Kate McKenna

Katter's Australian Party MP Nick Dametto has formally resigned from state parliament to run for Townsville mayor — forcing a by-election in his north Queensland seat.

Queensland's outgoing human rights commissioner says he has lost sleep worrying about some juveniles "spending weeks and weeks" in the state's watch houses.

Women without partners, or in same-sex relationships, had to pay thousands of dollars for at least two rounds of fertility procedures before they could access rebates.

A farming company has been fined after unlawfully docking the pay of PALM scheme workers, a Federal Circuit Court has found.

The guidelines include that they "must not" discuss or post anything about funded programs with "anyone in the media or related to media".

The court heard the girl has "repeatedly" expressed the view that she does not want to continue with the pregnancy.

The girl's father says he felt like he "died inside" when the childcare centre phoned to say an educator had "used legs to kick" his daughter.

The Queensland coroner describes the case of a baby — known to child safety authorities — who starved to death while his mother and her partner were on a drug binge as "utterly tragic".

An unnamed hospital applied to the Supreme Court for orders after being asked to perform a surgical termination for the child who was about nine weeks pregnant.

Convicted child sex offender Andrew William Vassel was employed as a gardener and maintenance man at a childcare centre near Brisbane.