Little blue penguins at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast are exploring a new Halloween habitat with pumpkins, tombstones and other surprises. The aquarium says the enrichment encourages the penguins' natural curiosity. On Saturday, October 31, the aquarium will host a Halloween Beach Clean-Up at Mooloolaba Beach from 9am to noon. Children are encouraged to collect rubbish instead of lollies, and free face painting will be offered. Marine animals can mistake rubbish for food or become tangled in it.
Blood evidence on a rock wall and a trail of blood from a ride-on mower were shown to a Brisbane Supreme Court jury, the defence says. Robert John Crawford is on trial, accused of murdering his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford. Prosecutors allege he strangled her in July 2024, then staged the scene with the mower and faked text messages. The defence argues her head injury came from an accident. The jury also heard the couple's marriage was troubled and that Crawford stood to gain financially from her death.
Real estate agent Emil Juresic and his partner Giselle Kramer have signed a lease for a four-storey space at the Oracle precinct in Broadbeach. The site was previously home to the Change gym, whose founder Peter Haselhurst is on bail facing extortion charges he has not yet answered. Stage one, a gym, pilates studio and recovery facilities, is set to open on December 1. A vertical expansion planned for 2027 will add a medical recovery suite, a rooftop pool and other facilities. Level X memberships start at $99 a week for select classes.
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A $40 million luxury apartment project at Hope Island Resort on the Gold Coast has sold more than $28 million of residences ahead of completion. GH Properties says 14 of the 21 Sage apartments have sold at an average price above $2 million. The developer's managing director, Ellen Guan, said the boutique, north-facing waterfront units have drawn strong interest from downsizers. Prices start at $1.63 million for large two-bedroom apartments and $1.96 million for three-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to the resort's golf course, pool and wellness programs.
A 19-year-old woman has been identified as the critically injured victim of a shooting at a Loganholme pub during a boxing event. Vana-Reese Schuster-Togiatau, from Jimboomba, was shot in the head and neck and remains in a critical condition. Police allege two masked men opened fire from a car, hitting four people, and are investigating possible links to organised crime. The shooting has raised concerns about retaliation and the reputation of boxing events.
Former RAAF pilot Robert John Crawford, 49, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford, at Upper Lockyer, west of Toowoomba, in July 2024. Prosecutor Chris Cook told the Brisbane Supreme Court jury that the scene, with her body beside a ride-on mower, was staged to hide her strangulation. Cook alleges Crawford was motivated by a looming divorce settlement and had affairs. Crawford's barrister, Saul Holt KC, argued the prosecution's evidence was incomplete. The jury will visit the site on Wednesday, and up to 47 witnesses are expected over three weeks.
Police have released images of three men who may help with an alleged assault in Fortitude Valley on 13 June. A 60-year-old Fairfield man was allegedly approached and assaulted by three unknown men on James Street at about 7.30pm. He suffered facial injuries and received medical treatment. The men were described as well dressed and wearing formal attire. Police also want two women who were nearby to come forward, and ask anyone with footage from the area to contact them.
Toowoomba students will present their advanced manufacturing project ideas at a showcase on Monday, 9 November 2026. The event runs from 10 am to 1 pm at Toowoomba State High School. The projects propose solutions to manufacturing industry challenges and were developed with industry partners over two terms. Students will pitch their work to an industry panel, and senior secondary students will also present to a shark tank panel. The showcase is part of a statewide Queensland series for the Advanced Manufacturing Future Skills program.
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.
Amanda Stoker has been appointed Queensland's Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. She replaces Amanda Camm, who stepped down from the role due to illness. Stoker previously worked at the private bar in commercial, administrative and corporate crime law, and served as an Australian senator. Her tasks include refining domestic and family violence laws, rolling out a perpetrator electronic monitoring pilot and expanding support for victims. Premier David Crisafulli said she will build on reforms begun by Camm.
Prison officers in Queensland fear deaths in custody and more assaults on staff under a proposed bill. The bill would remove a requirement for corrective services staff to consider prisoners' human rights. Officers interviewed by the ABC say overcrowding, including possible triple bunking, would make jails more dangerous. Queensland Corrective Services supports the exemption, saying it is needed for staff and community safety. Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber says the government will put victims' rights ahead of offenders' rights.
