Queensland

Strict protocols violated by corrections staff who wrongly believed sexual assault cases were ‘closed’, ombudsman findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMen charged with alleged prison rapes were allowed to stay in shared cells – against strict protocols – by Queensland corrections staff who mistakenly believed their cases were “closed” and that they posed no risk, a report by the state’s ombudsman has found.The ombudsman’s inspection report of the Brisbane correctional centre raises a number of concerns about the facility, including extensive overcrowding, health facilities that are not fit for purpose and complaints that chicken served to detainees and staff is often undercooked. Continue reading...

A malfunction was discovered during routine testing of the firearm, which is standard issue for QPS officersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland police have been forced to retest all service-issued Glock handguns after a fault was discovered in the weapon that could cause it to fire multiple shots.The 40-calibre Glock is the standard-issue sidearm for Queensland police officers, and has been in service since the 1990s. Continue reading...

Authors including Evelyn Araluen and Melissa Lucashenko say they won’t work with publisher after it dumps Jazz Money’s book illustrated by Matt Chun, who called Bondi victims ‘affluent beneficiaries of imperialism’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian publishing house has cancelled the publication of a children’s book by an award-winning Indigenous poet over comments the book’s illustrator made about the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack, whom he called “affluent beneficiaries of imperialism”.University of Queensland said on Wednesday its publishing house would not proceed with the publication of Bila, A River Cycle, written by Jazz Money and illustrated by Matt Chun, and was considering “recycling options” for already printed copies. Continue reading...

Health minister faces backlash from states as he announces major changes to scheme ahead of May budgetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNational disability insurance scheme service providers will be required to undergo mandatory character checks and eligibility rules will be tightened further for children under 18, as Labor moves to curb growth in the $50bn program.But the health minister, Mark Butler, faces a backlash from state counterparts as he announces major changes on Wednesday, with Queensland accusing federal Labor of walking away from responsibilities to families dependent on long-term care. Continue reading...

Stephen Heydt says he spoke in a custom-made T-shirt and was ‘charged with two offences: one for the shirt, one for the chanting’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastStephen Heydt woke up on Saturday, put on a T-shirt, hobbled out the door with the aid of a walking stick and spoke at a rally in the middle of Brisbane – where he was promptly arrested by a large and heavily armed contingent of police.For his choice of words and wardrobe, the 73-year-old Jewish clinical psychologist became one of the first people in Queensland charged under new laws designed to crack down on antisemitic hate speech. Continue reading...

Food delivery services say the proposed laws will affect their workers, while shared e-vehicle schemes claim the laws could make them uninsurableFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLegislation that would crack down on ebikes and e-scooters in Queensland could curtail food delivery services and potentially end shared e-vehicle schemes, industry figures warn.The proposed laws would set an age limit of 16 on ebikes and e-scooters, require users to obtain a driver’s licence, and set a limit of 10km/h on almost all cycle lanes. Continue reading...

Independent MP elected to the seat of Stafford in Brisbane’s northern suburbs in 2020 and disendorsed by Labor in 2025Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Queensland state politician has been found dead at his home.Jimmy Sullivan, 44, was the independent MP for the Queensland electorate of Stafford in Brisbane’s north. Continue reading...

US president criticises Australia, Japan and South Korea; chance of Cyclone Maila hitting Queensland at the weekend is rising, BoM says. Follow today’s news liveTropical Cyclone Maila could hit the coast of far north Queensland this weekend three weeks after the same area was smashed by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, the Bureau of Meteorology said last night.It was tracking halfway between Solomon Islands and Papua New Gunea at 10.45pm last night, according to the latest update from the bureau.Maila is expected to remain well away from the Queensland coast during the next few days, but confidence is increasing in Maila moving towards the far north Queensland coast later in the week, potentially crossing the coast on the weekend. Continue reading...

