Caboolture Archives - Page 3 of 21

Smoke Drifts Across Moreton Bay as Planned Burn-Offs Begin

Residents across Moreton Bay are waking to smoke drifting over suburbs as planned burn-offs begin across bushland areas, with fire crews lighting controlled fires to reduce the threat of bushfires before peak season. From Bribie Island to Upper Caboolture, these managed burns are already affecting nearby communities, with smoke expected to hang in the air for days even after flames are extinguished.

The burns began with activity recorded around April 15 and continuing through April 16, according to local authorities. Crews carried out operations in areas including Bribie Island, particularly near Mermaid Lagoon, as well as Upper Caboolture, while new sites such as Albany Creek were scheduled to follow as conditions allowed.

Smoke spreads beyond burn zones into nearby suburbs

While the fires are controlled, the effects are not limited to the burn sites themselves. Smoke from operations near Banksia Beach has been reported drifting into nearby areas such as Toorbul and Sandstone Point, affecting visibility and air quality. Authorities have advised residents, especially those with respiratory conditions, to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed when smoke is present.

Even after a burn is completed, crews continue to patrol and monitor the area for several days to ensure the fire remains contained. This means some suburbs may continue to experience smoke or restricted access beyond the initial burn period.

Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/YouTube

Moreton Bay hazard reduction burns: affected suburbs and status

Suburb / Area	Burn Status	Community Impact
Bribie Island (Banksia Beach)	Completed / Recent	Smoke lingering, monitoring ongoing
Upper Caboolture	Completed / Recent	Possible residual smoke, patrols in place
Albany Creek	Scheduled / Likely underway	Possible smoke if conditions met
Toorbul	Indirect impact	Smoke drift reported from nearby burns
Sandstone Point	Indirect impact	Smoke drift affecting area
Bellara	Planned	Future burn, timing dependent on weather
Burpengary	Planned	Future burn, no fixed schedule
Caboolture	Planned	Future burn, no fixed schedule
Deception Bay	Planned	Future burn, no fixed schedule
Griffin	Planned	Future burn, no fixed schedule
Mount Glorious	Planned	Future burn in bushland areas
Ningi	Planned	Future burn, timing to be confirmed
Whiteside	Planned	Future burn, no fixed schedule
Woodford	Planned	Future burn, rural bushland areas

No fixed schedule as weather dictates next burns

Although more than a dozen additional burn sites have been identified across Moreton Bay, including Burpengary, Deception Bay, Griffin and Woodford, there is no set timetable for when each location will be treated. Authorities rely on specific weather and environmental conditions before lighting any fire, meaning plans can shift quickly.

Burn season typically runs from March to August, but officials note that operations can take place at any time of the year if conditions are safe. This flexible approach is designed to ensure each burn can be carried out with minimal risk to surrounding communities.

Balancing fire prevention with environmental care

Officials say the burns play a key role in reducing fuel loads such as dry leaves and fallen branches, which can feed dangerous bushfires during hotter months. At the same time, the process is managed to protect local wildlife and vegetation.

Before each burn, teams assess the site to identify sensitive habitats and species. Measures such as clearing around trees and monitoring wildlife during the burn are put in place. The use of aerial incendiary drones has also been introduced to help crews ignite fires more precisely, particularly in hard-to-reach terrain.

Authorities say these planned burns also support the natural cycle of some native plants, which rely on fire or smoke to trigger growth and seed release, helping maintain the region’s biodiversity.

Published 20-April-2026
Featured Image Credit: City of Moreton Bay/YouTube

St Eugene College Students Raise More Than $8,000 for Charity, Living Out Their Patron’s Easter Mission

Students at St Eugene College in Burpengary raised more than $8,000 for Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion this Easter, living out the legacy of their patron saint through a season of fundraising, community action and a conviction that small, shared gestures can change lives for people doing it tough.

For families in Burpengary and across the Caboolture corridor who know St Eugene College as the local Catholic secondary school, the result is more than a fundraising figure. It is a demonstration of what the school’s community actually looks like when it puts its values into action.

