Townsville Bulletin
HIDDEN ‘DEATH TRAP’
A North Queensland mum says she warned Townsville City Council about the dangers lurking under the water at a Mutarnee creek that claimed the lives of two people on Thursday. Just days before the tragedy, she watched as five people were dragged under...
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Beloved columnist celebrates 30 years
Thirty years ago this week, I penned my very first fishing column for this paper – then a broadsheet publication back in those relatively carefree and fish rich mid-90s (pictured right in 1997). I can’t for the life of me remember the tide, the moon...
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WATER DELIGHT
Kev Rowan snapped this picture of the Ross River in full run after recent rains.
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‘DON’T TELL US WHAT TO DO’
Kennedy MP Bob Katter says North Queensland shouldn’t have to follow the same rules as Brisbane, calling for the region to “break away” and deal with crocodiles the way “we’ve done for generations” after a man was bitten near Ingham.
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REGION’S $40B BOOM
Townsville has officially entered a “highgrowth era,” fuelled by a massive $40 billion investment pipeline. With investment surging 33 per cent in just twelve months, North Queensland is being hailed as the nation’s economic engine room. From the...
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Drunken mum’s wild night
A mother of three who presented an alcohol reading of almost four times the legal limit fronted court after she seriously assaulted police officers and abused hospital staff. Michelle Carroll appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court this week,...
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MAGGOTS ON THE MENU
A remote North Queensland work camp has been plunged into a health scare after workers were served meals crawling with maggots,sparking fears of a gastro outbreak at one of the state’s biggest renewable energy projects. Unions have blasted officials at...
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WARNING SHOT FIRED
Townsville has “dodged a bullet” as Cyclone Koji veered south towards Ayr and Bowen, but Mayor Nick Dametto has warned residents it should serve as a wake-up call rather than cause for relief. As the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group stands...
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‘TAKE IT SERIOUSLY’
North Queenslanders are bracing for their first cyclone of the wet season as a tropical low threatens to strengthen into category one system – named Koji. The latest Bureau of Meteorology modelling shows the system is expected to cross the coast near...
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HOMELESS AND HOPELESS
Townsville’s housing crisis has reached new heights, with a new household joining the “desperate” social housing queue every single working day. New data reveals the city’s waitlist has surged by 15 per cent in just 12 months, leaving more than 2500...
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THE BIG REPAIR
A $38 million emergency relief package has been fast-tracked to flood ravaged northwest Queensland as the Prime Minister warns of a potential “doublebarrelled disaster” heading for the region. Anthony Albanese, speaking from the heart of the disaster...
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BOTTLE BRUSH
A photo of a Callistemon flower taken in November on the pathway to the Kissing Point Lookout. Photo by David Ryan.
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‘SAVE MY SON’S LIFE’
A North Queensland mother is begging the federal government to urgently list a lifesaving cancer treatment on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme after the drug changed her son’s health outlook from “imminent death” to the possibility of a full...
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DRAIN DISASTER
Experts have warned Townsville residents to stay out of floodwaters and think twice about stepping into mud after more than 25 people died last year from exposure to the killer bacteria melioidosis. It comes as rain intensified and the city’s sewerage...
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THE NORTH’S GOLDEN TICKET
Townsville is charging into 2026 with a steely resolve and a massive $40 billion project pipeline as the city transitions from planning to a high-octane “year of action.”
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BREAK-INS PLUNGE BY 15PC
Townsville has recorded a significant drop in property crime, with police attributing the decline to increased resources and enhanced police presence across the region. Detective Sergeant Jason Milner from the Kirwan Criminal Investigation Branch said...
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WASHED OUT AND CUT OFF
The flood-prone Gulf region is facing near-total isolation after a slow-moving low dumped heavy rain across the Far North, cutting off Karumba and Burketown while threatening communities from Mackay to Cairns with dangerous flooding. The region...
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RESCUE CHOPPERS GROUNDED
Overworked rescue helicopter crews were dealt a “kick in the guts” this festive season, with a critical staffing crisis forcing aircraft to be grounded on Christmas Day. Townsvillebased Queensland Government Air staff were told there would be no...
