Category Archives: Gold Coast

Unprecedented amount of water moving down Fitzroy River in Kimberley – as it happened

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Record flooding in Western Australian region forces evacuations. This blog is now closed

People battling floods in South Australia and now the Kimberley in Western Australia will be among those glad to see a shift back to more typical rainfall patterns.

As it happens, that sort of shift in climate influences looks to be under way, particularly as the La Niña in the Pacific continues to weaken.

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Aviation expert says quick-turnaround helicopter rides may be reconsidered after Gold Coast crash

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Neil Hansford says operators around Australia face pressures after a fall in patronage during pandemic

Investigators will likely examine the number of helicopter joyrides operating at Sea World after a mid-air collision killed four people, an expert says.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the cause of the crash which occurred when one helicopter was landing and the other had taken off at the Gold Coast theme park on Monday afternoon.

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Two Britons among four killed in helicopter collision in Australia

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Mid-air collision near Sea World on the Gold Coast also left three people critically injured

Two British people were among four killed after two helicopters collided in mid-air near a marine theme park on Australia’s Gold Coast, it has been confirmed.

A UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities.”

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Up to 1800 homes evacuated so far in SA floods – as it happened

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This blog is now closed

A fourth child in the space of two days has been airlifted to hospital from K’gari (Fraser Island) with suspected Irukandji jellyfish stings.

The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter airlifted the young boy from the island after he was stung on the upper leg just after 2.30pm on Wednesday.

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‘Shocked and saddened’: Queensland attorney general concerned by police failure to investigate alleged gang rape

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Shannon Fentiman says she will meet with Karen Iles after raising the matter with the police minister

Queensland’s attorney general says she was “shocked and saddened” by revelations that police failed to investigate a series of alleged sexual assaults against a 14-year-old girl, and has raised the matter with the state’s police minister.

Guardian Australia revealed on Tuesday that police failed to investigate the case, lost key documents, and later wrongly told the complainant that her 2004 statement had been destroyed.

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Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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Mystery surrounds cluster of satin bowerbird deaths in the Gold Coast hinterland

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Landowner and bird experts cast doubt on Queensland government’s rat poison theory

In a town perched atop the rainforest hinterland of the Gold Coast, one of Australia’s most charismatic birds is suddenly and mysteriously dying.

Rumours and misinformation are swirling around Tamborine Mountain to explain the spate of satin bowerbirds deaths, with fingers pointed at everything from rat poison to 4G phone towers.

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Camper found safe and well as flooding rain lashes Queensland

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Police end search for man, who was seen chasing his dog before flood waters cut off access to his campsite

A camper reported missing after chasing his dog near flood waters has been found, as heavy downpours continue to lash south-east Queensland.

Police said the 36-year-old man was reported missing from an Imbil campsite, south of Gympie, on Thursday morning, but was found safe and well on Thursday.

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Anzac Day commemorated; ABC reviewing presenter’s social media activity – as it happened

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Deputy Labor leader says Chinese Solomon Islands base would make Australia ‘less safe’; Anzac Day services and marches return for the first time since pandemic began; Peter Dutton compares events in Ukraine to ‘the 1930s’; ABC presenter Fauziah Ibrahim under social media review; at least 17 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

Sticking with Brendan O’Connor for a moment, the shadow defence spokesperson says Labor would have “grave concerns” if a Chinese military base were established in Solomon Islands.

This comes after Scott Morrison yesterday said the establishment of a base there would be a “red line”, without saying how his government would actually respond, with O’Connor saying it was just “post-facto rhetoric”:

We understand what the prime minister says by that. But, really, it’s post-facto rhetoric. We need to see better investment and better engagement in the region ... rather than react after the fact.

Given the change in tone and rhetoric and words used by the prime minister, we will seek a briefing from the government. We’ve been getting updates all the way through, and we appreciate that.

It was a smaller sum. [The government’s plan] would go no way to provide support for veterans. It would not increase the frontline staff required to respond to their needs. It would do in no way enough to support those people who’ve put themselves in harm’s way.

People are waiting for days, weeks, months just for some of the more simple applications and claims.

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Floods in Queensland and NSW: what we know about areas affected, and what’s likely to happen next

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Eight people have died, more are missing and hundreds have been rescued as flooding hits Brisbane, Lismore, Murwillumbah and Grafton

A major flood event has impacted communities from Maryborough in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales, with Brisbane’s CBD inundated and a record-breaking flood in Lismore.

Here’s a summary of events so far, and what is forecast to come:

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Gold Coast deaths being treated as murder-suicide after woman’s body found in furniture chest

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Queensland police say there is ‘early indication’ man, 53, responsible for death of 48-year-old woman at Sapphire apartment complex in Labrador

Police are investigating the sudden death of a 53-year-old man and suspicious death of a 48-year-old woman, who was found in a furniture chest inside an apartment block at a Gold Coast suburb in Queensland.

Gold Coast district detective inspector Chris Ahearn said on Saturday morning that the case was being treated as a murder-suicide.

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Australia news live: Scott Morrison says Brittany Higgins meeting ‘in process’; Victoria to make mRNA Covid vaccine

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State commits $50m to domestic manufacturing of cutting-edge vaccines; former Liberal staffer to ask Scott Morrison to fix ‘systemic coercive control’ in Parliament House. Follow live

That is where we will leave the blog for Wednesday. Thanks for following along. Here’s what made the news today:

The government has closed a loophole that would have allowed Australians to use New Zealand as a stepping stone to travelling to another country following the opening of the Trans Tasman travel bubble.

