As it happened: Brisbane on Monday, September 30

Brisbane’s new underground CBD train station will be known as Albert Street station, for the time being, due to concerns about spelling should the city’s traditional name Meanjin be adopted.

The under-construction Albert Street train station will be operational once Cross River rail is completed in 2026, making it the first new station for the CBD in more than 120 years.

An artist’s impression of the new Albert Street station.

But leading public transport advocate, Robert Dow from Rail Back on Track, spearheaded a push to name the station Meanjin, in honour of the First Nations’ name for the land on which Brisbane was built, after Sydney’s Pitt Street metro station was named Gadigal.

His suggestion garnered significant support and the government received hundreds of detailed submissions for a name that included Meanjin.

But consultation with traditional owners revealed differences in opinion over the spelling, provenance and pronunciation of an Indigenous name for Brisbane, the state government said.

Meanjin can also be spelt Meeanjin and Magan-djin. The FIFA Women’s World Cup used the spelling Meaanjin last year, while the Brisbane Festival adopted the spelling Maganjin in its night drone show earlier this month.

“Until such time as this can be clarified, the government feels it would be inappropriate to take the idea forward,” the government said in a statement today.

Thank you for joining us on this Monday. We will be back tomorrow when the state’s politicians officially board their campaign buses ahead of the October 26 election, so do join us.

Here are some of the stories that made headlines today:

With just one more sleep until the state election period begins proper, Premier Steven Miles returned to a bus depot set to make 200 buses. Miles, his deputy Cameron Dick, Transport Minister Bart Mellish and Belle Brookfield (Labor’s candidate for Clayfield, where the media event was held) took the opportunity to spruik 50-cent fares and manufacturing jobs.

Asked about another new poll today, published by the Australian Financial Review, showing support for Labor still well behind that of the LNP, Miles said the result was nothing new. Miles has already claimed underdog status in this election.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli was in Cairns, where he made a $100 million early intervention pledge for young offenders, and committed $600,000 to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

The owner of the Woolloongabba wedding venue The Lussh has revealed she had no fire insurance before a massive inferno destroyed the heritage-listed building.

Brisbane’s new underground CBD train station will be known as Albert Street station, for the time being, despite other suggestions including Meanjin.

An 18-year-old man from Robina has been charged with unlawful striking causing death over an incident at Burleigh Heads on September 22. The victim, 22-year-old Cameron Duce died in hospital on Saturday.

In sports news this morning, lightning Queensland Reds winger Tim Ryan inked a two-year deal to remain at Ballymore until the end of the 2026 season.

More than 4 million television viewers watched the Brisbane Lions’ 60-point thrashing of the Sydney Swans on Saturday – the most watched AFL grand final since 2021.

In today’s Perspective, we learnt that when it comes to showing appreciation for your child’s teacher, apples are old hat – Apple AirPods is where it’s at. But are expensive gifts really what our educators want?

And, our food editor Matt Shea took a sneak peek of the completely reimagined Byblos restaurant.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has given tacit approval of his deputy’s attack on Treasurer Cameron Dick, made yesterday during the LNP’s announcement it would ensure GPs retained their payroll tax exemption.

Jarrod Bleijie went on a Trumpian tirade against the Treasurer yesterday, calling him “dodgy Dick” and a “loser”, while at the same time refusing to debate him.

Asked whether Bleijie’s comments were fair, Crisafulli said simply: “I don’t spend a lot of my time thinking about Cameron Dick, I assure you.”

The election campaign will officially start on Tuesday.

Brisbane’s new underground CBD train station will be known as Albert Street station, for the time being, due to concerns about spelling should the city’s traditional name Meanjin be adopted.

The under-construction Albert Street train station will be operational once Cross River rail is completed in 2026, making it the first new station for the CBD in more than 120 years.

An artist’s impression of the new Albert Street station.

But leading public transport advocate, Robert Dow from Rail Back on Track, spearheaded a push to name the station Meanjin, in honour of the First Nations’ name for the land on which Brisbane was built, after Sydney’s Pitt Street metro station was named Gadigal.

His suggestion garnered significant support and the government received hundreds of detailed submissions for a name that included Meanjin.

But consultation with traditional owners revealed differences in opinion over the spelling, provenance and pronunciation of an Indigenous name for Brisbane, the state government said.

Meanjin can also be spelt Meeanjin and Magan-djin. The FIFA Women’s World Cup used the spelling Meaanjin last year, while the Brisbane Festival adopted the spelling Maganjin in its night drone show earlier this month.

“Until such time as this can be clarified, the government feels it would be inappropriate to take the idea forward,” the government said in a statement today.

A man is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on October 14 after being charged with possessing a restricted item and threatening the safety of an aircraft.

In a statement, the Queensland Police Service said its POLAIR helicopter was patrolling over the Gold Coast on Sunday night when it was targeted in an “alleged laser strike incident”.

A police vehicle was dispatched to an address in Labrador where a 73-year-old man allegedly admitted to pointing a laser at the aircraft.

