As it happened: Brisbane on Thursday, February 20

Health Minister Tim Nicholls is standing by his decision to ban the provision of hormone therapy to young people with gender dysphoria.

In question time, Greens MP Michael Berkman cited the recent criticism from various health, legal and human rights groups, and called on Nicholls to lift the Queensland Health ban.

Nicholls suggested Berkman would be better off reading government media releases and reports on the issue.

“The position of the Crisafulli government in relation to the delivery of gender services has been made abundantly clear,” Nicholls said.

The minister said the medical evidence was “contested” globally and puberty blockers had been banned in the UK.

Thanks for joining us for live coverage of today’s news. We’ll be back tomorrow morning. In the meantime, here are some of the stories making headlines today:

A coroner has given his findings to the family of a former Brisbane school teacher, who detectives believed was dumped in a wheelie bin, ruling her cause of death as “undetermined”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called out Donald Trump for making inflammatory and misleading statements about Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a striking contrast to senior Albanese government ministers’ reluctance to directly criticise the US president.

The Crime and Corruption Commission found former deputy premier and treasurer Jackie Trad bullied the state’s top bureaucrat to have a confidante appointed as under treasurer.

Elon Musk may be on the verge of a Houdini-like escape from the financial morass that was his multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Twitter, with reports that X’s revenue decline might have bottomed out.

Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss has refused to be drawn on links between him and the Wallabies’ top job, declaring his focus is no further ahead than his side’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign launch on Friday night.

And as our city reporter Courtney Kruk, writes stress is an unavoidable part of life that can be compounded by high-pressure jobs and urban environments. But in a city like Brisbane, the antidote is within reach.

Queensland ace Kim Birrell has had a remarkable rise from the cusp of retirement to Australia’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, and now she’s reached a career milestone, being named to lead the nation when the Billie Jean King Cup launches in Brisbane.

Having battled severe injury concerns which threatened her career, the Gold Coast product rose to world No.76 on the back of a quarterfinal appearance at the Brisbane International.

Kim Birrell battled through qualifying to make the Australian Open main draw.Credit: Eddie Jim

She went on to reach the Australian Open mixed doubles final, and will now spearhead the Australian team to take on Colombia and Kazakhstan on Pat Rafter Arena from April 10.

“It is incredible to wear the green and gold. It’s what I dreamt of doing as a kid, watching and wanting to be a professional tennis player,” Birrell said.

“In Australia, we have such a rich history of the BJK Cup and Davis Cup, so to be a part of that now, and to play here at home, in Australia, is incredibly special.

“I feel so at home here on this court [in Brisbane], I’ve had so many special memories, watching and playing in the Brisbane International and training here a lot of the year.

“To get to play a home tie so close to where I grew up is absolutely amazing.”

Health Minister Tim Nicholls is standing by his decision to ban the provision of hormone therapy to young people with gender dysphoria.

In question time, Greens MP Michael Berkman cited the recent criticism from various health, legal and human rights groups, and called on Nicholls to lift the Queensland Health ban.

Nicholls suggested Berkman would be better off reading government media releases and reports on the issue.

“The position of the Crisafulli government in relation to the delivery of gender services has been made abundantly clear,” Nicholls said.

The minister said the medical evidence was “contested” globally and puberty blockers had been banned in the UK.

QPAC’s festival for children aged eight and under, Out of the Box, will return in 2025 for the first time since 2018.

Taking over the entire South Bank cultural precinct from June 17 to 22, Out of the Box will feature performances, workshops, free events and exhibitions.

“Out of the Box is, without doubt, one of our most loved and most impactful events, and we couldn’t be happier to be announcing its return,” QPAC’s new chief executive Rachel Healy said.

The QPAC tunnel will host the Jarjum Life Museum by Inala Wangarra, a museum like no other created by jarjum (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children) and then extend their experience with the Jarjum PlaySpace in the Playhouse Lounge.Credit: QPAC

“The festival’s program of hands-on arts and innovative productions will inspire creative learning for children, their parents and carers, as well as their teachers,” Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek said.

Highlights will include a production of The Gruffalo, a Tree of Hope art installation, the world premiere of Circa’s Wolfgang in the Stars, an adaptation of award-winning book Gurril Storm Bird, and Bluey puppetry workshops.

Tickets are on sale now.

Environment Minister Andrew Powell has initiated a parliamentary inquiry into the administration of Queensland’s container deposit scheme by recycling company COEX.

