As it happened: Brisbane on November 15

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard has given an update on the state’s latest COVID wave, pushing back on calls from the Australian Medical Association of Queensland for a return of mask-wearing.

Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard fronts a briefing in Brisbane.Credit: Brisbane Times/Matt Dennien

He told journalists at a briefing in Brisbane that the wave started four weeks ago, with 221 patients in public hospitals, but appeared to be in line with the trend of waves becoming less severe.

Two people are in intensive care and there have been no deaths.

Gerrard said people becoming ill were largely those over 65 who had not received a booster this year — something he urged them to do.

“That would be disproportionate to the level of risk,” he said of calls for a general return of public mask wearing, but asked people to respect the desires of individual health facilities or households.

Thanks for joining us today. We’ll be back with you tomorrow morning. In case you’ve missed them, here’s a look back at today’s top stories:

• Translink’s beleaguered public transport trip-planning app will be binned and a new version rolled out within months.
• Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard has given an update on the state’s latest COVID wave.
• Hundreds of construction workers have marched on Queensland parliament to call on the Labor government to take action on workplace safety issues.
• Leongatha woman Erin Patterson, who is accused of poisoning family members with mushrooms, has sold her property in Mount Waverley for an undisclosed price.

Some of the stars on the ARIAs red carpet.Credit: Getty

In entertainment, Australia’s hottest music acts have assembled for this evening’s ARIA awards night. And many have certainly dressed for the part.

And in sport, As the NRL considers raids on rugby stars, Phil Waugh says the 15-man game won’t be cutting any more Joseph Suaalii-sized cheques.

And India have been accused of micromanaging pitch conditions for their World Cup campaign, including switching surfaces for Wednesday’s semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai.

Brisbane has so far avoided the storms initially thought likely after temperatures topped 30 degrees at lunchtime.

The temperature in Brisbane hit 31.2 degrees at 11am - Amberley recorded 37.4 degrees at 1.30pm - and the latest radar images had only patchy clouds moving over the south-east. The city could still see storms this evening.

While there were reports of a house damaged by a storm at Winya, near Wivenhoe Dam, the Bureau of Meteorology this afternoon cancelled severe thunderstorm warnings for the Wide Bay and Burnett, Somerset, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay areas.

The storm alerts came as Suncorp Insurance and the Queensland State Emergency Service released a list of the areas with the most weather-related claims in 2022-23.

Areas in the Wide Bay region topped the list, while areas around Toowoomba, Gladstone and Yeppoon also featured.

Work on a new multipurpose hall for Oakleigh State School in Ashgrove has ground to a halt after the contractor was placed into administration and a liquidator appointed.

Lloyd Group (QLD) Pty Ltd had completed another education project at Runcorn State School in July but was unable to continue at Oakleigh.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said that after advice from the liquidator, the department was looking to engage a new contractor to continue the project.

Hundreds of construction workers have marched on Queensland parliament to call on the Labor government to take action on workplace safety issues.

The rally was led by the family of 17-year-old Tyler Whitton, an apprentice who died on a Brisbane construction site in September – one of several recent workplace fatalities.

CFMEU members, not shy of agitating against Labor, are calling on the government to hold an independent review into the Office of Industrial Relations and an overhaul of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.

“Workers now know exactly where they stand with a missing-in-action minister for industrial relations and an out-of-touch premier,” state secretary Michael Ravbar said in a statement. “They will not forgive or forget this betrayal.”

Phrases displayed on an electronic sign at the protest included “it’s a dis-Grace Grace” in reference to the industrial relations minister and warned Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk that “October 2024 is looming” – a reference to the next state election.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard has given an update on the state’s latest COVID wave, pushing back on calls from the Australian Medical Association of Queensland for a return of mask-wearing.

Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard fronts a briefing in Brisbane.Credit: Brisbane Times/Matt Dennien

He told journalists at a briefing in Brisbane that the wave started four weeks ago, with 221 patients in public hospitals, but appeared to be in line with the trend of waves becoming less severe.

Two people are in intensive care and there have been no deaths.

Gerrard said people becoming ill were largely those over 65 who had not received a booster this year — something he urged them to do.

“That would be disproportionate to the level of risk,” he said of calls for a general return of public mask wearing, but asked people to respect the desires of individual health facilities or households.

In a first for an Australian university, QUT will establish a Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture to expand its current education and research programs in the field.

The new faculty, launching next year, will begin accepting students in 2025 with the hope of doubling its number of Indigenous Australian students within the next five years.

QUT vice-chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said this was a pivotal step in the evolution of the QUT Indigenous Australians strategy, spanning education, research and engagement.

“We recognise the importance of hearing and supporting Indigenous voices in our university and to encourage more students, we need to offer further welcoming spaces of learning and support,” she said.

“The development of a dedicated Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture will be an Australian-first and further signal the QUT commitment to provide a focused academic home to drive change and provide a high-profile connection point for community, scholars and students.”

Brisbane is in the firing line for severe storms today, as the city continues to swelter with temperatures hitting 31 degrees by 11am.

Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Daniel Hayes said severe thunderstorms could hit Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast this afternoon and tonight, with warnings of damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain.

Hayes said there could also be very isolated but dangerous storms forming on the Scenic Rim tomorrow, which might also move across south-east Queensland.

“As we get into the weekend, we see that activity start to drop off,” he said.

Queensland’s two state Greens MPs have been found in contempt of parliament by a vote of their cross-party colleagues after refusing to apologise for actions subject to separate ethics committee probes.

As a result of the motion moved by Labor’s leader of the house Yvette D’Ath late last night, South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon has been banned from the parliament precinct for today’s sitting day.

Maiwar MP Michael Berkman has been referred back to the ethics committee – which initially made no recommendation around penalties – for further consideration of “what action should be taken against” him.

Berkman had been accused of misconduct for leaving the chamber rather than withdrawing comments during D’Ath’s contribution to debate on Labor’s March youth justice crackdown, suggesting the government was “proudly locking up more children” – something D’Ath took “personal offence” to and ultimately requiring withdrawal under parliament’s rules.

MacMahon had been referred to the ethics committee, made up of Labor and LNP MPs and able to recommend penalties including fines, after three recent attempts to introduce revenue-raising bills which under conventions can only come from the government.