Businesses and influencers are distancing themselves from fitness figure Sam Wood, who remains in custody facing domestic violence charges. DBG Health has ended all commercial arrangements with him, and Foxes Den has severed its partnership. Influencers including Jules Robinson and Tania Monk have also ended ties with the 28 by Sam Wood brand. Wood denies strangling his wife, and his lawyers plan to challenge the refusal of bail in the Queensland Supreme Court. His Brighton gym, The Woodshed, has had its logo painted over but remains operational.
Heritage homes from the Victorian and Edwardian eras are often close to Melbourne's inner city and appeal to buyers seeking lifestyle and investment value. The list features five properties, from a South Yarra Victorian residence with skyline and MCG views to a Malvern East home built around 1892 and owned by only four families. Each property keeps original details such as high ceilings, leadlight windows, timber floors and marble or open fireplaces. Several also offer modern additions, including a marble kitchen in Brighton and a heated pool in Prahran.
Melbourne tenants are paying an extra $1560 a year after a 5.3 per cent rent increase in the past year, with the typical cost of renting a home now $600 a week. The vacancy rate has improved slightly to 1.9 per cent, but remains tight. Brighton is the city's most expensive suburb for renters, with the typical weekly rent rising to $1070. REA Group economist Megan Lieu said the city's future rental affordability depends on new home builds and investor activity.
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Moreton District police have charged a 15-year-old Burpengary boy over alleged dangerous driving in Caboolture on 22 October. Police allege a black Ford Falcon was driven dangerously across several northern suburbs, and its occupants leaned out of the windows on the Bruce Highway. The car was found abandoned and seized on 25 October. The boy faces nine charges and is due in Caboolture Childrens Court on 26 October. Police are asking anyone with dashcam footage to come forward.
Local artist Kirsten Button is painting a legacy mural at Eagle Junction State School with this year's Year 6 students, a visual message for future pupils. The deputy principal approached her after seeing her website work. Button praised the cohort as the most polite group she has worked with. She has also been commissioned as artist in residence at Patricks Road State School, where her first mural dates to 2005.
First-home buyers have been locked out of 169 previously affordable Queensland property markets since the federal 5 per cent deposit scheme was expanded a year ago. An analysis of Realestate.com.au data found that 852 of 890 house and unit markets have risen in value. Deagon houses jumped 31.2 per cent to $1.187 million. Since October, new Queensland mortgage lodgements have fallen 30 per cent, with first-home buyer applications down 18 per cent, according to Loan Market. Buyer's agent Lauren Jones said rising interest rates and living costs have cut borrowing power, leaving young buyers largely absent from the market.
A Queensland adjudicator has rejected an urgent bid to switch off an electric vehicle charger at The Pavilion Apartments in Bulimba. Resident Kin Chen argued that the basement car park lacked fire safety systems to deal with a possible electric vehicle fire. The adjudicator found there was no immediate urgency, noting the charger has operated since about 2020. The body corporate committee had granted retrospective approval last month, with conditions including annual servicing. The broader challenge to that approval has yet to be decided, and the charger remains in use for now.
Hope Vale angler Justin Convent won the adult prize, a Quintrex boat with a motor and trailer, at the Cooktown barramundi competition. More than 1100 anglers entered the event held from Friday to Sunday. Junior winner Nickalah Cobus also took home a boat. Thomas Hone caught the heaviest fish, weighing 7.4 kilograms. Local business owners said the weekend brought many shoppers into town.
Gympie Regional Council is asking the community to help shape renewed playgrounds at Crab Creek Park in Tin Can Bay and Clive Colburn Park in Kandanga. Both projects were funded in this year's Budget and aim to deliver modern, safe and accessible play spaces. The Crab Creek playground sits on the foreshore and is popular with locals and visitors. The Clive Colburn playground is heavily used on game and training days at nearby sporting fields. Surveys close at 5pm on Thursday, 12 November 2026, and the renewals are expected to be completed by 30 June 2027.
Isaac Regional Council has announced a delay in kerbside waste collection for Moranbah residents. Due to mechanical issues, the general and recycling collections scheduled for Tuesday, 27 October 2026, will be completed on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Residents are requested to keep their bins at the kerbside until the delayed collection. The council has expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused and thanked residents for their patience. For further details, residents can contact the council's 24/7 Customer Service Centre.