In parliament this morning, Powell said there was evidence COEX had inappropriate expenditure, including on staff bonuses and marketing, despite failing to achieve its targets.

He said COEX was meant to recycle 85 per cent of all eligible containers, but its performance had again slipped to 62 per cent by the end of 2024.

“That just isn’t good enough,” Powell said.

“Queenslanders want to do the right thing. We know that if they have the opportunity they will recycle.”

Powell said the “root and branch” inquiry would examine everything from the scope of the scheme to the location of drop-off sites.

“This is about strengthening this scheme, protecting our environment and putting more refund money where it belongs – in the pockets of Queenslanders,” he said.

Crews are working across weekends to collect rubbish put out for kerbside collection, amid a 30 per cent spike in volume.

Brisbane City Council said over 10,000 tonnes had already been collected since July last year, surpassing the amount collected at the same time last year by about 2300 tonnes.

While some suburbs have waited up to two weeks for items to be collected, the council’s city standards chair Sarah Hutton said crews were now working weekends to cope with the extra demand.

“From time to time, the volume of material put out for collection increases unexpectedly which can impact timeframes,” she said.

Council opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the delays were a “kick in the guts” for ratepayers, claiming underfunding had the service stretched thin.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if kerbside collection is now falling victim to the LNP Council’s savage cuts to council staff and contractors,” Cassidy said.

“He cut the service back in 2020 and the people of Brisbane made it loud and clear he’d made the wrong choice.”

Sixty-seven suburbs remain on the council’s collection roster before the end of the financial year, with schedules available on the council website.

Queensland construction fund BUSSQ will appeal a Federal Court decision that ruled it could not set aside a requirement by the financial regulator to impose additional licence conditions because of its controversial relationship with the CFMEU.

BUSSQ had taken the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to court last year after the regulator forced the $6 billion super fund – as well as Cbus – to engage an independent expert to review whether its CFMEU-appointed directors were fit and proper people, and if the fund’s expenditure was in the best financial interest of members.

Cbus complied with the direction, but BUSSQ sought a judicial review.

The Federal Court ruled late last month BUSSQ must go through an internal review process before it could receive a judicial review of APRA’s decision.

APRA said it was considering the fund’s decision to appeal.

“Trustees of superannuation funds are required to act in the best financial interests of their members and to have appropriate processes in place for the assessment of the fitness and propriety of their directors,” the regulator said in a statement.

“APRA’s decision to impose additional licence conditions in August 2024 was in response to prudential concerns that APRA had identified with BUSSQ’s compliance with these requirements.”

A former minister jailed for corruption has been given a parliamentary tribute following his death last year.

Geoff Muntz served as member for the Whitsundays from 1980 to 1989, representing the National Party. He died in August 2024.

Geoff Muntz, a minister in the Bjelke-Petersen and Ahern governments, who died last year.Credit: John Pryke

Following the Fitzgerald Inquiry, in 1991 Muntz was sentenced to a year behind bars for misappropriating ministerial expenses.

“I want to thank Geoff’s family for coming here today … they can be proud of his services to his community,” opposition leader and former premier Steven Miles said.

Premier David Crisafulli, member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm and member for Mermaid Beach Ray Stevens also paid tribute to the former minister’s work securing regional infrastructure, tourism and environmental protection.

None mentioned the findings against him.

Queensland Reds hooker Richie Asiata is the first major selection shock of the Super Rugby season, ousting two Wallabies stars for the No.2 jumper.

Injuries curtailed the 28-year-old in 2024, and he didn’t feature for his side until their post-season clash with Wales – in which he scored a hat-trick – as Matt Faessler cemented his place in Australia’s forward pack, and Josh Nasser garnered a Test debut.

But Asiata’s impressive preseason encounters have forced Faessler to the Reds’ bench against Moana Pasifika, with Nasser not featuring.

Queensland coach Les Kiss confirmed the selection was a combination of Asiata’s form, as well as the depth of his squad, enabling him to tailor his selections to the style of rugby they would play and the opposition they would face.

“I know we’re going to have to move gears there a little bit, and we thought we’d give Richie a go first-up. The others will be right in play, but from my perspective all of them can give us something different,” Kiss said.

“Previous to this six months, he went and got some games in New Zealand, so it’s keeping that run of games. Between him, Josh Nasser and Matt Faessler it’s a fairly competitive space, so we’ll be able to move that and shape it as we want each week.”