Townsville Bulletin
SAIL INTO HISTORY
The Magnetic Island Race Week has sold out of competitor registrations in a record eight minutes. This year the event will feature a packed social calendar as it looks to bring in more tourism dollars than ever before.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SEX VIDEO ALLEGATION
A former army soldier accused of messaging a 14-year-old girl and offering money for sexual favours, showed her a sex act on video, a court has heard as his trial on child exploitation material charges began.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Kieran Keyes resigns as chief operating officer HOSPITAL BOSS GONE RENOWNED AUTHOR CAMERAS ROLL VISITS THE VILLE ON FILM FEST FRANCES WHITING EVENT, P3 FULL DETAILS, P5
Townsville University Hospital chief operating officer Kieran Keyes has quit to pursue a “change in professional direction.” The departure comes after a period of recent leave for Mr Keyes. In an email to staff, board chairman Tony Mooney said he...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cops fail test, then axe it
Queensland Police is working to find a replacement for a crucial integrity survey which has been scrapped just as results show the service is falling short of its own public trust targets. The QPS Service Delivery Report – released in the 2026-27...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
RAPIST HAD NO REMORSE
A disgraced Townsville real estate agent has been jailed for nine years after using his power as a caretaker to wage a “brazen” campaign of sexual violence against four women. Alexander Terry, 69, sat emotionless in the District Court as Judge...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
READY TO ROAR
Australia’s best drivers will descend on the city as the Townsville 500 prepares to set hearts racing again.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Uni’s $12m name change stir
A Queensland university’s mooted name change away from its “complex” but “historical” roots would cost up to $12m, an internal report has revealed. It’s believed that cost would have been passed on to students. The report into James Cook University...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
Squeeze on prison system
The state government’s toughon-crime agenda is colliding with an underfunded and poorly resourced prison system that is failing to rehabilitate offenders, a shocking report has revealed. In a blunt assessment of the state’s prison system, the...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
BY THE RIVERSIDE
Kim Mostyn sent in this snap of the Ross River flowing through Mundingburra.
Read Full Story (Page 2)
PRICES HIT THE ROOF
New data has heaped fresh pain on aspiring homeowners, with Townsville now ranked as the most expensive city to build a house in the nation. The northern capital has seen construction costs grow rapidly over the past few years, with builders bearing...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FISH OUT OF WATER
Secret plans could be underway to uproot the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium from its current location, with an insider revealing that the Reef Authority may abandon its historic city site over fears it’s no longer an appropriate spot. Despite holding a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TRAGIC CRASH
Two more lives have been lost on the notorious Bruce Highway, while there are grave fears for another person following a separate crash on a private property hours later. A man and woman, both from Toobanna, were killed in a collision between a Toyota...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Loan deal to save careers
Thousands of jobs have been safeguarded through a landmark deal involving the federal and state governments. Both levels of government will chip in for a $160 million loan to ensure the Phosphate Hill fertiliser facility continues to operate. Phosphate...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
E-SCOOTER THUGS
A 10-year-old boy faces an uncertain road to recovery after an e-scooter struck him in a hit-and-run right outside his school. Young Cooper was walking his push scooter when the rider collided with him, causing severe facial fractures and lacerations.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Mothballed mine back to life
Once regarded as a cornerstone of Queensland’s gold and silver sectors, a prominent NQ mine has been brought back to life, giving an immediate economic and employment jolt to the region after it was mothballed three years ago. Mount Carlton Mine,...
Read Full Story (Page 4)
FOOTBALL FEVER
Townsville is set to play host to one of the Socceroos first home games following the World Cup. Queensland Country Bank stadium will be the grounds for one of two blockbuster match-ups with Brazil later this year in a major coup for the region.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Screw’s drug supply deal
A corrections officer abused his position to act as a middle man in a prison drug supply operation in exchange for money. Townsville District Court was told Jade Morris Prior had been working at Townsville Correctional Centre for about seven months...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SUNSET STUNNER
This gorgeous photo was taken in Cleveland Bay, on the way home from a fishing trip. Smoke haze from Cape Cleveland fire caused effect. Picture: Terry Mcgeachin
Read Full Story (Page 4)
RAPE TRIAL BREAKS JURY
Holly Fishlock A jury’s deliberation was so gruelling that one member asked to leave the trial completely. It took about 26 hours for a jury of six men and six women to finalise their decisions following a 13-day trial of a real estate agent accused...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PRETTY IN PINK
Julie Lyne snapped this stunning shot of Anderson Park on May 25.
