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The Dreamstate Music Festival was held at Sydney Showground on Saturday.

Man dead, six rushed to hospital from Sydney music festival

Police are investigating after a number of festivalgoers suffered medical episodes at a music festival at Olympic Park on Saturday. 

  • Angus Thomson and Kayla Olaya

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Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and former senior public servant Michael De’Ath.

Key public servant speaks out on ‘alarming’ health program ban

School-leavers will descend on the Gold Coast later this week. The lack of drug-checking services for them – and the state – has driven one bureaucrat to act.

  • Matt Dennien
A public health alert circulated by Queensland Health this week confirmed 5-cyano-isotodesnitazene (isotocyanozene), a rare synthetic opioid, had been detected in a toxicology test and powder sample in south-east Queensland. It is the second person to die from a nitazene in a week.

Dangerous drug alert issued after second Queensland death in a week

As Schoolies and festival season approach, experts fear the proliferation of synthetic opioids will claim more lives.

  • Courtney Kruk
Queensland Health issued a public health alert after n-pyrrolidino protonitazene and protonitazene, potent synthetic opioids, were detected in toxicology and tablet samples in south-east Queensland.

Bear-shaped pill kills person weeks after LNP shut down testing

The alert issued by Queensland Health described the heroin-like synthetic opioid as a very strong substance that “can produce life-threatening toxicity in small amounts”.

  • Courtney Kruk
Member for Moggill Dr Christian Rowan (left) with Premier David Crisafulli.

MP called out over drug stance U-turn after supporting LNP bill

The MP had previously sponsored a petition calling on the Labor government to introduce the service he has since voted against.

  • Courtney Kruk
The public are often said (and shown) to be cold to the idea of more MPs. But they also dislike not being heard – something increasing voter numbers in each electorate will only exacerbate.

Minor parties want a bigger parliament. When will Queenslanders?

The public are often said (and shown) to be cold on more MPs. But they also dislike not being heard – something only likely to increase without better representation.

  • Matt Dennien
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Ecstasy tablets.

Health body calls for urgent talks as pill-testing ban looms

Advocates say the government is rushing through “irreversible legislative changes that could put Queensland lives at risk”.

  • Courtney Kruk
Brisbane’s first and only permanent pill testing site closed in April after being defunded by the LNP government.

LNP threat forces private-funded clinic to scuttle return

The Crisafulli government is said to have not made direct contact with the organisation behind the clinic, and declined multiple meeting requests.

  • Matt Dennien
Then-premier Steven Miles and MP Grace Grace (both centre) inspecting a Bowen Hills pill-testing site ahead of its launch in 2024.

Government vows to end pill testing, despite private funding

The Crisafulli government has vowed to shut down a free pill testing service, which had been funded by the previous Labor administration, after it secured private funding to continue its services.

  • Cameron Atfield
Brisbane’s first and only permanent pill testing site closed in April after being defunded by the LNP government.

Hundreds visited these drug checking sites, but a review into them will stay secret

The pill testing initiative was launched with a promise there would be an independent evaluation after 12 months, but the government is rejecting calls to share those findings.

  • Courtney Kruk