The top Townsville Bulletin stories from August 2024
Townsville’s mayoral saga continued, two Cowboys stars retired, crime, skyrocketing insurance premiums and the 2024 Bush Summit in Townsville were big news stories in the month of August.
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Townsville’s mayoral saga continued, two Cowboys stars retired, crime, skyrocketing insurance premiums and the 2024 Bush Summit in Townsville were big news stories in the month of August.
AUGUST 1 – Mayor saga en-sue-s
Beleaguered Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson is reportedly suing his own council for “reputational damage” in a move that could cost ratepayers at least $100,000.
Council sources say Mr Thompson told councillors following Friday’s Special Council Meeting, held behind closed doors, that he had launched a claim seeking $100,000, but believed that he would be awarded “much more”.
It’s a claim he has denied.
A source told the Townsville Bulletin that even though Mr Thompson had been paid his $4000-a-week salary during his month-long leave of absence for mental health reasons from June 5, the mayor has “submitted a claim of compensation in the order of $100,000 to the council”.
The source said the claim that Mr Thompson was seeking compensation “from a council already in financial distress is the most insulting thing as a ratepayer that I’ve ever heard”.
It is understood Mr Thompson’s legal action centres around his human rights being breached.
Mr Thompson, who took leave from his job before a council vote of no-confidence in early June, has previously warned that those who have slighted him “should be very concerned”.
AUGUST 2 – Children are lost to the system
Remote Far North communities are creating a lost generation of children who aspire to only to go to Cleveland and then on to Lotus Glen to get “street cred”, as a new Closing The Gap report reveals a troubling report card for young Indigenous men.
The Productivity Commission’s latest Closing The Gap Annual Data Compilation Report released on August 1 shows young Indigenous people in Queensland are going to jail more, are less likely to complete a university degree and more likely to die by suicide than in previous years.
The report also shows the number of Indigenous children removed by child protection is higher than 2019 levels and that less than 40 per cent of Indigenous people in very remote Queensland communities are engaged in employment or education.
Community members say rising offence rates and rising incarcerations are leading to a whole generation of young people aspiring to be like the adults who have been in jail.
AUGUST 3 – Victim feeling betrayed
A Townsville youth crime victim left court feeling let down by the sentencing of the teenage boy who was behind the wheel of a stolen car that ran him over.
Karl Boevink was in court to witness the sentencing of the teenager who, along with other youths, ran him over in a stolen Nissan Navara on October 24.
The incident occurred while Boevink was riding his motorbike down Riverway Dr, Condon, just before midnight.
The impact shattered Boevink’s left shinbone, necessitating emergency surgery and left him with lasting physical and psychological scars.
His injury has forced him to quit the Australian Defence Force, shattering his dreams of rising through the ranks in the Special Forces.
Nine months after the horrific crash, Boevink finally faced the young driver as he was sentenced in Townsville Children’s Court for grievous bodily harm with the use of a motor vehicle.
AUGUST 5 – Park problems ignite
Police have launched a crackdown on appalling anti-social and allegedly criminal behaviour in a notorious Townsville park, with tortured local residents saying they are at their wits’ end.
Queensland Police Service confirmed on Friday that it was “continuing proactive foot patrols in Dean Park as part of ongoing operation to target anti-social behaviour and alcohol-fuelled violence”.
A QPS spokeswoman said officers approached a group of people and disposed of alcohol being consumed in a public place on Thursday night.
She said a man, 39, who refused a direction to leave the park due to disorderly behaviour and a second man, 50, who had refused to obey an earlier move-on direction had been arrested and charged with one count each of contravene direction of a police officer.
Both men were due to face Townsville Magistrates Court on August 16.
A local resident, who does not wish to be identified due to fears of reprisals, said she had been making complaints about the horrific behaviour in the park for “years”.
AUGUST 6 – Theft exposed ‘kidnap plot’
What might be one of the dumbest attempted armed robberies in Flinders St history has unwittingly alerted police to an alleged kidnapping plot.
Shane Christopher Lees, 44, was in a “very agitated” and “sweaty” state when he walked down Flinders St about 6pm in November and tried to steal a book from a quiz master, the court was told.
Unknown to those around him, Lees was carrying three kitchen knives and was in fear for his life, fresh from allegedly escaping zip-ties and fleeing a unit in which he was being held captive.
Defence barrister Tom Hancock said the story Lees would tell police later that night was “bizarre” and would normally be “regarded with scepticism” – but given police went on to arrest several people off Lees’ information, Mr Hancock said the court had to accept his account.
This account involves an alleged extortion attempt involving “friends” Lees made at The Ville Casino.