Carrying the Mission of a Patron Saint

St Eugene de Mazenod, the French bishop who founded the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the early nineteenth century, built his life around reaching people who had been forgotten by society. His mission was charity in the most literal sense: going out to those at the margins rather than waiting for them to arrive at the door.

St Eugene College draws its name and spirit from St Eugene de Mazenod, a French bishop who dedicated his life to those on the outer. This Easter, students brought that legacy into the present day. Rather than waiting for a call to help, the college community reached out, grounding their fundraising in the belief that belonging means looking after our global family.

Their fundraising for Project Compassion, Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten appeal, channelled that spirit directly. Project Compassion supports some of the world’s most vulnerable communities through long-term development programs across more than 100 countries. Every dollar raised by St Eugene College students this Easter connects to that work.

More Than $8,000 and the Meaning Behind It

The fundraising total of more than $8,000 reflects the kind of effort that requires genuine buy-in from students across year levels, not just a single event or a token collection tin. House initiatives spread the responsibility and the energy across the whole college, while whole-school events brought the community together around shared purpose.

The college’s aim was clear: to demonstrate that small actions, taken collectively, carry real weight. That a group of students in Burpengary can raise more than $8,000 for people experiencing poverty on the other side of the world is precisely the kind of outcome the Easter season asks communities to strive toward.

St Eugene’s efforts mirror a broader wave of generosity across Brisbane Catholic Education schools. While St Ignatius in Toowong celebrated with a hat parade and donation drives, the Burpengary community focused on the power of the “shared gesture.” As St Ignatius principal Benedict Campbell noted, this season is an invitation to walk alongside others, a call the St Eugene students answered with one of the region’s strongest fundraising tallies.

The Easter Invitation to Look Outward

What St Eugene College has done this Easter is not unusual in the context of Catholic education, but it is worth naming. Secondary school students who might otherwise spend their final weeks of term focused entirely on assignments and sport chose instead to organise, fundraise and think about people whose lives look nothing like their own.

That orientation, outward rather than inward, is at the heart of what Easter calls communities to do. Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection are not a private story; they are an invitation to respond to suffering in the world with care, generosity and action. St Eugene College’s students took that invitation seriously.

A Community Worth Being Part Of

For Burpengary and Caboolture families with children at or approaching secondary school age, St Eugene College’s Easter effort is a window into what the school’s community culture looks like day to day. Schools that raise more than $8,000 for Caritas in a single term do not do so by accident. They do so because the values are embedded, the teachers model them and the students feel genuinely connected to something larger than themselves.

That is the kind of school community that forms more than just exam results.

More information about St Eugene College, Burpengary is available through the Brisbane Catholic Education website at bne.catholic.edu.au.

Published 8-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: St Eugene College/Facebook

Rail Closures Stretch Commutes and Patience on Brisbane’s Northern Line

Commuters travelling from Caboolture, Morayfield and Burpengary into Brisbane faced severely disrupted journeys from April 10, with buses replacing trains on their line for the first three days of the closure period and replacement services struggling to keep pace with the volume of passengers turning up at transfer points.

For those who make the daily journey from the Caboolture corridor into the city, this week was a sharp reminder of just how much their commute depends on a functioning rail connection, and what happens when that connection breaks down without adequate contingency in place.

What Happened at the Transfer Points

Joanne McCarthy’s experience on April 10 captures what many Caboolture commuters faced that morning. Her journey from Caboolture to Roma Street, which normally takes one hour, stretched to two and a half hours. Passengers were directed off trains at Geebung, where a line of hundreds of people was already waiting on the rail bridge before 7am.

Commuters left stranded due to rail closures — Photo Credit: Translink

“There were no buses there waiting for us,” McCarthy said. She waited 45 minutes in the heat before boarding a bus, with no information coming through about when services would arrive or what was happening.

“We had no communication whatsoever about what was happening. I was thinking about jumping in an Uber, but you couldn’t even get to the front of the line to get down the stairs to get an Uber.”

