The C-27J Spartan aircraft took off from Darwin, and the ABC understood it was heading towards Brisbane and near Longreach when personnel observed "signs of smoke" onboard. 

Pilungah Reserve, south-west of Mount Isa, has become Queensland's third special wildlife reserve, barring any future mining activity.

A potentially 'catastrophic' drop in traffic has outback residents concerned for the rest of the tourist season. Community members in remote Queensland have come together for the grand opening of a new outdoor theatre and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, declaring their town open for business.

As the price of food and agricultural production goes up during the Iran conflict, supermarkets are being urged to absorb more of the cost. 

The agriculture sector says an increase in attention has been a "silver lining" amid supply chain pressures.

The 2026 All Australian Mower Racing Championships ran for three days over the weekend featuring competitors ready to tear around a track on refurbished ride-ons.

Hall of Fame upgrade: The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in Longreach has begun a two year development to improve its lake area and event facilities. CEO Lloyd Mills says the project would add nature trails, a twilight experience and renovated visitor amenities. He says it's an opportunity to regenerate the environment and hopefully encourage tourists to stay in the outback for longer. The state government is contributing $1 million as part of its Tourism Icons Investment Fund.

Image credit: ABC Western Qld/Crispian Yeomans

Quilpie economy: The Quilpie Shire Council will soon release a report looking into new economic opportunities for the region to replace declining industries. Mayor Ben Hall says he had hoped the Taroom Trough oil exploration may lead to an increase in operations at the Eromanga Refinery, but the government is looking at building a new coastal refinery instead. He says the shire will need help transitioning existing economies to keep it alive.

Fuel dashboard: A Queensland software company says its fuel dashboard could serve as a blueprint for a national project. QIT Plus maintains information dashboards for most Queensland council websites and developed a live map of fuel availability using State Government data. Chief Executive Chris Madsen says access to up-to-date fuel information has been well received.

Train strikes: Outback rail services will be affected by industrial action from Tuesday as tensions between the unions and the state government escalate. Union members say they've been locked out of their workplaces by Queensland Rail as disputes over pay and conditions enter their fourth week. There are changes to the Spirit of the Outback passenger service and the weekly state-subsidised freight train from Rockhampton to Winton has been cancelled. People are being urged to check Translink for the latest updates.

Barcaldine festival: The president of Barcaldine's Tree of Knowledge Festival committee says attendance was up this year despite a rough start to the tourism season. The festival is held annually every Labour day weekend, with five days of activities ranging from footy games to goat racing, culminating with a march down the main street celebrating the town's union history. President and organiser Jake Hewitt says locals came out in force to support the town.