From the President
Hello everyone.
As we say farewell to Summer and hello to Autumn, it feels like the local community ‘vibe’ is getting into full swing….we’ve seen some new local businesses opening, pre-season sports events (Go Stags!), new SPADEwerx productions, and Samford Live music shows – to name just a few exciting things happening. Samford Progress has also hit the ground running, with our first meeting for 2026 welcoming some first-time attendees and discussing topical local issues.
Samford Progress updates
- Main and Junction Streets DA – Full court hearings commence on 9 March 2026 and are expected to run for five or six days. Fundraising to assist with our legal costs continues, confirming the community’s spirit and commitment to protect and fight for the identity and character of our Village. All donations are gratefully welcomed. Save our Village!
- Need for community planning – Council’s recent announcement of its Planning Scheme review has prompted much discussion about the need for a community-led project to develop a comprehensive picture of what locals think our community should look like into the future. This could build on the extensive work previously done by locals as part of the ‘Samford Futures’ project undertaken in 2010-2013.
- Glasshouse Precinct Revitalisation project – Concerns were raised that this project has been de-prioritised and is not included in budgets for Council’s works programs for the foreseeable future.
- Community Grants – Samford Progress is hoping to re-commence providing some modest grants for local community groups this year.
- Aircraft Noise – The Samford Area Aircraft Action Group (SAAAG) is very disappointed that a major airline is no longer participating in new flight path trials that direct more take-offs and landings over the bay rather than densely populated areas.
- Carparking – Questions were raised whether the often-vacant taxi ranks in Station St. are still needed or can at least be better utilised. The inadequacy of disability parking around the Village was raised, noting that this situation is exacerbated by limited safe access from carparks to venues for wheelchair users.
If any of these matters interest you, please feel free to contact us, or better still come along to our monthly meetings.
Did you Know?
The Village Green project (in the Samford Parklands) is well underway and is due for completion in September this year. There have some minor delays due to wet weather and remediation of contaminated soil. Monthly updates are available from the Council’s website in the ‘Parks, recreation and community’ section.
Gentle reminder
Samford Progress relies on the efforts of its members and other supportive volunteers. When compared to our local population, our membership is relatively small. This means at times our capacity is spread very thinly across just some of the many local matters in play at any one time. If you have some spare time or skills that you can contribute back into our community, or feel passionate about a local matter, we would love to hear from you. Come along to a monthly meeting on the third Wednesday of the month, 7pm at the Samford Community Hub.
Until next month!
David Harrison (President)
Samford Progress