Asia eyes our city and other top stories.

• Asia eyes our city

  

  OVERSEAS property investors are increasingly snubbing Australia’s capital cities in favour of Townsville’s laid-back lifestyle.The annual value of foreign property acquisitions has increased by 81.6 per cent between 2013 and 2015, jumping from $3,747,500 to $6,807,842, according to data collected by the State Government’s Department of Natural Resources and Mines.With a total of 1790 hectares now owned by foreign investors, Townsville ranks 18th of Queensland’s 78 regional councils registered un..

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• Assault police, public nuisance charges – Condon (Townsville)

  

  A man has been charged after a police officer was injured during a large disturbance in Townsville this morning. Around 2.00am, police were responding to a noise complaint at an address in Mallee Street, Condon. A short time later police were called back to the same street following reports of a disturbance. On arrival, police observed a number of people, among a larger group of around 100 people, involved in an altercation. During the arrest of a man bottles and objects were thrown by a number..

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• The path to structural reform

  

  FOR eight years the ghosts of Thuringowa have haunted Walker St.Lurking beneath the surface, the spectre of another time has influenced the workings of Townsville City Council and the fate of its region.These ghosts aren’t faceless men or disgruntled former employees, but rather the symptoms of a dysfunctional organisational structure that never lived up to the promise of amalgamation.This week Mayor Jenny Hill and her team have sought to vanquish those ghosts once and for all, unanimously backi..

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• Wilson elated to return to Fire faithful

  AFTER being on the wrong side of a raucous Townsville home crowd for the past few seasons returning point guard Kelly Wilson can’t wait to again have the Fire faithful behind her.The veteran point guard will start her second stint with the Fire in next Sunday’s season opener against the Perth Lynx, returning to the club she played with from 2005-08.Wilson is a veteran of over 10 years in the league and the chance to join one of the league’s benchmark clubs and reconnect with former teammate and ..

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• Crocodile sighting

  

  FISHERMAN chasing a catch off the beach at Rowes Bay on Saturday morning got more than they bargained for after a close encounter with a large saltwater crocodile.A group of men and some children were fishing off the sand bag jetties about 7.45am when one person spotted the croc, believed to be about 3m, swimming away from mangroves about 100m offshore towards Pallarenda.“It was definitely a predator and not a dugong,” one of the men said.One of the men ran down the beach to alert another man wh..

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• Costly KAP

  

  TWO North Queensland MPs were among the biggest spenders on taxpayer-funded travel last year, racking up more than $140,000 in flights, car hire and taxi expenses.Mount Isa MP Robbie Katter and Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth each spent about $71,000, according to the latest General Travel Allocation Expenditure annual report.But the two KAP members say they also have two of the biggest and most remote electorates in the state.“We spend a lot of our life in the car or, when we can afford it, in charter..

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• Games over

  

  THE north’s top cop has backed a hands on, individualised and intensive approach to dealing with young offenders and their families, over a citywide youth curfew.Assistant Commissioner Paul Taylor believes a constant, “in your face” approach with the city’s worst young criminals would have better outcomes, over trying to police a curfew for the whole city.“What will work – it might take a fair bit of effort – is if you are a parent or a guardian, having me constantly in your face about your role..

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• Morgan hoping for Kangaroos chance

  

  A MID season debut for the Kangaroos gave Michael Morgan his first taste of international rugby league and the Cowboys star is hoping to back for seconds in this year’s Four Nations. The 25-year-old five-eighth snared a position as a bench utility in Mal Meninga’s side for their 16-0 triumph over the Kiwis in May and he appears well-placed to retain his place after another solid season for North Queensland and the Maroons.Morgan was added to the Kangaroos train-on squad alongside Cowboys teammat..

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