As it happened: Brisbane on Tuesday, April 22

Premier David Crisafulli has used the start of term two to announce what he describes as a nation-leading plan to address bullying in Queensland schools.

Under a $33 million package, the government will establish Rapid Support Squads to target bullying hotspots and provide staff training, family support and mental health assistance.

Each of Queensland’s eight education regions will be assigned a three-person squad, and Crisafulli said they would “fly in” to rural and remote schools as required.

The package also includes funding for additional chaplains and student wellbeing staff, a new hotline, and the formation of an Anti-Bullying Stakeholder Reference Group.

“We’ve lost too many young lives to bullying, which is why we’re delivering a plan to put the spotlight on this serious issue,” he said.

“This is about turning the tables on bullying and bolstering support for kids, parents and schools.”

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

A 41-year-old Tewantin man has been charged after a fatal crash and alleged carjacking on the Bruce Highway on the Sunshine Coast on Monday afternoon.

The Crisafulli government is reviewing State Facilitated Development projects under the LNP’s pledge to restore power to councils. Here are the 11 projects under new scrutiny.

An analysis of the Register of Members’ Interests found more than half of federal MPs are property investors, making them potential beneficiaries of negative gearing and capital gains tax breaks.

The Vatican has published Pope Francis’ death certificate as plans are made for the election of his successor. Read our rolling coverage of the day after the pontiff’s death.

And predicting the next pope can be a fool’s errand. Still, there are always front-runners, and here are some being talked about to succeed Pope Francis.

Plans have been lodged with Brisbane City Council for a commercial marina to be co-located with Raptis Seafoods at Morningside and cater to tourism vessels.

Colmslie Wharves, which would have 51 berths designed to accommodate vessels up to 35 metres, has a $4 million grant from the state government’s Growing Tourism Fund.

“While Brisbane is known as the River City, we are underperforming in river tourism compared with other Australian capital cities and less than 10 per cent of overnight visitors currently participate in a river, bay or islands experience,” Raptis Investments CEO Tim Beirne said.

The project follows the demolition of Eagle Street Pier and changes at Dockside Marina, which forced commercial operators to relocate.

“Colmslie Wharves is the right solution in the right location and at the time for Brisbane to step up and take its place among Australia’s leading waterside tourism destinations.”

If approved, the construction timeline would allow Colmslie Wharves to welcome the first vessels in 2026.

A memorial mass to mark the passing of Pope Francis will be held at the Cathedral of St Stephen in Brisbane’s CBD in the coming days.

Pope Francis, 88, passed away on Easter Monday, only a day after blessing thousands of people at a public appearance in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square.

Mass at the Cathedral of St Stephen in Brisbane CBD the morning after Pope Francis’ death.Credit: Courtney Kruk

His death has sparked an official nine-day mourning period called the Novendiale, a ritual dating back to ancient Rome.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said he was “shocked and saddened” by the passing of Pope Francis and would visit Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge to pass on the condolences of the state.

“And our well wishes to what is a very large Queensland Catholic community,” Crisafulli continued.

“Our flags are flying at half mast on government buildings today.”

The Cathedral of St Stephen will hold daily mass sessions to continue to pray for Pope Francis, before a formal memorial service later this week.

More than 50 people had gathered in the cathedral for the mid-morning mass on Tuesday.

Riparian Plaza is set to replace its forecourt container cafe with “new and permanent Harry Seidler and Associates designed cafe” under the latest changes to the award-winning Eagle Street tower.

Plans lodged with Brisbane City Council show the forecourt of the Seidler-designed building would also have a new sheltered seating area, and an elevator to the underground end-of-trip facilities and storage area.

An artist’s impression of the new cafe, seating area and bicycle elevator proposed for the Riparian Plaza forecourt.

Some of the existing palm trees would be removed during construction and, pending their condition, relocated.

Premier David Crisafulli has used the start of term two to announce what he describes as a nation-leading plan to address bullying in Queensland schools.

