Yet planes are still passing through the region, albeit through a network of restricted routes, military control and delicate negotiations between airlines and government officials.
Open up flight tracking website Flightradar24 and it is immediately apparent something is wrong.
Instead of one of the world’s busiest aviation crossroads, there is a huge blank space.
The airspace of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Syria is officially closed, while Israeli, UAE, Qatar and Bahraini airspace is severely restricted and at risk of closure at short notice.
The secret to how planes are still passing through the region lies in two main workarounds.
For flights between Europe and Asia, the usual Gulf routes are effectively off limits with planes taking either a northern route through the Caucasus and Afghanistan or a southern route through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Airlines operate within strictly regulated safe corridors within the Gulf itself, which were created with assistance from civil aviation authorities and national air forces.
Etihad has adopted a more circumspect strategy, operating at about 15% of its typical capacity, while Emirates has been operating at about 60% of its pre conflict flight activity.
Qatar Airways, whose flights were effectively grounded for nearly three weeks, has commenced a new schedule until 28 March, re establishing links between Doha and over 70 destinations on six continents.
The flights are taking off within a limited safe corridor approved by Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority. Each flight is carefully planned and approved by aviation authorities.
The wider fallout
The crisis is affecting insurance and cost implications. Airlines in Europe, including Lufthansa Group, KLM and Air France, have suspended flights to several destinations in the Middle East until late March or even later.
Gulf Air has temporarily moved its operations to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, as Bahraini airspace is closed.
The airspace in Afghanistan is witnessing an increase in flights as they are diverted through the northern route, despite no air traffic control service since 2021.
As a precaution against renewed missile and drone threats, the UAE temporarily closed its entire airspace overnight on March 16 and 17.
This serves as a reminder that even partially open skies can close with little notice.
Right now, aircraft continue to fly across the Middle East. However, they are operating under strict restrictions, along narrow, vulnerable corridors and without knowing what the airspace map will look like tomorrow.
South Australians are voting today in an election where every survey indicates a decisive victory for Peter Malinauskas and Labor.
The Premier’s approval ratings are in the mid 60s. His two party lead is greater than 18 points and on paper, it is a coronation for Malinauskas.
But scratch beneath the surface, and it is a different story. Labor’s flagship commitment in 2022 to fix ambulance ramping at South Australia’s hospitals has been spectacularly ignored.
The total hours of ramping have never been higher, reaching a new record of 52,000 hours in 2025 almost doubling the 28,000 hours experienced in 2021 when Labor was in opposition.
South Australians are also concerned about cost of living issues. South Australians have the highest electricity costs in the country.
Adelaide is now ranked as one of the least liveable cities in the world for housing affordability. Labor’s last budget provided a paltry $118 million for cost of living relief.
Pauline Hanson’s party consistently receives between 22 and 28% of the primary vote, surpassing the Liberals who hover around 14 to 20%.
According to seasoned analyst Antony Green, the crucial question is whether polls are gauging actual voting intention or just disillusionment.
The Liberal Party is in a terrible position going into this election. Ashton Hurn, the fourth leader since 2022 took more than 103 days before election day.
Only 13 of the 47 seats in the House of Assembly are held by the party and several are seriously threatened by One Nation, Labor and independents.
In regional areas, strong independent candidates in seats such as Flinders and Ngadjuri could disrupt the status quo.
With a record 436 candidates in both chambers, five parties competing in every lower house electorate and a highly unpredictable preference pattern, the results are anyone’s guess.
But what of the upper house? A possible outcome is that One Nation could win a number of seats in the Legislative Council, giving Hanson’s party a veto over legislation, even if Labor’s Malinauskas is in charge with a big majority in the lower house.
It is by no means a guarantee that Labor will lose, but a landslide victory with a hostile crossbench is a very different mandate to what might have been anticipated by Malinauskas a year ago.
And if the One Nation vote holds at anywhere close to current polling, the effects will be felt far beyond South Australia.
The favourite to win might emerge, but on their own terms? That is a very different matter.
Currently, eleven crew members are marooned on board the MV Raider in the port city of Sydney after the vessel, which was earlier associated with the seizure of a massive quantity of drugs in the Pacific Ocean, was escorted into the city after a distress call.
It has been reported that the crew members, who are from Honduras and Ecuador, have not been arrested.
On January 16, the vessel was intercepted by the French Navy in the vicinity of French Polynesia and was found carrying almost five tonnes of cocaine.
