A path has opened for Nationals leader Matt Canavan to enter the House of Representatives by contesting the Queensland seat of Capricornia at the 2028 election. The move follows Michelle Landry's announcement that she will retire at the next election. Landry and Canavan appeared together at a press conference in Rockhampton, though Canavan has not formally declared his bid. He has previously said he would consider leaving the Senate for a lower house vacancy. Landry, the seat's member since 2013, cited the heavy travel demands of the electorate as a key reason, and denied being pushed out.
Capricornia MP Michelle Landry has announced she will retire from federal politics at the next election. Her departure could allow Nationals leader Matt Canavan to move from the Senate to the House of Representatives. Ms Landry, who has held the seat since 2013, said it was the right time to step aside. She pointed to funding for the Rookwood Weir and the Rockhampton Hospital car park among her achievements. Canavan said Ms Landry had been a strong advocate for the region, and he did not confirm whether he would seek the LNP nomination for Capricornia in 2028.
Police in Rockhampton are appealing for public help after an armed robbery at a Kent Street service station on 18 October. Shortly before 10.30pm, an unknown offender entered the business carrying what appeared to be a brick. The offender produced a knife, confronted a 27-year-old male employee and demanded money. The offender then fled on foot with a quantity of cash. The employee was not physically injured. Police have released vision of a person they believe may be able to assist with inquiries and urge anyone with information or footage to come forward.
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Rockhampton Regional Council is seeking name suggestions for a section of Boundary Road in Parkhurst. The road section is about 420 metres long and lies east of McLaughlin Street, outside Queensland Magnesia. Residents and community groups can submit nominations under the council's Naming of Infrastructure Assets policy. Submissions close on 7 November 2025 and should be addressed to Infrastructure Planning by email or post.
Young swimmers from across Queensland will compete at the Beef City Swimming Carnival this weekend at the 2nd World War Memorial Pool, Rockhampton. Rockhampton Regional Council is backing the event, hosted by Caribeae Swimming Club, with a $4,500 sponsorship through its Community Assistance Program. Councillor Cherie Rutherford said such carnivals help athletes build confidence, learn from peers and gain pathways to national and international competition, while also boosting local visitor spending. Competitors aged eight and over will race across all strokes and medley events, and the fastest will contest the David Milburn Top Gun event.
Queensland MP Michelle Landry has announced she will retire from federal politics at the 2028 federal election. She has held the central Queensland seat of Capricornia since 2013. Nationals leader Matt Canavan, a senator, attended the announcement in Rockhampton but did not say whether he would seek preselection for the seat. Ms Landry said she would not nominate a successor, leaving that to the party. She also criticised One Nation, which could pose a serious challenge to the LNP in the seat.
Two Queensland Brahman studs, Burdekin Brahmans and Yacamunda Investments, have jointly bought the top-priced heifer at the Great Northern Brahman Heifer and Genetics sale in Airlie Beach. Vella Macey 6976 sold for $16,000 on Thursday, October 22. The heifer was offered by Ray and Leah Vella of Vella Brahmans. The buyers said they wanted polled genetics for their herds. The sale's heifers grossed $116,000, with an average of $9666 and a 92 per cent clearance rate. The top semen package sold for $1700 a straw to Reginald Valmadre.
Federal Nationals MP Michelle Landry is set to announce her retirement from politics on Friday, according to several LNP sources. Her office said she would make a significant announcement alongside Senator Matt Canavan. Canavan, the Nationals leader, is expected to nominate as the LNP candidate for the Queensland seat of Capricornia, which Landry has held since 2013. Canavan has said he would do whatever it takes to hold the seat as One Nation surges in the polls.
Rockhampton's Smoked Festival will return to Rockhampton Showgrounds on 5 and 6 February 2027, with expanded barbecue competitions, live music, bull riding and wrestling. Organisers are also taking the event to Nambour Showgrounds on 19 and 20 March 2027. The inaugural festival drew nearly 15,000 people over two days, and about a quarter of visitors came from outside the Rockhampton region. Organiser Callan Buchholz said ticket prices were kept low so cost would not stop people attending. Local butchers and businesses have backed the event, and community groups used it to start conversations about men's mental health.
Police in Rockhampton are appealing for public help after an armed robbery at a Kent Street service station on 18 October. Shortly before 10.30pm, an unknown offender entered the business carrying what appeared to be a brick. The offender produced a knife, confronted a 27-year-old male employee and demanded money. The offender then fled on foot with a quantity of cash. The employee was not physically injured. Police have released vision of a person they believe may be able to assist with inquiries and urge anyone with information or footage to come forward.
Rockhampton woman Norma Tucker has marked her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends at Carinity Shalom aged care home. Born on 13 October 1926, she arrived one day before the first Winnie-the-Pooh book was published. Norma met her husband, Gordon, on a train journey from Yeppoon to Rockhampton and later raised his two orphaned nieces alongside their daughter. Her family says she has spent her life caring for others, and she is known for her baking and her card-playing. Norma continues to live at Carinity Shalom.
A man in his 40s was airlifted to hospital after a two-truck crash on the Bruce Highway, north of Calliope, on Sunday morning. Firefighters freed a driver trapped in one of the trucks. The man suffered face and leg injuries and is in a potentially life-threatening condition. The Bundaberg-based LifeFlight helicopter landed at West Stowe and flew him to Rockhampton Airport. He was then taken by road to Rockhampton Hospital.
First Nations businesses have been recognised at Rockhampton's annual Indigenous Business Month Celebration, held on Darumbal Country. The event explored the economic and social value Indigenous businesses add to the region through community ties and partnerships. The third iteration of the Business Recognition Awards added two new categories, Empowering Communities and Shared Prosperity. Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Tony Williams said the event recognised the outstanding contribution of local Indigenous leaders and businesses.
A team led by a police museum curator and an archaeologist dug in the yard of the Mount Larcom police station, in central Queensland, to look for documents a constable allegedly buried rather than destroy. The constable, Edward Robb, had reportedly been ordered to destroy papers older than 10 years. The search relied on an old story and a missing tin roof marker, and the team found no documents. Its members said the papers may still be there and that a further search would need ground-penetrating radar or machine excavation.
Experts say AI can find and exploit software weaknesses in minutes, a speed that could fuel a rise in cyber attacks. The warning follows a recent breach involving flaws in PHP, a programming language that underpins 70 percent of the internet. Several government agencies took websites offline, including a cyber defence portal, to prevent breaches. Security specialists urge governments to use AI for defence, share intelligence with private firms, and recover critical services first.
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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.
Entries for the 2026 Spring in the Mary Photo Competition close this weekend, on October 31. The Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee is inviting photographers of all ages and skill levels to share spring images from across the region. Six award categories share $2,500 in prizes, including a Junior category for entrants aged 16 and under. Entrants may submit up to three original photographs taken within the Mary River catchment, using a camera or smartphone. Images, a short caption and an entry form are to be emailed to the committee.
