Anzac Avenue Archives - Redcliffe Today

Community Radio Station Names Building After Redcliffe Volunteer of Two Decades

Photo Credit: Facebook / City of Moreton Bay

A Redcliffe resident who has spent nearly 20 years volunteering at the local community radio station will have the station’s building named in his honour.

The City of Moreton Bay Council has announced that the 99.7FM radio station premises at 75 Anzac Avenue, Redcliffe, will be renamed the Don Gailer Building, recognising Mr Gailer’s extensive contributions to the volunteer-run station and the broader peninsula community.

Over his 19 years with 99.7FM, Mr Gailer has held the position of president across four separate terms and established a training programme to help new volunteers develop their skills as community radio announcers. His work has extended beyond broadcasting, with involvement in campaigns supporting Redcliffe Hospital, homelessness programmes, the Brisbane Convoy for Kids, and yearly Christmas toy drives.

The renaming follows a formal request to council and subsequent community consultation period.

Mayor Peter Flannery acknowledged the decision reflected Mr Gailer’s substantial impact on the station’s development.

Division 6 Councillor Karl Winchester emphasised that Mr Gailer’s influence had reached well beyond the radio station itself, describing him as a highly regarded community member whose work has benefited the Redcliffe Peninsula for close to two decades.

The building will receive new signage, alongside a display board documenting Mr Gailer’s contributions to both 99.7FM and the local area.

Community radio station 99.7FM operates as a volunteer-run service for the Redcliffe Peninsula.

Published 31-January-2026

Man Sentenced For Kippa-Ring Crash That Killed Beloved Grandmother

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for the dangerous driving death of a Kippa-Ring grandmother in a horrific crash that has left a family shattered.

Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith was handed the sentence at Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for the September 2023 collision that claimed the life of 73-year-old Yrsa Christoffersen and left her daughter Maria with life-changing injuries.

The court heard Stewart-Smith was driving a stolen Holden Commodore at speeds of up to 114 kilometres per hour in a 60 km/h zone along Anzac Avenue when he crashed into Ms Christoffersen’s stationary hatchback just after 6.30am on September 22, 2023.

Ms Christoffersen died at the scene at the intersection of Anzac Avenue and Oleander Street, whilst her daughter Maria spent 11 days in hospital with severe injuries including a broken jaw, two shattered ribs, fractured vertebrae, and serious head trauma.

In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement read to the packed courtroom, Maria described the moment her world changed forever. She recalled a car coming from nowhere before waking up in hospital, immediately sensing something was terribly wrong when medical staff wouldn’t tell her where her mother was.

Maria’s lost up to 15 kilograms in the first 10 days of her recovery, unable to eat properly and vomiting blood. The physical injuries were accompanied by the devastating emotional toll of losing her mother without the chance to say goodbye.

The court heard that Stewart-Smith fled the crash scene despite pleas from bystanders to remain and assist. He told witnesses they didn’t understand because it wasn’t his car before jumping fences to escape. Police tracked him down two hours later using sniffer dogs, finding him covered in mud hiding in a drain.

Justice Tom Sullivan described Stewart-Smith’s behaviour as “reprehensible” during the sentencing. The judge noted that after the crash, Stewart-Smith’s actions went beyond panic, appearing to be a calculated attempt to avoid arrest.

Stewart-Smith, who left the elite Nudgee College after Year 11, had an extensive traffic history with 35 prior speeding offences. The court was told his dangerous driving on the morning of the crash lasted approximately three minutes and involved erratic behaviour, swerving between traffic, and excessive speeds in multiple zones.

Crown prosecutor Jordan Daniels told the court that Stewart-Smith had attached stolen number plates to the stolen utility vehicle. When arrested, he was found in possession of 3.3 grams of methamphetamine and digital devices containing child exploitation material.

Maria’s sister Lorna also provided a victim impact statement, describing how the tragedy “broke” her young son, who had been staying with his grandmother in the days before the crash. She spoke about visiting the crash site and the haunting realisation of what could have happened to her child, noting a car seat had been thrown from the vehicle during the collision.