That experience, of being stranded mid-journey with no information and no clear path forward, was repeated across dozens of commuters redirected from the northern corridor into the Geebung and Northgate bus replacement queues.

Why the Queues Got So Bad

Thompson Bus Services, contracted to run replacement buses across southeast Queensland, was caught off guard by the volume of passengers. Demand surged 50 per cent above what the company had anticipated, and the result was queues that stretched 300 metres at the worst points and 45-minute waits just to board.

By Monday afternoon, 10 additional services had been scheduled for the evening peak, and further services were added for Tuesday morning. Founder Jeanie Thompson acknowledged the shortfall directly.

“Translink orders the buses and we provide them, there was a lot more people than they originally thought,” she said. “We were caught out a bit on Monday morning.”

The company brought in 100 buses from interstate and mobilised every available bus in the southeast corner. At peak, it was coordinating 600 bus driver shifts a day across roughly 300 buses, and was still advertising for additional drivers and customer service staff during the disruption period.

The comparison with normal service gives the scale of the problem context. Rail replacement buses on the affected northern corridor arrived roughly every eight minutes. In a normal morning peak, the combined rail network funnels a train through the inner-north corridor every three minutes. That gap, from three-minute frequency to eight-minute frequency, multiplied across a network handling thousands of passengers, produced the queues that Caboolture commuters found themselves joining at transfer points.

The Caboolture Line Schedule: What Changed and When

For Caboolture, Morayfield and Burpengary commuters, the schedule tells the specific story. Buses replaced trains between Gympie North and Caboolture on April 10, 11 and 12. From April 13, Sunshine Coast line trains resumed running between Gympie North and Caboolture, meaning that the direct northern leg of the journey returned to rail on that date.

The transfer problem, however, persisted. Even with the northern leg back on rail, commuters still faced the disruption zone between Northgate and Bowen Hills, which continued through to April 16 before reopening. Getting from Caboolture into the city still required navigating a transfer, and those transfers remained subject to the delays and queuing that defined the first week of closures.

The broader network picture extends further. Disruptions on the Beenleigh and Gold Coast lines continue through April 30, and the southern inner gap between Banoon and Boggo Road remains in place for the same period. For commuters whose journeys connect across these corridors, the impact stretches well beyond the initial week.

The Bigger Picture for Northern Corridor Commuters

South East Queensland Transport Association founder Imogen Buckley described the scenes at replacement bus stops as damaging to public transport’s reputation at exactly the wrong moment.

“The fact that there are commuters waiting on the platform for a line that stretches outside of the station, it’s embarrassing; it makes public transport look terrible,” she said.

Buckley was clear that the track closures themselves were a necessary part of maintaining and improving the network. “We need better infrastructure so we can have less track closures in the future and have a frequent and reliable network,” she said. The problem was not the decision to close tracks for maintenance, but the failure to deploy enough replacement capacity to make the disruption manageable for the people who had no other choice but to show up and wait.

Checking Before You Travel

For Caboolture, Morayfield and Burpengary commuters still navigating the remainder of April, the most practical step is to check the full closure schedule before each journey. The schedule table below reflects the verified travel changes as published:

April 10 to 12: Buses replaced trains between Gympie North and Caboolture, and between Northgate and Bowen Hills. From April 13, the northern leg between Gympie North and Caboolture returned to rail service. Disruptions between Northgate, Bowen Hills and the southern lines continue in various forms through April 30.

Up-to-date service information is available through the Translink journey planner at translink.com.au or via the Translink app.

Published 14-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: Charis Mullen MP/Facebook

Caboolture Construction Begins on New Rugby League Clubhouse

Construction has begun in Caboolture on a new rugby league clubhouse, replacing ageing facilities at the home of the Caboolture Snakes.

Caboolture Clubhouse Build Gets Underway

Work is now underway on a new clubhouse that will replace the existing structure used by local rugby league players in Caboolture. The redevelopment is set to deliver updated facilities for around 2,000 players who use the grounds each year, along with families, volunteers and spectators.

The project focuses on improving the functionality of the site, with modern amenities designed to better support day-to-day use across the grounds.