AUGUST 7 – Mayor saga en-sue-s
One of North Queensland’s most promising school rugby league teams has forfeited its place in the NRL Schoolgirls Cup after school leadership decreed playing finals was too disruptive to academic efforts.
St Margaret Mary’s College is the reigning Confraternity Carnival Division II champion and was considered a red-hot shot to claim the mantle of North Queensland’s top girls rugby league school in 2024.
Those dreams have turned to ash with the team’s season – and the school football careers of its year 12 seniors – officially over. St Margaret Mary’s had seven players selected in the Blackhawks under-19s and under-17s teams, including the school’s first ever Queensland schools representative Evoltia Tuala, and lost just one competitive fixture all year.
Players will miss out on the chance to travel as a team and fight for the North Queensland title and beyond, this masthead understands, by a decision made by the school’s executive staff including principal Kathleen McCarthy.
“It was a new competition for our school, so we made the decision that the length of the competition and the time out of school was a big commitment for our students and supervising staff, and for that reason we made the decision early,” Ms McCarthy said.
AUGUST 8 – Fishing fine, statue punted
A plan to fish the Ross River Dam was given the green light, a Julian Assange statue was punted and sparks flew over a costly road development at council’s general meeting this week.
One of the main criticisms directed against the Townsville City Council has been that the councillors are allowing the executive team to influence them.
If in the past this had been the case, there were signs within Wednesday’s meeting that all the councillors were showing their own voices, and perspectives in the chamber.
The executive team including general managers Mathew Green and Travis Richards were thoroughly tested with the knowledge their operations teams had compiled in regards to Shetland Place and Ross River Dam.
Townsville City Councillors unanimously supported funding the first stage of Ross River Dam by redirecting $1.27m in funding from V8 track resurfacing, which would be postponed for a year.
AUGUST 9 – So long, Cowboy!
Cowboys fan-favourite Jake Granville’s time in the NRL has come to a close, with the 35-year-old veteran officially calling a day on his time in North Queensland.
While his NRL days are over following a season-ending pectoral injury, Granville will explore overseas options to continue playing the game in 2025 – as reported by the Bulletin in April.
Granville achieved life membership at the Cowboys earlier this season when he made his 200th club appearance.
The 2015 premiership winner will be honoured by the club in the final regular season home game, against Melbourne Storm in round 26 on Thursday, August 29.
The fearless utility paid homage to the club that threw him an NRL lifeline in 2015 after 10 games for the Brisbane Broncos.
“When I arrived in North Queensland, I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to play 10 seasons for the Cowboys,” Granville said.
“I’ve loved every second of my time at the club and I’m sad to be leaving, but I know this is the right time.”
AUGUST 10 – No cruisin’ for Cows
North Queensland coach Todd Payten blasted his players for hitting the cruise control button against the Tigers as the Cowboys prepare to take on their biggest rivals Brisbane.
The Cowboys coach was left fuming after the NRLs’ second-worst attack was allowed to score six tries while down a player for half an hour.
“I absolutely wasn’t happy. The cruise control button was hit across the team when (the Tigers) went down to 12,” Payten said.
“We scored a couple of quick tries and our tackling dropped off considerably. If we tackle like that (Saturday) against a physical and athletic team, we’re in for a tough day.”
Despite their recent woes, losing eight of their last nine matches in a major fall from grace, the Broncos have proven they are more than capable of running up big scores against brittle defence.
Look no further than the 38-12 thumping they gave North Queensland when they ran in six tries in round 4 to give the Cowboys a reality check after a 3-0 start to the season.
AUGUST 12 – Labor ‘better off’ as losers
Despondent Labor insiders believe it is now better for the party’s long-term future to lose in key regional seats at the October state election in a bid to rise from the ashes in four years time.
And it is spiralling crime rates in the state’s north that appears to have left voters so disenfranchised, with many ready to toss local MPs out to try something new – even if they’re not yet convinced the other side’s plans will work.
Party sources say the “die is cast” for the government in Townsville – and across most of regional Queensland – and a desperate strategy was necessary to keep the damage of the swings to a minimum.
YouGov polling conducted for The Courier-Mail last month revealed the LNP has extended its two-party lead over the government by one point to 57-43 per cent – marking a 10 per cent swing since the 2020 election.
This points to a potential 23 seat loss for Labor, including seven ministers and all bar one of its seven seats in North and Far North Queensland.
AUGUST 13 – Window of fear as chopper closes in
A guest at DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns told fellow visitors of the moment she saw a helicopter with no lights heading towards her window, while a couple whose room caught on fire after a propeller crashed through, spoke of the wild incident.
