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.
A man's body has been found in floodwaters at Boompa on Queensland's Fraser Coast. Police said he was declared dead after being found in Smothering Creek on Boompa Road, and an investigation has begun. Separately, six campers were rescued after becoming stranded by floodwaters at a public campground in Leyburn, in the Southern Downs. Torrential rain across Queensland from Thursday to Monday has left rivers and roads flooded, with more rain and flooding forecast.
A storm in south-east Queensland on Thursday dumped more than 200mm of rain in three hours, causing flash floods and hundreds of State Emergency Service calls. Monthly October rainfall records were broken at Nambour and Beerburrum. Experts say forecasting has improved, but small, localised storms remain hard to predict precisely. Climate scientists also say climate change is intensifying rainfall extremes and making severe weather more consequential, which can make forecasts appear less reliable.
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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.
Sunshine Coast police have warned motorists that driving under the influence will not be tolerated. Operation Lasso ran for three hours on the evening of 13 October near a service station on the Bruce Highway at Glasshouse Mountains. Ten people returned positive roadside breath tests, including a 35-year-old Roma man who allegedly recorded 0.279 per cent. He has been charged and is due to face Nambour Magistrates Court on 12 November. Twelve people allegedly tested positive for drug driving.
