'Julia Gillard knew nothing'

The PM's former lover says she "knew absolutely, categorically nothing" about the union fraud scandal. Courtesy: Weekend Today

Bruce Wilson at his NSW home. Picture: Liam Driver Source: Herald Sun

Mr Wilson says Prime Minister Julia Gillard knew nothing about the AWU scandal. Source: PerthNow

JULIA Gillard's ex-lover Bruce Wilson has declared the Prime Minister knew nothing about a 1990s union fraud scandal.

Speaking out for the first time the former Australian Workers Union boss said Ms Gillard "knew absolutely, categorically nothing" about the affair.

Mr Wilson - who now works as a cook on the Central Coast - said: "They can go on a witch-hunt for as long as they like and they will find nothing that will do her (Gillard) any harm.

"It's just a waste of time, they will find nothing."

Mr Wilson also rounded on the union bagman Ralph Blewitt, attacking his former mate as a "very risky" person for Ms Gillard's critics to rely upon.

"Relying on Ralph to be your star witness is a very, very risky strategy," Mr Wilson told The Sunday Telegraph.

"It's not one I would be prepared to take."

Mr Wilson - referring to those who are pursuing the AWU story - said "there is a group of people who are being funded by God knows who - good luck to them".

"But they are going to come unstuck - big time."

The Prime Minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the establishment of a union slush fund when she worked as a lawyer in the 1990s.

As the Coalition warned the issue would dominate parliament during the final sitting week and accused the Prime Minister of "stonewalling", the Treasurer also attacked the credibility of Mr Blewitt.

Mr Blewitt, a self confessed patron of Balinese brothels and union bagman has admitted he's "no angel".

And Penelope Lennon, Mr Blewitt's younger sister who said she been estranged from Mr Blewitt for years, said she wouldn't trust his evidence.

"I haven't changed my mind. He is a crook," she told The Sunday Telegraph yesterday.

"They should lock him up and throw away the key."

Mr Blewitt told The Sunday Telegraph: "I have a sister and others tipping the bucket on me right now. It's a private family matter, we haven't seen each other for 35 years."

Mr Blewitt's Australian ex-wife, who asked not to be named, also confirmed that she had no idea Mr Blewitt had bought a house in Melbourne in the 1990s with union cash despite the fact they were married at the time.

Previously, Mr Blewitt has conceded he has used the services of prostitutes but rejects suggestions he is a "sex predator" as claimed by the humorous political website Vex News.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toolies target partying schoolies

Police were quick to act after a brawl broke out during schoolies celebrations at Lorne. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

TOOLIES have brutally attacked revelling schoolies during a series of brawls early Sunday morning in Lorne's main street as school leavers partied at the popular beach holiday spot.

A Corio teenager carrying a pair of metal knuckle dusters was arrested and charged outside the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club at 12.45am.

Police arrested the man soon after a brawl - involving up to 30 teenagers - erupted on Mountjoy Pde at 12.30am.

Police said seven innocent innocent schoolies were attacked by older groups during the evening. Up to 2000 school leavers had poured into the town of 850 residents.

Lorne Police Sergeant David Cooper said police were still appealing for information in relation to other offenders and said toolies were the attackers.

"We had a number of brawls from poor behaviour by toolies assaulting schoolies," Sgt Cooper said.

"We believe they were toolies (as) seven of the victims were schoolies. We've had trouble with toolies, since the first event in the 1990s."

Police arrest a youth who was taken in for questioning.

When the large brawl began, several witnesses used mobile phones to call police and Herald Sun reporters.

One female was hit in the head during the brawl after trying to help a male friend; two young men came to her rescue.

Another male was allegedly king hit during the fight, while two boys traded blows in the middle of the road.

Police take possession of a knuckle duster.

Bystanders trying to intervene were held back by friends who feared the attackers would turn on them. A male toolie was seen swinging a stake of wood, which he had hidden in his pants.

At 1.10am the same man threatened a Herald Sun photographer by jamming the photographer in his car door and warning him to not take photos of his brawling friends.

The mood had taken a dark turn from the innocent celebrations earlier in the day.

Police arrest a young man in central Lorne.

Only hours before, school leaver Adele Curro played in the surf with six friends from Emmaus College in Vermont South as the mercury rose above 30C.

"We have been hanging at the beach and making new friends, it has been so great," Ms Curro said.

"We have been drinking all day and there is a huge dance party thing at Lorne Hotel later, which we are looking forward to."

A youth is arrested by police at Lorne.

Many teens told the Herald Sun they had fake identification to get into clubs and buy alcohol underage. As night fell teens hit the beach drinking and congregating in groups.

Police issued 16 fines for drinking in public.

At 10pm youths cut a hole in the fence surrounding the trampoline park on the foreshore.

A youth is taken for questioning at Lorne.

Up to 100 teens were playing on the equipment doing flips and throwing bottles before fleeing when police arrived.

Only hours before Lorne Sgt Cooper had visited hotels and private rentals to warn revellers about behaving badly and the threat of toolies.

"If anybody does stuff up you are going home, I will pack your stuff up for you," he said.

"The last couple of years have been good, so do it again this year. We don't want to fine you guys or see you locked up and taken to Geelong."

alexandra.white@news.com.au 

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'Baby boxes' the last hope for the unloved

A baby hatch is fixed in a wall near a hospital in Berlin. The text on the door reads "Only open in emergency." Graffiti on the wall reads in Polish 'I love you'. Picture: AP Source: AP

GERMAN pastor Gabriele Stangl says she will never forget the harrowing confession she heard in 1999. A woman said she had been brutally raped, got pregnant and had a baby. Then she killed it and buried it in the woods near Berlin.

