Category Archives: Queensland

‘I need to survive’: rower attempting to cross Pacific activates emergency beacon off Queensland near Cyclone Alfred

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Australian navy ship heading to Coral Sea after Aurimas Mockus calls for help one week out from reaching Queensland

A Royal Australian Navy ship is bound for the Coral Sea after a Lithuanian man attempting to row across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Brisbane got into trouble.

Aurimas Mockus activated his emergency beacon on Friday night about 740km east of Mackay, Queensland, and 90km west of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

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Weather tracker: six cyclones swirl simultaneously in southern hemisphere

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Bianca, Garance and Honde churn across Indian Ocean as Alfred, Rae and Seru spin through south-west Pacific

An uncommon meteorological event unfolded on Tuesday when six named tropical cyclones were active simultaneously in the southern hemisphere, several in close proximity to one another.

Three developed in the south-west Pacific. Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred formed on 20 February in the Coral Sea to the north-east of Australia, reaching an intensity equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on Thursday with sustained winds of 105mph (170km/h) and gusts at about 140mph.

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Cyclone Alfred threat eases as BoM says it is now less likely to cross Queensland coast

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Alfred is creating hazardous weather conditions from Townsville south to K’Gari, with gale force winds forecast on the Great Barrier Reef and dangerous surf between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is becoming less likely to make landfall on the Queensland coast after it briefly intensified to a category four.

Alfred briefly strengthened to a category four overnight but has since been downgraded back to a category three.

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Tropical Cyclone Alfred forecast: system yet to intensify as it lingers off Queensland coast

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BoM says category 2 tropical cyclone is about 930km north-east of Mackay and path is tracking slowly south through Coral Sea

A slow-moving tropical cyclone off north-east Australia is expected to linger in the Coral Sea for at least the next few days, but forecasters say there remains a risk the system could eventually turn towards the Queensland coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology says category 2 Tropical Cyclone Alfred is about 930km north-east of Mackay, and is tracking slowly south through the Coral Sea.

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‘Dangerous, highly manipulative’ sect leader among 14 jailed for Elizabeth Struhs’ manslaughter

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Eight-year-old’s parents and 12 other members of Toowoomba religious group the Saints are responsible for her ‘slow and painful death’, judge says

A “dangerous, highly manipulative” Queensland religious sect leader has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars for the death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs while her parents have been handed jail terms of more than 14 years each.

They are among 14 members of Toowoomba-based religious sect the Saints sentenced to prison in the Queensland supreme court on Wednesday after they were found guilty of manslaughter over Elizabeth’s January 2022 death by diabetic ketoacidosis.

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Rajwinder Singh linked to Toyah Cordingley’s shallow grave through DNA and ‘distinctive’ car, court hears

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Singh, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, owned Alfa Romeo sedan ‘similar’ to one seen on CCTV in areas where Cordingley’s phone was located, jury told

A man accused of murder can be linked to a young woman’s shallow grave on a beach via DNA samples and a “distinctive” European car, a jury has heard.

Rajwinder Singh pleaded not guilty in the supreme court on Tuesday to the murder of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley, more than six years after the young woman’s body was found at an isolated far north Queensland beach.

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Australia news live: Woodside doubles profits thanks to record production of oil; funnel-web spider shortage threatens antivenom program

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Australia’s largest oil and gas producer has doubled its profits to $5.6bn. Follow today’s news live

Senate estimates will be back under way today, and AAP has flagged a little of what we can expect:

Creative Australia bosses, including the chief executive, Adrian Collette, will front an estimates hearing and it’s expected they’ll be questioned about the selection body’s shock decision to ditch the Venice Biennale team.

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Man bitten by shark off Queensland’s Moreton Island in second attack in less than a month

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Victim is in a stable condition at a Brisbane hospital with abdominal and leg injuries, authorities say

A man is recovering in a Brisbane hospital after being bitten by a shark and airlifted for treatment from a Moreton Bay island.

The man, who is reported to be 29, was mauled in the waters off the bay side of Moreton Island near the Wrecks Walking Track shortly after 3pm on Saturday.

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Australia news live: Jim Chalmers meeting with US Treasury to discuss Trump’s steel tariffs; one dead after police standoff in Tamworth

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The treasurer will continue to lobby US officials for an Australian exemption to steel and aluminium tariffs

Greens want Labor’s new Medicare plan implemented before election

The federal Greens have welcomed the Albanese government’s plan to significantly boost bulk-billing rates, as part of an $8.5bn policy, but claimed its campaigning influenced the decision.

Greens pressure works. In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse with their Medicare card.

It’s good Labor has adopted part of our plan to help people see the GP for free. Now let’s make it law before the election.

Trade and tariffs will be part of the conversation, but not the whole conversation. That is an ongoing discussion that we’re having with our American counterparts. I don’t expect he will conclude those discussions on steel and aluminium while I’m in DC.

I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of those conversations, nor do I expect those discussions will necessarily be concluded this week, to be upfront with you.

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Three teenagers arrested after alleged break-and-enter and sexual assault in Cairns

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The boys are accused of breaking into a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning, before taking a woman into a separate room

Three teenagers accused of a “horrific” break-and-enter and sexual assault are in custody after police pulled off a dramatic arrest on a busy street.

The teenagers are accused of breaking into a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning, before taking a woman into a separate room.

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Australia news live: NSW health system ‘catastrophically let down’ toddler’s family, minister admits

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Two-year-old waited in emergency department for three hours before suffering a cardiac arrest and dying. Follow today’s news headlines live

Victoria to offer contactless public transport tickets from next year

Victorians will be able to use their phones, bank cards or smartwatches to pay for public transport travel from “early next year in a staged approach”, according to reports.

