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Public Feedback Opens On Proposed Murarrie Industrial Development

Plans for a new industrial development in Murarrie have opened for public feedback, with nearby residents expressing mixed views about the proposal. Some have raised concerns about traffic, truck movements and the proximity of industrial activity to homes, while others have welcomed the proposal and its potential to provide new commercial tenancies.

Read: Over 1,500 Drivers Want Brisbane’s Tolls Gone — Here’s What It Means for Murarrie Commuters

The development is proposed at 607 Lytton Road, Murarrie, with the application before Brisbane City (BCC) under application number A006608896. The proposal would be delivered across two stages and include a total of 31 industrial units.

Two-stage development proposed

The application was received in September 2024, according to publicly available planning records. Documents associated with the application also show a subsequent request for an extension of time.

Stage one would involve construction of Units 1 to 22 along with all civil works. Stage two would comprise construction of Units 23 to 31, completing the proposed 31-unit industrial development.

Vehicle access to the site is proposed through a new crossover on Barrack Road. Potential traffic impacts and increased truck movements have featured among the concerns raised by residents in submissions.

One resident said they were concerned a warehouse near Park Hill Estate could negatively affect the residential neighbourhood. Their submission pointed to young children who walk and ride their bikes to school, raising concerns that increased truck movements and heavy traffic could affect their safety.

Another submission expressed full support for the proposal, describing it as providing “necessary commercial tenancies” for the growing Morningside area. The resident also said the proposal could provide jobs and services.

The submissions show differing views about the proposal, with concerns raised about truck movements, heavy traffic and the potential effect on the surrounding residential area.

Residents encouraged to have their say

Cr Lucy Collier has encouraged people living nearby to review the application and make their views known through the planning process.

In a public Facebook post, Cr Collier said the proposed development is technically just outside the Morningside Ward boundary but is close to the local community. She said she had already been contacted by nearby residents who had concerns about the proposal and its potential impacts.

Read: Murarrie Recreation Hub Set To Open For River Taxis And Dining Ahead Of 2032

Cr Collier encouraged residents to consider the plans whether they support the development, oppose it or have particular concerns about traffic, access, amenity or impacts on surrounding residential areas.

Residents can use BCC’s Development.i service to view the application, plans and associated documents, check the application’s status and determine whether submissions can be made. BCC advises residents to review the development application before preparing a submission and to focus on relevant planning issues.

Published 8-October-2026

Rivergate Takes Frontline Role In Servicing Brisbane’s 2032 Superyacht Fleet

Photo Credit: Rivergate Marina and Shipyard/Facebook

The arrival of more than 200 international superyachts for Brisbane 2032 would not end when their passengers step ashore.

The vessels will need places to berth, crews to support them and months of maintenance and servicing if they remain in the region as long as the industry expects. Rivergate Marina and Shipyard has been brought into that planning as a founding partner of Superyacht Australia’s Brisbane 2032 Marine Project and a key operational hub in Brisbane.

The project is being developed six years out from the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with organisers expecting visiting yachts to create work well beyond the competition fortnight.

The Real Work Starts After The Yachts Arrive

Superyacht Australia forecasts more than $232 million in maintenance activity could be generated nationally by the expected fleet. Its broader projections put national business output at $1.8 billion, alongside $1.2 billion in induced tourism expenditure and $64 million in charter spending. More than 7,500 direct and indirect full-time jobs could be supported under the industry modelling.

None of those figures is specific to Rivergate. They apply to the wider activity expected from the Brisbane 2032 Marine Project and the movement of superyachts through Australia and surrounding destinations.

Rivergate’s role sits most naturally in the servicing side of the equation. Industry representatives expect some vessels to remain in the region for 12 months or longer, meaning maintenance, repairs, supplies and other marine support could continue long after the Olympic events have finished. Superyacht Australia has made workforce development part of its planning as the sector looks at whether enough skilled labour and support services will be available to handle the expected fleet.