Ms Stangl wanted to do something to help women in such desperate situations. So the following year, she convinced Berlin's Waldfriede Hospital to create the city's first so-called "baby box." The box is actually a warm incubator that can be opened from an outside wall of a hospital where a desperate parent can anonymously leave an unwanted infant.

A small flap opens into the box, equipped with a motion detector. An alarm goes off in the hospital to alert staff two minutes after a baby is left.

"The mother has enough time to leave without anyone seeing her," Ms Stangl said. "The important thing is that her baby is now in a safe place."

Baby boxes are a revival of the medieval "foundling wheels," where unwanted infants were left in revolving church doors. In recent years, there has been an increase in these contraptions - also called hatches, windows or slots in some countries - and at least 11 European nations now have them, according to United Nations figures. They are technically illegal, but mostly operate in a grey zone as authorities turn a blind eye.

But they have drawn the attention of human rights advocates who think they are bad for the children and merely avoid dealing with the problems that lead to child abandonment. At a meeting last month, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said baby boxes should be banned and is pushing that agenda to the European Parliament.

There are nearly 100 baby boxes in Germany. Poland and the Czech Republic each have more than 40 while Italy, Lithuania, Russia and Slovakia have about 10 each. There are two in Switzerland, one in Belgium and one being planned in the Netherlands.

In the last decade, hundreds of babies have been abandoned this way; it's estimated one or two infants are typically left at each location every year, though exact figures aren't available.

"They are a bad message for society," said Maria Herczog, a Hungarian child psychologist on the UN committee. "These boxes violate children's rights and also the rights of parents to get help from the state to raise their families," she said.

"Instead of providing help and addressing some of the social problems and poverty behind these situations, we're telling people they can just leave their baby and run away."

She said the practice encourages women to have children without getting medical care. "It's paradoxical that it's OK for women to give up their babies by putting them in a box, but if they were to have them in a hospital and walk away, that's a crime," Ms Herczog said. She said the committee is now discussing the issue with the European Parliament and is also asking countries which allow the practice to shut them down.

Ms Herczog also said it's wrong to assume only mothers are abandoning these children and that sometimes they may be forced into giving up children they might otherwise have kept. "We have data to show that in some cases it's pimps, a male relative or someone who's exploiting the woman," she said.

In some countries - Australia, Canada and Britain - it is illegal to abandon an infant anywhere. Yet, in the US there are "safe haven" laws that allow parents to anonymously give up an infant in a secure place like a hospital or police department. A handful of other countries including Japan and Slovakia have similar provisions.

Countries that support this anonymous abandonment method contend they save lives. In a letter responding to UN concerns, more than two dozen Czech politicians said they "strongly disagreed" with the proposed ban. "The primary aim of baby hatches, which (have) already saved hundreds of newborns, is to protect their right to life and protect their human rights," the letter said.

However, limited academic surveys suggest this hasn't reduced the murder of infants. There are about 30 to 60 infanticides in Germany every year, a number that has been relatively unchanged for years, even after the arrival of baby boxes. That's similar to the per capita rate in Britain where there is no such option.

Across Germany, there is considerable public support for the boxes, particularly after several high-profile cases of infanticide, including the grisly discovery several years ago of the decomposed remains of nine infants stuffed into flower pots in Brandenburg.

Officials at several facilities with baby boxes say biological parents sometimes name the infant being abandoned. "The girl is called Sarah," read one note left with a baby in Lubeck, Germany in 2003. "I have many problems and a life with Sarah is just not possible," the letter said.

The secretive nature also means few restrictions on who gets dropped off, even though the boxes are intended for newborns. Friederike Garbe, who oversees a baby box in Lubeck, found two young boys crying there last November. "One was about four months old and his brother was already sitting up," she said. The older boy was about 15 months old and could say "Mama."

Still, Germany's health ministry is considering other options. "We want to replace the necessity for the baby boxes by implementing a rule to allow women to give birth anonymously that will allow them to give up the child for adoption," said Christopher Steegmans, a ministry spokesman.

Austria, France, and Italy allow women to give birth anonymously and leave the baby in the hospital to be adopted. Germany and Britain sometimes allow this under certain circumstances even though it is technically illegal. Eleven other nations grant women a "concealed delivery" that hides their identities when they give birth to their babies, who are then given up for adoption. But the women are supposed to leave their name and contact information for official records that may be given one day to the children if they request it after age 18.

For German couple Andy and Astrid, an abandoned infant in a baby box near the city of Fulda ended their two-year wait to adopt a child nearly a decade ago.

"We were told about him on a Sunday and then visited him the next day in the hospital," said Astrid, a 37-year-old teacher, who along with her husband, agreed to talk with The Associated Press if their last names were not used to protect the identity of their child. The couple quietly snapped a few photos of the baby boy they later named Jan. He weighed just over 7 pounds (3kg) when he was placed in the baby box, wrapped in two small towels.

When Jan started asking questions about where he came from around age 2, his parents explained another woman had given birth to him. They showed him the photos taken at the hospital, introduced him to the nurses there and showed him the baby box where he had been left.

Earlier this year, the couple began the procedure to adopt a second child, a boy whose mother gave birth anonymously so she could give him up for adoption.

Astrid said Jan, now 8, loves football, tractors and anything to do with the farming that he sees daily in their rural community. She said it's not so important for her and her husband to know who his biological parents are.

