Detectives in Toowoomba are appealing for public help in an investigation into historical child sex offences on the Darling Downs. A 52-year-old Murphy's Creek man was charged on 16 October with two counts of indecent treatment of a child and other offences. It is alleged the offences occurred between 2007 and 2010 at a private residence in Toowoomba. He has been remanded in custody and will appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on 8 December.
Medical leader Bill Glasson says the Queensland government is breaking state law by leaving mandatory Indigenous positions unfilled on two Brisbane hospital boards. The seats at Metro North and Metro South have been vacant since March 31. Glasson has called on Health Minister Tim Nicholls to make urgent temporary appointments. Nicholls said recruitment is underway to fill the First Nations vacancies in South East Queensland. Professor Tom Calma said the roles are critical given the large Indigenous population in the region.
The Youth Advocacy Centre says its funding has been cut after it criticised the Queensland government's youth justice measures. Chief executive Katherine Hayes said the organisation applied for several tenders but was awarded none, with its contract ending early. She said the cut affects $3 million and 19 frontline workers. Hayes believes the cut was retaliation for her criticism. Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber says the program was not renewed because it did not meet government performance targets on reoffending while on bail.
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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.
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.
The AFL has released its 2027 Gather Round fixtures, with Adelaide and South Australia hosting a weekend of football. The Crows are expected to open proceedings on Friday night and Port Adelaide to close on Sunday afternoon. Some supporters had feared the draw would include weak matches, but the writer argues the league has delivered strong contests. Highlights include Adelaide against Brisbane, Collingwood against Sydney, Carlton against Melbourne, and Port Adelaide against the Western Bulldogs, featuring Zak Butters' return. Only two games were judged less appealing.
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.
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 partner Giselle Kramer have signed a lease for a four-storey space at Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast, once home to the Change gym. The site sits within the Oracle precinct owned by Makris Group, which says it did not consent to a planning submission for a Change-branded proposal. Stage one of the Level X wellness venue is under construction and is due to open on December 1. A later expansion will add a rooftop pool, medical recovery suite and bathhouse.
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 court has set aside Gold Coast council approval for a 14-storey apartment tower in Kirra, after neighbours appealed. Judge Nicole Kefford found the design added to the appearance of bulk and was overbearing on neighbouring properties. She also said the 317 bedrooms proposed for the site were far above the density set under the city's planning rules. The developer's original nine-storey approval for the site remains in place.
Former Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen will miss the entire WBBL|12 season with a hip complaint, hoping to return in 2027. Hobart Hurricanes batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge is also out with a calf injury. The Hurricanes have signed Sri Lanka international Chamari Athapaththu as her replacement. Jonassen, 33, missed four matches last season after shoulder surgery. The tournament begins Thursday with a double-header at Junction Oval.
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.
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New Brisbane Heat captain Georgie Redmayne will lead the side after taking over from Jess Jonassen, who captained the team for six WBBL seasons. The Heat finished last and did not win a match in 2025. Redmayne said the team must adjust a few things to succeed in the T20 format, and hopes to return to its earlier winning ways. She also said she plans to return to opening the batting with Grace Harris, her partner for much of their time together at the top of the order.
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.
Former Fraser Coast councillor and One Nation candidate James Hansen, 57, has been found dead in a flooded creek in Queensland. He went missing on Monday after trying to cross flooded Smothering Creek on Boompa Road, near Maryborough. Police say a report will go to the coroner while investigations continue. Mr Hansen was a dairy farmer and served on Fraser Coast Regional Council for three terms. Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour paid tribute to him as a passionate advocate for rural producers. Severe weather and rising floodwaters continue to affect parts of Queensland.
Queensland researchers have found that barley seed can carry fungicide-resistant net blotch into new crops. A University of Southern Queensland study found the disease can move from infected seed into developing seedlings. Researchers tested seedlots from grower fields across the Darling Downs and detected net blotch DNA in 13 of them. Lead researcher Dr Noel Knight said growers should consider where their planting seed comes from. The findings do not change existing recommendations, and further studies are planned.
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.