Reuters reported that the quantity of cocaine seized was more than four tonnes, but Australian reports indicated that the quantity was 4.8 tonnes or 4.87 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of more than $1 billion and the intended destination being Australia.
The cocaine was destroyed by the French Navy, but the vessel and crew were allowed to proceed as the seizure was made in international waters and the drugs were not intended for French Polynesia.
It is now a human story instead of a criminal one as a result of that decision.
The International Transport Workers Federation claims the men were hired to deliver the ship from Panama to an Australian buyer and should be returned home rather than left in suspense, while Border Force is currently providing food and water.
The union claimed that the crew had little water remaining on board and had run out of food before assistance could arrive.
The men are expected to be held in immigration detention as officials assess the vessel and prepare to remove the men from Australia.
Maritime law experts told the network that there may be little opportunity for Australia to prosecute the men, as the seizure occurred outside of Australian waters and the cocaine was gone from the ship when it approached Sydney.
Communities in Far North Queensland, still reeling from floodwater, road closures and destroyed infrastructure from the previous flood event, are now being warned to prepare for another hit of severe weather.
The Bureau of Meteorology has given the system a 60% chance of developing into a cyclone by Thursday night, posing the threat of more heavy rain, rough seas, and strong winds to communities north of Cairns, which have already copped a soaking in wet weather over the past few weeks.
The latest threat comes after a tough weekend for the far north.
Rainfall totals of over 400mm were recorded in areas between Cooktown and Port Douglas, while the Rex Creek gauge at Mossman Gorge recorded 479mm in 48 hours to Sunday afternoon.
Cairns recorded 258.6mm in the 24 hours to Monday morning, its biggest March daily fall since 2018, the bureau said.
At Daintree Village, the river was at 7.25m on Sunday, high enough to cause concern among residents but not high enough to reach homes.
After driving into floodwater at Kamerunga and Mossman on Sunday morning, two women were hauled from the roofs of their vehicles, prompting new cautions against taking risks on flooded roads.
Cyclone risk is now materializing as Queensland struggles to cope with an expanded flood crisis.
The state government announced that flood warnings remain in effect throughout Queensland, and travelers have been advised to continue checking road conditions before traveling.
However, this overall situation has intensified the situation in the far north, where catchments have been saturated, and another intense system is expected to cause creeks and rivers to rise once again.
A senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology said, 34U is a “weather system to watch.”
Regardless of whether it develops into a cyclone or not, the message for Far North Queensland is much the same: be aware, expect change and hope the brief respite in rain lasts long enough for communities to catch their breath.
Victorian taxpayers will bear a $125 million cost after the Allan government agreed to pay out a class action lawsuit brought by businesses that alleged they were financially devastated by the state’s second-wave shutdowns in 2020.
The settlement was revealed in the Supreme Court on Monday, after a trial scheduled to begin on 10 March was adjourned and replaced with a directions hearing.
The case, titled 5 Boroughs NY Pty Ltd v State of Victoria, was brought on behalf of business owners who alleged they suffered economic loss as a result of the imposition of Stage 3 and Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne and regional Victoria due to the second wave of COVID 19.
Court documents state that the claim was about losses associated with the restrictions, but also alleged that the state’s hotel quarantine system was flawed, allowing the virus to get out into the community.
Former health minister Jenny Mikakos, former jobs minister Martin Pakula, and public servants were among those named in the lawsuit.
One of the most controversial parts of Victoria’s pandemic response served as the foundation for that legal battle.
According to the Hotel Quarantine Inquiry, outbreaks started in the Rydges and Stamford Plaza hotels and had “disastrous consequences” for Victoria as they spread from returning travelers to employees and then into the community.
Those shortcomings contributed to the lockdowns that affected physical businesses and retailers between July and October of 2020.
The settlement amount was $125 million, including costs and interest, according to barrister Adam Hochroth SC, although the deeds themselves are not public yet.
However, the settlement amount still requires approval from the court before any payment is made.
Approximately 16,000 businesses have filed for the class action lawsuit, although not all claimants are guaranteed compensation yet.
The Victorian government claimed that the settlement will spare the state from a costly court fight, although it still insisted that it had done the right thing to protect the public interest in the face of an unprecedented global health crisis.
The Bluesfest music festival at Byron Bay has been cancelled just under three weeks before it was to open for the Easter long weekend.