But for Jan, "it would be nice to know that he could meet them if he wanted to," she said. "I want that for him, but there is no possibility to find out who they were."

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Trio shells out with eggsellent work

Josh O'Meara, Andrew Fincher and Chris Wright are hoping to turn one egg into $1 million for charity. Picture: David Caird Source: Herald Sun

TURNING a single egg into $1 million for charity is the ambitious goal of a trio of Melbourne friends, but it is gaining traction and attention from as far afield as Sir Richard Branson.

Creative consultant Joshua O'Meara said the idea of using a solitary egg to "trade up" has already turned the simple egg - valued at just 40 cents - into $40,000 in just 13 trades.

The 1egg1world initiative has seen the egg exchanged first for a cheap CD, then a board game and later on to a clapped-out Toyota which fetched $500 at a local wrecker's yard after just making the distance.

The money was then traded for a Sir Donald Bradman signed cricket bat, on to a Cathy Freeman signed portrait, then an African safari tour with flights. Currently, deals are in place - perhaps ironically - to trade the current value for 125,000 Farm Pride eggs - 18 pallets worth - to be purchased by Ritchies Supermarkets in a deal which will net approximately $40,000.

Through his marketing group Shades of Green, Mr O'Meara has been in contact with Sir Richard's office about the potential to trade for a seat on one of his Virgin Galactic space flights when the value increases.

"The project seems to be taking off and our latest trade is fairly humorous," Mr O'Meara, 26, said.

"We'll be only a trade or two away from a flight to space on Virgin Galactic, which we've tentatively penciled in after getting in touch with Richard Branson's personal assistant who loves what we're doing.

Farm Pride has actually agreed to brand the eggs for us as well, which we're pretty excited about and they'll be available to purchase through Ritchies Victorian stores if people want to be part of the action," he said.

Josh and his university mates, Chris Wright and Andrew Fincher, both 24, began the project 18 months ago after taking inspiration from a Canadian man who traded one red paper clip all the way up to a house.

The trio hope to reach the magic million dollar mark in another five to 10 trades.

The money will be split between environmental charity Cool Australia, third-world health clinic provider Traditional Health Care, and child poverty group Orphfund, with 10 per cent going to the group's future endeavours.

Click here to visit the 1egg1world website

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sarah raises her Voice against trolls

Singer Sarah De Bono says trolls wreck the fun for everyone else on social media. Picture: Stephen Cooper Source: News Limited

SARAH De Bono, former contestant of The Voice, says that people who use Facebook or other forms of social media to attack or abuse others - particularly those who victimise people who have died are "disrespecting the system".

"They are obviously going about things the wrong way and ruining it for everyone else," she said.

De Bono's comments come in the wake of a multitude of attacks occurring on more than 500 social media "burn books" of Australian public schools.

News Ltd discovered that more than 500 schools were running Facebook pages dedicated to humiliating their peers, extending the burden of cyber bullying outside the school gates.

''A lot of my fans sometimes they'll have fights - they call themselves the Debonators,'' De Bono said.

''Every time someone behaves that way I'll always be like 'It's not worth it' and every time something like that happens I tell them and they apologise and say they value each other and I'd like to keep it that way.''

Having been cast into the spotlight by talent show, The Voice, the 20-year-old singer - now signed to Universal Records - has had to learn quickly how to cope with a sudden influx of social media fans.

Asked if she had been targeted by trolls, De Bono said only that her experience on social media had been ''very positive''.

In less than a year, the pint-sized pop star has earned more than 91,000 subscribers on Facebook, 70,000 Instagram followers and 88,400 Twitter followers.

She told News Ltd that at first she hated Twitter, but that she learned quickly how to engage with her fans by having them participate in quizzes and have them ask her questions about herself to see if she can get them right.

"I also did a 'Sing with Sarah' competition on Facebook," she said, where she encouraged people to compose their own covers of her songs and upload them.

De Bono's social media activities have seen her invited as an "ambassador" to a Hamilton Island "Instameet" where she spent the weekend taking photos and hanging out with competition winners whose Instagram pictures won them a free trip to the island.

Claire Connelly attended as a guest of Hamilton Island

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Danger as vaccination rates plunge

Eva and Lola with their father Jaime Sanchez. Both girls have been fully immunised. Picture: Tricia Watkinson Source: adelaidenow

LEADING scientists say the anti-immunisation lobby is endangering children's lives because of the soaring number of parents refusing to vaccinate.

The number of Australian babies not fully immunised is now one in 12 and parents registering a conscientious objection has leapt from 4271 in 1999 to more than 30,000.

The figures have prompted 12 top researchers to launch a campaign this week to debunk the claims of groups that claim vaccinations are dangerous.

Professor Ian Frazer, who developed the cervical cancer vaccine, said he feared immunisation levels for some diseases were falling below those required to prevent deadly outbreaks.

And eminent biologist Sir Gustav Nossal has accused the anti-vaccination lobby of preventing the eradication of measles through its false claim that the vaccine against the disease caused autism.

A 20-page booklet to be launched today explains that many more children will die from diseases such as measles, mumps and diphtheria than will be harmed by the side effects of immunisation.

The booklet, launched by the Academy of Science, will also explain why it is better to gain immunity from a vaccination than from the disease.

Professor Frazer, who helped develop the document, warned of a dangerous fall in immunisation levels for diseases such as whooping cough.

Although 92 per cent of 12 to 15-month-old babies have been immunised against whooping cough, Professor Frazer said the disease spread more easily when the rate fell below 95 per cent.

