The rider, a man in his 40s, sustained life-threatening head and chest injuries when his black 2021 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 reportedly veered off the left side of Uhlmann Road. Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics treated him at the scene before transporting him to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Police asks for cooperation
The Queensland Police Service’s Forensic Crash Unit has launched an investigation and is appealing for public assistance, specifically requesting witnesses or motorists with dashcam footage of the motorcycle prior to the incident to come forward. This information could be crucial in determining the cause of the crash and preventing similar accidents.
Road safety remains a significant concern, with speed and driver impairment being major factors in serious crashes across Queensland. Exceeding the speed limit by just 5 km/h in urban areas can double the risk of a casualty crash. Drivers who have been awake for 17 hours show similar impairment levels to those with a 0.05 blood alcohol concentration.
As Macca’s launches its nationwide “30 Days 30 Deals” promotion, locals in Caboolture, Morayfield, and Burpengary can join the month-long feast of savings this November.
Residents have their pick of four convenient locations: Caboolture’s Morayfield Road and Beerburrum Road stores, Morayfield East on Graham Road, and Burpengary’s Station Road restaurant. Most locations are open around the clock with drive-through service, except for the Beerburrum Road store which offers drive-through during standard hours.
Photo credit: JT/Google Maps
Starting with the crowd-favourite $2 Big Mac deal, customers can look forward to a new money-saving offer each day. The promotion features wallet-friendly deals like $2 Large Fries and $1.50 Apple Pies, plus combo specials including the Small Double Cheeseburger Meal and Small McChicken Meal for just $11.50.
Photo credit: mcdonalds.com.au
Adding extra excitement to this year’s promotion, every deal redeemed gives customers a chance to drive away in a brand new Chery TIGGO 4 PRO SUV, worth more than $23,000.
Tobi Fukushima, Marketing Manager for McDonald’s Australia said: “We’re all feeling the pinch, so we’re making sure Aussies are getting the best bang for their buck when they choose to spend their money with us.
“Whether you’re craving one of our iconic menu favourites like the Cheeseburger or looking to share a Chicken McNuggets bundle with mates, you’ll be able to choose the best deal for you, with a new offer every day that is big on value and even bigger on taste.
“Anyone seeking a delicious meal without breaking the bank, we’ve got you covered!”
To join in on the 30 Days 30 Deals, locals simply need to download the MyMacca’s App, where they will find fresh deals daily throughout November. The app also rewards customers with points for their purchases.
Featured image: McDonald’s in Morayfield (Photo credit: Vidula Oshan/Google Maps)
A fire ant nest has been discovered and treated in D’Aguilar, just northwest of Caboolture, sparking immediate action from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program to prevent the spread of this invasive pest.
On October 31, 2024, City of Moreton Bay Council staff detected a suspected fire ant nest during routine surveillance activities in D’Aguilar, a suburb close to Caboolture. The finding was promptly reported to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program, which responded by treating the nest with direct nest injection. The nest, along with another found nearby, was confirmed to contain fire ants, marking an alarming discovery outside the usual containment boundaries of the program.
Community and Safety Measures
The fire ant eradication team has launched an emergency response to control and assess the spread of fire ants in the Moreton Bay Region. Eradication activities will extend up to five kilometres from the original detection site, encompassing parts of the Caboolture area, with extensive surveillance and treatment efforts planned. The community will soon see safety messaging and signage around affected zones, aiming to inform residents and businesses of the potential risks.
Locals in and around Caboolture are urged to check their properties for signs of fire ants, particularly around soil mounds or patches with no clear entry or exit points. Suspected sightings should be reported through the Program’s website or by calling their hotline at 132 ANT (13 22 68).
Eradication Strategy and Safety
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program, a government-funded initiative, uses pesticides approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to treat fire ant nests. These treatments are deemed safe for people, pets, and the environment, containing lower concentrations of active ingredients than those typically used in household or agricultural pest control.
Photo Credit: Pickpik Creative Commons
The eradication team has begun a compliance investigation to trace how the fire ants entered the region. Any further nests or colonies found will be managed as per the Program’s protocols to avoid spreading to new locations around Caboolture and beyond.