Photo Credit: Rivergate Marina and Shipyard/Facebook

Brisbane Wants More Than A Brief Port Call

Keeping vessels in the region will also depend on whether Brisbane can accommodate them. Industry representatives say luxury boats are already being turned away because suitable berths are scarce. Six dedicated mooring zones are planned downstream of the Kangaroo Point Bridge as part of the wider effort to create more capacity on the Brisbane River.

The marine project also covers environmental assessments, logistics, biosecurity and customs arrangements — practical issues that become more complicated when large numbers of internationally based vessels move through Australian waters.

Superyacht Australia is taking the 2032 pitch overseas as well. The organisation is promoting the opportunity through the Monaco Yacht Show alongside representatives from Tahiti, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Hong Kong, all of which could receive vessels travelling through the region.

The Northern Territory Government has already provided funding to the project in the hope of attracting yachts on their way to and from Brisbane. BCC and Gold Coast councils have given in-principle support, while Superyacht Australia is seeking Queensland Government backing for further planning.

Rivergate’s founding role places an established Brisbane marina and shipyard inside that preparation years before the projected fleet begins arriving — with much of the potential work expected to happen not on Games day, but in the months surrounding it.

Published 29-September-2026

Morningside Panthers Set Fundraising Record for Junior Facilities

Morningside Panthers have finished this year’s Toyota Good for Footy Raffle with $21,070 for the club, passing their $20,000 target and recording what the Panthers say is their best fundraising result through the program.

The money will not be spent at the club’s Jack Esplen Oval home in Hawthorne. The Panthers have instead earmarked the proceeds for further improvements to the junior playing and training facilities they use at Murarrie State School, extending work already under way there.

A Club-Wide Push Past the Target

The result came at the end of a campaign that involved teams from across the club, with Morningside providing separate fundraising links covering junior sides through to its Colts, QAFL and QAFLW programs.

Under the Toyota Good for Footy Raffle, community football clubs sell tickets for $5 and retain the proceeds, while the prizes are provided separately. For clubs, it removes one of the major expenses of conducting a conventional raffle and means the money generated by their ticket sales can be directed back into football.

Morningside had set a target of $20,000 and was already more than halfway there by early July. By the time sales closed at noon on 21 September, the Panthers had reached $21,070 — $1,070 beyond their target and the equivalent of 4,214 tickets at $5 each.

The club kept supporters updated during the campaign and encouraged participation across its different teams, rather than relying on a single fundraising push. It also used team-specific links, giving different sections of the Panthers program a way to contribute to the overall result.

Ticket sales were closed before the raffle draw, which was held at noon on Thursday, 24 September. The $21,070 announced by Morningside therefore represents the completed fundraising campaign rather than a running figure published while tickets were still being sold.

Why the Money Is Heading to Murarrie

For Hawthorne residents, the destination of the proceeds also illustrates how far the Panthers’ operations extend beyond the ground most closely associated with the club.

Despite carrying the Morningside name, the Panthers’ senior home is Jack Esplen Oval in Hawthorne, where the club has a long-established presence on Oak Street. Its junior football activities also make use of facilities at Murarrie State School, and it is those playing and training facilities that will benefit from this year’s raffle.

The club has been working on improvements at the Murarrie site and said the latest funds would allow that program to continue. Rather than disappearing into general fundraising revenue, the proceeds have therefore been linked to a specific part of the Panthers’ football operations.

A Record, With One Qualification

Morningside described the $21,070 as a club fundraising record. The result is certainly above the target the Panthers set themselves at the start of the campaign, although Hawthorne News was unable to independently reproduce the final national leaderboard associated with the raffle.

What can be established is simpler: the Panthers asked supporters to help raise $20,000 for their junior facilities and finished with $21,070, all generated through $5 raffle tickets sold across the club.

Published 28-September-2026

Ten Weeks Into Policing, Constable Wounded in Hemmant Attack

Photo Credit: QPS/Facebook

A Queensland police constable barely 10 weeks into his career suffered serious neck injuries during a pre-dawn call-out at Hemmant, after a disturbance between two men escalated into an alleged attack on two officers.

