Category Archives: Queensland

Australia news live: tens of thousands still without power in Victoria; poll shows growing support for drug injecting rooms

Posted on by

Storms in three states is expected to ease today. Follow all the news headlines live

Crews are continuing to restore power to Victorians after strong winds damaged powerlines and left thousands without power.

According to AusNet, there are still 37,500 without power, and according to Citipower and Powercor, there are 17,484 customers still affected.

We have restored power to over 43,063 customers as crews continue repairing the power network that was extensively damaged during last night’s wild weather.

Crews are responding to more than 380 individual faults, replacing power poles, reconnecting fallen powerlines and repairing other electrical infrastructure damaged by trees, branches and other debris.

Continue reading...

Brisbane e-scooter operator Beam loses licence over alleged breach of daily cap

Posted on by

City council alleges cap on scooter numbers ‘systematically exceeded’ by 500 a day but company ‘disagrees’ with claims, saying it is ‘reviewing options’

Brisbane has become the first Australian city to kick out an e-scooter operator, after the council cancelled the licence for Beam to operate over allegations it regularly breached its caps.

The Brisbane city council said it would now seek a replacement e-scooter operator for the city, after an investigation found Beam had “systematically exceeded” its cap on numbers by about 500 a day. The company has denied “assertions” made by council.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Childcare worker alleged to be one of Australia’s worst paedophiles pleads guilty to 307 charges

Posted on by

Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, convicted of crimes against dozens of children at childcare centres in Brisbane and Italy between 2007 and 2022

Former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith has confessed to committing 307 sexual offences against dozens of children under his care in Brisbane and Italy between 2007 and 2022.

Griffith, 46, from the Gold Coast, pleaded guilty to all charges at an arraignment at the Queensland district court on Monday morning.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. The crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.

Continue reading...

More August temperature records expected to fall amid warm weather and winds across east coast

Posted on by

Unseasonably strong winds and record-breaking warm weather has been forecast to continue through the weekend


Winter has ended in Australia with weather records broken across the country – with expectations of August temperature records being broken on the final day of the month.

Amid wild winds in the country’s south, a warm run of weather was expected to continue through the weekend in central and southern Queensland, along with north-eastern New South Wales. Brisbane is expected to see multiple days of over 30C.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

One driver dead, another in hospital after explosive crash on Bruce Highway in Queensland

Posted on by

Male truck driver airlifted to hospital from Bororen, 400km north of Brisbane, as ammonium nitrate spill sparks 2.5km exclusion zone

People were ordered to evacuate from the site of a fiery crash after a semi-trailer carrying chemicals and a ute collided on a major highway and the truck exploded.

An emergency alert was issued advising residents in an exclusion zone to “leave immediately” after the Bruce Highway crash at Bororen, 400km north of Brisbane, early on Friday.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: BoM predicts warm spring as Sydney faces high fire danger and four states warned of high winds

Posted on by

Windy weekend in prospect as BoM forecasts warmer-than-usual spring. Follow the day’s news live

Good morning and welcome to the end-of-week news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories to get you up to speed before hosting duties switch to Emily Wind.

Mano Yogalingam was 23 years old and had “his whole life in front of him”. But the stresses and strains of living with the prospect of being deported back to Sri Lanka pushed him over the edge and he took his own life this week. Our top story this morning hears from refugee advocates who say the death of the Tamil asylum seeker has exposed the failings of the fast-track immigration system. “All of these people have been failed by the system. It’s a total cobweb of cruelty,” one said.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: Josh Burns breaks ranks to call for gender and sexuality questions in census

Posted on by

Follow today’s news headlines live

Severe weather warnings are in place across southern parts of the country for strong winds, including Victoria and Tasmania.

Here’s a wrap of the warnings currently in place, according to the Bureau of Meteorology:

Victoria – a strong cold front is expected to reach Victoria later today, clearing to the east tomorrow morning. Locations which may be affected by the wild weather include Portland, Bacchus Marsh, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Omeo.

For the Central, West and South Gippsland and East Gippsland areas, a warning for abnormally high tides is in place.

