Former RAAF squadron leader Robert Crawford has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife, Frances Crawford, at their Upper Lockyer property near Toowoomba in July 2024. Crown prosecutor Chris Cook alleges he strangled her and staged her body to look like an accident. Defence barrister Saul Holt KC told the Brisbane Supreme Court jury that no one murdered her. Admissions tendered in court confirm Mr Crawford had about 20 years of affairs and had asked about cancelling his wife's $873,000 life insurance policy. The trial continues.
A survey of 1068 rural women from across Australia has found one in three travelled more than two hours to give birth. More than two-thirds had post-natal depression or anxiety, and half of those never sought professional help. Its founder, Stephanie Trethewey, said reduced maternity services are leaving rural mothers doing more with less. Queensland mother Rhiannon Finger moved 500km from her family's cattle farm near Clermont to be near specialist care for her second pregnancy.
A Brisbane jury has heard the prosecution allege that Robert John Crawford staged the scene where his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford, was found dead in July 2024, to cover up her murder. Crawford has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege the couple's marriage was over, and that he stood to gain financially from his wife's death through a large property, life insurance and her will. Defence counsel described the case as circumstantial. The trial before Justice Lincoln Crowley is set to run for about three weeks and resumes on Thursday.
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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.
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.
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.
Property owners and managers have been given the meeting sites and times for a 1080 baiting program running from 16 to 20 November 2026. Each day has a set location, starting at 7.30am, except Friday at Urandangie Airstrip, which starts at 8.30am. Landholders unable to take part in this round can register interest for the next program. All baits must be injected.
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.
