Tobi Loftus

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tobi Loftus |Stephen Clarke

The Queensland government has announced a commission of inquiry into the state's "broken" child safety system that it says is failingchildren in residential care at cost of $1.12 billion. The 17-month inquiry will be led by former Federal Court judge Paul Anastassiou KC, who was deliberately chosen for his expertise outside the state, the government said on Sunday.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tobi Loftus

A major Queensland highway could remain closed for days after a truck carrying half of a wind turbine collided with a bridge. The Warrego Highway is closed westbound at the Mount Crosby Bridge near Ipswich, west of Brisbane, after the crash about 1:40am on Friday. The Queensland Police Service said its initial investigation revealed the truck failed to follow pilot vehicles and escorting vehicles up an off-ramp.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tobi Loftus

A buzzing sound fills the usually calm evening air on the edge of a forest in Logan, south of Brisbane. The sun sinks fast, taking the warmth with it and bringing an autumn chill. Locals begin gathering near a group of people clustered around monitors. They wonder: 'What's going on? What is that noise?'. Then they see it — a drone about the size of a bedside table, hovering in the dark. A powerful spotlight beams from beneath it, scanning the surrounding bushland.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Tobi Loftus |Claudia Williams |Julius Dennis

Not so long ago Queensland was considered an integral part of Peter Dutton's path to the Lodge. Instead, Labor gained seven seats in the Sunshine State, including five from the LNP. Suburban Brisbane seats once considered home to Howard's battlers — and later Scott Morrison's quiet Australians — turned away from the Coalition on a scale beyond even Labor insiders' predictions. Forde, to Brisbane's south, and Petrie to its north, are prime examples.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Jack McKay |Jack Mckay |Tobi Loftus

The voters of Dickson made history when they cast their ballots in this year's federal election, causing Peter Dutton to become the first federal opposition leader to lose their seat. His margin had often been tight — and Labor had long held hope of ousting Mr Dutton from the outer metropolitan electorate just north of Brisbane. His defeat on Saturday made him the highest-profile casualty in the 2025 poll, as locals elected Labor's Ali France in her third tilt for Dickson.