Following a successful start of a ticketless bus trial in Wangaratta, the Allan Labor Government will begin switching on tap-and-go technology across Victoria’s public transport network from early next year in a staged approach – meaning some passengers will soon be able to use their bank cards, phones and smart watches to travel on full fare tickets.

The new ticketing system will continue to be underpinned by extensive technical testing and will be carefully rolled out starting with rail from the beginning early next year – allowing full fare passengers more ways to pay for their travel.

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LNP release of Queensland corruption watchdog report ‘terrifying and petty’, Jackie Trad says

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Former deputy premier criticises government’s use of parliamentary privilege to make public previously suppressed CCC report on her conduct

The former Queensland deputy premier, Jackie Trad, says the new government’s decision to release a previously suppressed Crime and Corruption Commission report into her conduct is “terrifying and petty”.

The CCC investigation report has been the subject of a years-long legal wrangle, and had been blocked from release after a high court ruling in 2023.

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Australia news live: embattled casino operator Star offered $650m lifeline; name of next cyclone changed from Anthony to avoid using PM’s name

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Hume rules out working with teals if Coalition wins 70-72 seats

Jane Hume was asked whether the Coalition was in a position to form any alliances with the crossbench, amid new polling from YouGov showing neither party looks to be coming out with a clear majority.

That would cause chaos, and would cause chaos politically and economically as well.

On average, the teals have voted with the Greens around 78% of the time, with Labor around 75% of the time, and with the Coalition around 18% of the time.

I think it’s really important to look at what people do rather than what people say. We’re planning on going to this election to win the election, because Australians deserve better than what they’ve had for the last three years.

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Queensland council denies ‘trying to make homelessness illegal’ as residents threatened with $8,000 fines

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People living in tents at Suttons Beach Park, Redcliffe, forced to move to avoid fines for ‘storing goods on public land’

A Brisbane council has issued compliance notices threatening fines of more than $8,000 while implementing its second homeless clearance in a day.

On Friday, four of the approximately eight homeless residents at Suttons Beach park in Redcliffe were given just two days to vacate the area.

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Australian judge who wrongly jailed man during divorce case won’t face consequences, high court finds

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Court finds Salvatore Vasta is immune from a civil suit and that the guards and security officers are not liable

A judge who wrongly jailed a man during routine divorce proceedings should be protected from any personal consequences for his actions, the high court has ruled, despite the episode being described as an “affront to justice” and a “parody”.

The high court’s ruling on Wednesday restores broad-based protections to all federal judges and shields them from being sued for wrong decisions, and overturns a 2023 decision that shook Australia’s legal fraternity and prompted urgent calls for reform.

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K’gari at risk of being ‘destroyed’ by overtourism, world heritage advisory committee warns

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Exclusive: The new Queensland government reversed Labor’s decision to set limits on visitor numbers

K’gari’s world heritage advisory committee (KWHAC) has advised the Queensland government the island’s ecology risks being “destroyed” by “overtourism”, putting pressure on the LNP’s promise not to cap visitation to the island.

The recommendation was contained in the body’s world heritage strategic plan released on Friday and contradicts the policy adopted by the new government.

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Towns cut off by Queensland floods warned against panic-buying as premier vows ‘resilient’ rebuild

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David Crisafulli says infrastructure to be replaced after floods needs ‘greater ability’ to withstand natural disasters

Queensland’s premier has vowed to rebuild “more resilient” infrastructure after devastating floods in the state’s north, as Queenslanders were warned not to panic-buy while they are cut off.

David Crisafulli said his government was here “for the long haul” of recovery, in an update on the state’s flooding on Sunday.

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Brad Battin says Liberals ousted Greens in Prahran by ‘listening to locals’ – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

Coalition backs healthcare package

Gallagher welcomed the opposition backing Labor’s package for women’s health this morning. She said on ABC Insiders:

We know Peter Dutton wanders around saying he’s going to cut a whole range of things. He’s clear he sees a lot of our investments in Medicare as wasteful spending. But these are really good investments into women’s health. And it will make a difference for millions of people across the country including women who are going through men who really have felt left behind by the health system and hopefully these new measures will address all of those issues.

It’s come down quite obviously for women across the country, the use of contraception, going through different stages of your life, including menopause, that these are areas that either haven’t been addressed for decades, or haven’t been met appropriately through the Medicare system. So, you know, we have landed the hospital deal, keep investing in the public health system, we have got a lot of initiatives about strengthening Medicare and this builds on that.

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Queensland’s ban on puberty blockers and hormones left Liam devastated. A Victorian doctor stepped in

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Children seeking gender dysphoria treatment are finding care interstate after LNP government’s prescriptions pause

A 40-minute video call was all it took to transform 15-year-old Liam’s* mental health.

With the support of his dad, Chris*, the transgender Brisbane teen had finally completed the months-long journey to being prescribed hormone replacement therapy.

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Thousands march at trans youth rallies opposing Queensland puberty blockers ban, organiser says

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‘A lot of parents are feeling really angry and frustrated with the government,’ director of Trans Justice Project says

Thousands of people attended rallies across Australia on Saturday to show solidarity with transgender youth and their families, after the Queensland government’s decision to pause essential healthcare for trans minors.

Twenty rallies were held, including a crowd of 5,000 gathering in both Brisbane and Melbourne, 2500 in Sydney and more than 200 in Cairns, lead organiser Jackie Turner said.

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