As it happened: Brisbane on Monday, June 30

Thanks for joining us today for our live coverage of news in Brisbane and beyond. We’ll be back tomorrow morning. If you’re just catching up, here are some of the big stories that made headlines today.

The most significant shake-up of Brisbane’s bus network in years has taken effect, with more than 150 routes changing and a new Metro route starting.

A senior public servant has been found to have committed corrupt conduct after she promoted her sister’s fiance for a high-ranking position in Home Affairs in the first public investigation completed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission in its two years of operation.

Health insurance giant Bupa has admitted it has misled thousands of customers about their entitlements for more than five years, leading some to forgo medical treatments and leaving others out of pocket by thousands of dollars.

Pheobe Bishop, the 17-year-old allegedly murdered by her housemates, will be laid to rest in a funeral service in the southern Queensland city of Bundaberg this afternoon.

The cottage of one of Ascot’s most cherished locals has changed hands for an eye-watering $3.05 million – marking the end of a 60-year chapter for a man known for serenading strangers and handing out flowers.

And two years after announcing his State of Origin retirement, Josh Papalii has answered a stunning SOS from Queensland coach Billy Slater and will lead the Maroons pack into the series decider.

The cottage of one of Ascot’s most cherished locals has changed hands for an eye-watering $3.05 million – marking the end of a 60-year chapter for a man known for serenading strangers and handing out flowers.

Affectionately dubbed “Ken’s home” by the community, the three-bedroom, one-bathroom near-original cottage at 33 Ascot Street sold at a packed in-room auction after five bidders battled for the rare slice of real estate history.

The Ascot icon – who now lives in an aged-care facility – raised his family in the heritage cottage, which sits on a 617 square metre block. The house has remained almost untouched for six decades – yet it sold for almost a third more than the suburb’s median house price of $2.38 million.

Read the full story.

A group set to take over the floundering Brisbane Queen’s Wharf casino and hotel is now threatening to walk away from the deal.

Star Entertainment has been under significant financial pressure, and an agreement for existing part-owners Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium to buy out the complex was expected to bring relief.

Star told the stock market today the investors had terminated a preliminary document outlining terms.Credit: Glenn Campbell

Star told the stock market today the investors had terminated a preliminary document outlining terms, meaning the deal will collapse in five days unless a new agreement can be reached.

“This morning, The Star received from the Joint Venture Partners a notice to terminate the HoA,” a statement to the ASX said. “Despite the receipt of this notice, The Star remains willing to continue negotiations.”

The Australian Financial Review reports insiders at the casino believe the move is a negotiating tactic, with parts of the original agreement in dispute.

Last week, Star shareholders approved a $300 million rescue deal from US suitor Bally’s and pokies billionaire Bruce Mathieson who will tip in $100 million as part of the rescue.

Earlier, Star’s lawyers told a Federal Court hearing that it might not survive a penalty for money laundering failures if financial crime watchdog AUSTRAC succeeds with a proposed $400 million penalty. Star argued that there is no certainty it could fund a $100 million fine, which it argued was more appropriate. The court has yet to hand down its decision.

Star has been embroiled in a spiralling financial crisis since last year as gambling revenue fell and regulatory costs mounted following a run of scandals – including revelations of facilitating money laundering and allowing organised crime to operate on its premises – which led to the loss of all three casino licences.

A Logan man was arrested by police on the weekend in the streets of Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, with officers alleging he was carrying weapons including a meat cleaver, a loaded gun, and a taser.

Police arrested the 37-year-old after responding to reports of a man, wanted on other matters, being armed and making threats near a King Street address on Saturday.

The man was arrested in Buderim on Saturday.Credit: Queensland Police

The man tried to leave the area, police said, but was intercepted by officers. Vision of the arrest shows officers yelling “hands up, armed police!” before the man drops to the ground beside a car.

Inside the man’s bag, police allege they found a homemade firearm, a taser, and a meat cleaver.

He was charged with a range of weapon and drug offences and is scheduled to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court today.

Queensland’s largest green hydrogen project near Gladstone has been abandoned following the collapse of the inter­national consortium behind it.

The state-owned Stanwell Corporation has ended all involvement in the $12.5 billion Central Queensland Hydrogen Project (CQ-H2), which was designed to export green hydrogen and ammonia to Japan and Singapore.