The 2026 festival was to take place over the Easter long weekend at Tyagarah from April 2 to 5.
Festival organizers have cited increasing production, logistics, insurance and touring costs as the reason for cancelling the festival.
A liquidator has now been appointed to deal with the matter. The ticket holders have been notified that they will be contacted regarding the claims process.
The Bluesfest music festival was first held in 1990 but has since grown to be one of the most well known music festivals in the country.
The line up for the 2026 festival had already been announced, with acts including Split Enz, Parkway Drive, Earth, Wind & Fire, Erykah Badu and The Wailers.
Festival had already survived the COVID pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. The 2025 festival saw over 100,000 people pass through the gates.
“This is an extremely difficult decision” festival director Peter Noble said in a statement.
The festival’s organizers expressed pride in what the event had developed over more than thirty years, but they were no longer able to deliver it to the typical audiences, artists and partners that they had anticipated due to financial constraints.
Organizers had resurrected Bluesfest for 2026 after marketing the 2025 edition as a farewell, so the cancellation is particularly shocking.
The aftershocks are expected to extend beyond the festival site itself.
Byron Shire Mayor Sarah Ndiaye stated the event’s demise was a huge economic loss for the community, as well as a blow to the fabric of the community.
The failure of the festival serves as a further blow to the live music industry, which is already experiencing the strain of higher operating costs as well as the challenging environment for large scale events.
However, for Bluesfest patrons the live music industry’s problems are of little solace as they await a refund for the festival they can now no longer attend.
Victoria is poised for a reduction in default electricity prices across the state in the coming months, with the Essential Services Commission recommending cuts across all five of the state’s electricity distribution zones.
According to the draft decision released by the commission on 12 March, households will benefit from a saving of $46 per year or 3%while small businesses will benefit from a saving of $172 per year or 5%, if the new prices are applied from 1 July.
The reduction will be felt across the state, rather than just in one of the electricity network areas.
Households will see a reduction of between $43 and $48 per year, depending on the zone while small businesses will see a reduction of between $165 and $179 per year, depending on the zone.
Customers who continue to use the default tariff are not the only ones affected by the change.
In addition to serving as the benchmark that retailers must use when promoting market offers, the Victorian Default Offer serves as a safety net price for consumers who don’t shop around or find it difficult to switch plans.
Approximately 510,000 households, or 17% of the total and 61,000 small businesses or 21% are presently on the default offer, according to the commission.
Additionally, it establishes the maximum price for about 190,000 people who reside in embedded networks, such as apartment complexes, retirement communities and caravan parks where locals frequently are unable to select their own electricity supplier.
However, Gerard Brody, who is the chairperson and commissioner at the Essential Services Commission, stated in a statement, “The default offer provides people with the assurance that they will continue to get a fair deal without having to test the market each year.”
The draft is currently out for consultation until 10 April, and a decision is to be made in May.
If the decision is confirmed, the new prices will come into effect on 1 July 2026, providing Victorian households and small businesses.
Residents in four suburbs in Bundaberg have been told to evacuate their homes immediately, with authorities warning that major flooding is about to hit the Burnett River, causing flooding in homes, cutting off roads and isolating parts of the city.
The suburbs affected by the emergency warning with an evacuation center being set up at the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct in Branyan.
Regional Council has said that the Burnett River is expected to hit 7.0 meters by the end of Tuesday, after which it is expected to continue rising to 7.5 meters by midnight, peaking at the same level as the December 2010 flood.
According to the council, the Tallon and Burnett bridges are also set to close once the Burnett River reaches 7.0 meters, making it dangerous for residents who wait too long to evacuate their homes.
Over the course of the day, the threat’s scope has grown. About 280 homes and 120 businesses in Bundaberg were expected to be impacted, according to an update from state and local authorities.
The rapid escalation of the situation as water moves downstream is highlighted by earlier forecasts that indicated about 180 properties would be affected if the river reached its anticipated peak.
Though the heaviest rain has passed, forecasters indicate that the worst is yet to come.
The Bureau of Meteorology has cautioned residents in the Wide Bay and Burnett region that the floods in the region may last for a few days as the water runs through the catchment area.
A burst water main tore through a portion of Sydney’s lower north shore on Monday, leaving thousands of homes and businesses with little to no water and sending floodwater across Cremorne and into Sydney Harbour, damaging several properties.
The footpath and portions of the road were damaged when the main broke on Grasmere Road close to Primrose Park.
