Life for Busara O'Reilly in her Lismore cafe is a far cry from the day she fled gunfire on a beautiful Thai beach as a toddler, but it is that start to life that has made her take nothing for granted.

MORNING BRIEFING: A NSW police officer is left with bite marks after an attack by a man who also swallowed a balloon, while divers resume their search for a car that crashed into the Hawkesbury River last night.

Acting detective Eric Walsh sought advice from police colleagues on ways to silence online criticism of Universal Medicine, a group found by a jury to be a "dangerous cult", the ABC can reveal.

At least 11 homes had already been destroyed at Binna Burra.

A Brisbane multi-millionaire who donated $300,000 to a charity associated with a group later found in court to be an "exploitative cult" says he gave the money freely as a reward for treating his chronic pain.

The hunt for the missing Belgian backpacker, who disappeared after a night out on May 31, is formally referred to the NSW coroner in a move that ends the official police search.

Police say a pipe bomb found in Mullumbimby on the NSW far north coast has been rendered safe and has been taken away for forensic examination.

A 16-year-old girl tells an inquiry she can no longer trust police after she was subjected to a strip search at the Splendour in the Grass music festival when a sniffer dog falsely detected drugs on her.

Police praise bystanders who rushed to help two men involved in a hang-gliding incident that killed the 67-year-old instructor, from Byron Bay, and left his Irish passenger critically injured.

The Vietnam vet, master of ceremonies at Currumbin's Elephant Rock dawn service for 25 years, says this year's Anzac Day cancellations prove we sometimes don't know what we've got till it's gone.

One of the only full Anzac Day services to be held in Queensland will honour the service of local soldiers through a series of videos filmed during isolation.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer refuses to budge on a decision criticised as "bureaucratic overreach" after an Anzac Day flyover is banned due to coronavirus restrictions, with the state recording another two cases.

Many parents across the country are helping their children learn from home for the first time ever, but one man who has been home educating for years warns some parents might not like what they see.

A veteran discovers 72 unmarked war graves at a cemetery west of Brisbane, working tirelessly to identify the lost servicemen who died in a mental asylum with most having no next of kin, to get plaques placed on their final resting place.

Driving 50km will be permitted, members of the same household will be able to go for picnics, and shopping for non-essential items like clothes and shoes will be allowed.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces that some physical distancing measures will be wound back, but has urged Queenslanders to be responsible and sensible in their activities.

Queensland students won't return to school yet, despite calls for Year 11 and 12 classes to resume, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says as some coronavirus restrictions ease on Saturday.

On one part of the Sunshine Coast, up to 116mm of rain is still needed to saturate the soil to reduce the risk of bushfires flaring.

A Queensland man who was sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a German backpacker in inner-Brisbane has his murder conviction set aside and a retrial ordered.

When a former Australian solider saw a video of a colleague who'd lost three limbs in a landmine blast it sparked a new purpose in his life.

Just as Australia was about to confirm its first case of coronavirus in Australia in January, Sunshine Coast health figures were given a grim briefing.

Queensland Opposition MP Trevor Watts quits his position as shadow police minister after being fined for attending a function on Sunday that breached coronavirus rules on public gatherings.

By the end of April there has normally been regular fire crew training, inductions, and planning, but social distancing has made that near-impossible.

Nearly 150 extra police will be out questioning Queenslanders this weekend who are enjoying the first days of easing restrictions, as the state records just one new case of coronavirus.

Former Queensland shadow police minister Trevor Watts says it was a mistake to have "driveway drinks" with neighbours — caught by a police patrol — with officers alleging it was more like a "street party" that did not follow coronavirus physical distancing rules.

Queensland authorities question if the coastal city could return to its usual way of life too soon, after allowing beaches to open and people to picnic.

The residents of short-term accommodation in Cairns West may struggle to find affordable housing after the complex they call home is shut down next month.

International seafarers pose little risk to the public and port access restrictions imposed by some states are not in line with national recommendations, an industry lobby claims.

Federal LNP MP Andrew Laming has told parents to leave their children unsupervised at schools, and call the police if the principal refuses to accept them.

Annastacia Palaszczuk will use her handling of the coronavirus crisis as evidence she should be returned as Premier at the state election in six months. But it's likely this poll will be a referendum on the future, not a scorecard on the past.

Queensland's first digital driver's licences have been rolled out on the Fraser Coast and developers and cyber experts agree, the technology gives users more protection against identity theft.

Recorded less than 60 times worldwide, much remains a mystery about the ornate eagle ray, which boasts leopard-like signature spots and thick black vein-like lines.

Australian Medical Association of Queensland warns its members against signing new contracts to perform elective surgeries under the public-private partnership model.

Some of Queensland's coronavirus restrictions ease from this morning, allowing you to head outside your homes for "recreation" — but before you grab your blanket and some brie here's a list of what you can and can't do.

Colombian student Angelo Romero, unable to fly home due to coronavirus, is receiving emergency treatment in a Brisbane hospital for a shock leukaemia diagnosis, concerned his private health policy won't cover it.

Some Queensland residents may find it too cold to enjoy the relaxed coronavirus restrictions that start today, as temperatures across in some areas in the state's south drop below zero.

Queenslanders hit the waterways and public spaces on the first day of relaxed restrictions, with residents able to picnic or visit national parks for the first time in weeks.

A dog breeder on Queensland's Sunshine Coast accused of selling puppies with genetic conditions says dogs are living creatures and don't come with guarantees — and she's backed by the RSPCA.

As the global death toll from coronavirus continues to climb, a sizeable minority remains intent on downplaying the seriousness of the threat — with potentially dangerous consequences.

A survey conducted by the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce finds 35 per cent of respondents fear they won't be solvent by the end of June, due to the coronavirus crisis.