ABC Far North

14/09/2025

Close to half of ambulance patients in Queensland are having to wait more than 30 minutes to be admitted to emergency departments.

Figures in July show 47.8 per cent of patients were ramped for longer than the recommended time frame in the top 26 facilities in the state.

In July last year, under Labor, the ramping rate was 42.2 per cent.

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State Government data has revealed ambulance ramping has reached record-highs.

12/09/2025

Tourism Tropical North Queensland turns 50 this week, laying claim to being the oldest surviving regional tourism board in the nation.

And while promotions have come a long way in half a century from crocodiles in shopping centres, Cairns's pitch to the world is much the same.

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The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest are must-sees for millions worldwide, but it was once so difficult to get to Cairns that promoters resorted to gimmicks.

12/09/2025

Do you need help getting ready for bushfire season? Here’s where to find it!

If you're elderly, unwell or a person with disability you may need help clearing leaves from gutters, trimming trees and cutting long grass to protect your home.

There is assistance available to get your property ready for high risk bushfire weather.

Know your ABCs in an emergency: ab.co/Emergency

Here's a list of jobs you can tick off week-by-week to prepare your family and home ahead of higher-risk bushfire weather

12/09/2025

Workers and growers in the state's peanut industry receive a lifeline, with a major deal struck between Bega and the Crumpton Group.

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Workers and growers in the state's peanut industry receive a lifeline, with a major deal struck between Bega and the Crumpton Group.

12/09/2025

🚴‍♂️🚴 Road closures on Sunday 14 Sept for the Port Douglas Gran Fondo.

* 6am-1.30pm - The southbound lane of the Captain Cook Hwy (travelling from Port Douglas to Cairns) will be closed between Willie Pye Memorial Park, Craigieburn, and Palm Cove Boulevard.

* 5.30am-1.30pm - The northbound lane of the Captain Cook Hwy (travelling from Cairns to Port Douglas) will be closed between Palm Cove Boulevard to Willie Pyr Memorial Park, Craiglie.

Note: The highway will open at 11.30am to allow traffic to access Wanghetti & Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, but the Captain Cook Hwy will be closed from Wangetti to Port Douglas until 1.30pm.

* 5.30am-10.30am - Williams Esplanade Palm Cove will be closed between Cedar Rd and Veivers Rd. Residents access will be maintained via Veivers Rd.

12/09/2025

Workmates of a fisherman lost at sea off Queensland's western cape are braving strong winds to continue the search for their missing colleague.

The 27-year-old Japanese national went overboard from a prawn trawler about 16 nautical miles south-west of Weipa at about 4:20am on Wednesday.

He was last seen wearing an orange high-visibility shirt and thongs.

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Workmates of a fisherman lost at sea off Queensland's western cape brave strong winds to continue the search for their missing colleague, as his family prepares to travel to Australia from Japan.

12/09/2025

Mainstream Aquaculture Queensland has been found guilty of farming barramundi without a necessary environmental approval and other breaches of the state Environmental Protection Act.

A court heard the company unlawfully released a contaminant, copper sulphate, into a creek near Port Douglas.

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An aquaculture company "took a gamble" when it stocked a prawn farm in Far North Queensland with barramundi without environmental approval.

12/09/2025

Workers and growers in Queensland's peanut industry receive a lifeline, with a major deal struck between Bega and the Crumpton Group.

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Workers and growers in Queensland's peanut industry receive a lifeline, with a major deal struck between Bega and the Crumpton Group.

12/09/2025

It's a long way from Kowanyama on Cape York Peninsula to Utah in the United States, more than 12,000 kilometres, as the crow flies.

But that is where talented youngster, 10-year-old Carl Douglas Junior, headed on a daring competition many would be too scared to try.

Story by Sharnie Kim with additional production by Josie Sargent.

Hear it now on the free ABC listen app: https://ab.co/ABCListenApp

It's a long way from Kowanyama on Cape York Peninsula to Utah in the United States, more than 12,000 kilometres, as the crow flies. But that is where talented youngster, 10-year-old Carl Douglas Junior, headed on a daring competition many would be too scared to try. Story by Sharnie Kim with additio...

11/09/2025

A "fairly settled" weekend of weather is forecast for Queensland.

Isolated showers are expected along the coast while storms could develop in the far north.

The Bureau of Metorology has issued a high fire danger rating for parts of the North West and Gulf Country for Friday and Saturday.

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Visitors to Toowoomba's Carnival of Flowers can expect cool but dry weather this weekend, with similar conditions expected across much of Queensland.

11/09/2025

Health officials in Cairns have published a list of potential measles exposure sites after a locally acquired case of the illness.

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Health officials in Cairns have published a list of potential measles exposure sites after a locally acquired case of the illness.

11/09/2025

Criminal proceedings against a Vanuatu farm worker accused of cutting off another man's leg with a circular saw have "languished" for more than three years, a court has heard.

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Criminal proceedings against a Vanuatu farm worker accused of cutting off another man's leg with a circular saw have "languished" for more than three years, a court has heard.