Read Full Story (Page 2)
BANDIT’S BIZARRE CHECKLIST
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after threatening to stab a Mount Louisa bottle shop employee during a brazen armed robbery. Begat Jaafer Deng pleaded guilty in Townsville District Court to the August 2025...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
KING OF THE NORTH
BUY THE BULLETIN EVERYDAY THIS WEEK TO COLLECT LIFE-SIZE POSTER OF BIG JASE
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ABUSED AT WORK
The union representing Cleveland Youth Detention Centre employees say staff are being subjected to “violent assaults on an unprecedented level” with more than 210 claims made for workers compensation in 18 months. Of the claims made, 185 were...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COPS, THHS CLEARED IN FINDINGS
Townsville Health and Hospital Service and Queensland Police have been cleared of blame in the lead-up to the fatal shooting of suicidal army veteran Steven Angus in 2023. The Coroners Court did, however, make two recommendations to help Queensland...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Accused rapist bonded with victim over cancer
A North Queensland businessman on trial for multiple sexual offences told a jury he shared news of his prostate surgery with his accuser before they engaged in consensual sex. Alexander James Macdonald Terry, who has pleaded not guilty, told the court...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RATES SET TO RISE
Townsville property owners will face increased rates as part of the 2026/27 budget, driven by the rising costs of fuel and service delivery. The council will increase its rates despite successfully finding $16 million in savings. Mayor Nick Dametto...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HOW’S THE SERENITY?
A beautiful shot from The Strand, taken behind the Tobruk Pool kiosk with a view to Magnetic Island. Beautiful one day ... perfect the next. Photo by: Maria Truscott
Read Full Story (Page 4)
CONNECT THE DOTS
Urban planning experts are warning Townsville risks wasting the opportunity provided by the upcoming Olympics. They’re urging decision-makers to invest in the city’s future and ensure a connected cityscape that’s ready to grow.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Let’s get ready to rumble
Skateboarders from Townsville and interstate are ready to tear it this weekend as they take part in the Rumble Rodeo Skate Series. The event will be held at the Murray Skate Park in Annandale, with around 50 skaters – as young as five years old, to...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
EX-US POLLIE SAYS GOLD MINE A ‘MESS’
A former US congressman, who is a substantial shareholder in a Queensland gold miner, has blasted the company’s bid to change auditors after only eight months while taking aim at its performance. Alan Grayson is an investor in Asx-listed Citigold...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OUT OF THE ASHES
A selfless Townsville family who lost all of their possessions in a horrific house fire plans to relocate to Brisbane due to the trauma of the ordeal, with thousands of dollars already raised to help them move on. Mum Katie says while her family...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CBD SEA CHANGE
A dramatic new vision for how the city’s waterfront could reignite the CBD and turn Townsville into a jewel has been unveiled.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COPS SWEAT OVER LEAK
Highly sensitive personal details of serving Townsville police officers have been compromised in a massive security breach at a local fitness centre. The names, phone numbers and home addresses of Strand Fitness members were discovered on a USB drive...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
YACHT SO FAST
An audacious alleged plot to smuggle a Townsville fugitive out of the country on a luxury yacht was crushed by police. The drama unfolded 53km off the West Australian coast on Monday, when police intercepted a vessel allegedly bound for Indonesia. On...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PLEA TO SAVE MUM
First came a devastating cyclone, then a tragic family cancer diagnosis. Now, a Townsville single mother is facing the battle of her life against a brain tumour. Her academically gifted 16year-old daughter is rallying the community to keep their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LIGHTS, CAMERA INACTION
North Queensland is pleading for funding to upgrade sporting facilities - warning it risks losing vital economic and athletic opportunities ahead of the Olympics. Despite repeated political pledges, venues like Riverway Stadium and Murray Sporting...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BUSH MATTERS
The largest conversation between the bush and powerbrokers starts today, as News Corp Australia launches its 2026 Bush Summit campaign. Regional Australians can have their say on issues that matter most in a new poll, which will help frame debate at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Urbis Managing Partner James Tuma