Health Department figures show there were more than 7100 cases of whooping cough recorded across Australia in the first three months of 2012.

Professor Nossal said the anti-vaccination lobby was only able to campaign against immunisation because of its success in reducing the outbreak of infectious diseases.

Professor Frazer said it was because parents no longer saw cases of measles or mumps that they did not understand measles could kill a child and cause brain damage or that mumps could make a male sterile and that chicken pox could be fatal.

"As infectious diseases become less common, people are less aware of the need to vaccinate their children," Prof Frazer said.

And he noted that it was a "brave decision" by parents not to immunise their child when the child could not make that decision itself.

Father of two Jaime Sanchez said he and wife Genevieve felt strongly about immunisation.

The couple's daughters Eva, 6, and Lola, 4, had received all the recommended vaccinations, which meant they were fully protected for school and kindergarten.

"There's probably a few risks with any medical procedure but the risk of not doing it is much, much greater and statistics prove that out," he said.

"I think there's a lot of ill-advised fear-mongering from people who don't know what they're on about.

"But it's a hard one to bring up with people who have decided they don't want to vaccinate their kids."

He was concerned that unvaccinated children could pass on diseases to children who were too young to have been vaccinated.

"If you're not going to vaccinate your kids, that's fine but then don't bring them around mine," he said.

Children must be fully immunised for their families to claim the $726 Family Tax Benefit Part A supplement.

More than 30,000 children have a conscientious objection recorded.

The 20-page booklet explains to parents who may be worried about vaccine side effects that only three in every 10,000 children who receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine develop a fever high enough to cause seizures but 100 in 10,000 develop such a fever if they catch the disease.

One in four patients chronically infected with hepatitis B will die from cirrhosis of the liver or from liver cancer.

This risk is reduced to almost zero after the hepatitis B vaccine.

The booklet tackles claims that immunisation is linked to autism and says medical studies show the incidence of autism in people who had the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is identical to that of people who did not have it.

The booklet is produced by the Australian Academy of Science and parents can access the document here.

- with Lauren Novak

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No soft serve for Mr Whippy's rivals

Stan Gordon is unhappy with George Calombaris (left) using his Mr Whippy name. Picture: Ian Currie Source: Herald Sun

A SETTLEMENT may yet sweeten the sour relationship between Mr Whippy and the Master Chef.

Mr Whippy owner Stan Gordon has been locked in a dispute with TV cook George Calombaris, whose Melbourne restaurant St Katherine's serving a dessert called "Mrs Whippi" - which the ice cream king says infringes his trademarked "Mr Whippy".

But ending the matter is simple if Mr Calombaris is ready to listen, Mr Gordon said.

"Just stop using it! It's not yours!" he said.

"He is a celebrity and I'm not so he thinks he can do whatever he wants but you can't breach someone else's trademark.

"If he becomes a little more humble, I am sure this thing will go away."

Mr Calombaris's lawyer, Nick Zevros, said no settlement had been discussed as yet but the parties would likely meet for mediation ahead of next year's trial.

Mr Zevros said his instructions were to defend against the claim but he remained uncertain about the damages sought.

"He says in his statement of claim that there were 20 to 30 outlets when he bought the business," he said.

"We don't know where they are."

Mr Zevros also ruled out any personal animosity on the part of Mr Calombaris.

"Mr Calombaris thinks very highly of Mr Whippy ice cream," he said.

"They bring back childhood memories."

Mr Zevros's firm this month warned Mr Gordon against discussing the case with the media, Mr Gordon claims, urging him to "sort (it) out through the courts".

But the warning fell on angry ears after the firm described him as having "no relevant reputation" as he had "never sold its desserts in restaurants and especially not in high-profile restaurants operated by celebrity chefs".

Mr Gordon's company, Franchised Food Company, owns the rights to Mr Whippy, Cold Rock, Pretzel World and Nut Shack all part of the "snacks and treats" market he says holds its market in buoyant times and grows when it's tough.

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Solar and wind may power Australia

Solar power: Australia has an abundance of solar energy that can be safely harnessed. Picture: Dean Martin Source: The Advertiser

SOLAR and wind could become the cheapest sources of energy and almost exclusively power the country in coming decades as carbon prices climb, the Climate Commission says.

A report, to be released today by chief commissioner Professor Tim Flannery, notes the vast potential from sunlight and wind and "solar PV and wind could be the cheapest forms of power in Australia for retail users by 2030, if not earlier, as carbon prices rise".

Prof Flannery said improvements had driven down the cost of renewable energy so much that Australia's uptake had increased more than a decade faster than earlier imagined.

He said people might find it hard to believe communities could one day be powered almost entirely by renewable energy, but people would never have believed they would one day carry around little computers in their pockets.

"It's like anything, computers or mobile phones, they started off expensive and over time the cost just declines and we've seen that with wind and now with solar,'' he said.

But the report The Critical Decade: Generating a Renewable Australia has no detail around how renewable energy and fossil fuel prices might compare in the future. Prof Flannery said technology moved so quickly, it was impossible to form concrete predictions.

Renewables currently make up 10 per cent of Australia's energy mix and the report says growth was subject to innovation, community acceptance and regulation.

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It's Wiggle zoom at your place

The Wiggles with their Big Red Car which is up for sale. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: The Daily Telegraph

IT'S the toot toot chugga chugga Big Red Car that made them famous and it could soon be parked in your driveway.