Police were sent to Bogong Street about 5:10am on Sunday, 27 September. What began as a report of a disturbance quickly turned into a serious confrontation, with police alleging a 35-year-old Hemmant man struck the constable in the neck with a knife and assaulted a senior constable.

Acting Chief Superintendent Heath McQueen later said the constable had been stabbed twice in the neck. The senior constable suffered a laceration to the head, while first aid was given to the younger-serving officer before he was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a stable condition.

Ten Weeks From The Academy

The injured constable had graduated from the Queensland Police Academy in July and had only recently moved beyond his mentor period, placing the Hemmant incident within the first few months of his frontline career. Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said the officer had about 10 weeks of service and had previously worked for the Red Cross before joining Queensland Police.

Despite the injuries to his neck, the constable continued after the alleged offender, according to Prior. He managed to deploy his Taser during the pursuit before blood loss forced him to stop. Police later described the officer’s injuries as significant and said surgery would be required. The senior constable was also reported to be in a stable condition.

Hemmant attack — Photo Credit: QPS/Facebook

Search Moves From Hemmant To Manly West

The alleged offender left Bogong Street after the confrontation, setting off patrols beyond the initial scene. Police said the man fled the area before officers later found him outside a business on Wondall Road at Manly West.

The arrest was made about 7am, less than two hours after the first call for assistance. Police took the 35-year-old into custody and subsequently charged him with two counts of attempted murder.

He was refused police bail and was scheduled to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday, 28 September. No court outcome is contained in the supplied material. McQueen praised the officers’ commitment and courage during the incident, describing the situation as one that required rapid decisions as events unfolded.

Published 28-September-2026

Carina Leagues Club Workforce Surges as Expansion Gathers Pace

One of Brisbane’s eastern suburbs’ larger hospitality employers has more than doubled its workforce in just 18 months, with Carina Leagues Club CEO Adam Wiencke expecting another substantial increase as the club continues to expand.

The club employed about 110 people 18 months ago. Wiencke now puts the figure at around 280 and expects it could eventually reach 350 to 380, while dining capacity has risen from about 800 to 1,300 and is heading towards 1,600 to 1,700.

For young people across Brisbane’s eastern suburbs, that growth is creating the kind of entry-level employment traditionally associated with supermarkets and fast-food chains. Wiencke says university students and younger workers are already an important part of the club’s workforce, although the organisation increasingly wants those jobs to lead somewhere.

“We’ve grown so quickly that what we’ve put in place just isn’t sustainable for where we’re heading,” he said.

First Jobs That Don’t Have to Stay First Jobs

For Wiencke, the expanding workforce presents an opportunity to rethink the role a community club can play as an employer.

Hospitality has long provided casual work for students and young people, but he wants Carina to offer pathways beyond the first roster or weekend shift. As the club becomes larger and more complex, it needs more people who can build careers within the operation rather than simply pass through it.

That represents a significant change from where Carina stood a decade ago. Fair Work Commission records show the club had about 127 employees when evidence was given in 2016, including 104 casuals. Wiencke now puts the workforce at around 280, with potentially another 70 to 100 people required as the club continues to expand.

Carina has also worked with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability Queensland’s Employment Connections Program, providing another pathway into hospitality work. Current program listings include food and beverage and Playland roles at the club.

If Wiencke’s projected workforce of 350 to 380 is eventually reached, Carina would employ more than three times as many people as it did 18 months ago.

Families and Food Changed the Numbers

The hiring surge has followed a deliberate effort to broaden the club’s audience, particularly among younger people and families.

“We’ve deliberately worked on engaging younger people and families,” Wiencke said.

The club’s Playland forms part of that strategy, alongside an increasing emphasis on dining and entertainment. Wiencke said its $25 Monday steak night can draw more than 400 diners, while a busy Sunday service can bring 500 to 600 people through.