Witnesses to the “unauthorised” fatal helicopter crash at the hotel shared their varying accounts from hearing explosions to panicked and dead-end evacuations as sleep-deprived guests made urgent adjustments to their holidays.
Hilton Cairns on the Esplanade was a busy hub on Monday morning with gritty-eyed guests and their luggage seeking refuge at the sister hotel to DoubleTree by Hilton.
Hilton Cairns duty manager Alvin Kwok said extra staff had been called in to assist the additional visitors.
“We don’t really know what’s going on over there (at DoubleTree) but we’ve got extra staff in all departments to do our best to keep it as business as usual,” Mr Kwok said.
AUGUST 14 – Abusive tirade cops fine
Just one week before the council elections, a former mayor was charged with stalking when he left a barrage of drunken, abusive voicemails and text messages on a local candidate’s phone, a court has heard.
Former mayor of Palm Island Council, Mislam Zacchias Sam, appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning, charged with offences the prosecution described as a tactic to “intimidate” activist and former mayoral candidate Lex Wotton.
Sam pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully stalking.
Police prosecutor Kimberly Rodgers-Ford told the court Sam was still mayor when he committed the offences on March 8 between 10.20pm and 12.50am.
“A total of 17 missed calls were received by Mr Wotton in that period, they were transferred to voicemail and those voicemails were left by Sam,” Ms Rodgers-Ford said.
“Sam’s voice is recognisable and indicated he was affected by alcohol during those messages.”
AUGUST 15 – Residents outraged by soaring insurance cost
A retired Townsville couple were horrified to open their latest home insurance bill to see it had doubled, asking how residents already struggling with the cost of living are expected to get by.
Former airline captain David Kirkpatrick had just returned from a holiday with his wife to find his annual home insurance premium of $3800 had jumped to $7600.
“My heart sank. I thought ‘bloody hell, how are we expected to pay that?’,” the empty nester said.
Confused by the sudden jump, the Annandale homeowner contacted his insurance company and asked if it was a mistake.
“They said it was new modelling. We didn’t get flooded in 2019 and we’ve only ever done a small claim for fence, garden and pool damage,” he said.
“The woman on the phone said they could lower the amount of insurance we wanted and up the excess and that would bring it down a bit. That only saved us 1500 bucks.”
AUGUST 16 – Students join the green rush
With massive projects and cutting-edge technology on the horizon, the renewable energy industry is fast becoming the go-to career path for many young TAFE students in regional Queensland.
Among them is Myles Hoskin, a second-year studying electrical and instrumentation, who’s plotting his future in this booming sector. He was among the hundreds of students who flocked to the Careers for Net Zero Expo this week at Townsville’s state-of-the-art Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Training Facility and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Lab.
The event was a hotspot for top companies including Powerlink Queensland, Windlab, CS Energy, and Akaysha Energy, which laid out all the possibilities in renewable energy careers. Myles said he was particularly impressed by Akaysha Energy, which is leading the charge in mega-scale battery storage solutions.
Their current project, a $200m energy storage system being built in Brendale in Brisbane, caught his attention as a sign of the exciting prospects in the industry.
AUGUST 17 – Mayor exposed over compo
Despite repeated denials from Townsville’s embattled mayor that he never attempted to sue his own council for $100,000, an explosive email from the mayor’s office has proven otherwise.
An email obtained by the Bulletin sent from Mr Thompson to council’s acting CEO Joe McCabe reveals that the mayor did in fact demand $100,000 in compensation for “a breach of his human rights”.
The email, dated June 24, 2024, also includes a number of accusations including that council was not allowing the mayor to return to work despite medical clearance.
Mr Thompson requested a leave of absence on June 5 “for mental health reasons” following a vote of no confidence from councillors after the Bulletin revealed he had misled voters about his army, university and business qualifications.
According to Mr Thompson’s email to Mr McCabe, he attempted to return to work on June 12, but “the council employed security guards to physically stop the mayor from entering the workplace” on Walker Street.
It is understood council required a medical clearance proving Mr Thompson was fit and able to return to his duties.
AUGUST 19 – Fears for hospitality
Ardo employee Chihiro Suzuki enjoys the tranquil sunsets from the restaurant she works at while soaking in the North Queensland lifestyle.
Townsville is vastly different from her marketing role in Tokyo, but she considers the regional city a charming stay during her Australian adventure, because she is able to work in a five-star hotel while fulfilling her regional Visa requirements.
But as the federal government reviews regional migration policies, industry leaders share concerns that these could negatively impact Townsville’s regional advantage to attract working holiday makers such as Ms Suzuki.
They believe there are risks with changes to a category system which could lump the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast with Townsville.