Defence barrister Angus Edwards acknowledged his client’s apologies might seem hollow but insisted they were genuine. He described Stewart-Smith not as a violent person but as someone struggling with drug addiction who never intended to hurt anyone.

The court heard Stewart-Smith had undertaken drug rehabilitation courses whilst in custody, addressing the substance abuse issues that underpinned his offending behaviour.

Stewart-Smith pleaded guilty in March to multiple charges including dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm whilst excessively speeding, leaving the scene of an accident, drug offences, and child exploitation material charges.

Justice Sullivan opted not to set parole at the typical one-third mark for a guilty plea, meaning Stewart-Smith will serve more than the standard minimum sentence before becoming eligible for release. The judge also disqualified his licence indefinitely.

The tragedy has left an indelible mark on the Kippa-Ring community, with the victim impact statements painting a picture of Ms Christoffersen as a kind, gentle, and loving woman whose loss has devastated her family.

Justice Sullivan emphasised during sentencing that Ms Christoffersen was entirely blameless in the collision and highlighted the severe impact on her family, particularly her daughter Maria’s ongoing recovery from serious injuries.

The case has been processed through Queensland’s justice system with Stewart-Smith receiving 686 days credit for time already served. The sentence serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from dangerous driving and drug-affected decision-making on our local roads.

Published 21-July-2025

Woman Injured After Car Ploughed Into Red Rooster

A frightening scene unfolded at a Red Rooster restaurant on Anzac Avenue in Redcliffe last Friday when a car suddenly accelerated and ploughed into an outdoor table, injuring a woman having lunch.

The victim, a 54-year-old woman from Margate, was rushed to Redcliffe Hospital for treatment after the red Holden mounted a garden bed and struck the table where she was seated around 1:30 pm on May 24th.

According to police reports, the driver, a woman from Clontarf, had been visiting a nearby business when her vehicle allegedly surged out of control as she was leaving the car park. Eyewitnesses describe the car veering wildly into the garden before slamming into the outdoor seating area.

The driver now faces charges of dangerous vehicle operation and is scheduled to appear before the Redcliffe Magistrates Court on June 25th.

While the full extent of the victim’s injuries remains unclear, this incident serves as a sobering reminder of the need for cautious driving, especially in areas with high pedestrian traffic.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.

Published 27-May-2024

Kippa-Ring Tragedy: Man Apprehended in Drain After Allegedly Fleeing Horror Crash With One Dead

Police dogs tracked the male driver of an allegedly stolen Holden Commodore to a drain 4 km away from the scene of a tragic collision that occurred in Kippa-Ring, involving said car and a Suzuki Swift carrying two women, one of whom died at the scene.

Emergency services promptly responded to the scene at the junction of Anzac Avenue and Oleander Street in Kippa-Ring, following reports of the collision that occurred at approximately 6:53 a.m. on Friday, 22 Sept 2023. .

The elderly fatality was trapped in her vehicle and received immediate CPR at the accident scene. She sucumbed to her injuries. Her adult daughter suffered serious injuries and has been rushed to the hospital.

#UpdateFinal – One patient in a serious condition has been transported to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital following a serious two-vehicle crash on Anzac Avenue at 6.53am. #KippaRing
— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) September 21, 2023

The 27-year-old male driver of the Commodore fled the accident scene on foot and was subsequently discovered in a drain near Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe, four kilometres from the accident scene.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the Suzuki was making a left turn out of Oleander Street when it was struck by the eastbound-travelling Holden Commodore on Anzac Avenue. According to the authorities, the utility vehicle was stolen from a Stafford address sometime between 18 and 19 Sept 2023.

“It’s a terrible scene for emergency personnel, a terrible tragedy for anyone involved,” Inspector Craig White of the Moreton Bay Police said.

“Our units did an exceptional job in finding him; he was tracked 4 kilometers from the scene by police dogs and was taken into custody without further injury.

The Queensland Police Services charged the man in custody, who hails from Aspley, with charges of “dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm, driver fail to remain at incident and render assistance, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing.”

Currently, officers from the Forensic Crash Unit and detectives from Redcliffe are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.

Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the collision or possesses dashcam footage of the event to come forward and cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Published 23-Sept-2023