Tasmania – a strong cold front is also expected to reach Tasmania later today, crossing the state tomorrow morning. The entire state is covered by the severe weather warning.

New South Wales – north-westerly winds are forecast to strengthen later today as a strong cold front approaches from the west. Locations which may be affected include Wollongong, Nowra, Bowral, Batemans Bay, Katoomba and Goulburn.

Meanwhile, fire danger ratings for the greater Sydney and Illawarra have been downgraded to “moderate” today after reaching “high” yesterday.

Western Australia – gusty, showery conditions are expected over parts of the South West Land Division today.

Continue reading...

Police seek answers over Queensland woman’s body found on NSW beach six months after ‘highly unusual’ disappearance

Posted on by

Wendy Hansen was last seen near Bundaberg in February before her remains were discovered at Coffs Harbour in June. Police say her death is suspicious

Mystery surrounds the death of a Queensland woman whose remains were found in dunes at a New South Wales beach, hundreds of kilometres away from where she was last spotted.

NSW police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of Wendy Hansen, who vanished six months ago.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Nine-month-old baby undergoes surgery after man allegedly pours hot coffee on him

Posted on by

Police increase patrols near Hanlon Park in Brisbane after nine-month-old boy taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

The mother of a baby boy hospitalised after hot coffee was allegedly poured on him by a stranger has described the experience as “torture”.

The nine-month-old underwent surgery after suffering burns to his face and chest following what police described as a “cowardly” and random attack in a Brisbane park.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: thousands rally in capital cities as CFMEU workers walk off sites; fears of overdose crisis as use of nitazenes grows

Posted on by

Rallies in support of the CFMEU have kicked off across the nation’s capital cities, from Sydney, Melbourne to Brisbane. Follow the day’s news live

Jim Chalmers accuses Liberals of ‘economic insanity’ on potential housing cuts

Jim Chalmers was asked about the $100bn in cuts the Coalition is set to announce today, mostly from Labor initiatives, if it wins the next election. Would this appeal to the electorate?

What we know from what’s in the newspapers today is that they plan billions of dollars to cuts in housing at a time when we’ve got a very severe housing shortage, and this goes with the absolute economic insanity of the Liberals and Nationals. During an extreme housing shortage, they want to swing the axe on billions of dollars in housing funding.

Also this is $100bn they reckon – let’s see the details. They flagged more than three times that amount when it comes to cuts, so let’s hear them come clean on the other cuts. Let’s hear what it means for Medicare and pensions and for the economy more broadly.

Continue reading...

Australia records hottest ever winter temperature with some areas set to be 10C above average

Posted on by

‘What’s really interesting about this warm stretch of weather, is it is going to last for a long time,’ BoM says

Australia has recorded its hottest ever winter temperature, with Yampi Sound in the Kimberley region of Western Australia reaching 41.6C on Tuesday.

The record, which has been provisionally confirmed by the Bureau of Meteorology, and will be officially confirmed by the organisation on Tuesday, exceeds the old national record of 41.2C which was reached at West Roebuck on 23 August 2020.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Australia urged to show ‘true climate leadership’ as Pacific Islands Forum begins – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Investigations under way after alleged theft of non-fuctional guns from museum

An investigation is under way after a museum in Lithgow, in the NSW Central Tablelands, was allegedly broken into overnight.

Continue reading...

Queensland police officer accused of inappropriate behaviour by female colleagues now investigated for stalking

Posted on by

Female senior constable alleges male officer stalked and harassed her at remote police beat

A Queensland police officer accused of inappropriate behaviour by four female colleagues over 15 years – including one case that resulted in a $1m plus payout – is being investigated over a claim he stalked a female officer.