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BEDLOCK FOR TUH PATIENTS
Patients at Townsville University Hospital are waiting longer than ever for care as ambulance ramping worsens, costing thousands of minutes of treatment time this year alone. New Queensland Health data shows the hospital’s “lost minutes” — the time...
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SUNNY SIDE UP
David Ryan sent through this snap of a croc lazing about along the river near Palmetum.
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MIRACLE RETURN
Australia’s youngest ever premature baby has been sent home in time for Christmas after battling for her precious little life across two states. Staff at Townsville University Hospital proved pivotal in saving the life of tiny tot Stevie when she...
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BOY SAVES FAMILY
When the airconditioner caught fire in young Thomas Steff’s bedroom, he leapt into action, waking his family and rescuing their beloved pet in the nick of time.
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OLD BANK TO GET NEW LIFE IN CBD
A heritage-listed Townsville building in the heart of the CBD will become a boutique hotel next year thanks to a $9m transformation, adding momentum to the city’s revival. The Carey Property Group has revealed the Old Commonwealth Bank building at...
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DATA REVVED UP
A secret report which led the government to scrap a $10 million crime prevention trial has been slammed as a flawed analysis by a leading criminologist. Terry Goldsworthy said despite the report stating that car theft offences did not decrease during...
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CYCLONE SAVIOUR
A mum who went into labour on a remote Northern Territory island was rushed to Townsville University Hospital to give birth as Cyclone Fina bore down on the region.
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SITTING IN A TREE
The blue wing kookaburra photo was taken recently near the Palmetum. Picture by: David Ryan
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THE ONLY WAY IS UP
Leighton Smith Townsville’s CBD is betting on a vertical fix. From politicians to planners, the message is unanimous – Townsville’s heart needs residents. Experts say a major residential surge by injecting some life means tackling Townsville’s housing...
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RIVERWAY TRAGEDY
Townsville police are investigating the death of a man at Riverway Lagoons on Thursday. About 11am the 39-year-old man was pulled from the water unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. Townsville City Council CEO Joe Mccabe said the...
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SCHOOL HELPERS BASHED
More than 70 per cent of North Queensland teacher aides and school support staff have been assaulted in the classroom this year. The shocking statistics have been laid bare in a survey from the United Workers Union that reveals frontline support...
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CHRISTMAS GIFTS
The North Queensland Cowboys have donated $50,000 worth of official merchandise to Fuel for Schools, Ronald Mcdonald House and Hope in a Suitcase.
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HARROWING TRUTH
Townsville continues to dominate regional suicide rates – but the fatal factors driving this heartbreaking statistic might not be what you think. New data gathering methods have brought to light a previously unappreciated risk factor, and have also...
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AGED CARE WAR ZONE
Exhausted healthcare workers at Townsville University Hospital have been instructed to spray lavender as protection against violent patients in a ward plagued by horrific assaults. Medical Ward 5, designated for aged care, has descended into what...
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BACK TO BASICS
Townsville City Council is launching an urgent recruitment drive to fix the city’s bin collection crisis and get basic services back on track. New Mayor Nick Dametto said up to 30 positions would be advertised next week as he moved to deliver on his...
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TOP OF CLASS
A North Queensland school has claimed the top spot in the region’s year 9 NAPLAN results for 2025, jumping from third place the previous year. Annandale Christian College dominated across all five subjects to take out the top spot. The second spot...
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KATTER’S LAST STAND
Branded “arrogant” by a furious Robbie Katter after declaring the formerly safe Hinchinbrook seat was no longer “Katter country,” the LNP’S by-election victory has ignited a political firestorm that sees KAP fighting for its survival.
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HUB’S PAINFUL GOODBYE
A veteran support service once hailed as a blueprint for the national response to the nation’s veterans and their needs will close permanently. Chair Lieutenant General (retired) John Caligari wrote to staff, members, clients and supporters on Monday...
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SWING AND A MISS
Labor and the KAP have been dealt severe blows as the LNP scored an immense win and One Nation’s vote surged.
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WAR OF WORDS
The Katter’s Australian Party Hinchinbrook candidate Mark Molachino has threatened to launch legal action against Premier David Crisafulli and the LNP after it released a series of ads comparing him to Troy Thompson. The party has sent a formal...
