a staggering 60,000 bookings in a massive, locally funded fitness initiative designed to make health accessible to absolutely everyone.

Redefining Affordable Exercise

fitness — *Photo Credit:* *City of Moreton Bay*

Why should staying active break the bank? It shouldn’t. The Healthy and Active Moreton program proves exactly that by funding more than 100 weekly classes across the region. Working alongside qualified businesses and community groups, the local council subsidises these sessions heavily.

They are completely free or very low cost. Local officials noted that the initiative provides a vital lifeline for people wanting to improve their physical, mental, and social health without emptying their wallets.

Breaking the Age Barrier

Toddlers can join. Nonagenarians are participating. The sheer variety of activities ensures nobody is left behind, according to local officials, who pointed out that classes easily accommodate participants of all ages and abilities. Imagine trading a standard gym workout for wheelchair dancing, bushwalking, or even a seniors ballet session. Dozens of unique options exist.

High attendance regularly hits the Mantra Meditation sessions run by the Australia School of Meditation and Yoga, while others gravitate toward energetic Zumba classes or gardening with the Green Thumbs Farm.

Hitting the Ground Running

Action is happening right now in the local neighbourhoods. For those in Newport, a high-energy group fitness session kicks off at 6 a.m. on 12 August. Prefer something slower? Head to Scarborough Beach at 6:15 a.m. that same morning for sunrise yoga. Earlier in the month, a seated movement to music class called Ageless Grace comes to Rothwell at 2 p.m. on 6 August, aimed at locals over 50. Clontarf hosts a core-building Pilates session at 4 p.m. on 6 August, followed by a unique laughter yoga gathering at 9 a.m. on 15 August. The entire schedule runs right through to mid-December.

Published Date 07-August-2026