Those crowds have changed what is required behind the scenes, from the number of people needed across kitchens and food and beverage service to the supervisors and other staff required to keep a considerably larger hospitality operation running. They have also put pressure on the physical space sooner than the club expected.

The Expansion That Wasn’t Enough

A major redevelopment completed in 2024 delivered a new restaurant, bar, gaming areas and the Wade Core Function Centre, subsequently winning the 2025 Clubs Queensland award for Best Club Redevelopment – Large Club.

Yet the additional capacity did not mark the end of Carina’s building program. Stage 2 is already under construction, with project manager KVR Project Partners valuing the latest works at $21 million.

Wiencke’s figures help explain why. Dining capacity that once stood at around 800 has already reached approximately 1,300, with plans taking it towards 1,600 to 1,700, while five kitchens have been introduced as the operation has grown.

Rather than completing one major expansion and settling into the extra space, Carina has found itself trying to add capacity while demand continues to move ahead.

Sport Still Sits Behind the Business

For all the attention now being directed towards hospitality and employment, the organisation remains closely tied to the sporting precinct around it.

The club’s terrace overlooks the Easts Carina Tigers rugby league field at the Clem Jones Sporting Precinct. Wiencke said Carina financially supports 24 sporting clubs, with more than $500,000 a year going to football, while the club says its community contributions have exceeded $35 million since it opened in 1971.

Wiencke sees that relationship as part of the reason the operation can continue growing. Sport brings families into the wider community around the club; the hospitality business generates revenue and employment; and part of that money flows back into sporting and community organisations.

Its partnership with the Brisbane Broncos dates to 2004 and was extended this year through to the end of 2029, while former Broncos and Queensland player Michael De Vere has led specialised coaching at Carina since 2006. The sporting foundation has therefore remained in place even as the scale of the business around it has changed considerably.

A Much Bigger Employer in Brisbane’s East

At around 280 employees and still expecting substantial workforce growth, Carina Leagues Club is becoming more than a large hospitality venue in one suburb. Its employment footprint belongs to a broader eastern-suburbs labour market in which younger workers can readily cross suburb boundaries for work.

That is the relevant connection for Morningside rather than an attempt to claim Carina Leagues Club as a Morningside institution. The club is a neighbouring employer whose expansion is creating a growing pool of hospitality jobs within Brisbane’s east.

Wiencke’s figures also suggest that the hiring is unlikely to be finished soon. More dining capacity is coming, another major redevelopment is under way and the organisation expects its staffing needs to rise with them.

For a club that employed about 110 people only 18 months ago, the striking part is no longer simply how quickly Carina has grown, but how much larger Wiencke believes it still needs to become.

Published 21-Sept-2026

Morningside School Of Arts Marks Centenary With Agatha Christie Mystery

What do Morningside School Of Arts and one of Agatha Christie’s enduring mysteries have in common? Both trace their stories back to 1926, a connection Footlights Theatrical will bring to life this October.

Read: Traffic Signal Box Pays Tribute to Morningside School of Arts Ahead of 100-Year Milestone

The community theatre company will present The Mysterious Disappearance across three performances at the Morningside School of Arts on October 9 and 10, as part of celebrations marking their centenary.

The production draws a connection between the Morningside School of Arts’ opening year and a significant episode in Christie’s life.

The mystery writer disappeared for 11 days in December 1926, the same year the Morningside School of Arts opened. Christie left her home in Berkshire on December 3, with her car later discovered abandoned. An extensive search followed before she was found at a hotel in Harrogate. The circumstances surrounding those missing days have remained the subject of public fascination and form the basis for a theatrical story set almost 50 years later.

A Mystery From A Remarkable Year

The Mysterious Disappearance is set in December 1975, almost 50 years after Christie vanished. In the play, an ageing Christie is attempting to finish her autobiography and final novel before the new year. Her attention is increasingly drawn back to the events of 1926, including her husband’s affair with Nancy Neele and the circumstances of her disappearance.