Caboolture clubhouse construction — *Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook*

New Facilities To Support Shared Use

The redevelopment will be delivered in two stages and will introduce a range of new and upgraded features across the site. These include new club offices, modern change rooms with accessible and female-friendly design, and upgraded public amenities.

A kitchen and canteen will also form part of the new clubhouse, alongside tiered outdoor seating to accommodate spectators. Upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure are also included, supporting future precinct growth.

The improvements extend beyond rugby league, with other sporting groups sharing the precinct, including table tennis and boxing, set to benefit from the updated facilities.

Caboolture Snakes — *Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook*

Two-Stage Timeline Set For Completion

The build will progress in two phases, with the first stage scheduled for completion in mid-2027. The second stage is expected to follow, with overall completion targeted for mid-2028.

This staged delivery will see the new facilities introduced progressively as construction continues across the site.

Funding Supports Caboolture Upgrade

The redevelopment represents a $14.5 million project supporting the upgrade of the Caboolture rugby league facilities, with funding contributions allocated to deliver the new clubhouse and associated infrastructure.

Once complete, the site will provide updated amenities for rugby league and other clubs sharing the precinct, aligning with the needs of players, volunteers and spectators who regularly use the grounds.

Published 12-Apr-2026

Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

Caboolture Mum Sarah Gutzke Lands National Kmart Campaign After TikTok Catches the Brand’s Eye

Caboolture mother-of-two Sarah Gutzke has gone from posting everyday mum content on TikTok to appearing on national billboards, after Kmart spotted her social media presence and invited her to front its March Apparel campaign.

Sarah, who works as Head of People and Culture at Ray White Caboolture and grew up in Moorina before settling in Caboolture, was one of just eight real Kmart customers selected from across Australia to model the brand’s new womenswear range. Her face appeared on billboards and digital marketing displays nationwide from 16 March as part of a campaign that deliberately turned away from professional models in favour of the community that wears the brand every day.

The TikTok Posts That Started It All

Sarah did not set out to build a platform or land a modelling gig. When she was on maternity leave with her second baby, she started posting on TikTok as a creative outlet, sharing everyday life as a new mum alongside her love of colourful fashion. Kmart hauls, shopping trips and outfit content filled her feed, all of it genuine and unsponsored.

@sarahgutzke
A little goodie bag for some of the crew I work with to say thank ya for everything ☀️🫶🏻 and yes I have temporarily blocked some people so they don’t see this hehe 🤭💛 but actually let’s be serious for a minute, admin and receptionist are often the forgotten heroes of a business. They keep the wheels turning and always show up and drive the ship. So grateful for them ❤️ #thankyougift #appreciationgift #kmart #kmartgifts #kmartfinds
♬ original sound – sarahgutzke

“I created some Kmart related videos like hauls, shopping trips etc and they found me through that,” she said. The TikTok posts caught the attention of Kmart’s marketing team, who reached out with an invitation to be part of something considerably larger than anything Sarah had previously done.

“I have never done anything like that before but thought it would be a fun opportunity to be a part of and enjoy doing things outside of my comfort zone,” she said.

What the Campaign Involved

Kmart’s March Apparel campaign launched nationally from 16 March 2026, with eight real customers featured across billboards and digital displays around the country. The campaign grew out of the #GetReadyWithKmart movement, which had been building momentum on social media from 12 March, and was built around the idea of putting genuine customers, not professional models, at the centre of its fashion marketing.

Rennie Freer, GM of Marketing for Kmart, said the decision to feature real shoppers came directly from what the brand was already seeing online. “When we saw the incredible creativity customers were sharing across social media, we knew we had to turn the camera back on them,” she said. “We’re proudly shining the spotlight directly on our customers, celebrating our community and the unique ways they make every trend their own.”

For Sarah, the photoshoot itself brought its share of nerves. “They are great. It was a really fun experience and my little claim to fame that I get to be a part of a Kmart campaign,” she said. “All of my friends and family have been so excited for me, which is so nice!”