The Wiggles - three-quarters of whom are due to retire next month - have decided to sell their prized "skivvy red" Volkswagen Beetle cabriolet used for promotional appearances on eBay to raise money for the SIDS and Kids charity.

Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, who is staying on in the four-piece, said the charity was very special to the group.

"Sudden infant death syndrome is a cause that's extremely close to our hearts," he said. "My niece Bernadette Field died from SIDS at the age of eight months in 1988 so SIDS and Kids is a charity we've supported since we started out 21 years ago."

The Volkswagen Big Red Car auction will go live on eBay for 10 days from December 7.

News Limited motoring editor Neil Dowling said: "Car experts say a used VW cabriolet would normally sell for about $4000, but one owned by the Wiggles could fetch up to $40,000."

The winner will be announced ahead of The Wiggles' final Sydney show on December 23. Bid for the car at vwbigredcar.com.au

sSIDS and Kids CEO Leanne Raven said the money raised from the sale would be used to assist their work into health promotion, bereavement support, advocacy and research.

She said the organisation was a big fan of the band and their famous ride.

"The Wiggles have been our ambassadors for many years," she said.

"They have supported us in many ways.

"But this is very cool."

Three of the original Wiggles - Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook and Greg Page - will retire at the end of the year and are handing the reigns over to three new performers, including the group's first female Emma Watkins.

Volkswagen Australia Group managing director Anke Koeckler said the auction was a chance for someone to own a slice of Australian music history.

"As the Big Red Car people we're extremely proud to be giving one lucky Australian the chance to buy such an iconic part of The Wiggles history," she said.

"This auction is a great way for Volkswagen to help The Wiggles celebrate their 21 years together and raise much needed funds for SIDS and Kids."

To register a bid on the car visit www.vwbigredcar.com.au

23.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

SE Qld to clean up after severe storms

AFTER another day of intense storm activity - where a Jimboomba man was hit by lightning and a direct strike set a Bulimba house on fire - the most dangerous weather warning on Monday should be for some early morning fog.

Read through the wrapup and rolling coverage of southeast Queensland's storm activity throughout Sunday, or scroll to the bottom to see how the day started, asking how the Bureau of Meteorology failed to issue a specific warning about Saturday's freak Brisbane storm until after the damage had been done.

GALLERY: New reader photos - more images of weekend storms

10.09pm: The thunderstorm warning for the southeast coast has now been cancelled as the cleanup effort for Brisbane begins.

Trains are back underway, and Energex has advised 1177 homes are without power.

Emergency Management Queensland has warned locals to look out for fallen trees and powerlines.

10.03pm: SES units in Brisbane have responded to around 350 calls for help after the storm tonight.

More storms move in over Kings Beach, Caloundra on the night of November 18. PIC: Glenn Barnes

9.37pm: Less than 1300 homes are without power now as Energex continues the cleanup from tonight's storm.

Brisbane has 593 homes without power while the Sunshine Coast area has 444.

Power to Ipswich has almost been restored with 199 homes in blackouts and 58 homes are still without power in the Moreton Bay region.

9.20pm: A 46-year-old man was struck by lightning in Jimboomba this evening.

The man was using a high-pressure hose at his home when he was hit by lightning about 6.30pm.

The man was rushed to Logan Hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

A Department of Community Safety spokeswoman said 157 calls for help were received across SEQ during the storm.

Lightning over Brisbane City from Ascot hill late Sunday afternoon. Picture: Marc Robertson

9.09pm: The most dangerous weather warning that Brisbane can expect tomorrow morning is for some fog.

BOM senior forecaster Peter Otto said storm activity had calmed down between Maroochydore and Ipswich with residual fog expected to appear tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile a weather warning for Bundaberg is still in place but BOM says it does not look threatening.

9.06pm: After passing Brisbane and Maroochydore, Noosa is next in line for tonight's dangerous storm cell.

The storm is still producing heavy rainfalls and damaging winds but has quietened down considerably.

Lightning strikes Brisbane. Picture: Ben Baker

It is expected to pass completely off the coast later tonight.

8.31pm: The Weather Bureau said the storm is in "weakening mode" as it moves through the Sunshine Coast.

The storm cell has hit Caloundra and Maroochydore, dumping about 25mm-30mm of rain in 30 minutes.

But forecaster David Grant said there have been no reports of hail, and winds were losing their power.

"The worst of the storm has passed and it is really in weakening mode now," Mr Grant said.

"The short, heavy bursts of rainfall might sound like a lot, but it isn't for Queensland."

8.28pm: Energex have been able to more than halve the number of homes affected by power outages this evening.

More than 18,000 people were without power at the height of the storm but there are now only 6600 homes affected.

Brisbane suburbs as well as Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast have been the worst affected. 

GALLERY: New reader photos - more images of weekend storms

8.05pm: Two cars were stuck in water at Eagle Farm as thunderstorms flooded Brisbane.

The cars were on Theodore Street about 6.50pm when they got stuck.

A good Samaritan called triple 0 and was able to help the occupants out.

The storm took down this large tree in Langley Avenue, Wilston. Picture: Simone Rosengren

Meanwhile, a man hole on Creek Street in Brisbane city came off because of the rain, causing road delays about 6.20pm.

No serious accidents were caused.

Energex has rushed to a suburban street at Red Hill after a 24-metre tree came crashing down on powerlines.

Residents on Vowles street are already without power and Energex is working to remove the tree.

7.53pm: Energex is slowly restoring power to homes across Brisbane this afternoon.

Around 10,5000 customers are now without power.

At the peak of the storm more than 18,000 customers were living in darkness.