Mary Westmacott, the pseudonym Christie used for six novels exploring love and human relationships outside the detective genre, helps Christie contemplate, in the fictionalised story, what it might have been like to kill the woman who had stolen her husband.

As memory, imagination and reality become increasingly blurred, the production asks whether Christie simply imagined murder or whether something more lies behind the mystery.

Director Roslyn Johnson said the connection between Christie’s story and the Morningside School Of Arts made the production a fitting choice for the centenary.

“1926 was a remarkable year for both the Morningside School of Arts and Agatha Christie, so The Mysterious Disappearance felt like the perfect production to help celebrate the hall’s centenary,” Johnson said.

She said the production would explore memory, ageing, betrayal, and the question of what might have happened during Christie’s 11 missing days.

Celebrating 100 Years Of Local History

Photo credit: Google Maps/Morningside School of Arts

The theatre season forms part of a broader programme marking the Morningside School of Arts’ centenary, with celebrations looking back at the music, fashions, culture and history of 1926.

A time capsule will also be created using material from the archives, preserving information about its history for future generations.

Read: Morningside School Of Arts Hall Battles Decay As Centenary Nears

Johnson said the production would give audiences a compelling mystery while providing an opportunity to step into the culture and history of the year when Morningside School of Arts began its story.

The three performances are scheduled for Friday, October 9 at 7.30pm, followed by Saturday, October 10 at 2pm and 7.30pm.

All performances will be held at the Morningside School of Arts at 590 Wynnum Road, Morningside.

Published 14-September-2026

Thousands to Gather in Murarrie for Sold-out Bridge to Brisbane 10km

Photo Credit: Bridge to Brisbane/Facebook

Murarrie will be the starting point for one of Brisbane’s biggest community events, with the sold-out Bridge to Brisbane drawing more than 40,000 entries across its 5km and 10km races for the event’s 30th anniversary.

The 10km event will begin in Murarrie on Sunday, 13 September, at 6:00 a.m., sending runners, walkers and wheelers onto the Gateway Bridge before they continue towards the finish at Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills. For Murarrie, race morning will bring an unusually large early-morning crowd, major traffic changes and a temporary transformation of roads normally dominated by vehicles.

The anniversary field has surpassed the more than 38,000 people who took part in 2025. Last year’s participants also raised $1.1 million for hundreds of charities, adding a fundraising dimension to an event that has grown well beyond its original scale.

Gateway Bridge keeps Murarrie tied to the race’s origins

Murarrie’s connection with Bridge to Brisbane reaches back to the event’s earliest years, when the inaugural race was staged in 1997 under the name Bridge to Bay.

About 5,000 people took part in the first edition, with the course beginning around the Gateway Bridge and heading towards Manly. Routes and finishing points changed over the following decades, but the bridge remained one of the event’s defining landmarks.

The 10km route still begins at the southern end of the Gateway Bridge, giving Murarrie a direct link to the race’s original identity. Organisers say the event has now attracted more than 700,000 participants since 1997 and raised more than $14 million for charity.

The crossing also remains one of the most distinctive parts of the 10km event. Competitors face the climb over the Gateway almost immediately after the start, turning a major piece of transport infrastructure into the opening stage of a community race for several hours each year.

Race morning will change how Murarrie moves

Murarrie is better known for freight routes, industrial land and major road links than for mass public gatherings, but Bridge to Brisbane gives the suburb a very different role on race morning.

Photo Credit: Bridge to Brisbane/Facebook

Brisbane City Council says the 10km course starts from Queensport Road at 6:00 a.m., with temporary road closures, lane restrictions and parking changes affecting Murarrie and surrounding areas. Restrictions will also apply along sections of Lytton Road, Southern Cross Way and the Gateway Motorway Bridge.

Traffic measures across the wider course are scheduled from Saturday afternoon into Sunday, with some closures beginning in the early hours of race morning. Council has advised motorists to allow extra travel time, plan alternative routes and expect delays around affected roads.