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CONFIRMED KING CON
A shocking corruption watchdog report has finally blown the roof off disgraced mayor Troy Thompson’s house of cards, unravelling a stunning web of lies about his military service and education. It separately found no evidence of a life-threatening...
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FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
Daniel Shirkie State government ministers have ramped up their presence in Hinchinbrook, with almost double the number of visits in the last six weeks compared to the six weeks prior. The LNP is throwing everything at its bid to get Premier David...
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STAR’S LNP CAMEO
The LNP is throwing everything – including an NRL legend – at a win in Hinchinbrook, as the countdown to election day begins. Johnathan Thurston has relived the glory days with candidate and former NRL caller Wayde Chiesa as the pair re-watched the...
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CIRCLE OF LIFE
Ben Pitt snapped this shot on the Douglas Walking Track of a laughing Kookaburra snapping up a monitor lizard.
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WITNESS DEFENDS PARENTS
A leading witness in the manslaughter trial of Townsville parents Breannon James and Jack Campbell testified the pair “would not be expected” to have recognised the medical symptoms that led to their daughter’s death. On day one of a committal hearing...
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CITY MOURNS WITH FAMILY
Townsville’s Remembrance Day service was marked by a “sharp pain of grief” as the city’s traditional silence for the fallen was deepened by the recent loss of one of its own. Hundreds gathered at ANZAC Park to honour all who served, but the day held a...
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‘THE PAIN WON’T STOP’
Raphael Steven Woodhouse cried in the dock when confronted by the mother of the 19-year-old boy he killed last year in a senseless traffic accident. The 33-year-old appeared yesterday in Townsville District Court to be sentenced for one count of...
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PLEA TO PROTECT SERVICE
A mother who fought for answers into the tragic suicide of her veteran son - sparking the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, will spend her Remembrance Day at Townsville’s beleaguered support service Oasis. The centre, which provides...
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Senses given free rein to find healing
Pinnacles Gallery is being taken over by an explosion of colour as The Children’s Sensorium touring exhibition arrives in Townsville. The Children’s Sensorium encourages children and their families to explore their senses, including touch, sound,...
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DRIVEWAY TRAGEDY
Emergency services tried desperately to save the life of a two year old boy injured in Abergowrie yesterday but were unable to revive him. A witness said cries could be heard as emergency serivces repeatedly tried CPR. Ambulance, fire and police were...
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Our city’s future underwater
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has put the call-out to creative minds from across the globe to design what could become the centrepiece of the city’s tourism offerings and showcase the best of the underwater life in the North
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KILLER DRONE FOUND IN BUST
A major Queensland counter-terrorism operation has made seven arrests, including two in the north, and allegedly netted illegal assault rifles, 20 kilograms of commercial explosives and a number of operational IEDS, including a drone. It is understood...
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FAKE BIKIE’S SICK ‘LIES’
A man accused of fabricating a web of lies about being in an outlaw motorcycle gang to pressure a colleague into sending him nudes has been granted bail. Clinton James A’hang appeared in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday. Prosecutor Kimberley...
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Townsville tops Qld in
Townsville was Queensland’s top performing property market in October with new data revealing price surges of almost 20 per cent in the past year. The October Proptrack Home Price Index revealed the unit market was leading the price growth charge in...
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WEEKEND PLANNER 5 THINGS TO DO
1 Families are invited to celebrate the state’s youngest residents at the G’day Little Queenslanders Townsville event on Sunday from 9am to noon at Jezzine Barracks. The free community celebration promises a morning of live children’s entertainment,...
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Cop mates disciplined over bungle
A group of police officers who didn’t conduct a drunk driving test on a colleague have been disciplined after their mismanagement led to the cop’s charges being dropped. Sergeant David John Lynch, 56, was charged with driving under the influence of...
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‘GREATEST HIDDEN CRIME’
Shocking Queensland Police Service data has revealed one sexual assault is reported a day in Townsville, with experts saying the consequences for survivors are “enormous”. The number of reported rape incidents in Townsville has increased this year,...
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VIEW OF THE ROSS
The banks of Ross Creek in Idalia as the tide was coming in during the late late afternoon. Picture by: John Fowler, Idalia.
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SUN BATHING
An Eastern short-necked turtle perched on a log on in the Ross River. Picture by: Ben Pitt.