Lightning strikes as seen from Woody Point Jetty looking west. Picture: Paul Hruby

An Energex spokesman said crews were working around the clock to restore power.

"We're getting reports that there is a lot of vegetation like tree branches that has come down on powerlines," he said.

He advised people to report any fallen powerlines and to not approach them.

7.48pm: Caloundra is gearing up to be hit by the storm that tore through Brisbane city this evening, pulling down trees and flooding roads.

The severe thunderstorm is expected to hit Caloundra by 8.05pm.

7.44pm: Thunderstorms are now expected to ravage Maroochydore and Coolum Beach by 8.35pm. The severe thunderstorms will include damaging winds, heavy rain and large hail.

7.41pm: The worst of the storm has passed through Brisbane with the heavy rainfall and winds now making its way through Moreton and Bribie Islands.

BOM forecaster David Grant said the peak of the activity is now over for the city.

"There's still potential of a shower… but it really reached its peak in an area between Ipswich and Archerfield this evening," he said.

Brisbane's western suburbs have received the worst rainfall, with Toowoong hit with 39mm and Bellbird Park with 36mm.

"Hail was the main thing - in terms of rain fall hasn't been that much to be honest," Mr Grant said.

He said reports had come in of hail ranging from golf ball size to cricket balls.

Moreton Island has been hit by winds of 113km/h.

7.30pm: Southeast Queensland is not the only place getting hit by storms, with about 24,000 lightning strikes recorded in wild weekend weather in NSW.

Check out the incredible show mother nature put on in Brisbane. Courtesy: DJMSKINART- Brisbane Chemtrails

The Bureau of Meteorology said the state's highest rainfall was recorded at Coffs Harbour, with 160mm in the 24 hours to 9am (AEDT) on Sunday.

Wind gusts of up to 100km/h were also recorded in the state's north.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) was kept busy, with 150 call outs on Saturday and Sunday, most from the northern NSW township of Woodburn

GALLERY: New reader photos - more images of weekend storms

7.22pm: A 112 km/h wind gust was recorded at Cape Moreton.

7.20pm:  Translink's Call Centre has reopened following the earlier evacuation caused by a false fire alarm.

DAMAGE DONE: Anne Thomson lost her Kelvin Grove market stall but was still smiling. Picture: Annette Dew

7.15pm: Energex crews are working through the night to restore power to more than 18,000 customers without power. Energex has reported more 25,000 lightning strikes since midday.

7.10pm: AIRPORT activity was suspended due to lightning strikes this afternoon.

A Brisbane Airport spokeswoman said it was around the fifth time that planes were forced to delay their departure.

Movement was suspended for around 45 minutes just after 5.30pm but operations have now resumed.

7pm: BRISBANE residents have stayed safe during the flash flood with ambulance crews on standby in case of an emergency.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the wet weather and hail had not caused any significant crashes.

The Lego Robotics competition is disrupted as a wild storm hits the Kelvin Grove campus of QUT.

Short delays are on the Gateway Motorway before the Sandgate Road overpass at Deagon after a minor crash.

Another crash on the Western freeway at Indooroopilly has blocked the rightlane after the Kenmore Road overpass.

Short delays are expected.

 

6.55pm: Firefighters have been called to two homes that caught fire after being hit by lightning tonight.

Crews arrived to a home on Nisbet Street at Westlake to find the fire out on arrival, but firefighters are now trying to control a fire to the roof space of home on Oxford Street at Bulimba.

6.53pm: 8128 homes are now without power in the Moreton Bay region. A total of 18510 Energex customers are now in darkness.

COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE: Amie Neil's car is even more compact after the wild storm passed through Spring Hill. Picture: Annette Dew

6.43pm: THE TRANSLINK call centre has been evacuated due to the recent storm passing through the city.

The call centre's fire alarm was tripped by the recent storm, the building currently being evacuated.

Commuters have been told to refer to the website for transport information.

GALLERY: New reader photos - more images of weekend storms

6.40pm: Almost 10,000 homes in Brisbane have been left without power as the powerful storm cell sweeps its way across the city.

Energex is reporting 9849 homes without power in the Brisbane region while 134 Ipswich homes are powerless.

232 homes on the Sunshine Coast are currently without power.

6.37pm: THE STORM has blown over Brisbane city leaving a line of devastation in its wake this afternoon.

Brisbane CBD was hit by 16mm in half an hour but it was the Mitchelton and Alderley area that was pummelled by almost 40mm.

The storm is now approaching Sandgate, having already passed the northern suburbs.

Bureau of Meteorology Jonty Hall said the storm has been travelling 30-40km/h and will hold its intensity as it travels to the Sunshine Coast.

6.27pm: MUSIC lovers have taken cover in Queensland's University of Technology with the annual Harvest Festival rained out.

At 6pm, severe thunderstorms were detected at Brisbane CBD, Enoggera, Nudgee and Aspley with music lovers forced to leave the Brisbane Botanic gardens venue and public transport experiencing serious delays.

Both Cleveland and the Ipswich/Rosewood lines have major delays while all other lines are experiencing minor delays.

The thunderstorm is now moving northeast with Strathpine, Redcliffe, Rainbow Beach and Wide Bay are expected to be hit by the storm by 6:30 pm while the waters off Bribie Island, Double Is Point, Inskip and Inskip Point will be lashed by the heavy rains by 7pm.

6.15pm: ROADS have been turned into rivers as a large storm cell hits Brisbane city this evening.