Residents living near the start area may also notice increased pedestrian activity as participants arrive before dawn. Organisers are encouraging entrants to use public transport where possible, while private vehicle and rideshare drop-offs can be made at Paringa Road. No parking will be available at the 10km start line.

BRIDGE TO BRISBANE
TRAFFIC CHANGES

Thirty years on, Murarrie still launches the long course

The 2026 race is the first Bridge to Brisbane being delivered by Events Management Queensland, which has expanded entertainment and on-course activities for the anniversary edition. Organisers have planned more live entertainment along the route and at the finish precinct, adding to the atmosphere around a race that has grown over decades.

Published 9-Sept-2026

Brisbane East Set for More Homes Under New Density Rules

Photo Credit: BCC

Brisbane’s eastern suburbs are set to absorb more of the city’s housing growth, with new planning rules increasing development capacity across parts of Morningside, Bulimba, Hawthorne, Coorparoo, East Brisbane, Stones Corner, Carina and Wynnum.

The changes are intended to add more low-rise housing in established neighbourhoods where shops, transport and services are already available. Council’s broader More Homes, Sooner program is focused on expanding housing diversity through options such as townhouses, row houses, dual occupancies and low-rise apartments.

Smaller homes broaden options in established neighbourhoods

The revised low-medium density framework allows lots as small as 120 square metres in qualifying areas where location, design and servicing requirements are met.

Development of up to three storeys is provided for more broadly, while multiple dwellings of up to four storeys may be permitted at designated locations near frequent public transport or centres.

Council says the changes are designed to address a mismatch between Brisbane’s household sizes and its housing stock, with demand increasing for smaller homes suited to singles, couples, downsizers and other households that do not require larger detached houses.

Morningside, for example, had an average household size of 2.3 people at the 2021 Census, while Bulimba averaged 2.4 people per household.

Local centres and transport anchor the growth

Many of the affected eastern suburbs already combine residential areas with established shopping strips, employment areas and public transport links.

Coorparoo, Stones Corner, Morningside and Carina contain established local centres, while Bulimba and Hawthorne have long-standing retail and dining precincts. East Brisbane sits close to inner-city employment and services, and parts of the eastern corridor are served by frequent bus routes, rail and ferry connections.

Council’s planning strategy says concentrating additional housing near existing centres and transport can make greater use of infrastructure already in place while giving residents closer access to everyday services.

Stones Corner is also identified in Council’s 2026–27 budget as one of several suburban renewal precincts, linking future growth with broader planning for local centres and public spaces.

Wynnum adds a bayside growth story

Wynnum brings a separate layer to the eastern suburbs housing story after Council adopted the Wynnum Centre Suburban Renewal Precinct Plan in 2026.

The precinct plan is intended to allow more housing in the centre while strengthening the local economy and connections to public transport and the foreshore. Council records show the Wynnum Centre amendment became effective on 12 June 2026.

Council’s consultation material says the plan was developed around Wynnum’s bayside character while creating additional housing opportunities and improving links between the town centre, transport and waterfront.

Low-rise housing remains the focus

The broader low-medium density changes do not convert affected eastern suburbs into high-rise zones. Eligible land remains focused on lower-scale development, generally up to three storeys, with four-storey multiple dwellings limited to qualifying locations.

Design controls continue to regulate matters including site cover, landscaping and servicing, with additional requirements applying to smaller lots.

The changes create greater capacity for residents to find smaller homes in established eastern suburbs without relying only on detached houses or large apartment towers. How much new housing is ultimately built will depend on individual sites, landowners, market conditions and applicable development approvals.

Published 7-Sept-2026

Hemmant Industrial Fire Sends Five to Hospital after Forklift Catches Fire

Five people were taken to hospital after an industrial forklift caught fire and flames spread to shipping containers at a commercial site in Hemmant.

Emergency crews were called to the Anton Road site about 10:50 a.m. on Friday, 4 September, and arrived to find the fire well developed. Thick black smoke rose from the depot as firefighters worked among stacks of shipping containers.