While path and strength of storm remain uncertain, BoM warns Cape York could again take direct hit if cyclone makes landfallGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnother cyclone may hit the Queensland coast less than three weeks after the same area was smashed by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, the Bureau of Meteorology says.But a meteorologist warned forecasts predicting the path and strength of Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila remained uncertain, with the storm likely to make landfall over the weekend. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Justice Jim Henry published data from his own court revealing recent cases took more than a year to reach committalGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Queensland supreme court judge says serious criminal cases are taking “excruciatingly longer” to finalise due to “glacial” delays in the state’s magistrates court, where some matters are spending several years in procedural limbo.Justice Jim Henry, who is based at the supreme court in Cairns, published data from his own court revealing that of 31 recent criminal cases he finalised between November and February, on average each case took more than a year (370 days) in the lower courts before a committal. Continue reading...

Barrister who represented Indigenous Palm Island community says appointing Darren Robinson to the Legal Aid board is a ‘slap in the face to the family of Mulrunji Doomadgee’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA barrister who acted for Mulrunji Doomadgee’s family says it is “unacceptable” for a former police officer criticised for his conduct in investigating the 2004 death in custody to serve on the state’s Legal Aid board.Andrew Boe represented Doomadgee’s family and the Palm Island community council at an aborted coronial inquest in 2005 and then in subsequent inquests in 2006 and 2010. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Townsville lawyer and former detective Darren Robinson’s appointment by attorney general Deb Frecklington has ‘brought back a lot of trauma’ for Indigenous communityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government has “opened old wounds” by appointing a former police detective who was heavily criticised for his role in events surrounding the 2004 riots on Palm Island to the state’s Legal Aid board, say First Nations community leaders and members of the legal fraternity.The Liberal National party government sacked and replaced all Labor-appointed members of the Legal Aid Queensland board last month. Continue reading...

Authorities warn of strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and coastal storm surgeHow did global heating fuel Tropical Cyclone Narelle?Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSevere Tropical Cyclone Narelle was poised to make landfall in far north Queensland on Friday morning, likely as a “high-end” category four system but still posing a severe threat to several remote communities.Locals took shelter early in the morning as the winds began to pick up ahead of forecast winds over 250km/h. Continue reading...

Tropical cyclone expected to make landfall in far north Queensland within hours. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Luca Ittimani with the main action.There’s plenty of news about but the main action this morning is in far north Queensland, where a huge and fierce storm is about to make landfall. Continue reading...

Massive storm tracking a path to Queensland coast, which intensified offshore Thursday morning to category five, fuelled by warm waters in Coral SeaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSevere Tropical Cyclone Narelle is expected to make landfall in far north Queensland on Friday morning as a monster category four storm, bringing destructive wind gusts in excess of 225km/h, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.The severe cyclone rapidly intensified over the past 48 hours and on Thursday morning had built to a category five storm that was barrelling west, sitting about 500km east of the small town of Coen. Continue reading...

The policy reversal came after a federal court judge asked the government to explain why it had stopped negotiating with Cape York traditional ownersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government has made an 11th hour backflip on a secret policy to contest every new native title claim in court, on the eve of being hauled before the federal court to explain themselves.But the Liberal National party’s position appears to still be unclear after Queensland natural resources minister, Dale Last, doubled down on contesting native title in a statement to Guardian Australia on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Racial discrimination alleged after police withdrew indecent act charge a year after officer was recorded talking about ‘fucking Indians’WARNING: this article contains offensive languageQueensland police investigated a Punjabi man for a year – over charges that were eventually withdrawn – despite knowing one of the arresting officers had been caught on camera describing Indians as a “bunch of fucking perverts”.The rideshare driver named Singh, who asked that his first name not be used because of the distress caused by the case, has now launched legal action against the force due to the alleged racial discrimination he suffered during the investigation that led to him being charged with committing an indecent act, according to his statement of claim. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Queensland Performing Arts Centre board nominated Oodgeroo as their preferred name for the theatre in 2024, but it was not one of the four options put to public vote by the LNPGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Queensland government minister intervened to ensure a new theatre would not be named after Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, overriding the theatre’s board, according to documents obtained under right to information laws.The late artist’s name is also set to be stripped from a state electorate, in draft electoral boundaries released by the state’s redistribution commission this week. The LNP lobbied for the change. Continue reading...