The storm has been brewing all day as flash floods lash Brisbane, while warnings have been issued for Maroochydoore, Gympie, Bundaberg, Kingaroyu, Noosa, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island and Hervey Bay waters as the storm continues to move north.

Double Island Point near Rainbow Beach was hit with winds of more than 90km/h and Jandowae and Beerburrum were pelted with more than 4cm hail this afternoon.

Department of Community Safety has warned residents at Strathpine, Redcliffe, Deception Bay waters and Beachmere are in the firing line by 6.35pm.

 

6.03pm: HAIL as big as 9cms could hit the city as thunder and lightning storms roll towards up from Ipswich.

Jindalee has already been affected by the hail storm, with almost 3000 Energex customers now without power.

Reports of flooding roads have already hit the city, and the Bureau is warning the heavy rain will get worse.

Meanwhile, Harvest Festival goers are leaving the Brisbane Botanical gardens in droves as organisers postpone the event because of the rain.

5.59pm: THE "very dangerous" thunderstorms forecast has hit Ipswich and Brisbane's southern suburbs, with large hailstones falling in Oxley and torrential rain in Brisbane's CBD.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 6:00 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Brisbane CBD, Enoggera, Nudgee and Aspley.

5.49pm: BRISBANE is bracing for the next deluge to hit as the storm cell races towards the city.

The 5.50pm storm expected to hit Ipswich has already passed the southern town and is already up to Oxley.

Queensland Fire and Rescue Services Brisbane duty manager of operations said there were no reports of serious injuries or damage but all crews were on standby.

5.20pm: People in Brisbane and Ipswich, and parts of Logan, Gympie, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Scenic Rim and Somerset areas have been told to brace for damaging wind, heavy rainfall and large hailstones.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that "very dangerous" thunderstorms with large hailstones were detected at Bundamba Lagoon, and are tracking north.

The storms are forecast to hit Ipswich, Lake Manchester and Upper Brookfield by 5:50 pm and Strathpine, Lake Samsonvale and Dayboro by 6:20 pm.

Meanwhile, approximately 8,987 homes and businesses are without power on the Sunshine Coast following a smaller storm cell that hit at 4pm.

Energex said it was working to restore power as soon as possible, with a further 281 households without power across Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley and Somerset.

3.54pm: The Weather Channel has warned a second band of storms is headed towards Brisbane, as the first cluster of severe storms moves in on the Sunshine Coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned at 3.35pm that the thunderstorms had hit near Maroochydore, Caloundra and the NSW border, and are tracking northeast.

They are forecast to hit the area south of Noosa Heads, Kenilworth, Yandina, Coolum Beach and Eumundi by 4:05 pm and Noosa Heads and Pomona by 4:35 pm.

But Richard Whitaker from the Weather Channel warned Brisbane "was not out of the woods just yet".

"There is another line of severe storms that is developing from Toowoomba and moving southwest into the city," he said.

He predicted the storms could potentially affect the Brisbane metropolitan area within the next two hours.

12.15pm: A CLUSTER of "very dangerous" storms have hit north of Brisbane with reports of strong gusts and hail pounding the area.

Storms have already dropped 3cm hail at Caboolture at 2.20pm, 4cm hail at Jandowae at 1.50pm and 2cm-3cm at Yamanto at 1.10pm.

The Bureau of Meteorology said that, at 2.20pm, "very dangerous thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar near Beerburrum".

The Bureau said the storms are forecast to hit the area southeast of Caloundra and northern Bribie Island by 2.50pm.

Other severe thunderstorms were located near Caloundra, the area east of Somerset Dam and the area northeast of Jandowae.

They are forecast to affect Dayboro, Mount Mee, Bauple and the ranges north of Jandowae by 2:50 pm and Caboolture, the area northwest of Kingaroy, Wamuran, Cape Moreton, Toolara and Tin Can Bay by 3.20 pm.

GALLERY: All the images from both Brisbane storms

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonty Hall said of biggest concern, were storms striking near Dayboro and Somerset Dam.

There have also been reports of strong storms east of Ipswich, west of Greenbank, west of Dalby, Biggenden and Gin Gin.

He added severe storms were tracking towards Strathpine and Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, while most of Logan City was under threat.

He said there had been reports of hailstones 2cm to 3cm wide at Yamanto in Ipswich.

Small hailstones hit Caloundra as bucketing rain pelted down about 2.15pm Sunday.

After an earlier sunny break in the weather, thick dark clouds took over the southern end of the Sunshine Coast as a thunderstorm passed quickly over the region.

Heavy rain was experienced but the winds were not damaging.

Energex said there had been reports of 6,300 lightning strikes cloud to ground since 8am.

Approximately 300 households are still without power.

Send us your storm pictures via email to cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au or MMS 0428 258 117 (include your full name with MMS for attribution)

Earlier, lightning strikes sparked between 10 and 15 grass fires southwest of Brisbane.

A Queensland Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said the fires were burning in several locations including Ravensbourne.

"They are going pretty much everywhere but it doesn't say how big they are," the spokeswoman said.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jonty Hall said storm activity was beginning and was tipped to "heat up" from lunchtime onwards.

"At the moment it is still unstable, with showers and thunderstorms and a few storms developing now," he said.

"It's a lot weaker than yesterday at this stage, but could become quite severe out west from lunchtime."

He said the area from east of the Darling Downs across to the coast, and as far north as the Fraser Coast, may be hit by damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

Services are returning to normal on the Caboolture line after a power outage between Petrie and Caboolture stations on Sunday morning.