The Ville Resort-Casino’s chief executive Michael Jones warned that planned cuts to migration of about half the current rate could also create workforce shortages in the regions.
AUGUST 20 – Ending the circus
Townsville’s controversial Mayor Troy Thompson says he’ll put fractured relationships aside to hit up state and federal governments for more money to fund vital projects like the $150m Haughton Pipeline blackhole and the overlooked concert hall.
The federal government is yet to announce a decision to stump up $100m to construct the Reef HQ aquarium, even though the council agreed funds should be diverted from the concert hall to support it.
But Mr Thompson begins such negotiations with frosty and distant relationships with the Prime Minister and the Premier, during an ongoing Crime and Corruption Commission investigation over lies told during and after his election as Townsville mayor.
These fractured relationships are likely to be reflected as leaders prepare to gather at the Courier Mail-Townsville Bulletin Bush Summit in Townsville.
AUGUST 21 – Police charge driver of bus
Police have arrested and charged the 52-year-old driver of the Greyhound bus involved in a fatal crash that claimed the lives of three women in June.
About 11.05am on Sunday, June 30, the bus, with 33 people on board, was travelling north along the Bruce Highway at Gumlu.
Police will allege the bus crossed on to the wrong side of the road and struck a LandCruiser station wagon coming the opposite way, which was towing a caravan.
Townsville grandmother Emma “Alli” Sailor, 56, and German women Aliya Tonga, 21, and Marissa Martin, 33, were killed and dozens more were injured when the bus collided with the caravan being towed by a four-wheel drive at Gumlu.
After “extensive investigations”, police on Tuesday charged 52-year-old North Ward man Peter Jason Cafe with five counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm. Cafe is also charged with three counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death.
AUGUST 22 – Regional crime is dwarfing the city
Crime rates in parts of regional Queensland have skyrocketed to more than four times the amount in metro areas, amid calls for the government to give more attention to recruiting police to work in the bush.
It comes after Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers was appointed as a cross-border commissioner after a surge in crime in the rural town of Goondiwindi, leaving residents afraid in their own homes.
Mr Leavers said regional police are facing different and complex challenges when compared to their city counterparts, calling for more incentives and benefits.
According to Queensland Police data, crime rates in some regional centres were astronomically higher than those in metropolitan areas.
Townsville, which is often dubbed the state’s crime capital, had the second highest crime rate of 1541 offences per 100,000 people, closely followed by the Far North with 1473 offences per 100,000.
AUGUST 23 – Albo reefs open his chequebook
An extra $100 million will be injected into a critical Townsville tourism site as Anthony Albanese unveils a raft of new projects to improve water quality and protect the Great Barrier Reef – and pledges to “continue the great story” of regional Australia by building an economy where “manufacturing is every bit as strong as mining”.
In an address opening the 2024 Bush Summit in Townsville, the Prime Minister will announce a record investment to rebuild the North Queensland city’s Reef HQ aquarium, which is expected to create more than 1000 local jobs.
The Albanese government’s funding for the project has now reached $180m, with the additional investment to enable the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to deliver a new purpose-built facility to deliver “global excellence in tropical reef education and provide immersive experiences attracting domestic and international visitors”.
Mr Albanese will also announce details of Labor’s $200m investment in the reef, which will fund programs to improve wetland habitat health, water quality and reduce nutrient run off, supporting jobs in reef-dependent communities.
AUGUST 24 – Bruce almighty huge challenge
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has hinted at a long term multi-billion dollar commitment to “finish” the Bruce Highway.
Quizzed at Friday’s Bush Summit in Townsville about why all three major highways in his home state of NSW are now dual carriageways while the Bruce in Queensland is not, Mr Albanese said those changes occurred while he was infrastructure minister and he admitted the Bruce upgrades commenced at the same time.
“What I don’t want to do, and people don’t need in this country, is media releases that make claims that then don’t get delivered,” he said.
“I want to it as soon as possible. I want to work with the Queensland state government in doing that.”
Fixing the Bruce Highway emerged as the No. 1 lingering issue for regional Queenslanders at the summit, with Mr Albanese saying substantial funding was now “on the table” for the highway.
AUGUST 26 – Killer syphilis outbreak
There are fears that an outbreak of a deadly sexually transmitted disease that began in northwest Queensland will continue to claim the lives of unborn babies across the state.
Dr Jill Parkes-Smith, an obstetric medicine and infectious diseases specialist at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in Brisbane, said that in the past year, four babies had died from congenital syphilis, a disease that occurs when a baby is infected in the womb.