Under a $33 million package, the government will establish Rapid Support Squads to target bullying hotspots and provide staff training, family support and mental health assistance.

Each of Queensland’s eight education regions will be assigned a three-person squad, and Crisafulli said they would “fly in” to rural and remote schools as required.

The package also includes funding for additional chaplains and student wellbeing staff, a new hotline, and the formation of an Anti-Bullying Stakeholder Reference Group.

“We’ve lost too many young lives to bullying, which is why we’re delivering a plan to put the spotlight on this serious issue,” he said.

“This is about turning the tables on bullying and bolstering support for kids, parents and schools.”

A 41-year-old Tewantin man has been charged after a fatal crash and alleged carjacking on the Bruce Highway on the Sunshine Coast.

Police said the woman killed in the six-vehicle crash at Palmview was a 22-year-old Upper Mount Gravatt woman.

The crash closed southbound lanes of the Bruce Highway for hours.Credit: Nine

She was travelling as a passenger in a Nissan Micra struck by a Porsche Macan on the highway back to Brisbane in heavy Easter Monday traffic.

Police alleged the man who crashed the Porsche left the vehicle armed with a gun and stole a white SsangYong Rexton, after shooting its driver in the arm.

They said he drove away in the SsangYong, which was later found overturned.

On Tuesday morning he remained under police guard at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

A flash of light lit up skies above southern Queensland and northern NSW last night, with many people sharing security camera and dashcam footage of an apparent meteor.

Videos show the bright object in the sky about 7.30pm. Reports came from as far north as Calliope, near Gladstone, and as far south as western Sydney, with some of the most dramatic footage near Stanthorpe, close to the Queensland-NSW border.

Home buyers now face a stamp duty bill of as much as $32,120 in Brisbane to buy the typical house as property prices start to rise again.

Economists warn that the tax deters households from moving and would be better replaced by a broad-based land tax, which would likely require federal government assistance to state governments to smooth the transition and temporary revenue shortfall.

For the median Brisbane house, worth $1,022,000, stamp duty payable would be $32,120. Concessions apply on homes worth up to $800,000.

Economists warn that stamp duty is a tax on moving, although it has not been a feature of the housing announcements in the federal election campaign.

Dr Nick Garvin, research manager at the e61 Institute, said not only did stamp duty discourage moving, it imposed more of a burden on people who needed to move more often, such as nurses and teachers.

It also deterred some older households from downsizing and freeing up larger homes for family buyers, he said.

Read the full story here.

With pre-polling opening today, up to two-thirds of the state’s votes will be cast before polling day, says the Australian Electoral Commission’s Queensland branch.

Stephanie Attard, the AEC Queensland manager, said to 4BC that numbers for postal and pre-poll votes were fairly consistent across the entire state, based on past federal election voter turnout.

“We’re seeing about an average of 20 per cent of people applying for a postal vote,” she said.
Attard said between 20 and 40 per cent of people were using pre-polling stations, making up between 40 and 60 per cent of the voter base.

While early voting in a federal election is subject to eligibility, Attard said any reasonable belief that a voter may not be able to safely access a polling place on the day of the election was enough to cast an early vote.

“It might be that it makes more sense to get out early on the day to vote, or to cast your vote before election day,” she said.

With Anzac Day closing down pre-polling for a day, Attard said voters had less time to cast their vote early, but reminded voters they can cast a ballot at any polling centre in the state on May 3.

The AEC has published a full list of pre-polling centres and details on voting options on its website.

The Prime Minister, a born and raised Catholic, was deeply impacted by the death of the Pope, according to one of his senior ministers.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher told ABC News Breakfast that Catholicism was a “deep part” of Anthony Albanese’s childhood.

“As someone who was born as a Catholic and raised and went to school at a Catholic school, it’s been a deep part of his upbringing,” Gallagher told the ABC.

“He’s affected just like many millions of others are.”

Albanese delivered an emotional address on Monday evening following the Pope’s passing. This morning he attended St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne and paused his campaign events for Tuesday.