“The Olympics frames a choice about whether this is treated as an opportunity to host an event, or as a platform to lift how the city performs in attracting people, capital and attention.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LIFE SENTENCE LIFTED
A Townsville man sentenced to life behind bars for the fatal 2021 stabbing of his roommate has secured a fresh trial. Greg David Mclellan’s murder conviction has been sensationally quashed by the Queensland Court of Appeal after justices found flawed...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
AGEING HORRIBLY
A decaying, asbestos-riddled former aged care facility has become a “dangerous eyesore” and a haven for criminal activity, sparking fed-up locals to demand its immediate demolition. The abandoned Blue Care Pallarenda Garden Settlement site has been...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FARMERS’ BAD MOO-VE
Six cows crossing the Burdekin River sparked a major police raid involving search warrants, drone footage, and livestock DNA profiling. A 58-year-old local miner-turned-farmer pleaded guilty to stealing and unlawfully using livestock.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
JUST BUILD IT
The push to transform Townsville’s prominent Reef HQ “eyesore” has received a massive boost from a federal committee, though the Reef Authority warns construction cannot begin until late June at the earliest. The former Reef HQ site has sat dormant...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
UP THE COWBOYS
Taken on Sunday May 24, moments before the North Queensland Cowboys defeated the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Photo by: Julie Lyne
Read Full Story (Page 2)
ONE LAST TIME
Organisers will say a bittersweet farewell to the Jennifer Board Memorial Football Carnival this year, as personal commitments force her friends to scale back what has become an annual charity event. The tournament was started after Ms Board was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TAXPAYER DRUG DEN
A Townsville mum has exposed the sheer hell of living beside a stateowned property that has descended into a blatant “drive-through drug den.” Speaking anonymously, the mother-of-two revealed her family has been trapped indoors since February 2019, too...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Workers become new shareholders
A commitment to growth in North Queensland has led to a Townsville business welcome new shareholders. Consultancy firm Brazier Motti has given the opportunity to six of its long-term employees – four based in Townsville – to become shareholders in the...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
BOLD BID TO BE DEFENCE BEDROCK
Townsville is poised to become the undisputed base of Australia’s defence force under a plan to transform it into the nation’s military launch-pad.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RODEO STAR AVOIDS JAIL
Rising bull rider Willoughby Clint Young, who once represented Australia on the international stage, has walked free from court after a drunken crash that injured a passenger. The 21-year-old crashed on his way to the bottle-o.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RAISING THE ROOF
A critical housing shortage in North Queensland is threatening to derail half of the region’s $40 billion investment pipeline, peak economic body Townsville Enterprise has warned. Despite local home building hitting a five-year high, new analysis...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SOUL of LIGHT
The young tourist tragically killed in the latest horrific bus crash on the Bruce Highway has been identified. Argentinian and Italian national Serena Andreatta had held a lifelong dream to travel to Australia according to her close friends, who...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
1RAR Band tune up for Sunset Vibes
With family and friends in the front row, musician Miella Sartori can’t wait to be belting out her favourite songs at the 1RAR Band Sunset Vibes concert tonight. The much-loved free concert is at the Crossed Boomerang Amphitheatre at Jezzine Barracks...
Read Full Story (Page 3)
Two critical in bus crash
Two people are fighting for their lives and dozens more are injured after a bus carrying 29 passengers overturned in a mass casualty disaster on the Bruce Highway Thursday afternoon. The Bruce Highway was closed in both directions near Rangemore Road,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CAR THIEVES RAM OWNER
Townsville’s youth crime crisis has hit a terrifying new chapter after “insane” CCTV footage captured a local resident narrowly cheating death at the hands of alleged car thieves. The shocking video, filmed at 7am Monday on Gilbert Crescent, shows the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
North Queensland misses out in the budget of broken promises IT’S GRIM JIM
North Queensland has been left wanting after the federal government failed to deliver any meaningful commitments for the region, with Senator Susan Mcdonald describing it as “devastating”. One MP said Labor was trying to “distract families” with tax...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WET SEASON
Angela Burling snapped this picture of the Burdekin Dam flowing over the spillway.