The immediate burst site was not the only area affected by the disturbance.
While repairs were underway, Sydney Water informed local media that up to 20,000 properties might be experiencing low pressure.
Nine reported that approximately 19,200 customers in Cremorne, Neutral Bay and Mosman were impacted. While workers isolated the damaged main, some residents also complained about brown tap water.
Floodwater was seen to flow downhill toward the low point of Primrose Park until it flowed into the harbour, adding to the existing damage to the area.
“Our crews have isolated the mains and restored pressure and supply to customers previously in an affected area,” added a spokesperson from Sydney Water.
The public utility also advised customers in multistorey units to confirm that their privately owned booster pump was reset by a qualified plumber before their water service would be restored to their buildings.
Customers had their water service restored late on the afternoon of Monday, but work to repair the broken pipe continued at the location where it ruptured.
Grasmere Road and Young Street remained closed to vehicles at that time, as they had been earlier in the day and motorists were requested to avoid the area as work crews remained on scene.
Reports earlier indicated that the impact of the breaking pipe had affected users from Mosman to Lindfield and continued to have a significant impact on the supply of water to various users across the entire North Shore water distribution system until pressure was restored.
A standard firearms operation in Perth’s eastern suburbs has turned into a major criminal investigation after bomb squad detectives discovered a number of suspected explosive devices at a High Wycombe home.
Media reports indicate that detectives from the bomb squad, who had attended the High Wycombe home to suspend a firearm license and seize firearms, discovered the devices.
It is alleged that the devices were discovered at an address on Edward Road, High Wycombe.
A 42 year old man associated with the High Wycombe address is said to face a number of charges.
Police, however, have not indicated a detailed outline of the charges based on the material that was available online.
There was also no indication from reports that any person was injured during the incident.
What can, however, be said with certainty is that a new dimension has been added to a standard firearm investigation that was initially routine.
Case will undoubtedly serve to highlight the issue of firearms control in Western Australia, where there has been a tougher approach to firearms control.
However, there is nothing from the reporting to indicate any connection to the High Wycombe investigation.
For the authorities, the next step will be to determine the nature of the alleged devices and whether charges will be pressed in the coming days.
In the Perth east, the raid will have served to highlight the fact that even a targeted firearms raid can lead to something much more sinister behind the front door.
Four young males are in custody after a 22 year old male died in a violent confrontation outside Mernda Railway Station in the outer north of Melbourne.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Bridge Inn Road around 5:50 pm on Friday night after reports of a fight.
Police say the confrontation started when a 14 year old boy was allegedly targeted near the station.
The police told that several people tried to intervene in the fight, but the 22 year old intervened to remove the 14 year old from the scene.
The police claim the group followed the adult and his friends to assault him again outside the station precinct.
According to Detective Acting Inspector Nigel L’Estrange, the detectives have reasons to believe that the assailants used an edged weapon during the attack.
Parts of the station and surrounding stores were cordoned off while forensic investigators investigated the scene of the killing.
As detectives piece together the last movements of those involved, police have asked anyone who saw the fight or who has dashcam or phone footage to get in touch with Crime Stoppers.
A 31 year old woman has been charged with criminal neglect after a nine month old baby boy was found unresponsive in a home in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
According to a statement issued by South Australia Police, police and emergency services were called to a home on Midlow Road in Elizabeth Downs just before 8 pm on Wednesday 4 March after reports that a baby boy was unresponsive.
“Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the boy was unable to be revived,” South Australia Police stated.
The matter was taken in charge by detectives from Northern Districts before a woman was arrested from the home.
She was charged with criminal neglect and bailed. Her bail is set for 14 April when she is scheduled to appear in Elizabeth Magistrates Court.
The police have not issued any details on how the baby boy died.
On Thursday, ABC News reported that detectives were knocking doors in nearby homes as part of investigations into the case, while residents said that there was a big emergency response in the street overnight.
Jasmine Hudson, one of the residents, said, “It’s heartbreaking and I feel for the people it happened to.”
Another resident in the area said that she was surprised to hear about the case, describing it as “so horrible” and how it affected families in the area.
Queenslanders are being encouraged to ready themselves for more wet weather, as a tropical low in the Coral Sea continues to make its way towards the state, potentially brewing into a cyclone later this week.
The tropical low, named 29U is currently situated a little more than 500 kilometers northeast of Cairns and is expected to make landfall around the middle of the day on Friday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Tropical low is expected to bring heavy rainfall, flooding and potentially high winds in the coming days, but there is also a moderate possibility that the low could develop into a tropical cyclone.