Gleneagle State School celebrated 70 years of play on September 16 with an Under 8s Day attended by more than 150 community members. Children, parents and extended family took part in pony rides, cookie decorating, loose parts play, sensory play and hula hoops. Local police and firefighters also visited. Under 8s Day coordinator and Prep teacher Shannon Taylor said the event gave families and younger children a welcoming way to connect with the school before starting Prep.
Retired dentist Peter Lynch has designed a $4 plastic basket that lets pickers pack mulberries directly into punnets. His Sunshine Coast hinterland farm, Kureelpa Mulberry Company, says the change has cut fruit damage by 80 per cent and reduced labour costs. The farm's four-week harvest depends on daily pickers, and the couple is concerned that cuts to working holiday visa numbers could make hiring difficult. Two French working holiday makers on the farm said a second year in Australia is uncertain.
Children aged 0 to 5 are invited to a Pop Up Playtime session at the Cooktown Botanic Gardens on Wednesday 18 November. Titled Bugs in my Backyard, the morning takes place at the Botanic Gardens Yarning Circle. Activities include bug hunting, bug-themed stories and hands-on discovery among the plants and pathways. Children can look under leaves for beetles, watch butterflies and find out what else lives in the gardens.
Nebo residents face a planned water supply outage from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Thursday, 29 October 2026, while the council carries out repairs at the Emergency Services Building. About 11 properties on St Lawrence and Kemmis Streets will be affected. Once supply returns, some households may notice discoloured water. Residents in that situation are advised to flush their taps and avoid using washing machines until the water runs clear. Flushing water can be reused on gardens or lawns.
Mining companies in Queensland's North West Minerals Province are struggling to find workers as drilling ramps up and new jobs open. AIC Mines chairman Aaron Colleran said hiring has been difficult everywhere, including at its Eloise copper mine near Cloncurry. The Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association estimates the industry will need 24,000 new workers across the country by 2027. Queensland Resources Council figures point to competing skill needs and fewer young people entering trades and mining careers. Industry leaders say apprenticeships must grow to ease the shortage.
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Logan has about 206 hectares of vacant industrial development land, the Property Council says, offering room for new investment as greater Brisbane faces a shortage of industrial space. Property Council Queensland executive director Jess Caire said infrastructure such as roads and water must keep pace with demand. The council is calling for a $500 million industrial infrastructure fund and a coordinated state strategy to unlock more employment land. Average sale prices for smaller industrial sites rose about 44 per cent over the year to June 2026.
Livingstone Shire Council is asking residents to nominate people who make a difference in their community for the 2027 Australia Day Awards. Nominations open on Tuesday 27 October and close at midnight on Friday 11 December 2026. Recent winners include 2026 Citizen of the Year Robert Lang, who has spent 53 years with the Rural Fire Service, and 2026 Young Citizen of the Year Myilly Symington, a former Cultural Captain at Yeppoon State High School. Award categories include Citizen of the Year, Arts and Culture, Environmental Achievement and Business, Innovation and Corporate Responsibility.
City of Moreton Bay and the Brisbane Bullets are calling on residents to nominate people who make a difference in local sport. The Community Hero initiative recognises coaches, volunteers and everyday champions who go above and beyond. Two finalists will each receive four game tickets and a half-time shout-out. The major winner will receive a courtside box experience for four, food and drinks, a signed jersey and an on-court thank you. Nominations close at 11:59pm on Sunday 22 November.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour has paid tribute to former councillor James Hansen, who has died. Hansen served one term on the former Woocoo Shire Council from 2004 to 2008 and three terms on Fraser Coast Regional Council from 2012 to 2024. Seymour described Hansen as one of the region's last dairy farmers and a passionate advocate for primary producers. He said Hansen always stood up for his beliefs. Seymour said his thoughts are with Hansen's family and friends after what he called a sudden and tragic loss.
Community and not-for-profit groups have until this Saturday, 31 October 2026, to apply for Council's Community Grants Round 1. Two grant levels are available. Small Grants of up to $5,000 are co-funded by Senex Energy and do not require a co-contribution, although one is favoured. Major Grants range from $5,001 to $20,000 and require a co-contribution of up to 50 per cent. Groups can discuss their projects with Council's Local Development Officers before applying.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council has won the Local Government Mutual Services Risk Excellence Award for its Flash Flood Sensor Network. The radar sensors monitor water levels at known flood-prone locations across the region. Readings feed into the Cassowary Coast Disaster Dashboard, where residents, emergency services and Council can view local conditions. The network has already helped police and State Emergency Service personnel monitor conditions around Mission Beach. Council is running a three-year trial to verify the sensor readings and assess the system's effectiveness.