Back to Real Estate and Everyday Life

Despite the national exposure the campaign has brought, Sarah has no plans to pivot into modelling. Her focus remains firmly on her career in real estate and her life as a mum, with content creation continuing as a creative side project.

Sarah is currently working as a real estate agent for Ray White Caboolture — Photo Credit: Ray White Caboolture

“I love real estate and will stick with that career, along with being a mum and a content creator on the side!” she said.

The campaign has, however, opened doors beyond the Kmart collaboration. Sarah said the experience had created opportunities to work with other brands she genuinely uses, a natural extension of the authentic content approach that caught Kmart’s attention in the first place.

Sarah can be followed on TikTok at @sarahgutzke.

Published 7-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: Ray White Caboolture

New Patrol Vehicle Brings Smarter Parking Enforcement to Caboolture and Moreton Bay

A new parking patrol vehicle equipped with number plate recognition technology is now operating across Moreton Bay, including Caboolture, to help manage overstaying and illegal parking in the region’s busiest town centres.

The vehicle uses high-resolution cameras and GPS to monitor regulated parking zones as it moves through the area. When it detects a vehicle that has overstayed its time limit or parked illegally, it captures time-stamped images and precise location data. Those records are reviewed by officers before an infringement notice is issued by post, meaning drivers no longer need to be caught in the act on the spot.

The patrol vehicle operates across regulated zones in Caboolture, North Lakes, Redcliffe, Strathpine and Petrie.

How the Technology Works

Unlike traditional parking officers working on foot, the vehicle can cover significantly more ground in a single patrol. The number plate recognition system reads plates continuously as the car moves, cross-referencing them against time limit data for each zone. If a vehicle has been in the same spot beyond its permitted time, the system flags it automatically.

New patrol vehicle — Photo *Credit: City of Moreton Bay*

The shift to camera-based enforcement also creates a more consistent evidence trail. Because each detection includes a time-stamped image and GPS coordinates, the record is highly accurate. Officers still review each case before any notice is issued, providing a human check on the automated data. This move to vehicle-based monitoring also creates a safer work environment for parking officers by reducing the potential for on-street conflict.

Foot patrols by parking officers will continue alongside the vehicle, with the two approaches working in parallel across regulated areas.

Addressing Growing Parking Demand in Caboolture

Parking availability in Caboolture town centre has long been a pressure point. Kerbside spots around King Street and near Caboolture train station fill quickly during weekday mornings, and vehicles that overstay their time limits reduce turnover for shoppers and business customers who need short-stay access. The town also hosts regular community events, including the Caboolture Country Markets, which push demand even higher on those days.

An example of cars parked legally at an intersection without traffic lights. Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay

The problem is only growing. Moreton Bay is one of the fastest-growing regions in Queensland, with Caboolture West alone projected to eventually house tens of thousands of new residents. More people means more vehicles and more pressure on existing parking infrastructure across all the region’s centres.

The city authority said the new patrol vehicle was part of a broader approach to delivering smarter parking solutions that kept centres accessible and attractive as the population grows, and that keeping car parks turning over ensures a fair go for everyone and directly supports local businesses by making it easier for customers to find a space.

How This Impacts Everyday Parking

Drivers parking in regulated zones across Caboolture and the other listed areas should ensure they observe posted time limits, as the new patrol vehicle removes the buffer that sometimes existed when enforcement relied solely on officers walking circuits on foot.

Infringement notices are issued by post after officer review, so a fine may arrive days after the overstay. Residents with questions about parking rules, time limits in specific areas, or how to dispute an infringement notice can contact the City of Moreton Bay on 07 5475 9999 or visit moretonbay.qld.gov.au.

Published 02-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: City of Moreton Bay

Moreton Bay’s Award-Winning Wildlife Network Puts Bribie and Morayfield on the Map

A wildlife road safety network that includes dedicated monitoring sites at Bribie Island and Morayfield has earned national recognition, with the Australasian Network for Ecology and Transportation (ANET) presenting City of Moreton Bay its Project Award for the Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program.