Fire ants, which are copper-brown with a darker abdomen, measure between 2–6 mm in length and vary in size within each nest. Their nests may look like raised soil patches or flat mounds without visible entry points. The program encourages Caboolture residents to stay alert and report any potential sightings as part of the community’s effort to eliminate the fire ant threat by the target year of 2032.
For more information on identifying fire ants and to report suspected nests, visit fireants.org.au or call the Program’s hotline.
Heavy traffic delays on the Bruce Highway are leading Moreton Bay community leaders and residents to call for urgent upgrades to address the worsening congestion affecting daily commutes.
Residents in suburbs such as Griffin, Elimbah, Caboolture West, Morayfield South, Pine Valley, and Petrie regularly experience long delays on the Bruce Highway, especially during peak travel times.
According to an RACQ study published in September 2024, the Bruce Highway through Moreton Bay was recently ranked as Queensland’s most despised road.
Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery pointed out that the growing community, which had a population of over 510,000 as of last year, relies heavily on the Bruce Highway for daily commutes, with congestion only expected to worsen as the population is predicted to reach over a million within the next 30 years.
Mr Flannery highlighted the need for new solutions, suggesting the current plans for widening the highway are not enough to address the high levels of traffic in the area.
He added that the existing highway infrastructure doesn’t just serve as a thoroughfare to other parts of Queensland but as an essential route for local residents, who often feel sidelined in infrastructure planning discussions.
Jointly funded by federal and state governments, this alternative route is part of a broader plan to reduce pressure on the highway. This new corridor would provide a bypass to the west of the Bruce Highway, helping to ease congestion and improve connectivity for suburbs from Beerburrum to north Brisbane.
Photo Credit: TMR
The planning is being completed in stages. Stages 1 and 2, covering the route from Moodlu to Narangba, have been finalised, while Stages 3 and 4 are still under investigation and involve consultation with local communities. Feedback on potential routes, including alternatives west of Elimbah, is continuously being sought.
However, Mr Flannery insists on the need to fast-track both the Bruce Highway upgrades and the Bruce Highway Western Alternative to prevent the region from turning into what he described as a “car park” each morning and afternoon.
Looking to the Future
The initiative also includes a Brisbane to Sunshine Coast Rail Corridor Strategy, which aims to address long-term transport needs in the area by improving the North Coast rail line. This strategy is part of a broader plan to enhance transport options and support ongoing development in South East Queensland, as identified in the SEQ Regional Plan. Both projects are intended to ease travel, improve safety, and support economic growth in the region.
The planning department acknowledged that as population growth drives demand, balancing transport upgrades with community and environmental needs remains a priority. While some property impacts are expected as part of the future Moreton Motorway, the department is working closely with affected landowners and local communities to address concerns as planning progresses. Further updates are expected as planning continues into early 2025.
A Caboolture nurse still recalls the moment she became a victim of road rage on the Bruce Highway, when the driver of a white Toyota began driving dangerously at her in what she described as a targeted attack. Dashcam footage captured the moment the car slammed into her vehicle.
The alleged attack lasted more than half an hour. A year later, Nurse Evans continues to deal with the aftermath.
“Out of nowhere the white Toyota came up beside me and, yeah, just road raging me, slamming into my side doors,” she recounted.
“Very terrifying, I still have dreams about it,” she said. “Mentally, it’s destroying me, because I can’t go to work … I’m still in a sling, my shoulder’s not healing.”
RACQ’s latest Safety Survey shows 86 percent of people think road rage is getting worse, according to RACQ head of public policy Dr Michael Kane.
“We’re clearly seeing it on our major motorways, and we often see it in high-speed environments,” Kane said. “7.6 percent of people admit to carrying a weapon in their car, and obviously that’s a concern.”
Recent incidents have included metal poles and beer bottles being thrown in anger, people being punched, and vehicles being used to damage other vehicles.
Kanga Enterprises, a childcare centre trading as Cooinda Early Learning in Caboolture, has been fined $28,000 after leaving a two-year-old child on a bus in October 2022.
