Toowoomba News

• Prominent pork industry identity charged over alleged multi-million-dollar fraud

  Darren and Cameron Wilson have been charged over allegations they kept millions in sales off the books of a business for personal use between 2017 and 2026.

• Hyper-scale data centre could draw quarter of Queensland's power usage

  The proposed $30 billion data centre in Queensland has a peak capacity comparable to the average power requirements of 1.5 million households.

• Pack the umbrella as cooler days and showers loom for Qld this weekend

  After sweltering days across parts of the state, a cool change has begun for the weekend with scattered showers likely continuing.

• Driver fined $1,000 after buttering bagel at the wheel

  Police said the 29-year-old was caught driving with his knees while buttering the ring-shaped bread roll in the regional city of Toowoomba on Monday afternoon.

• Toowoomba Hospital maternity review fails to answer mother's concerns

  After the traumatic birth of her son, Ashleigh Hills says a recent summary review into the Toowoomba Hospital has not done enough to address concerns.

• Review finds maternity unit problems persist at Toowoomba Hospital

  Longstanding issues at Toowoomba Hospital's troubled maternity unit are yet to be resolved, according to an independent review of the ward.  

• Spinning mill blueprint could provide path to manufacturing revival

  Companies can use a blueprint created by the country's chief science agency about how to re-establish spinning mills, a vital link missing in Australia's clothing supply, but the fashion industry says it will need significant investment.

• Spring showers forecast for Queensland as dozens of fires burn

  Showers are expected across the east coast on Tuesday as fire crews continue to monitor and contain a number of blazes in parts of the state.

• Queenslanders brace for hot, dry spring but hope for wet summer

  Warm temperatures through Queensland's winter are expected to continue into the first months of spring, while firefighters prepare for heightened fire risk.

• Queensland's former top cop Steve Gollschewski dies aged 67

  The career cop was Queensland's most experienced officer, serving more than four decades on the frontline and leading the response to several major natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Venue apologises for AI flyers that have 'no place' in creative industry

  Chloe Young is facing an uphill battle amid a global AI boom, but some have accepted Young's offer to draw "squiggles" instead of using computer-generated flyers.

• Fire rips through distinctive Queensland highway hotel

  Fire has engulfed Falvey's Sundowner Saloon on the Warrego Highway west of Brisbane, with emergency crews responding to the blaze.  

• Spring sunshine to deliver hot weather for south-east Queensland

  Temperatures up to 33 degrees are forecast for Brisbane this week as winter fades into memory. 

• He's been a soldier and an ambo, but Allan says teaching nearly broke him

  Teachers are demanding change as the number of reported classroom incidents of violence and aggression surges from 776 to 20,833 in four years.  

• Jury discharged in rape trial of competitive bull rider

  After more than eight hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously found Clay Benjamin Hall not guilty of one count of rape but was unable to reach a verdict on a second count.

• Rape trial of competitive bull rider Clay Hall hears closing arguments

  The trial of competitive bull rider Clay Benjamin Hall, charged with the alleged rape of a teenage girl, has heard closing arguments from the prosecution and defence.

• Man on trial for allegedly raping teenage girl in Queensland town

  Clay Benjamin Hall has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape at the beginning of his trial in Warwick District Court.

• Pork industry fraud case raises questions about money laundering risk

  A financial crimes expert says the revelation of large-scale fraud connected to the pork industry raises new questions about the risk of money laundering in food production.

• Queensland graziers pushed to the brink as feed runs dry

  Nearly a month after vast swathes of Queensland were drought declared, pastures are bare, rivers have stopped running, and hay sheds sit empty.

• Four people connected to pork industry charged with financial crimes

  Police allege about $10 million was funnelled out of businesses in the pork meat industry for personal use, and more than $30 million in cash was transported interstate in freight vehicles. 

• What Queenslanders can expect from the weather to start the week

  Only one part of the Queensland coast is expected to avoid passing showers today, while in most inland areas there is a reprieve from high fire danger conditions.

• Creative visionary, respected leaders win at National NAIDOC Week Awards

  The winners of this year's National NAIDOC Week Awards have been revealed in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), with leaders, advocates, artists, educators, innovators and community champions recognised for their work.

• 'All women feel it': Four killed in alleged violence in less than two months in Qld

  Four women have been killed in alleged violent incidents in Queensland in less than two months, a statistic that advocates say should unite the community in grief.

• 'Pack a poncho': Gusty winds and short storms for south-east corner

  South-eastern and central Queensland may see thunderstorms on Monday, with strong winds and short, sharp rainfall with "meagre" totals. With some regions enjoying an Ekka public holiday, they are advised to "pack a poncho".

• Jana Armstrong's family says her son will know 'just how special mum was'

  A month after her alleged murder, Jana Armstrong has been laid to rest beside her parents at Millmerran after a moving service at the small country hall.