A Translink spokesman said trains had resumed following the outage at 7.30am but commuters should expect residual delays of up to 15 minutes.

Commuters have also been warned to expect some minor delays for buses and trains today "due to debris and flash flooding".

"We've got a blanket alert for all services, and encourage customers to stay safe when boarding and exiting services," the spokesman said.

Brisbane Airport is also recovering from delays after storm activity halted operations on the tarmac this morning.

GALLERY: All the images from both Brisbane storms

"There was earlier a restriction on moving people on the tarmac due to the risk of lightning strikes," said Leonie Vandeven from Brisbane Airport Corporation.

"It meant the baggage handlers couldn't unload or load, which can contribute to delays."

"But (after 10.35am) the warning lights were lifted and they are getting back into operation now."

Lifeguards have closed Bribie Island's main beach due to ongoing lightning strikes in the area.  Sunshine Coast beaches remain open.

Queenslanders this morning woke up to survey the damage from the two severe storm cells that ripped through the southeast yesterday.

The strongest storm developed in the eastern Darling Downs region, near Pitsworth, where hail of up to 10cm in size pummelled the land.

"Fortunately, though, that stayed mostly rural, and didn't come into any built-up areas," Mr Hall said.

"That was the main storm from yesterday. Apart from that, we had some pretty heavy rain fall as the storms merged and pushed eastwards."

The Lockyer Valley received the highest rainfall with 114mm dumped yesterday.

Meanwhile, in Brisbane, Alderley recorded 90mm, and Toowong had 88mm.

Gusts of up to 90km/h also blew across Moreton Bay – the highest recorded reading yesterday.

Home Roofing Brisbane owner Carl Yaxley said the company had been flooded with 30 to 40 calls from homes and businesses complaining of roof leaks.

"Since about 10am yesterday, we have been getting a lot of calls about roofs that have flooded, and trees going through tiled roofs" he said.

The worst damage he saw was a commercial business in Herston where the gutters were so choked by leaves the water overflowed into the ceiling cavity.

"There was so much water the ceiling actually dropped," he said.

"This weather has made a mess – and created a lot of work for insurance companies."

Mr Yaxley said "no one" was prepared for the intensity of the storms when they hit.

"That's the first thing they said – people were very, very surprised," he said.

The owner said the roof repair company has rostered six people on call to cope with the extra work.

Send us your storm pictures via email to cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au or MMS 0428 258 117

"But I don't think we'll see the real volume until Monday or Tuesday (when the home owner gets on to the insurance company," he said.

An Energex spokeswoman said the company had restored power to 6,500 homes and businesses across the southeast since 4.30am on Sunday, with a further 400 still without power.

"These were a combination of restoration from the line to the house, but also some fallen powerlines," she said.

"But Energex are turning over jobs really quickly and we are looking for restoration around lunchtime," she said.

She said there had been almost 4,500 ground lightning strikes since 6am.

A Community Safety spokeswoman said emergency services received 173 calls for assistance between 5am Saturday and 5am Sunday.

"These were mostly requests for assistance with leaking roofs, minor flooding and tarping," she said.

"These requests were mostly isolated yesterday to the Brisbane CBD and inner-Brisbane suburbs."

Meanwhile, the weather bureau has come under fire for failing to issue a specific warning about yesterday's freak Brisbane storm until after the damage had been done.

The bureau had warned that storms were likely to hit during the day, and at 8.20am a forecaster told couriermail.com.au they were expecting "the main round of thunderstorms will develop from about the middle part of the day".

But as the freak storm began to form minutes later, the bureau fell silent.

GALLERY: All the images from both Brisbane storms

From 8am, amateur weather watchers were warning on web-based forums about the intense cell systems that were forming at Inglewood and moving towards the coast.

By 10am it was clear to anybody watching the weather radar on the bureau's own website that a big storm was headed towards the city - and Energex's lightning tracker recorded more than 1000 strikes during the next 30 minutes.

People started leaving comments on the bureau's Facebook page to ask for a storm update. But still the bureau remained silent.

The front of the storm smashed into the suburbs about 10.30am, with its massive winds described by those in its path as a freak storm much stronger than the usual summer blows.

See how the storms developed yesterday, with rolling coverage from 8am till midnight

Another 2000 lightning strikes later, the bureau issued its first specific warning about the storm.

By then the front of the storm had passed over the inner-western suburbs and the central business district and was almost at the coast.

In a statement, the bureau's Queensland regional director Rob Webb defended the timing of the warning.

"The short duration - from minutes, and often less than an hour - and very localised nature of thunderstorms makes them difficult to predict in detail with a long lead time," he said.

Send us your storm pictures via email to cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au or MMS 0428 258 117

"Early Thursday morning the bureau's forecasts for southeast Queensland picked up on the underlying meteorological conditions to indicate severe storms could develop over the weekend, and this was reported in regular radio crosses and news bulletins on Friday.

"As the storm approached the Brisbane CBD, it started to show signs of severe storm characteristics and forecasters issued warnings.

"The Bureau of Meteorology doesn't aim to issue warnings for every thunderstorm, but uses thresholds to ensure there isn't complacency in the community due to over-warning."

But the bureau's Facebook page was inundated through the day with critics.

GALLERY: All the images from both Brisbane storms

The bureau was quick to issue frequent severe storm warnings during the afternoon and evening as another round of storms swept across southeast Queensland.

The evening storm left almost 30,000 homes without power as more than 22,000 lightning strikes were recorded.

---- additional reporting by Kate McKenna, Renee Viellaris and Kathleen Donaghey

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