On Monday, health minister Greg Hunt amended the biosecurity legislation to specify that Australians could not go to any country other than New Zealand. Unlike Australia, New Zealand does not have an outbound travel ban.

Travellers should be aware that international travel to any other country, except New Zealand, continues to pose a significant risk to public health, and for that reason outgoing travel to other countries remains restricted.

“Australians considering travel outside of Australia or New Zealand are still required to apply for an exemption from the outgoing travel restrictions through ABF, and ensure they review the information available on Smartraveller relevant to their destination.”

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Man charged with murder after woman found dead with burn injuries in Gold Coast backyard

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Officers are treating the death at Arundel as a homicide that may have been witnessed by Kelly Wilkinson’s three young children

A man has been charged with murder after the burned body of mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson was found in a Gold Coast back yard.

Queensland police on Tuesday evening said they had charged a 34-year-old New Beith man with murder and breaching a domestic violence order.

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Hollywood Down Under: stars flock from US to film in Covid-free Australia

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Blessed with sunny weather, diverse locations and a ready-made film industry, Sydney and the Gold Coast have become movie powerhouses

On a warmish Wednesday evening early in the year, Paul Mescal was celebrating his birthday and everybody seemed to know. The Irish actor, famous for his neckchain and his leading role in Normal People, was in Sydney, Australia, for a new film, and the word was spreading. He was photographed running in Centennial Park. He was sighted at Tamarama Beach. He popped into an inner-city pub.

But on the list of stars now working in Australia, Mescal – in Sydney for a musical film adaptation of Carmen – is comfortably mid-level. Thanks to its relative freedom from Covid-19 and associated restrictions, Australia – blessed with diverse locations, sunny weather and a ready-made film infrastructure – has become Hollywood Down Under.

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NSW and Queensland weather expected to worsen: ‘Similar to a category one cyclone’

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Potentially serious flooding and dangerous surf forecast for Queensland and northern NSW as heavy rain and damaging winds pound coast

Wild storms battering the Queensland and New South Wales coastline are expected to worsen later on Monday, and authorities have warned the heavy rain and strong winds could be “similar to a category one cyclone”.

Emergency services in both states have received thousands of calls for help since Saturday, as the conditions cause flash flooding and dangerous waves that have washed away large sections of beachfront.

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Wild weather continues as flooding expected in Queensland’s south-east and northern NSW

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Authorities urge people to brace for more heavy rain, gales and dangerous surf as some areas record more than 300mm of rain since Saturday

Heavy rain across south-east Queensland and the north of New South Wales has prompted flood warnings as authorities urge motorists not to drive into floodwaters.

Some areas, in the Gold Coast hinterland and northern NSW border, have recorded more than 300mm of rain since Saturday.

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Dreamworld parent company Ardent Leisure charged over ride deaths in 2016

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Queensland’s work health and safety prosecutor files three charges over the deaths of four people in the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy

More than three-and-a-half years after four holidaymakers were killed on a Dreamworld ride, charges have been laid against the company behind the iconic Gold Coast theme park.

Ardent Leisure was charged with three counts of failing to comply with health and safety legislation and exposing individuals to a risk of serious injury or death.

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Former Young LNP member says party threw him ‘under the bus’ over offensive video

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Barclay McGain, who was forced to resign over schoolies video denigrating Indigenous culture, accuses Queensland LNP of not practising what it preaches on personal responsibility

A former Young Liberal National party member forced to resign over a series of offensive social media posts has accused the Queensland LNP of “throwing young teenagers under the bus” and of not practising what it preaches on personal responsibility.

Guardian Australia revealed two weeks ago that federal MP Andrew Laming had sacked electorate officer Barclay McGain, 20, who was already under LNP investigation in relation to an offensive video from last year, following questions about subsequent social media posts and messages. McGain also quit the party.

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‘Fright of her life’: Gold Coast woman finds five-metre python on her doorstep

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Queensland snake catcher says 80kg albino Burmese python found in Oxenford is the largest he has come across in 27 years

As a seasoned snake catcher, Tony Harrison is used to the people the claiming there is a five-metre snake on their doorstep. But for the first time on Monday, the caller wasn’t exaggerating.

“This was the largest snake I have come across in 27 years,” Harrison said. “The poor old lady who opened the front door to see it there got the fright of her life”

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Tropical Cyclone Gretel set to bypass Norfolk Island but damaging winds expected

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Strong wind warnings also in place for coastal regions across south-east Queensland and northern NSW

Tropical Cyclone Gretel is set to bypass Norfolk Island in the next 48 hours, although it will still create damaging winds.

Tropical Cyclone Gretel may not make landfall but was still expected to have an impact with damaging wind warnings of around 100km/h for coastal regions across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales.

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Chinese student lost in Gold Coast bushland for five days used milk bottle to collect water

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Yang Chen says watching survival and adventure TV shows helped her stay alive, as she knew to keep hydrated and warm

A Chinese student who survived in flooded and dense Gold Coast bushland for five days used an empty milk bottle to collect water and get by.

Yang Chen went missing last Wednesday while walking with a friend in the Tallebudgera Valley and spent the next five nights sheltering in caves until she was found by water police near Gorge Falls on Monday morning.

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