Read Full Story (Page 4)
18-HOUR SHIFTS AT NQ PRISON
Staff at Townsville’s plagued correctional centre are being peppered with requests to come in early, stay longer, and sign up for 18-hour shifts, despite the government claiming the workplace is “staffed appropriately”. Sources say the requests are...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NEW RETAIL HUB ON THE CARDS
Townsville’s North Shore is set for a massive retail upgrade with the second stage of the 65,000sq m town centre ready. Designed to be the commercial heart of the community, the precinct will feature a discount department store and supermarket. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DRIVER WALKS FREE
A Greyhound bus driver has been cleared of all charges following a horror triple-fatality crash on the Bruce Highway, bringing an emotional trial to a close in the Townsville District Court. Late Thursday afternoon, a jury found Peter Jason Cafe not...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CLEAR BLUE
Angela Burling snapped this picture on a beautiful day at Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island.
Read Full Story (Page 2)
GRAND THEFT KIDDO
BATESSTORY, A wave of car thefts has left Townsville residents on edge after a 10-year-old child was arrested in connection with a weekend rampage involving 11 stolen vehicles. Between May 1 and May 5, a series of brazen thefts culminated in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SEARCH FOR MILLIONAIRE
A Townsville resident could be a millionaire – but they just don’t know it yet. A whopping $2,139,901.06 is sitting unclaimed from Saturday’s Gold Lotto draw, with the ticket purchased at The Avenues News in Kirwan. A desperate search is under way to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE
Top doctors have warned the future of Australian children is at a critical crossroads and in dire need of worldleading medical research to reverse a situation where an entire generation’s health is now, for the first time, worse than their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘ARE YOU DEAF?’
A leaked video from a meeting between Townsville Hospital and Health Service Board Chairman Tony Mooney (right) has exposed serious issues between staff and leadership after senior medical officers walked out in protest after one of their colleagues...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BUDGET’S $2.7BN BLOWOUT
A scathing audit has uncovered that the ADF’S management of the new Hanwha AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles has led to billion-dollar blowouts, delays and technical risks that could put soldiers’ safety and lethality at risk. The Redbacks are...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MORE CASH FOR COUNCILS
The astronomical cost of running local governments is front and centre of a peak body’s new bid to secure more money for Queensland councils. This comes as Townsville’s mayor reveals the city is facing its “toughest” budget. The Local Government...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
$65M TOWER ON ICE
EXCLUSIVE Plans to build a luxury residential tower project near Ardo have been shelved indefinitely. The Maidment Group revealed there was no path forward for the project with skyrocketing costs and builder availability creating an “undesirable...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
GAZING UPWARD
Angela Burley sent through this snap of our beautiful hill and the surrounding scenery.
Read Full Story (Page 2)
SMART HUB SHUTDOWN
North Queensland faces a crushing brain drain unless funding is secured for Smart Precinct NQ. Operational funding was pulled by Townsville City Council for the venture, as the city attempts to get back into good financial shape. The move will mean...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Premier concedes crime still too high
Premier David Crisafulli has acknowledged that the state government’s efforts to curb youth crime require more work. The admission comes following a Facebook video where Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr acknowledged that current progress was insufficient....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CRIME DATA A ‘WIN’ FOR POLICE
New figures show Townsville is on track for a record-breaking year of reported crimes, which police say is proof their efforts are yielding results. The data reveals 4296 offences were recorded in March, taking the total for the first quarter of 2026...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
STREET LAWS UNDER FIRE
New laws designed to sweep “troublemakers” and people exhibiting anti-social behaviour off Queensland streets have been slammed by critics as nothing more than “kicking the can down the road”. The beefed-up legislation, to bolster the LNP’S crime...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LAWS ON THE AGENDA
Two North Queensland MPS are set to meet with the Attorney-general’s team this week over failing youth crime laws, with one saying “it’s not good enough”. The move comes as the community criticises the LNP over the speed at which adult crime, adult...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Home ransacked, peed in
Just days after his 18th birthday, a North Queensland teenager was allegedly involved in a home break-in which left a home ransacked and urine in a family’s bed. Zjkya Vincent Stockholmboyd appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Thursday via...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
DOCTOR SUES OVER ‘WITCH HUNT’
A Townsville doctor dismissed for alleged time sheet fraud has taken on his former employer in court for unfair dismissal.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
KAP holds forum on BRS arrest
Following an influx of phone calls, Katter’s Australian Party hosted a public forum in Townsville to address community outrage surrounding the high-profile arrest of Ben Roberts-smith. The Battle Initiative CEO Andrew Hovenden highlighted a lack of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)