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LET’S BACK AUSTRALIA
A $100 a week spend on Aussie made products could generate $16bn a year and create 40,000 jobs, according to new research for a campaign which launches today and is supported by some of Australia’s most iconic businesses.
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ADF ABUSE ‘BEYOND COMPARE’
The Australian Defence Force has been branded “the worst place for a woman to work in this country” amid a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic sexual violence against female personnel. Queensland firm JGA Saddler filed the landmark suit Friday,...
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Women forge leadership
For Di Newell, the NQ Women’s Leadership Forum is more than an event, it’s a space to empower women through connection and shared stories. Held on November 7 at Mercure Townsville with the theme “Connecting Generations – Learning from The History to...
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PATIENTS ‘MISSING’
An investigation into the Townsville University Hospital’s urology department has revealed another 14 patients had “gaps in their care”. This brings the total number of patients, including those with a cancer diagnosis, missed by the department to...
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TROY’S A NO SHOW
Former suspended mayor Troy Thompson is refusing to front a debate with all eight other candidates – and claims it is because he will be preparing to announce a book deal. Mr Thompson is the only mayoral candidate who has not agreed to participate in...
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MAGPIE ATTACK ALMOST KILLED WOMAN
A dream working holiday in Australia turned into a nightmare for Marcela Montalva Iriarte, a dentist from Chile. She suffered horrific facial and neck injuries during a magpie attack while cycling in Ravenswood, leaving her unable to eat, and...
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TENANTS LIVE IN FEAR
Vulnerable residents in a Townsville public housing block fear leaving their own homes as a tenant, who they allege is dealing drugs, causes chaos with violent and threatening behaviour daily. Despite their pleas for help, and regular police visits,...
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Flood disease wipes memories of family
A Townsville man who lost months of memories to a flood disease has issued a dire warning to Queenslanders ahead of this wet season. Mathew Whitbread was unable to remember the birth of his own granddaughter due to the neurological impacts of the...
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NQ MAN’S LONG RIDE CUT SHORT
A former long-serving police officer from Townsville who was riding his motorcycle across Australia to raise money for cancer has been involved in a shock traffic accident. Bev Geiszler confirmed that her husband Brett Geiszler’s (pictured) Long Ride...
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HUGE SPLASH
North Queensland’s epic $550m waterpark project has taken another exciting step towards becoming reality, after Townsville City Councillors voted unanimously to give preliminary approval to the proposal, subject to conditions.
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GLOVES OFF
A war of words has erupted between outgoing Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto and Acting Mayor Anne-maree Greaney when he called on her to step down during the mayoral race — after she accused him of failing to deliver for his electorate. Mr Dametto...
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RING ROAD MAYHEM
A Townsville motorcyclist is recovering from numerous broken bones after a serious accident on the Ring Road, an incident a local clean-up advocate says highlights a growing and dangerous problem. The rider reportedly hit a pile of roadside rubbish,...
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DO IT FOR JUDE
A family already reeling from the heartbreaking death of their newborn baby Jude has been dealt two more cruel blows. Parents Maddy Lassig-hodgetts and Damien Hodgetts now face their own health battles, involving brain surgery and tumours, while still...
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WEEKEND PLANNER 5THINGS TO DO
1Lace up your sneakers and walk with purpose at Two Feet & A Heartbeat, taking place tomorrow from 4pm at the Riverway Complex. The annual community walk raises awareness and vital support for Heartkids, Australia’s leading charity for children and...
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$600M BET ON OUR FUTURE
A$600 million lifeline from state and federal governments has secured the future of more than 17,000 Queensland jobs and shored up half of Australia’s copper smelting capacity. The three-year funding package will breathe life into the Mount Isa copper...
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GLENCORE GIVEN A LIFELINE
Swiss mining giant Glencore has struck a deal with the federal and state governments to keep the Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville refinery open, saving 17,000 jobs. Industry Minister Tim Ayres and Queensland Resources and Mines Minister Dale...
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THREE COWBOYS TO PLAY FOR AUSTRALIA EYES ON HINCHINBROOK
The federal LNP’S failure to satisfy its conservative voter base could give One Nation an advantage in the Hinchinbrook by-election as Nick Dametto prepares to resign in parliament today. One Nation chief of staff James Ashby (right) has made bold...
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