The award acknowledges a decade of infrastructure built to help native animals cross roads safely, with Bribie Island and Morayfield among the 14 locations where a permanent camera network keeps watch over fauna crossing structures around the clock.

A Decade of Infrastructure Across the Region

Since 2014, the programme has constructed more than 47 canopy bridges, 48 wildlife underpasses, 21 kilometres of wildlife exclusion fencing and 16 fauna escape hatches across the region’s road network. More than 150 vehicle-activated LED signs now alert motorists in real time when they are travelling through koala and kangaroo zones.

Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program — Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

The monitoring network, which includes sites at Bribie and Morayfield alongside North Lakes, Narangba and Everton Hills, has recorded more than 80,000 animal crossings since crews installed the cameras in 2020. Among the species captured are the Brush-tailed Phascogale, a rarely seen marsupial, and the Feather-tailed Glider, the world’s smallest gliding mammal.

Why Bribie and Morayfield Are Central to This Story

Bribie Island and the Morayfield corridor sit at a particular pressure point for wildlife movement. Bribie’s island geography means animal populations have limited room to move, and the causeway and surrounding roads represent genuine pinch points for species navigating between bushland patches. Morayfield, meanwhile, sits at the northern edge of Brisbane’s expanding suburban fringe, where new development continues to push against established wildlife habitat.

Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

The combination of exclusion fencing, underpasses and canopy bridges gives animals in these areas structured pathways through what would otherwise be unbroken stretches of road. Cameras at both locations actively track the crossings, ensuring crews do not simply build and forget them and instead generate data that informs where future infrastructure is most needed.

ANET Chairperson Rodney Van der Ree described the programme as a model for local governments across Australia, noting it demonstrated what different departments could achieve by working toward a shared goal.

The national award from ANET follows the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s Local Government Programs Award, which the programme received at last year’s Australian Road Safety Awards.

Getting Involved and Reporting Wildlife

Residents around Bribie Island, Morayfield and Caboolture who spot injured or distressed wildlife near roads can contact RSPCA Queensland on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) or Wildcare Australia on 07 5527 2444. More information about the Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program is available here.

Published 02-April-2026

Featured Image Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook

Short-Term Rail Disruptions to Affect Caboolture, Redcliffe and Shorncliffe

Residents in Caboolture, Redcliffe and Shorncliffe are set to experience short-term but widespread rail disruptions, with train services suspended across key northern lines during early April as part of major network works across South East Queensland.

From April 3 to April 11, multiple train lines including the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Redcliffe Peninsula and Shorncliffe lines will be impacted while large-scale infrastructure works are carried out across the rail corridor. During this period, rail replacement buses will operate to keep passengers moving.

Northern lines affected in early April

The closures are part of a coordinated shutdown across the network to allow several major rail projects and maintenance works to be completed at the same time. These include Cross River Rail supporting works, upgrades on the Sunshine Coast line, improvements to the Logan and Gold Coast corridor, new digital signalling systems and general track maintenance.

While the disruptions on the northern lines are shorter than those affecting the southside, they will still impact daily commutes for thousands of passengers travelling between outer suburbs and Brisbane’s CBD.

Longer travel time for commuters

For commuters in Caboolture, Redcliffe and Shorncliffe, the changes will mean replacing train journeys with buses for several days in early April. This is likely to result in longer travel times and possible transfers depending on the route.

Transport authorities have advised that both express and all-stops rail replacement buses will be available, along with regular bus services. In some cases, regular bus routes may provide a more direct option for passengers heading into the city.

Dates	Lines Impacted	What It Means for You
3–11 April	Caboolture, Redcliffe, Shorncliffe and other lines	Train services replaced by buses
After 11 April	Most northern lines return to normal	Services resume, fewer disruptions

After April 11, services on these northern lines are expected to return to normal, while closures continue on other parts of the network, particularly on the southside.

Plan ahead for travel

Transport authorities are encouraging commuters to plan ahead, check journey options before travelling and allow extra time during the closure period. Changes may vary across different lines and days, so passengers are advised to stay updated through official transport channels.