The axed Central Queensland Hydrogen Project.

“Stanwell has discontinued its involvement in the Central Queensland Hydrogen Project (CQ-H2) project and other hydrogen development activities,” the company said in a statement.

“The CQ-H2 project has been a valuable international collaboration that has provided important technical and commercial knowledge to support the future large-scale commercialisation of renewable hydrogen.”

It comes after the LNP state government pulled its financial support of the project, rejecting a request from Stanwell for $1.6 billion earlier this year.

What is hydrogen and how is it used?

Through a process called electrolysis, high voltage electricity is used to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water, resulting in hydrogen gas.

It can be used in power stations, providing a reliable energy source to “fill the gaps” when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing. Hydrogen also has potential uses in long-distance transport – road, rail, sea, and air – where electricity and batteries are not suitable. Filling up a vehicle with hydrogen is just like filling it with petrol or LPG and takes a similar amount of time.

Translink’s online journey planner is back online after it crashed during the first morning of massive bus route changes across the city.

A Translink spokesman said the website crashed for about 40 minutes as commuters were navigating the changes to bus routes.

The cause of the website glitch is “still under investigation”, the spokesman said.

The first morning of the new Brisbane Metro bus services.Credit: William Davis

Here’s what you need to know about the bus network shake-up.

A “free-spirited” teenager allegedly murdered by her housemates will be laid to rest in a funeral service in Bundaberg this afternoon.

Family and friends have been asked to wear bright colours to farewell Pheobe Bishop, six weeks after the 17-year-old disappeared.

Queensland teenager Pheobe Bishop.

Pheobe was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.

Queensland Police allege her housemates, Tanika Bromley and James Wood, drove Pheobe close to the airport in a grey Hyundai, but no one left the car.

Pheobe was allegedly murdered and her body was moved more than once from the Good Night Scrub National Park, an hour’s drive from the airport.

Pheobe’s mother, Kylie Johnson, told the ABC she was “devastated this is something we have had to navigate”.

“I would tell people to hug their kids a little tighter, tell them you love them multiple times a day, watch that silly movie, dance to the song and capture every moment in your memories,” she said in a statement.

The family has requested a “media blackout” during today’s funeral service.

Wood, 34, and Bromley, 33, remain behind bars to face court on August 11, charged with murder and interfering with a corpse.

AAP

Queensland coach Billy Slater has sprung two more Origin selection shocks, recalling Josh Papalii out of representative retirement and handing a surprise Maroons debut to journeyman Gehamat Shibasaki for Wednesday’s series decider.

Watch his press conference live, below:

Read more here.

Stan Sport will broadcast both the English Premier League and FA Cup until 2028 in a deal agreed between parent company Nine and telecommunications giant Optus.

The deal ends a nine-year association between the Premier League, one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, and Optus – with all 380 matches to stream live and on-demand on Stan Sport.

Nine, through Stan, will pay Optus an upfront fee of $20 million and make an upfront contribution to the next $100 million instalment of the deal, it told the ASX on Monday morning, with Optus then to make periodic payments to Nine through until the end of the current rights deal.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates by taking a selfie after the team won the English Premier League.Credit: AP

Last week, The Australian Financial Review reported that Optus will subsidise $40 million of the annual $100 million outlay. More than half of Optus Sport’s estimated 700,000 subscribers are not signed up to Stan Sport at present, the company determined through due diligence.

“This marks a step change in Nine’s digital growth strategy,” said Nine chief executive Matt Stanton.

“The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet, and alongside the Emirates FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nine’s position as the home of sport in Australia. We are proud to deliver these iconic competitions to Australian audiences through Stan Sport.”

The card readers on the new Metro bendy buses are not working this morning, but commuters seem hardly upset about free travel on this grey, drizzly Monday.

Under the new Metro system, travellers are required to change buses midway through their journey on the busway.

It was a free journey for most commuters on the new Metro services on Monday morning.Credit: William Davis

Councillor Ryan Murphy has assured commuters this morning they will still be charged only 50 cents, no matter how many buses they catch on one journey.

“If they are changing, it’s still just the 50 cents,” Murphy told ABC Radio this morning.

“The smartcard system ... picks up when you’re doing a transfer … and so ... even if you have to transfer three times, God forbid, you will only be charged the 50 cents fare.”