Two women suffer serious burn injuries

Queensland Ambulance Service sent seven crews to the site. One woman suffered life-threatening burns to her head, face and chest and was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, while another woman suffered serious burns to her arms and was also hospitalised.

Another account described the second woman’s condition as potentially life-threatening. Three male workers were taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation, bringing the number of people hospitalised to five.

More than 100 workers were evacuated during the emergency, while several nearby businesses were also cleared as smoke spread through the area. Firefighters remained at the site later on Friday managing hot spots after the main blaze was extinguished.

Fire spreads to five empty containers

Queensland Fire Department Acting Inspector Daniel Rasmussen said workers at the site had attempted to extinguish the fire before emergency crews arrived, but the blaze continued to spread. Multiple fire crews were required to extinguish it.

The fire damaged the large industrial forklift and spread to five neighbouring shipping containers. Fire officials said all five containers were empty, but their height and construction made access difficult for crews.

The containers were refrigerated and insulated with foam, according to a Queensland Fire Department spokesperson. Oils and lubricants in the forklift, combined with the container insulation, contributed to the volume of smoke produced by the fire.

Workplace safety investigation begins

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland was notified of the incident and representatives attended the Hemmant site. The agency said an investigation was under way and declined to comment further while it remained active.

A spokesperson for the company operating at the site said it was cooperating with authorities and providing counselling and other support to affected staff and their families. The spokesperson also said workers had acted promptly in trying to contain the fire before emergency services took over.

Authorities had not announced what caused the forklift to catch fire. The cause remained under investigation.

Published 5-Sept-2206

Morningside Jet Ski Rider Charged After Colmslie Boat Ramp Interception

A 20-year-old Park Ridge man has been charged with seven offences after Brisbane Water Police intercepted him at Morningside’s Colmslie Boat Ramp following reports he allegedly operated a jet ski close to boats to intentionally spray their occupants.

The interception occurred on 1 August during Operation Yankee Rooster, a targeted enforcement response established after increased reports of dangerous riding and antisocial behaviour involving personal watercraft on the Brisbane River.

The man was later charged with four counts of common assault, two counts of serious assault involving a person over 60 and one count of committing a public nuisance. He is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on 25 August.

Colmslie Boat Ramp Interception Part Of Wider Operation

Operation Yankee Rooster ran from 25 July to 9 August and involved Brisbane Water Police, Redland Bay Water Police and Maritime Safety Queensland. Watercraft and Maritime Safety Queensland drones were used for enforcement, compliance checks and water safety education.

Across the operation, 86 jet skis were intercepted. Six people were charged with a combined 23 offences, including common assault, serious assault, public nuisance, unauthorised damage to property and marine safety offences. Ten marine infringement notices were also issued.

The operation focused on riders alleged to have deliberately used modified, high-powered jet skis to spray passengers on ferries and charter vessels, people at ferry terminals and pedestrians using public walkways.

In one reported incident at about 1pm on 5 July, a young couple and their four-month-old baby waiting at a ferry terminal were allegedly deliberately sprayed by a passing jet ski. Investigations into that incident remained ongoing.

Colmslie Boat Ramp — *Photo Credit: QPS*

Jet Ski Rules Around Boat Ramps

Personal watercraft operators are required to keep a proper lookout while on the water. Maritime Safety Queensland rules require speed to be reduced to no more than six knots within 60 metres of people in the water, anchored or moored boats, structures, boat ramps, jetties or pontoons.

The six-knot limit also generally applies within 60 metres of the shore, subject to specified exceptions. Operators must also keep 30 metres from another moving vessel or reduce speed to below 10 knots unless an exception applies.

All personal watercraft must be registered, and operators have a general safety obligation to ensure the craft is in good condition, used safely and carries the required safety equipment.

Operation Yankee Rooster was conducted in addition to the regular patrols and watercraft compliance checks carried out by Water Police along the Brisbane River.

Published 19-August-2026