Although the disruptions are limited to just over a week for northern suburbs, they form part of a broader program aimed at improving the reliability and capacity of the rail network across South East Queensland.

Published 31-March-2026

Featured Image Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

Caboolture Big Fish Coles Ranks Second in Queensland as State Cracks National Top Three for Easter Buns

Queensland has secured third place nationally in Coles’ Easter hot cross bun sales, with more than 8.5 million buns sold across the state since Boxing Day and Coles Caboolture Big Fish ranking among the top performers in Queensland, sitting just behind Carindale in the state’s store-by-store breakdown.

The figures place Queensland behind Victoria, which has sold more than 10 million buns, and New South Wales at nine million, but well clear of the other states and territories. For Caboolture and the broader Moreton Bay region, the Big Fish store’s position in the Queensland top three reflects the suburb’s status as one of southeast Queensland’s highest-volume retail destinations, drawing shoppers from across a wide northern catchment that extends from Morayfield and Narangba through to Bribie Island.

A Season That Starts at Boxing Day

The scale of Australia’s hot cross bun season has grown well beyond its traditional Easter window. Coles expects to sell more than 55 million hot cross buns nationally between Boxing Day and Easter this year, a volume sufficient to fill more than a quarter of a million shopping trolleys. That figure points to a product that has shifted from a specifically religious seasonal food into one of Australia’s most broadly observed calendar rituals, consumed across months rather than days.

To meet that demand, Coles has used more than 568 tonnes of fruit mix across its hot cross bun range this Easter, reflecting the scale of production planning required for what the retailer’s General Manager for Bakery, Dairy and Frozen, Brad Gorman, describes as a range that begins development more than a year before it reaches shelves. The 2026 range is the biggest Coles has offered, spanning traditional fruit, chocolate, gluten free and fruit free varieties alongside a selection of limited-edition flavours.

Queensland’s Store-by-Store Battle

Within Queensland, Coles Carindale leads the state with more than 15,500 packs sold, followed by Caboolture Big Fish at more than 15,000 packs and Thornlands at more than 14,500 packs. The spread across three very different retail locations, an inner-southern Brisbane centre, a high-volume Moreton Bay destination and a Redlands suburban store, reflects the consistency of Easter bun demand across southeast Queensland’s diverse residential catchments rather than concentration in any single type of location.

Eastern bun debate settled — Photo Credit: Supplied

Caboolture Big Fish’s position in the Queensland top three is consistent with its broader retail performance. The centre sits on the Bruce Highway at Caboolture and serves one of Queensland’s fastest-growing regional populations, drawing regular shoppers from across the Moreton Bay local government area and the outer northern Brisbane corridor. That catchment, which added roughly 10,000 new residents in 2025 alone according to Sunshine Coast regional planning data, continues to support high-volume grocery sales across all categories and all seasons.

The Great Hot Cross Bun Debate, Settled

Beyond the sales volumes, Coles data has settled one of Easter’s more contested domestic questions. The microwave has overtaken the toaster as Australia’s preferred method of warming a hot cross bun, with 32 per cent of customers choosing the microwave compared with 29 per cent for the toaster. A further 25 per cent of customers bypass warming altogether, eating their buns straight from the packet.

On flavour, Australians remain firmly attached to the classics. Two in five customers, or 40 per cent, choose traditional fruit hot cross buns as their preferred variety, with chocolate chip varieties the second most popular choice across the Coles range.

A Simple Easter Tradition for Caboolture Households

It also points to the practical reality of what Easter means for Caboolture households. For families managing busy schedules across school holidays, hot cross buns are an accessible, affordable and universally enjoyed ritual, one that sits comfortably alongside the broader Easter weekend of footy, family gatherings and long lunches. The two for $6 deal on Coles Brand six-packs until 7 April makes stocking up for the long weekend easy on the grocery budget, which matters in a community where value for money consistently drives purchasing decisions.

A Good Time to Stock Up

Coles Brand Hot Cross Buns in a six-pack are available two for $6 until 7 April, giving Caboolture shoppers a practical window to stock up before Easter weekend. The full range, including traditional fruit, chocolate, gluten free and limited-edition varieties, is available at Coles Caboolture Big Fish and across the broader Coles network.

