Category Archives: Townsville

Troy Thompson refuses to resign as Townsville mayor over false military service claims

Posted on by

Townsville’s 10 councillors join Queensland premier in calling for mayor to stand down after revelations he exaggerated his military history

Troy Thompson is under growing pressure to resign as mayor of Townsville after revelations he exaggerated his military service, with all 10 of the city’s councillors joining the Queensland premier in urging him to stand aside.

But the former One Nation candidate has dismissed the calls, writing in a Facebook post on Friday that he had “no intention to step aside as some of the naysayers would like”.

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

Continue reading...

Tropical Cyclone Jasper to become more severe, prompting Queensland weather warnings for 500mm rain, heavy winds

Posted on by

BoM expects storm to strengthen into category 2 cyclone on Tuesday before arriving near Cairns in far north Qld on Wednesday afternoon

Residents in north Queensland have been told to prepare for up to five days without power, amid warnings that the approaching tropical cyclone Jasper could dump 500mm of rain in 24 hours.

Jasper is expected to intensify on Tuesday, ahead of making landfall north of Cairns on Wednesday afternoon.

Continue reading...

Cyclone Jasper gradually intensifying, with region between Cooktown and Mackay at ‘highest risk’

Posted on by

Slow-moving tropical cyclone forecast to strengthen before weakening slightly and heading for Queensland next week

Cyclone Jasper is gradually intensifying as it moves towards the Queensland coast.

The severe tropical cyclone is expected to strengthen further and move from category 3 to category 4 on Thursday night or during Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

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

Continue reading...

Townsville pushes build-to-rent scheme in bid to address rental crisis

Posted on by

Experts say there’s little evidence that a privately-owned single landlord development would increase housing affordability

Local authorities in Townsville are seeking $40m in government funding to support a 1,000 unit build-to-rent scheme that the local council says could help tackle the rental crisis in the northern Queensland city, where the number of homes available for rent for less than $400 a week has halved in the past three years.

However, critics say there is little evidence to suggest this method, which sees developers act as landlords and let directly to tenants, will increase affordability.

Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter

Continue reading...

Stoked! Surfboard lost in Tasmania turns up 2,700km away in Queensland

Posted on by

Board belonging to big wave surfer Danny Griffiths believed to have made the journey via New Zealand

An Australian surfer has found a surfboard he lost four years ago after it floated at sea for thousands of kilometres, from the bottom of Australia to the top – potentially via New Zealand.

Danny Griffiths, a big wave surfer, lost his favourite board after he crashed off a wave at the very southern tip of Tasmania. It was found, covered in barnacles, by two brothers near Townsville in north Queensland, more than 2,700km away.

Continue reading...

Townsville police condemn vigilante action after death of 22-year-old woman

Posted on by

Police say a Holden Statesman ‘aggressively’ following a stolen Hyundai i35 hit a motorcycle head-on, leaving the rider dead

The death of a motorcyclist in Townsville has prompted police warnings about the dangers of continued vigilante action in the city.

Police said a grey Holden Statesman was “aggressively” following a stolen silver Hyundai i35 at speed late on Friday night in Thuringowa Central, in the city’s south-west.

Continue reading...

Three-year-old child found dead in car at Queensland hospital – reports

Posted on by

A woman reportedly arrived at the hospital with the deceased child in the car

A three-year-old child has reportedly been found dead in a car outside a north Queensland hospital with a police investigation under way.

Police were called to the Townsville University hospital about 3.30pm on Friday, a spokesman told Guardian Australia.

Continue reading...

Townsville man charged with pursuing teenagers in stolen car until they crashed

Posted on by

Police say armed man tried to box in the car and chase the teenagers in a pursuit that could have ‘easily ended in tragedy’

A man armed with a tyre iron pursued a stolen car driven by young teenagers until they crashed into a power pole in Townsville, police say.

On Saturday night about 10pm, police say a 48-year-old man was driving along McLean Street in the suburb of Gulliver, when he saw a Hyundai Santa Fe that had been stolen from the neighbouring suburb of Aitkenvale.

Continue reading...

Asic to decide on possible case against Clive Palmer over Queensland Nickel

Posted on by

Corporate watchdog says criminal investigation is nearly complete and it is in discussions about way forward

A criminal investigation into Clive Palmer and the collapse of Queensland Nickel is nearly finished and the corporate regulator is in discussions with other government agencies about what to do next, federal parliament has been told.

“We are at the point where we are in discussions with other government agencies about the appropriate way forward,” the Australian Securities and Investments Commission commissioner, John Price, told a parliamentary committee on Friday.

Continue reading...

Townsville drownings: mother of boys, 5 and 3, charged with manslaughter

Posted on by

Police say deaths of Barak Austral, 5, and Jhulio Sariago, 3, in Ross River a ‘preventable tragedy’

The mother of two young brothers who drowned in Townsville’s Ross River in February has been charged with manslaughter, and bail has been denied.

Barak Austral, 5, and Jhulio Sariago, 3, drowned after they wandered away from their home sometime between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on 25 February.

Continue reading...

Australian authorities deliberately flood 2,000 Queensland homes after record downpours

Posted on by

State government warns residents to beware of crocodiles and snakes, which were reportedly heading into suburban areas

After eight days of heavy monsoonal rain, authorities in the north Queensland city of Townsville had no choice but to open the floodgates of the Ross River Dam, deliberately flooding about 2,000 homes.

The decision was made as the Queensland government also published a warning to people to beware of crocodiles, snakes and other wildlife, which were reported to have left the swollen river and headed into some suburban areas.

Continue reading...

Queensland flooding: thousands of homes in Townsville under threat as waters rise – live

Posted on by

Torrential rain forces authorities to open Ross River dam floodgates, releasing 1,900 litres a second in ‘once-in-a-century flood’. Follow all the developments • Townsville floods: Queensland premier warns ‘we haven’t got to the peak’

At this stage, authorities expect the Ross River to peak about 11am, and for the peak to last most of today.

That’s potentially good news for Townsville residents, especially those under threat but not yet underwater. It’s also a sign that the flood emergency is unlikely to end any time soon.

Overnight, Townsville residents were warned to stay out of the water – and for good reason. A number of crocodiles sightings have been reported, while the authorities also warned of snakes in the water.

Continue reading...