“With four congenital deaths in the past year in Queensland and case numbers increasing, it is likely we will see more deaths if something doesn’t change,” she said.
“Tragically, it is likely that all of the congenital syphilis deaths we saw last year could have been prevented if the disease had been detected earlier.”
It is the highest annual number of congenital syphilis deaths recorded this century, with health professionals concerned that the worst is yet to come.
Dr Parkes-Smith said increased screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) was needed to control the outbreak.
AUGUST 27 – Veteran Feldt calls time
The man who delivered North Queensland its inaugural NRL premiership will depart his childhood club after almost two decades as a Cowboy.
An emotional Kyle Feldt delivered the news on Monday that this season would be his last in Cowboys colours, joining outgoing stalwart Jake Granville as the latest life member to leave the club.
However the veteran winger will not be hanging up his boots just yet with an announcement regarding his playing future expected later this week.
“I haven’t finalised exactly where I’m going, but I do know that 2024 is my last year as a Cowboy,” Feldt said on Monday. “It’s been an unreal 11 years as an NRL player. I’ve been part of the club since I was 15 so it’s a very dear club to my heart.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but I think it’s the right decision to finally move on.”
Born in Townsville, Feldt always wanted to play for North Queensland.
AUGUST 28 – ‘We want to call the shots’
After Townsville mayor Troy Thompson’s bid to appoint an interim CEO himself failed early on in his tenure, a pair of councillors are calling for the whole council to have a more active say in the permanent chief executive’s recruitment.
The Townsville City Council agenda for Wednesday’s council meeting outlines Ann-Maree Greaney and Liam Mooney’s plan to bring forward a notice of motion involving “matters relating to the CEO”.
Interim chief executive Joe McCabe oversees and gives strategic advice to councillors in meetings, and when appointed in May his role was initially set between three to six months.
It was understood the relationship between the CEO and Mr Thompson was tense, with the mayor recently issuing a complaint to the Queensland Human Rights Commission on the grounds that executives had acted in a prejudiced manner towards him due to his epilepsy.
He also made unsubstantiated claims that while on leave, he was prevented from returning to his office by security, an act he claims was carried out on the orders of the interim CEO.
AUGUST 29 – Mayor’s hijack attempt
Mayor Troy Thompson’s bid for a political adviser who could be paid a $175,000 salary was rejected by every single councillor in the room, with one councillor firing up over the mayor’s proposal to directly appoint the role.
Wednesday’s meeting was lengthier than usual, with four matters in confidential business lasting more than an hour, and motions proposed by the Mayor, his deputy, and a duo of councillors seeing greater involvement in the permanent CEO position.
Even the naming process for parks and reserves became a controversial process.
The council was given an update on budgetary figures and that it was currently about $37m “in the red”, and that an additional high-paid salary unaccounted for would put further pressure on that.
AUGUST 30 – Mayor in plea to state to commit funding at once
Flinders Shire’s Mayor is fuming after learning completion of the CopperString transmission line could be dependent on the state election results after a reported 25 per cent cost blowout.
Mayors of North Queensland communities that would benefit directly from the construction, and completion, of the CopperString project including Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond and Charters Towers met with Powerlink officials on Thursday.
The meeting was held shortly after Deputy Premier Cameron Dick said the project had blown out to $6.2bn, but that the State Government would commit to the additional $1.2bn to ensure the completion of the project.
Flinders Shire Mayor Kate Peddle said the election promise given by Mr Dick could backfire and “shake confidence” in the project at a local business level.
“I don’t want to rubbish the project, I’m trying to protect it. We have local businesses making real investments in machinery, infrastructure, and improvements to increase their capabilities to support the works of this project,” Mrs Peddle said.
AUGUST 31 – Homing in on hotspot
Townsville’s thriving property market has recorded regional Australia’s second fastest growth in the value of residential housing over the last quarter, according to a new property report.
The CoreLogic Regional Market Update report for August 2024 revealed that Townsville was defying a national trend where regional property markets were experiencing a slowdown in value growth as affordability constraints, normalising listing levels, and the elevated interest rate environment continued to impact growth.
While overall regional markets saw dwelling values increase by 1.3 per cent over the last three months to July, Townsville recorded a 7.8 per cent rise in median value over the quarter to $484,059 – surpassed by Gladstone’s quarterly value increase of 9.2 per cent.
Townsville’s property values have gone gangbusters over 12 months, climbing 23.9 per cent while over the last five years it has increased 55.8 per cent.
In the past year, Townsville has also racked up a 8.3 per cent increase in sale volumes, while maintaining one of the shortest durations for its properties on the market – 17 days.
Originally published as The top Townsville Bulletin stories from August 2024
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