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.
Residents and experts have told the NSW Independent Planning Commission that a proposed silver, lead and zinc mine near Lue could pose health risks. A University of Queensland professor recommended moving Lue Public School, two kilometres from the site, citing potential lead dust exposure. The mine's proponent, Silver Mines Limited, says predicted health risks are very low and that the project has been independently reviewed. Concerns about water supply and drainage were also raised. The commission is due to make its determination by December 9.
A University of Queensland study has found that one quarter of global endometriosis guidelines were not informed by adolescents, even though symptoms often begin in the teenage years. Researchers analysed 47 international guidelines and found major gaps in African and Eastern Mediterranean countries. Professor Gita Mishra said young people must be listened to if diagnosis times are to be reduced. Melbourne woman Konstandina Karavias said she waited seven years and visited more than 20 doctors before receiving a diagnosis. The research calls for standardised international guidelines from the World Health Organisation, informed by patients.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Brisbane rock band Powderfinger will reunite in September 2027 to play 18 Australian dates. The group, which ended in 2010, made the triple j Hottest 100 22 times and topped it twice. Its 2000 album Odyssey Number Five topped the Hottest 100 in back-to-back years. The band disbanded after a vote, with frontman Bernard Fanning saying the split followed years of tension and family pressures. A guide highlights key tracks, including My Happiness, D.A.F., Passenger, These Days and Sunsets.
Hackers raised temperatures on fridges and freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets, spoiling food worth millions of euros. Les Mousquetaires said fridges at about 150 of its stores were heated to 50 degrees Celsius overnight. French authorities are investigating, and a software vulnerability linked to Danish company Danfoss has been identified. Australian cyber security experts say supermarkets using similar centralised systems could face similar attacks, though the exact method remains unconfirmed.
Dr Charlotte Lovejoy has been named General Practitioner in Training of the Year by the Royal Australian College of GPs. The college recognised her commitment to rural and regional healthcare, her leadership and her advocacy. Dr Lovejoy completed the past two years of her Rural Generalist training in Kingaroy, where she worked at Kingaroy Hospital and the Bunya Pines Medical Centre. She shared her experiences as a rural registrar at the college's GP25 conference. She has started work this month at James Street Medical in Brisbane.
Doctor Winnie Yum and her partner, electrician Nelson Athanasiou, are spending a year at the Davis research station in Antarctica. Yum met Athanasiou in Mount Isa, where she completed her medical internship. Both applied separately for roles at the station and were placed at the same site. Yum says life there is simple, with food, rent and utilities covered. She describes working alone as a doctor and says sharing the experience with her partner has made it easier. The couple expect to return to Hobart in late November or early December.
Queensland's Department of Justice reported 6,403 people were denied working with children checks in the 2024-2025 financial year, nearly double the previous year's 3,712. The state's blue card system now monitors 1.4 million people, up 100,000 from last year. Academics warn increased refusals do not necessarily mean a safer system, as discretion in decisions may prevent suitable candidates from obtaining cards.
More than 500 university workers in Brisbane struck and rallied at Queens Gardens on October 8. The National Tertiary Education Union members came from Griffith, Queensland University of Technology, and the University of Queensland. They are bargaining with management over pay and conditions, with universities offering below-inflation raises or no offers at all. The union is seeking fair pay rises, better superannuation for casual staff, and an end to job cuts and increasing workloads.
More than 500 Brisbane university workers went on strike and rallied at Queens Gardens. The National Tertiary Education Union members from Griffith, Queensland University of Technology, and the University of Queensland protested against below-inflation pay offers and management demands. They seek fair pay increases, better superannuation for casual staff, and an end to job cuts and excessive workloads. The rally was larger than a similar event four years ago, reflecting growing workplace organising by the union.
Federal electoral funding reforms, set to commence in January, include donation caps and faster disclosure requirements. Critics argue the changes favour major parties, with minor parties challenging the laws in the High Court. University of Queensland emeritus professor Graeme Orr described the reforms as complex and criticised the delay in implementation. He suggested political donations to One Nation may have influenced the postponement. South Australia's total ban on political donations and increased public funding is being closely watched as a potential model for reform.
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.
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.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast are on track for their wettest October in six years. Brisbane has recorded about 170 millimetres this month, roughly double its October average of 87 millimetres. Flash floods hit Caboolture and Morayfield, where more than 400 millimetres fell over the past week. The Sunshine Coast is likely to break its October record, with 369 millimetres already recorded at its airport. The Bureau of Meteorology says Brisbane is not expecting heavy falls, apart from possible showers.
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.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
A Brisbane Supreme Court jury has heard that Robert John Crawford allegedly strangled his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford, and staged the scene to look like something else. Paramedics found her body beside a retaining wall and a ride-on lawnmower in the early hours of July 30, 2024. Crawford has pleaded not guilty to murder. Prosecutors allege he was motivated by money, including property valued at about $2 million and life insurance worth $860,000. Defence counsel described the case as a circumstantial one, comparing it to a jigsaw with many pieces still missing.
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.
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.
A man has died after being found unresponsive in floodwaters at Smothering Creek on the Fraser Coast in Queensland. Emergency crews were called shortly after 11am on Monday and declared him dead at the scene. Police are investigating whether the 57-year-old drove into the floodwaters before his death, and a report will go to the Coroner. The death follows torrential rain across the Wide Bay-Burnett region, which triggered flash flooding, road closures and major flood warnings. Authorities have urged motorists not to drive through floodwaters.
Former Fraser Coast councillor James Hansen, 57, has been identified as the man found dead in floodwaters at Boompa, police say. He served on the Fraser Coast regional council from 2012 to 2024 and ran for One Nation in 2017. Mayor George Seymour called his death a great loss to the community. Police have begun an investigation and will prepare a report for the coroner. Separately, six campers were rescued from flood waters at Leyburn on the Southern Downs.