The Caboolture Magistrates Court heard the child had been collected from home and was subsequently left unattended in the bus at the centre. Staff only discovered the child was still on the bus after receiving a phone call from a parent wanting to pass on a message.
The Department of Education prosecuted the centre for:
Failing to provide adequate supervision
Failing to protect children from harm and hazard
Failing to have written authorisation for children being transported
Having an inadequate risk assessment
Magistrate Kurt Fowler ordered the centre to pay the fine plus $1,500 in costs to the department.
The case follows a 2020 incident where a three-year-old died after being left in a bus outside a childcare centre, which resulted in criminal and civil action as well as regulatory reforms.
Motorists travelling through Caboolture North will now encounter a vastly improved BP service centre designed to enhance the customer experience with new amenities and services.
The site now boasts a new wild bean café, an expanded food selection, and a modernised truck drivers’ lounge. This extensive upgrade is part of BP’s Australia-wide initiative to modernise over 300 company-owned service stations and cater to drivers’ evolving needs.
Lisa Archbold, BP’s Vice President of Mobility and Convenience in Australia and New Zealand, emphasised the importance of providing a positive experience for all visitors to the Caboolture North location. She highlighted that the redesign considered the diverse needs of various customers, from families on road trips to daily commuters, truck drivers, and shift workers.
Highlights Of The Revamped Site
New Wild Bean Café: Offering freshly prepared food, a wide array of grab-and-go items, and barista-made coffee.
Upgraded truck drivers’ lounge: This provides a comfortable space to rest and relax, with showers, laundry facilities, and entertainment options.
Archbold acknowledged the shifting landscape of mobility and the growing popularity of electric vehicles. She anticipates that customers will spend more time at BP locations in the future, utilising amenities like the café and in-store offerings while their cars charge.
Gary McCartney, Founder and Director of McCartney Design, the agency responsible for the new store concept, explained the design process. He stated that the agency focused on understanding the various customer journeys within a busy travel centre.
The layout and aesthetics of each area were designed to reflect these journeys, with high-energy zones for convenience and grab-and-go, calming areas for restaurant seating, and an efficient, appealing design for the wildbean café.
A new koala-saving initiative in Toorbul has seen the installation of a special one-way doggy door that allows koalas to escape from busy roads and safely return to their bushland habitats.
The doggy door, officially called the Fauna Escape Hatch and developed by Endeavour Veterinary Ecology (EVE) and trialled in Toorbul, has been designed to reduce the number of koalas hit by vehicles. This device, featuring suspended aluminium or stainless-steel prongs, creates a passage for koalas to push through but prevents them from returning to dangerous roadways.
Sixteen hatches have already been installed in the Moreton Bay area, with plans for more.
The trial began in 2023 and involved over 85 koalas who had completed treatment at EVE’s intensive care clinic. These koalas consistently used the escape hatch over traditional methods like escape poles.
According to EVE’s CEO, Michael Hornby, the hatches offer a solution for koalas and other wildlife to move between habitats while avoiding roads.
Koala Behaviour and Safety
EVE researchers have observed that koalas instinctively push under barriers rather than climb over them, making the ground-level hatch a natural fit for their behaviour. EVE’s scientific manager, Deidre de Villiers, noted that koalas easily detect the break in the fence and move through the hatch.
Cameras monitor the hatch, and early footage shows koalas using it successfully to avoid re-entering the road.
The hatches have already proven useful. One instance was captured on video, where a koala made multiple attempts to return to the road but was stopped by the hatch. The device effectively kept the animal out of harm’s way.
Plans for Expansion
With vehicle strikes responsible for killing an average of 300 koalas each year in South East Queensland, this project has drawn interest from other councils and wildlife conservation groups.
Transport and Main Roads Queensland is collaborating with EVE to expand the project. The goal is to trial the hatches in more locations across the state and eventually nationwide.
The current trial received funding from the Commonwealth to offset the environmental impacts of infrastructure projects like the Coomera Connector, which runs through koala habitats. The Fauna Escape Hatch is a practical and innovative solution to protect wildlife and motorists from collisions.