Guardian Australia understands last month the male officer was issued with a notice barring him from attending a remote police “beat” after a female senior constable made allegations of stalking and harassment.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Fresh warning on fire ants in Queensland as suppression efforts struggle to halt spread

Posted on by

US specialist on invasive species says the densities of the destructive pest are approaching what he has seen in Texas

Parts of Queensland have as many fire ants as Texas – a hotbed of the uncontrolled infestation that costs the US billions of dollars each year, an expert has warned

Dr Robert Puckett is an American specialist on invasive ant species and he’s followed Australia’s efforts to eradicate fire ants since they were discovered in Brisbane 23 years ago.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Australia news live: winter heat record set in South Australia; NZ suspends import of all Australian tomatoes

Posted on by

South Australia has notched up its hottest winter day on record. Follow the day’s news live

David Anderson says it was ‘the right time for me’ to resign from ABC

The ABC managing director, David Anderson, is speaking with ABC RN after yesterday’s announcement of his resignation.

And I think the right time for the ABC. It is something I had thought about now for months, and went away on leave, spoke to [ABC chair] Kim [Williams] a lot. Kim tried to get me to change my mind. [I] came back from leave with it, certain in my mind that I was making the right decision.

We’ve got a long lead time for the board to find a new managing director, and I’ve been asked to and I agreed to stay on until that person starts, which could very well be April next year.

Continue reading...

Worker dead after vehicle crash at Byerwen coalmine in central Queensland

Posted on by

Byerwen coalmine worker killed after 200-tonne truck ran over light vehicle, union says

A mine worker at the Byerwen Mine was killed when a 200-tonne truck allegedly ran over a light vehicle on Thursday afternoon, the mining union says.

It was the second death at the central Queensland mine in a month.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Domestic violence victims’ addresses sent to offenders by Queensland police in major blunder

Posted on by

State government apologises for data system breach as victim says it left her ‘completely defeated, broken, scared and worried’

The addresses of domestic violence victims have been shared with offenders by Queensland police, including a “vulnerable woman” who was then allegedly told to relocate by officers.

The state government apologised on Thursday after it emerged a woman felt “completely defeated” when her personal information was exposed by the serious data breach.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

NDIS deal passes both houses – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Queensland Labor’s longest-serving state MP to retire

Queensland Labor’s longest-serving state MP has announced he will retire at October’s election.

Curtis Pitt is the last survivor of the “Tarago opposition”, the seven ALP MPs elected at the 2012 wipeout election.

The party won government back in 2015, after just one term.

In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, he announced his retirement after 15 years in politics.

It’s not a decision I’ve come to lightly. I’ve always said that the day I wake up and don’t feel I can give it 100 per cent, then it’s time for me to do something else.

When I think back, all of my kids have been born since I’ve been an MP. Having been a member of parliament for five terms, I know that I’ve missed so many important milestones and occasions.

Continue reading...

Australia politics live: Coalition to reveal cost of nuclear plan ‘in good time’, Angus Taylor says; misbehaving MPs face fines under new standards commission

Posted on by

The government will introduce legislation today which includes penalties for MPs and parliament house staff who have been found to have committed wrong doing. Follow the day’s news live

Gambling ads ‘an issue of morality’: Sharkie

As Paul Karp reported yesterday, the independent MP Rebekha Sharkie is one of the MPs pushing for the major parties to be allowed a conscience vote on the forthcoming Labor gambling legislation.

The Murphy report called for a full ban. That’s the expectation of many members of parliament, both the opposition and government said and the crossbench, but many have said to me that they’re wrestling with their conscience on the idea that there would only be a partial ban and many people see this issue closely tied to their faith, an issue of morality.

So it would appear to me and also to Andrew Wilkie that, you know, a straightforward position would be to allow a conscience vote and in my time in the Parliament, we’ve had four conscience votes. I think it would naturally fit for the parameters an issue that sits within their soul.

Continue reading...

NSW police had emails that could have saved lives at Wieambilla, inquest hears

Posted on by

Queensland police weren’t warned of threats to law enforcement made by Trains before shooting, hearing told

Queensland police weren’t warned of emails threatening law enforcement sent by the perpetrators of the Wieambilla shooting because the New South Wales officer who asked them to attend the remote rural property didn’t read the emails until it was too late, an inquest has heard.

Detective Senior Constable Tim Montgomery, who testified on day 14 of an inquest by the Queensland state coroner Terry Ryan into the Wieambilla shootings, was assigned with tracking down Nathaniel Train.

Continue reading...