Police say they do not believe there will be a retaliatory attack after a drive-by shooting outside a pub south of Brisbane left four people injured. Two masked men opened fire on a crowd at a boxing night at Fitzys on Bryants Road at Loganholme on Saturday. A 19-year-old woman from Jimboomba is in a critical condition, while three men are stable after surgery. Chief Superintendent Mel Adams said the attack was not targeted but was not random, and police are asking the community for information. The hunt for the offenders continues.
Real estate professionals Peter and Liza Conaghan have launched their own independent agency, Local Properties Australia, alongside sales agent Ethan Johnston. The business will focus mainly on its local region, drawing on the team's knowledge of local properties, communities and the market. Peter said the team is excited by growth across the Scenic Rim, pointing to new housing, businesses and services. He said patience and sensible pricing can be important when a property does not sell quickly. The agency combines the couple's experience in sales, marketing, negotiation and client care.
The Gold Coast Titans will receive $15 million in federal funding towards a new high-performance and community sports centre in Carrara. The centre will bring the club's NRL and NRLW programs and Titans Netball together at one site. It is also intended to support preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Planned facilities include playing fields, shared amenities and inclusive facilities for Para-athletes, plus a First Nations cultural education centre. More than 100 people are expected to be employed during construction, with over 145 ongoing roles supported.
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The first apartment development in the $600m Serenity 4212 community on the northern Gold Coast has topped out. Lakeside at Helensvale is being built by joint venture partners Keylin and Kinstone Group. Developers say 70 per cent of buyers so far are aged over 50. A new collection of top floor residences, with two and three-bedroom homes starting at $1.22m, has been released. Residents are expected to move in by spring 2027.
Yarrabilba resident Jan Ebbers has been playing Pokémon GO since it launched 10 years ago, and now leads a local community. She is a Community Ambassador, a volunteer role run by the game's developers, and was accepted after an extensive background check. The Yarrabilba group has about 800 members on the Campfire app and 300 on Facebook. Meet-ups are held several times a week, often at Darlington Parklands. Ms Ebbers says the group welcomes players of all ages and experience levels.
Shop owners on Gallery Walk were left shocked after a plant was stolen from outside their business on September 23. Kenneth Veitch, who owns A Wee Bit o' Scotland with his wife Laura, saw a woman take the plant and walk away up the road. Laura said the shop has often had cuttings taken from its plants, but removing a whole plant was different. Volunteers from the Tamborine Mountain Garden Club had recently revitalised the gardens ahead of Springtime on the Mountain. Kenneth said the theft has made him reconsider replacing the plant.
Shontae Iafeta is building practical experience while she studies journalism. She feels a strong commitment to regional reporting and believes it matters to the communities it serves. Iafeta is known for forming genuine relationships with the people she interviews. She holds the view that everyone deserves a chance to have their experiences shared publicly, and she often points to the idea that everyone has a story worth telling.
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.
Women in business in the Logan area are invited to a breakfast on Thursday 5 November that looks at speaking up and managing hard conversations. Hosted by Logan City Women in Business, the event runs from 6.45am to 8.30am at Froggies Rest in Logan Village. Guest speaker Antonella Spatola will deliver a talk titled The Permission You Never Needed. Topics include clear communication, setting personal boundaries and finding useful phrasing for difficult discussions. The morning also leaves room for attendees to build local business contacts. Tickets and booking options are available through TryBooking.
Logan business owners can learn how to start blogging in an online workshop on Thursday 5 November. The Blogging for Beginners session runs from 5pm to 5.45pm through the Beenleigh Yatala Chamber of Commerce. It covers choosing topics, structuring posts and improving search visibility. Participants will also look at how blog content can be reused in email and social media. Tickets cost $15 and are booked through the chamber.
Police are investigating a dangerous driving incident in Surfers Paradise on the evening of 23 October. A Toyota Hilux was reportedly driven erratically along the Esplanade before stopping near a metal barrier at the Staghorn Avenue intersection. The vehicle was allegedly driven deliberately into the barrier, causing it to fall and injure a 40-year-old Labrador man. Bystanders tried to restrain the 31-year-old Surfers Paradise driver, who allegedly fled before officers arrived. Police located him nearby shortly afterwards, and he received a dog bite during arrest. Both men were taken to hospital, and inquiries are continuing.
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.
Fans of The Block have rallied around Queensland contestants Chantel and Wyatt, claiming they were mistreated by production and unfairly judged. Viewers on Reddit argue the couple was targeted, given a bad edit, and unfairly portrayed as the show's villains. Others believe the judges were harsh, as the couple did not win a single room reveal despite completing their renovations on time. Meanwhile, the cast is reportedly divided, with separate after-parties planned for the upcoming auction.