The watch area, as designated by the BOM extends from Cooktown to Lucinda and includes areas such as Cairns, Port Douglas, Innisfail, Cardwell and Palm Island.
Roads in the Hinchinbrook Shire were closed following falls of more than 285 mm between Sunday and Monday, while some Far North locations recorded more than 200 mm in the 24 hours leading up to Monday morning.
Additionally, the bureau has maintained warnings for a number of river catchments and issued a flood watch for the North Tropical Coast and the York Peninsula in the western Cape.
As the likelihood of a cyclone increased, Bureau forecaster Morgan Pumper told ABC that the system was predicted to move southwest: “We can see it moving over the coast later this week.
Bureau has cautioned that the low may still produce hazardous weather over a large area even if it remains below cyclone strength.
The emerging threat on the coast comes as the slow moving floodwaters continue to impact the west of the state.
Communities such as Bedourie and Birdsville have experienced isolation risks as floodwaters continue to spread across the flat terrain, with Premier David Crisafulli stating that resources are being pre positioned to resupply and assist with the response.
The information service in Queensland encouraged people to follow official advice and avoid driving through floodwaters, reminding people to contact the SES on 132 500 for non urgent storm and flood assistance.
An emergency evacuation warning was issued on Tuesday afternoon due to a series of explosions at an industrial site in the north of Geelong, while firefighters battled a rapidly spreading fire and a dense smoke plume that spread throughout surrounding suburbs.
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 3:28 p.m. crews were called after Triple Zero callers reported a car fire, followed by explosions and thick smoke.
Within minutes, firefighters arrived and discovered a car on the back of a truck on fire with flames spreading to nearby gas bottles and causing several explosions.
At the intersection of Thompson Road and Armstrong Street in North Geelong, VicEmergency issued an Emergency Warning advising anyone within the warning area to evacuate right away.
Emergency services might not be able to assist those who stayed, according to the alert which cautioned people not to enter the area and described the conditions as extremely dangerous.
People were advised to stay away from windows and glass, keep an eye out for hot or sharp objects, close windows and vents and turn off the air conditioner before leaving the area if they were driving.
While workers were on the scene, Thompson Road, Armstrong Street and Pashley Avenue were closed.
According to ABC News, the emergency warning area, which is primarily an industrial pocket included portions of Thompson Road and Armstrong Street as well as neighboring streets like Pashley Avenue and Sharon Court.
While firefighters worked around the perimeter to put out the fire, aerial footage showed smoke rising from what appeared to be tires and wrecked vehicles.
Additionally, health officials cautioned that smoke from the fire had spread throughout Bell Park, Bell Post Hill, North Geelong and the surrounding suburbs, potentially aggravating lung and heart conditions as well as causing eye irritation, coughing and wheezing.
Although crews were expected to stay on the scene to ensure the area was safe, Fire Rescue Victoria stated that the incident was deemed under control at 5:24 p.m.
An unofficial end date has been placed on NSW Premier Chris Minns’ tenure, as he has hinted that he will not lead Labor into the 2031 election and stated that he does not anticipate being premier when Sydney Metro West is scheduled to open in 2032.
In an interview with reporters on Monday, Minns was asked about his thoughts on Sydney in 2032 which is the year of the state’s largest rail project, as Metro West aims for that year’s opening.
“Well, I won’t be here at least in this role,” he responded, before shifting his focus to the affordability of housing and the need for more residences close to public transportation.
Minns acknowledged that he “might get beat” at the next state poll and emphasized that there was no assurance he would make it that far.
The government pushed the election forward to avoid an Easter weekend clash and voters in NSW are expected to return to the polls on March 13, 2027.
The remarks provide the strongest indication to date that Minns 46, does not intend to serve as prime minister for the next ten years.
Barring an earlier loss or change of leadership, he would essentially limit his tenure as premier to two terms if he were to win in 2027 and step down before 2031.
The timing also coincides with Metro West receiving more attention now that the NSW Government has confirmed the 24 kilometer line’s tunneling is finished, moving the project into fit out and track laying later this year.
Following Labor’s election victory, Minns was sworn in as the state’s 47th premier on March 28, 2023. Minns has been the Kogarah seat holder since 2015.
Kellie Sloane, the leader of the opposition criticized the comments, saying the premier should outline his plans and accusing him of not offering a long term vision for the state.
