Concerns are raised in the Queensland Parliament over the time it took a Gold Coast state school to suspend an eight-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting his classmate.

Arthur Miller faced a demand for almost $4 million for breach of contract the day before his Gold Coast retirement village Earle Haven was abruptly shut, prompting the evacuation of 68 elderly residents, the aged care royal commission is told.

It has been the beating heart of the Gold Coast for 90 years, now locals fear the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade will be transformed into a 14-storey apartment block.

Half of the residents of troubled Gold Coast nursing home Earle Haven were being physically restrained, and 71 per cent received medical restraint, in the weeks before it abruptly closed its doors last month, the aged care Royal Commission hears.

Gold Coast woman Theresa Dalton is sentenced to six years in jail for hiring a hitman to kill her husband during their divorce battle, telling a Brisbane court it is a "catastrophic miscarriage of justice" because she is innocent.

Police say the 18-year-old man lost control of the vehicle at Southport after an alleged crime spree, causing it to roll several times.

The pair continued south on the M1 before again confronting a driver of a vehicle near the Palm Beach exit.

Gold Coast police are searching for a man and woman after they stopped their car in the middle of the Pacific Motorway before attempting to hijack two vehicles.

Massive wins for Geelong and Brisbane over North Melbourne and Gold Coast respectively have them closing in on a top two finish, while the Bombers are completely dismantled by the Bulldogs.

A State Crime Detective Senior Constable is stood down after police discover a dangerous drug, believed to be cocaine, has been stolen from an evidence room.

Gold Coast man John William Chardon, accused of killing his wife Novy, allegedly told her friend she had "packed her luggage and left", before propositioning her about whether she would be interested in an affair, a trial has heard.

A woman who says her daughter has been denied a wheelchair asks her local MP who's also the Minister for the NDIS to sit in on a meeting about the girl's needs.

The proposed state-controlled corridor between Loganholme and Nerang would run parallel to the Pacific Motorway.

As the congestion issue in south-east Queensland brings traffic to a grinding halt on major roadways and a heightened scrutiny of the public transport system, the ABC takes a look at how commuters are being impacted across the region.

Hawthorn keeps its finals hopes alive by beating premiers West Coast, Geelong remains a chance of claiming the minor premiership, while the Giants, Swans and Kangaroos enjoy victories.

The Sea Eagles hang tough to defeat the Raiders 18-14 in a thrilling clash in Canberra, as the Storm consolidate top position on the ladder with a 24-8 win over the Titans.

Gold Coast residents will hear the roar of V8 Supercars through the streets of Surfers Paradise until 9:30pm within two years, the Queensland Government announces.

In some of the darkest corners of the Gold Coast, a hug from police liaison officer Saga Selsby can be life-changing.

Melbourne Storm claim the minor premiership and bragging rights over Manly Sea Eagles, while the Sydney Roosters tune up with victory over Penrith and the Knights get a feel-good win over the Titans.

Whether it's poor merging or illegally remaining in the overtaking lane, drivers who break the law and behave badly are contributing to road congestion in Queensland, experts say.

Australian pro surfer Owen Wright says he hopes others will follow his lead and start wearing safety helmets in the surf, yet one neurologist warns of the "super-hero complex" and says helmets are not a magic bullet.

Millionaire Gold Coast businessman and self-described "philanthropist" John Chardon tells a Brisbane court he sometimes had sex with students he sponsored, but says he never "intentionally" hurt his wife, Novy.

South East Queensland is expected to experience summer-like weather this week due to predicted hotter-than-average temperatures, with Ipswich set to hit 36C and Brisbane 33C.

A research team is deployed in response to persistent smoke from a bushfire that has been burning for nearly two months in underground peat on the NSW Mid North Coast.

A novel idea to paint stairs the colours of a rainbow at Queensland's Rainbow Beach is at the centre of a two-year dispute after four words were added to the artwork.

More than 50 bushfires are burning in Queensland amid potentially catastrophic, hot and windy conditions. Emergency warnings are in place for fires near Stanthorpe in the state's south.

They may look clean and pristine at first glance, however one beachcomber says trash is littered along our treasured beaches as cigarette butts, dog poo, used tampons and straws clog our summer playgrounds.

Crews are battling 57 fires across Queensland including one that is out of control on the Gold Coast hinterland, with the QFES declaring the "unprecedented" blazes are just the start of a very severe fire season.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is returning early from a trip to Switzerland because of the ongoing bushfire threat, with more than 80 fires burning across the state and a blaze at Peregian on the Sunshine Coast that is still out of control.

A man is taken into police custody in relation to a car that crashed through the front of a house on the Gold Coast early on Sunday morning, leaving a teenage girl trapped inside.

Thunderstorms have rolled west across Queensland's southern inland, bringing more rain than expected to the Gold Coast hinterland as well as numerous lightning strikes raising concerns about the possibility of new bushfires.

Two people are treated for hypothermia after being plucked from the hull of their overturned boat in waters off the Gold Coast overnight.

In the past year, Abbie Williams has written hundreds of personalised messages to people around the world struggling with their mental health.

As the ban on climbing Uluru fast approaches there remains many locations attracting crowds, despite calls from local Indigenous people to stay away.

Visitor numbers plummet on the Gold Coast hinterland and Scenic Rim after devastating bushfires razed parts of the regions earlier this month a double tragedy for local businesses.

Concerned about a spike in drownings on Queensland's beaches most of which occur outside the flags lifesavers have come up with a unique way to get people where they want them.

Travel giant TripAdvisor will no longer sell tickets to Sea World on the Gold Coast as part of its worldwide ban to help end whale, dolphin and porpoise captivity, with the theme park criticising the decision saying it is based on opinion rather than fact.

Australian surfers Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons will have to wait until next May for confirmation they have been selected for the Tokyo Olympics, despite satisfying the qualification criteria.

It was all over quickly, but a short, sharp storm has brought hail and a little bit of rain to parts of Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast.

The Tait twins, Sara and Kristen, had a tough start. One was born with spina bifida, the other with two large holes in her heart. But that hasn't stopped either of them from becoming high achievers.

With an influx of 350,000 new residents expected by 2041, locals are concerned the planning and development will continue to alter the Gold Coast's unique identity.

Authorities say complacent city dwellers need to learn from their regional cousins and have an emergency kit ready for when a natural disaster strikes, including three days' worth of water.

Police believe a body found in a Gold Coast park is that of missing man Shane Ross, with detectives saying the death is suspicious and possibly related to the death of another man on Friday night.

For more than 20 years, 178 children have stared at motorists driving along the busy M1 on the Gold Coast. We dispel the urban myths of who they are and why they are there.