Johanna Marie

Brisbane

Senior News Reporter at ABC News

Video journalist/Reporter for @abcnews at @abcwidebay Previously Brisbane & Gold Coast reporter for Sky News

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Articles

Sleepy coastal towns becoming 'next Sunshine Coast' as development booms

5 days ago | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

Thousands of beachside blocks are hitting the market in regional Queensland as sleepy coastal towns grapple with population growth and changing identities. The Wide Bay region, about 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, is home to sleepy beachside suburbs thrust into a major transformation from rural farmland to residential subdivisions. Bundaberg Mayor Helen Blackburn said about 5,000 housing lots were under construction on the 15-kilometre coastal stretch between Elliott Heads and Bargara.
Seventeen Seventy, Agnes Water communities rocked by drownings of UK tourists

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie |Jasmine Hines

A small beachside community has been rocked by the drowning deaths of two tourists in what Surf Life Saving Queensland describes as "an absolute tragedy". A 46-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy from the United Kingdom were swimming at Round Hill Head at Seventeen Seventy on Sunday afternoon when they were swept into the ocean. A rescue helicopter pulled them from the water and they were declared dead at the scene.
Would you trust a person convicted for fraud to represent you in parliament?

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

A criminal record can make finding employment or travelling to some countries more difficult, but it can not stop people becoming a politician in Australia. To qualify as a candidate in the Australian Senate and House of Representatives, the checklist is relatively simple. They must be 18 years of age, an Australian citizen and enrolled to vote. There are a number of constitutional disqualifications, including having dual citizenship, but a criminal history or being bankrupt is not one of them.
Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club remains shut over track safety concerns

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

The future of a regional Queensland greyhound racing venue remains in limbo six months after its snap closure due to safety concerns. Racing Queensland (RQ) cancelled all racing events at the Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club in September 2024 after a Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) report found 42 dogs were injured with one deceased or euthanased in the three months prior. The state's only two-turn grass track underwent a $1.4 million upgrade in 2023.
Exploratory permit for coal mine on Bundaberg's 'prime agricultural land' not in public interest, govt finds

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Grace Ann Whiteside |Johanna Marie |Russell Varley

A coking coal mine on "prime agricultural land" is unlikely to go ahead after the Queensland government found it was "not in the public interest". Queensland's Attorney-General Deb Frecklington announced the decision in Bundaberg on Tuesday morning. "The next stage in this matter is that the department will hand me a full brief when a final decision can be made," Ms Frecklington said.
It might look like a pet, but this pest has no place on K'gari

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Lucy Loram |Johanna Marie

An investigation is underway into a feral cat population threatening native wildlife on K'gari, Queensland's World Heritage-protected island. Park rangers and traditional owners are working to determine how prolific the cat numbers are on the world's largest sand island, which is an ecological sanctuary ripe with diverse plants and animals. "Based on observations … we definitely look to have a high abundance of cats," senior wildlife ranger Linda Behrendorff said.
Record nesting season for Queensland turtles

Feb 4, 2025 | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

Every year, holiday-makers travel to Queensland's Bundaberg Coast with hopes of witnessing something magical. But since the 1970s, they've never witnessed a loggerhead turtle laying season like this one. With hundreds of thousands of eggs laid on Mon Repos beach, it's a boon for tourism operators at the largest concentration of nesting turtles in Australia and the South Pacific.
Endangered loggerhead turtles break nesting record at Mon Repos beach

Feb 4, 2025 | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

Visitors to Queensland's famous Mon Repos Beach have witnessed history with a record number of endangered loggerhead turtles hauling their way up the sand dunes. The rookery on the Bundaberg coast, about 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, is home to the largest concentration of nesting turtles in Australia and the South Pacific. This season has seen an influx of endangered loggerheads, with more than 500 females laying approximately 265,000 eggs at the protected beach since November.
Rangers search for crocodile at Inskip Point camping area near Rainbow Beach

Feb 3, 2025 | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

QPWS rangers have seen a 2-metre crocodile on the beachfront of the Sarawak camping area at Inskip Point. It comes just over a week after a crocodile was spotted at Bundaberg's Coonarr Beach. Rangers are urging people to stay away from Sarawak West camping area while they try to locate the crocodile. Beachgoers at a popular campsite near Rainbow Beach are being warned to be on the lookout for a "vagrant" crocodile.
Crocodile spotted frolicking in surf near Bundaberg evades rangers

Jan 28, 2025 | abc.net.au | Johanna Marie

An extensive aerial and sea search has failed to locate a rogue crocodile spotted on a beach in Queensland's Wide Bay region last week. The reptile was seen at a popular camping and fishing spot at Bundaberg's Coonarr Beach, about 150 kilometres outside normal crocodile habitat. Senior wildlife officer Tony Frisby, from the Department of Environment and Science, said officers in boats and a helicopter searched a large area of the coastline but did not find the animal.