We didn’t set out to run one of the biggest grassroots campaigns the Gold Coast has seen in years. But the moment the Trump Organization’s first Australian tower was announced – a 91-storey, 340-metre Trump International Hotel & Tower proposed for Surfers Paradise – we knew we had to act. So we did what ordinary people always do when the powerful move in: we organised.
Between our two Change.org petitions – mine, and the one started by CK – we’ve now pushed beyond 1,13,525 verified signatures, a clear public signal that this project is not a “done deal” in the hearts of Australians.
CK has chosen to remain anonymous, not out of drama or mystery, but out of a real fear of backlash and retaliation from the most aggressive elements of Trump fandom – the sort of intimidation that has become an ugly, familiar soundtrack to Trump-era politics.
When we say “we”, we mean something bigger than two names on a webpage – Craig Hill and CK. We mean the teachers, tradies, hospitality workers, students, parents, small business owners, long-term locals, and visitors who love the Gold Coast for what it is: sun, sand, openness, and a culture that still feels fundamentally Australian.
What’s being proposed and why it matters
The tower is being pitched as a luxury monument: a “six-star resort-hotel”, high-end apartments, retail, a beach club, and a level of branding that’s meant to scream prestige. The Trump Organization says this will be a landmark address and a new flag planted on an iconic beachfront.
But the key detail is this: it’s a hotel management and brand-licensing deal, meaning the Trump Organization profits from the name, the marketing, and the “halo” of association – even if the concrete is poured by others. That’s exactly why we’re fighting it. Because branding is not neutral. Branding is power. The Trump Organization will manage the complex, and profit most from it.
Our central objection: the Trump brand and a global pattern of harm
Our primary objection isn’t the height, the glass, or the architecture. It’s the name, though similar projects throughout the world have had negative impacts. These are in terms of the displacement of local businesses, skyrocketing property prices, and a sharp increase in income inequality. This is not the future we wish for our beloved Gold Coast.
And then there’s the business record – the part that should matter even to people who don’t care about politics. Multiple independent fact-checks and financial reporting describe six Trump-linked corporate bankruptcies (mostly in casinos/hospitality), a pattern of over-leverage, aggressive deal-making, and leaving others to hold the bag.
We laid out the deeper pattern in our own research: ten places around the world where Trump-owned or Trump-branded developments were reported as drivers or symbols of luxury-led upheaval, with communities describing displacement pressures, price escalation, and inequality. That list includes projects and controversies in New York, Atlantic City, Vancouver, Toronto, Pune, Gurgaon, Panama City, Scotland, and Ireland.
This is why “it’s just a building” doesn’t cut it. It’s not just a building. It’s a brand with a track record, and reputational baggage that Australia does not need to import.
Australia has a right to ask: why reward hostility?
The timing makes this worse. Right now, Australia is dealing with a chaotic and openly hostile US tariff regime. Official Australian government guidance confirms the US has imposed a 10% Temporary Import Surcharge on most goods, and also lists much higher “national security” tariffs – including 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium. Reporting in recent days has described the push to lift the temporary global rate to 15% – a move that would hit Australian exporters as well.
So we have to ask: if the Trump administration is actively making life harder for Australian exporters and workers, why on earth should the Gold Coast build a glittering shrine to the Trump name?
Mayor Tom Tate has spoken positively about the proposal in media coverage, and council has confirmed that no development application had yet been lodged at the time of reporting. That means there is still time – and still responsibility – to rethink.
The beach cabanas issue: Schoolies Hub is not a hotel annex
One detail has set off alarm bells for locals who actually understand this city: the talk of beach cabanas and a resort experience that “spills out” onto the sand.
Across the road – and right on that stretch of Surfers Paradise beach – sits the Queensland Government’s Schoolies Hub, a fenced, alcohol- and drug-free entertainment precinct where school leavers gather during Schoolies Week.
This matters. Schoolies is already a complex safety operation involving policing, health, volunteers, and careful planning. The idea that a Trump-branded luxury hotel could effectively exert influence over the same beachfront environment – through cabanas, beach club operations, or sheer brand dominance – is not just culturally grotesque. It’s operationally risky.
We do not want Schoolies Week turned into a “VIP backdrop” for wealthy tourists. We do not want a public beach – especially one that functions as a major youth safety precinct – to be treated like a private forecourt.
