Construction has started on two sections of the Bruce Highway at Gairloch, between Ingham and Cardwell in north Queensland. The Gairloch to Ripple Creek section will be widened and have improved drainage. The Ingham-Halifax-Bemerside Road and Cardwell Range section will also be widened. Both projects aim to improve safety and reduce flood-related closures during the wet season. The works form part of the $9 billion Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program, with 18 projects completed so far.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and ministers have marked the start of upgrade works on the Bruce Highway at Gairloch, near Ingham. The projects are funded under an 80-20 deal with the Federal Government. Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said the works aim to improve flood immunity and safety, and to reduce closure times. Officials said 150 projects are either completed, underway or in planning along the highway, which is part of a $9 billion program.
Queensland could receive a month's worth of rain within a single week, forecasters have warned. The Bureau of Meteorology says the wettest stretch will be the southeast, from Gympie to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, where 100mm to 150mm could fall by the weekend. Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said the persistent downpour is unusual for this time of year. Some areas have already been drenched, with Middle Percy Island recording its wettest October day on record. Showers and thunderstorms are also expected to spread to South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales by midweek.
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Gympie Regional Council is asking residents to consider the work behind their water supply during National Water Week. Council operates eight water treatment plants around the clock, producing more than 4,095 megalitres of drinking water each year. It also manages an extensive underground network of water mains. This financial year, the council has budgeted $49.6 million for water and wastewater upgrades and renewal projects. Mayor Glen Hartwig said residents can help conserve water by fixing leaks and using water efficiently.
Police have charged two men after several crashes involving stolen vehicles in Chermside on the morning of 17 October. Police allege the pair stole a grey Cupra Formentor after it was involved in a crash at the intersection of Gympie Road and Mermaid Street, then caused further crashes and stole another vehicle. A 19-year-old Park Ridge man was taken into custody at a hospital on Rode Road and charged with armed robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Residents have until 9 November 2026 to comment on a proposed asphalt manufacturing plant at East Deep Creek, Gympie. BlackRoc Group has asked Gympie Council to change the zoning of a 3.310 hectare site on Metal Court Road from Medium Impact to High Impact Industry. Nearby resident Derrick Pagett fears noise, air and water pollution, and falling property values. BlackRoc says its plants are environmentally conscious and will capture air pollution and restrict night-time noise. Council says the community can review the proposal and give feedback before a decision is made.
Saints began the 2026-27 South Burnett cricket season with a decisive win over Kingaroy Services. Batting first, Services were all out for 138 in 31.5 overs. Nathan Trace scored 78 for Saints, who reached the target in the 19th over at 2/141. Nicholas Krauksts took 4/29 and Jack Mines took 3/28. Other round one results and this week's fixtures across South Burnett, Gympie and Dalby competitions were also listed.
The Gympie Music Muster has raised a record $150,880.88 for prostate cancer awareness, beating its previous fundraising total. The money went to charity partner Get Yourself Checked, which was founded by Mark Tobin and Brett Hanly to encourage men to seek early detection. Funds came from unclaimed armband refunds, container recycling, a guitar auction, a boat raffle and donations. The festival also set a container return record of 452,687 cans and bottles through Containers for Change. Mr Tobin said the foundation was proud of the chance to reach men and families about the disease.
Manly West has become Queensland's top home claims hotspot for the 2025-26 financial year, according to new Suncorp Insurance analysis. The leading location has shifted several times over five years, moving between Bracken Ridge, Maryborough, Gympie and Runaway Bay. Suncorp says Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and a giant hail outbreak drove significant claims in Manly West. Queensland SES urged households to prepare before warnings are issued, including clearing gutters and securing loose outdoor items. Suncorp's Future Ready Resilience Program, with a final report due in November 2027, is studying how storms affect Queensland homes.
Queensland's storm damage hotspots have shifted over the past five years, according to an analysis of more than 126,000 home insurance claims lodged with Suncorp. Bracken Ridge recorded the state's highest number of home extreme weather claims in 2022, during major flooding in southeast Queensland. Maryborough, Gympie, Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast and Manly West have each topped the list in later years. Queensland SES is urging residents to prepare homes and families before the higher-risk season peaks. Suncorp says no community should assume it is immune to severe storms.
Suncorp claims data shows Queensland's severe storm hotspots have shifted across the state over the past five years. Maryborough and Gympie were the only two regions to appear repeatedly among the state's most affected locations. Bracken Ridge led in FY22, followed by Maryborough, Gympie, Runaway Bay and Manly West in later years. Suncorp's Anna Cartwright urged every Queensland household to prepare before storms arrive. Queensland SES's Danny Baade advised households to know their risk, make an emergency plan and clear gutters.
Queensland property owner Shuying Ding says she found multiple holes punched through the walls of her house in Canina, near Gympie, after evicting a family over repeated rent arrears. She posted photos of the damage on Facebook, along with claims that the adults in the household were responsible. Ding said the matter went before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where she relied on text messages to support her case. Many people who commented on the post said serious rental damage is not always caused by children.
Gympie Regional Council's Water Team has received national recognition at the 2026 WIOA Industry Operations Conference in New South Wales. Bruce Sorensen, the council's Lead Specialist Water Industry Operations, won the 2026 PASS Award for a practical change to chlorine dosing that reduces manual handling risks and exposure to contaminated equipment. The team was named runner-up in the 2026 WIOA National Team of the Year Award. Mayor Glen Hartwig said the awards reflected the team's high standard of work.
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.
Two women are in critical condition after a single-vehicle crash on the Old Bruce Highway at Federal, on the Sunshine Coast, on Saturday, 24 October. Emergency services were called at 1.45pm after reports that a white BYD Seal sedan had left the road. The 59-year-old driver and 18-year-old passenger, both from Imbil, were taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The highway was closed in both directions for almost three hours. The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit is investigating, and witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage are asked to contact Policelink.
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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.
Oodgeroo MP Amanda Stoker has been appointed Queensland's new child safety and domestic and family violence minister. She replaces Amanda Camm, who stepped down from the portfolio this week, saying it was her decision. Stoker will also take on the families, seniors and disability services portfolios. The change is the first to the government's frontbench since David Crisafulli came to power in 2024. Camm had returned from six weeks of sick leave a fortnight earlier, and said her recovery was ongoing.
A Queensland adjudicator has rejected an urgent application to shut down an electric vehicle charger at The Pavilion Apartments in Bulimba. Resident Kin Chen had argued that the basement car park lacked adequate fire safety systems for a possible EV fire. The adjudicator found there was no immediate urgency, as the charger has operated since about 2020. The body corporate committee later granted retrospective approval with conditions, including annual servicing. The wider challenge to that approval is still to be decided.
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.
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.