Mr Hornby explained that the faster these hatches are installed across road corridors, the greater the reduction in risks for both animals and humans.
Koala breeding season, which runs from July to December, sees increased movement of koalas as they search for new habitats and mates, further emphasising the need for widespread use of this device. With promising early results, communities and conservationists alike hope the trial leads to long-term success in protecting Australia’s koala population.
This incident marks the latest in a string of dog attacks across Australia, raising concerns about public safety and responsible pet ownership.
On Sunday morning, Lee-Anne Shaw was walking her dog, Chelsea, when a dog, identified as an American Staffordshire cross named Loki, jumped the fence of its property and charged at them. The force of the attack knocked Ms Shaw to the ground, where she sustained injuries. She feared for the safety of her small dog, Chelsea, who narrowly escaped serious harm.
The dog’s owner, Jerimie Tipler, expressed remorse over the incident but maintained that his two-year-old dog was not dangerous and was merely reacting to the presence of another dog near his fence. However, City of Moreton Bay Council officers swiftly seized Loki and discovered the dog was unregistered.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Council officers are investigating the incident and have confirmed a zero-tolerance approach to serious dog attacks. The outcome of the investigation will determine what further action will be taken regarding Loki.
This attack comes on the heels of several other disturbing incidents across the country. Last Wednesday, a pet dog was fatally mauled during a walk in Carindale, Brisbane. Three dogs attacked a woman in Melbourne on Thursday, leaving her with critical injuries. And on Friday, a Townsville man’s dog severely injured his arm.
These incidents highlight the need for responsible pet ownership and raise questions about community safety. Ms Shaw believes that large, unrestrained dogs pose a significant threat and advocates for stronger measures to protect the public.
A severe storm has caused widespread damage, with ceilings collapsing in several businesses and flash flooding affecting streets and homes in Morayfield.
The wild storm, which struck on the evening of 9 October, caused ceilings at a Woolworths supermarket and a martial arts gym to collapse. Heavy rain caused the roofs to give way, flooding both businesses and causing closures and significant damage. Luckily, no one was seriously injured during the incidents.
At the Red Dragon Martial Arts centre in Morayfield, water burst through the ceiling during a class, prompting teachers and supervisors to evacuate families and students to safety quickly. Woolworths, located at the Supa Centre, also faced a similar issue, with panels falling from the ceiling and water surging through the store. Both businesses remain closed while assessments of the damage are being carried out.
Hail and Flash Flooding Add to Chaos
In addition to structural damage, the storm left Morayfield streets looking like a snowstorm had hit them as piles of hail accumulated. Roads were covered in large chunks of ice, and motorists faced dangerous conditions as the hail melted and mixed with rainwater, creating flash flooding across the area.
Flash flooding also affected parts of the Gold Coast, where over 100 millimetres of rain fell in just an hour. In some parts of Brisbane, more than 160 millimetres of rain was recorded, further complicating the clean-up efforts and contributing to traffic delays.
Delayed Alerts Anger Residents
Residents in Morayfield expressed frustration over delayed storm alerts, which left many feeling unprepared for the sudden downpour and hailstorm. A technical issue with the MoretonAlert system caused warnings to be delivered five hours late, with many residents only realising the severity of the storm when they saw the darkening skies.
The City of Moreton Bay is currently investigating the issue, stating that the alert system, which a third-party contractor manages, failed to send out timely warnings. Local politicians have raised concerns about the failure, calling for improvements to ensure residents receive timely alerts in future storms.
Traffic Disruptions and Power Outages
The storm also caused significant disruptions to traffic, with major delays reported across Brisbane due to flooded roads and power outages affecting traffic lights. Some areas faced up to 35-minute delays during peak hour, as the rain continued into Thursday morning.
Approximately 7,000 homes lost power, including nearly 3,000 in Morayfield. Emergency services responded to more than 90 calls for assistance, most of which related to structural damage and tarping.
As the clean-up continues, more rain is expected in the coming days, making recovery efforts challenging for businesses and residents alike. Local authorities are urging residents to stay safe and avoid flooded areas.