Serious questions about the developer and delivery risk
We’re also deeply concerned about the delivery risk – not just the politics.
ABC investigative reporting has documented that the project’s local proponent, Altus CEO David Young, previously ran a business that collapsed owing $28 million to creditors, and that a liquidator’s report described him as largely “uncontactable” and failing to file key financial information after the collapse.
The same reporting notes two previous bankruptcies for Young, both completed. That’s not “cancel culture”. That’s due diligence.
We also can’t pretend this tower exists in a vacuum. Surfers Paradise already struggles with peak-season gridlock, limited on-street space, and an event calendar that pushes roads and public transport to their limits.
A 91-storey hotel-and-residential complex would pour thousands more vehicle trips into an area where road capacity, loading zones, rideshare pick-ups, deliveries, and emergency access are already tight – meaning real, day-to-day impacts on locals, workers, and visitors.
If council is even considering this project, we need transparent answers on the full infrastructure bill: which roads and intersections will be upgraded, how pedestrian and disability access will be improved, what additional public transport or active-transport links will be funded, and how construction traffic will be managed for years.
Just as importantly, we need proof that essential services can cope – electricity supply and substation capacity, potable water, sewerage and stormwater, and resilient internet and mobile coverage for a dense high-rise precinct – without quietly shifting costs onto ratepayers and taxpayers or compromising safety and reliability for the existing community.
What we can do about it
We’ve started speaking up the only way that reliably changes outcomes in big developments: through the organisations that represent workers, builders, and industry standards.
We have written to (and are seeking discussions with) the CFMEU, ETU, Plumbers Union, AWU, AMWU, Master Builders Queensland, and the QMCA. Ideally, we could get the project black banned, but we’ll respect whatever alternative actions the unions may implement.
We’ve written to the elected officials whose job it is to represent the public interest in this part of Queensland, including:
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate
Queensland member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek (LNP)
Federal member for Moncrieff Angie Bell (LNP)
Senator Murray Watt, Labor duty senator for Moncrieff
Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters (QLD)
We have contacted three former independent federal parliament candidates and Gold Coast activists who have expressed a willingness to help organise this: Stewart Brooker, Michelle Faye and Belinda Jones.
In addition, we have been approached by a Victorian law firm offering to help us raise money from law firms around Australia, and a Brisbane barrister who is helping us to find a local lawyer who may be willing to act pro bono if we can’t raise funds.
We also encourage every concerned citizen to contact the above elected officials – politely. We can be firm without becoming the thing we oppose. We don’t need threats. We don’t need abuse. We need pressure, transparency, and democratic accountability.
A final message to council: think again
We’re not saying the Gold Coast should stop developing. We’re saying the Gold Coast should stop selling its skyline, its beach culture, and its civic identity to a brand that brings division, controversy, and a documented history of hard-edged business dealings.
We’re asking Mayor Tom Tate and Gold Coast Council to have another think about this – and to remember who this city is meant to serve: the community that lives here, works here, and raises families here. And we’re asking them to choose something better than a tower that shouts “TRUMP” over the Pacific.
Jamie Dunn, the well known Australian entertainer and the face and puppet behind the character Agro, died at the age of 75.
According to reports carried, Jamie Dunn died in the early hours of Saturday morning.
His death marked the end of a career that had made him one of the most familiar faces in the world of Australian children’s television and Brisbane radio.
Dunn had started his career as a drummer and a singer before he moved to television and took over the character of Agro in the early 1980s.
His character in the show “Agro’s Cartoon Connection” had become a regular fixture in the weekday morning slots on the Seven Network between 1990 and 1997.
The show had won seven consecutive awards in the category of the Most Popular Children’s Program, which spoke volumes about the impact that the character had left on the minds and hearts of a generation of children.
Television was not the only medium in which he was successful.
Additionally, Dunn was a founding member of Brisbane’s B105 Morning Crew, where he collaborated with Ian Skippen and Donna Lynch to create one of the most popular breakfast radio shows in the city.
Tributes started pouring in as soon as the news was out.
The tribute was a tribute to the warmth of the larrikin persona that Agro was, but also the same persona that earned him the respect and admiration of so many people.
Despite the fact that Dunn was getting old, there was still a lot to look forward to.
The reports indicated that the actor had recently been in talks about a possible Agro Up Late television special in 2026.
For many Australians, however, the call that the man will forever be remembered for is the same call that lit up the morning, Agro and the man who gave him life.