Published 30-March-2026

Featured Image Credit: Coles Group

Caboolture’s Snakes Rugby Club Eyes Premier Grade by 2030 with New Leadership and Growing Junior Base

Caboolture Rugby Club has set its sights on Premier Grade rugby by 2030, backed by a new $6.4 million clubhouse, a 20 per cent year-on-year growth in junior numbers since 2023 and a new general manager bringing Premier Grade experience to Petersen Road.

The Snakes, as the club is known, have appointed Nigel Statham as general manager to lead the charge, with a strategic plan that maps a clear pathway from four-year-old beginners through to colts and eventually senior Premier Grade competition. The club also plans to appoint a performance director to support and develop its coaching staff. Statham describes this role as a move to “coach the coaches,” a step that adds a professional structure reflecting the seriousness of the 2030 ambition.

This season the club fields Under 12, 14, 16, 18 and Open women’s teams, and the goal is to have both men’s and women’s sides competing in Premier Grade alongside all junior teams playing in Brisbane Division One competitions by the end of the decade. It is an ambitious target for a regional club, but the foundations supporting it are more substantial than most.

Building the Pathway

The strategy at Caboolture Rugby Club rests on a simple but demanding idea: build a seamless pathway from the earliest junior levels through to the highest competition available, so that players who grow up in the Caboolture area never have to leave their club to chase elite rugby.

Rugby Operations Manager Sam Hoffman describes the club’s presence in local primary schools as central to that model. The club runs rugby programmes across most local primary schools and organises a competition for local high schools, many of which are traditionally rugby league environments. Bringing union into those spaces early, at a price point Hoffman describes as among the cheapest in sport, gives the club access to players who might otherwise never have considered rugby union as their game.

Statham points to the existing junior section, the backing of Caboolture Sports Club and the suburb’s extraordinary population growth as the three pillars that make the 2030 target realistic rather than aspirational.

A Void Worth Filling

One of the more compelling arguments for Caboolture’s Premier Grade ambitions is geographic. Premier Grade competition currently draws from clubs concentrated in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, leaving a significant gap in the middle of south-east Queensland’s fastest-growing corridor. Statham describes Caboolture Rugby Club’s ambition as becoming the Moreton Bay club, representing the entire region rather than a single suburb.

That framing matters because the Moreton Bay region is one of Australia’s fastest-growing local government areas, with Caboolture itself sitting at the heart of a population corridor that is projected to continue expanding well into the 2030s. A Premier Grade rugby club in that corridor would draw from a catchment that does not currently have one, which is both the challenge and the opportunity the Snakes are positioning themselves to seize.

Statham also notes the broader tailwind from rugby’s international calendar. The men’s Rugby World Cup arrives in Australia in 2027, followed by the women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029, creating a window of elevated public interest in the sport that the club intends to capitalise on through its junior growth programmes and community presence.

Admission to Premier Grade is not guaranteed by application alone. Statham is clear that the club needs to demonstrate consistency, build a winning culture and deliver a high-quality product on and off the field before the pathway to the top competition opens. Good programmes, good mentors and good coaches build the culture, and success brings the players.

Why This Matters to the Caboolture Community

For families in Caboolture and the broader Moreton Bay region, the Snakes’ 2030 vision represents something worth paying attention to. A club with a genuine pathway from primary school to Premier Grade gives young players in the area a local sporting home that can take them as far as their talent and dedication allow, without the disruption of switching clubs or relocating to Brisbane.

The club’s affordable pricing, primary school programmes and growing women’s competition all point toward an organisation that is thinking about community access rather than just elite outcomes. Junior numbers growing at 20 per cent a year since 2023 suggests the community is already responding, and the new $6.4 million clubhouse at Petersen Road gives the club the facilities to support that growth properly.

For Caboolture residents who want to get involved, more information on junior and senior registration, school programmes and the club’s strategic direction is available here.

Published 18-March-2026.

Featured Image Credit: City of Moreton Bay