An 18-year-old man from Robina has been charged with unlawful striking causing death over an incident at Burleigh Heads on September 22.

In a statement, the Queensland Police Service said officers had launched a homicide investigation after the victim, a 22-year-old from Nerang, died in hospital on Saturday.

The victim was identified by family members as Cameron Duce. In a Facebook post, Cameron’s father Chris expressed their grief and also appreciation for “the amount of love shown for our boy from everyone who was ever lucky enough to have shared his warm, funny, considerate and caring personality”.

“But nothing will ever replace the massive hole left in our lives with the passing of our beautiful son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, and one of the best people anyone could have ever called a mate,” Mr Duce wrote.

The 18-year-old alleged to have committed the assault is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police are investigating whether a missing NSW woman and her four children, including a two-week-old baby, may be in Queensland.

The young family has been missing from the NSW town of Goulbourn since Friday.

Rochelle Watts, 35, and her four children have been missing from Goulburn since Friday.Credit: NSW Police

Authorities have serious concerns about Rochelle Watts, 35, her two sons, aged 15 and 10, and two daughters, aged eight and two weeks. The family’s German shepherd, Elsa, is also believed to be with them.

Police received concerns for Watts’ welfare after she was last seen in Goulburn about 2.30pm Friday.

Watts is known to spend time in the Goulburn and Tirrannaville areas, but police are also investigating a report the woman and her children may be in Murgon, Queensland, about 3½ hours north of Brisbane.

Watts is described as being 165 centimetres tall, with red hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with information about Watts and her children’s whereabouts is urged to contact Goulburn Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A young woman who used a machete to slash a mother’s shoulder during a brawl has been warned by a judge never to repeat such “extremely dangerous” offending.

Shard’e Shanikwa Austin, 22, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Monday to one count each of common assault and grievous bodily harm.

Crown prosecutor Carla Ahern said a mother had been fighting with her daughter, who had been caught with cannabis, on the front lawn of Austin’s home at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane’s south on December 19, 2022.

“The defendant approached the [mother] with a machete and struck her on the shoulder. She sustained injuries but fortunately only required sutures [for] a 10-centimetre laceration to the shoulder,” Ahern said.

Judge Nathan Jarro sentenced Austin to three years’ imprisonment but ordered that she be released immediately on parole after spending nine-and-a-half months in custody.

AAP

Turning from crime to on-water matters, state opposition environment spokesman Sam O’Connor said an LNP government would commit $600,000 to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre so it could set up a new facility on Green Island.

It would house turtles recovering from disease or serious injury, caused by ingesting marine debris, entanglement in fishing nets or being struck by a boat, for up to two years.

Queensland Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli during a visit to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Monday.Credit: Cameron Atfield

“We know that there are six of the seven turtle species worldwide found here on the Great Barrier Reef in this region, and the turtle rehabilitation centre has runs on board,” he said.

“They’ve been operating for two decades. They’ve helped hundreds of turtles in that time, and they’re really good, importantly, at engaging with the community.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has kicked off the LNP’s campaign proper in Cairns, where he made a $100 million early intervention pledge for young offenders.

Speaking at The Chambers bar and restaurant, which fell victim to a recent vandalism attack, Crisafulli said $50 million of the four-year commitment would go towards proven initiatives, with strict key performance indicators and regular reporting.

Queensland Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli on the hustings in Cairns.Credit: Cameron Atfield

The other $50 million would be a “kick-starter” program to source the best new ideas from Australia and around the world to keep young people from a life of crime.

“We want to drive down youth crime before it begins,” he said.

“We want to have less victims in this state, and we’re determined to make sure that those people who are providing early intervention can do so to deliver hope for young people.”

In Brisbane, Treasurer Cameron Dick was less than impressed with the LNP’s $50 million “global hunt” for the best new early intervention program.

“They’ve had four years to come up with a real, detailed, evidence-based policy for Queensland, and the LNP have squandered those four years,” Dick said, pointing to his government’s own community safety plan.

With just one more sleep until Premier Steven Miles and other Labor figures head off on the campaign bus, the government has returned to a depot set to make 200 buses.

Miles, his deputy Cameron Dick, Transport Minister Bart Mellish and Belle Brookfield (Labor’s candidate for Clayfield, where the media event was held) took the opportunity to spruik 50-cent fares and manufacturing jobs.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish, Treasurer Cameron Dick, Labor’s Clayfield candidate Belle Brookfield, and Premier Steven Miles tour the bus manufacturing facility at Eagle Farm.Credit: Matt Dennien

Asked about another new poll today, published by the Australian Financial Review, showing support for Labor still well behind that of the LNP, Miles said the result was nothing new.

Miles, who has already claimed underdog status, warned the poll meant LNP leader David Crisafulli “could have an easy run”.

“And you know he believes that. There’s a reason he’s behaving the way he is – he thinks this election is going to be easy. But we’ve barely even started, and with four weeks to go, I can assure you that this election will be much, much harder for him than he realises.”