Isabella is an ABC journalist based in Queensland. She joined the ABC in 2014 working for News Online. She files stories for TV, radio and online. Follow Isabella on Twitter @isabellahiggins.
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| UpdatedThe majority of new businesses in Queensland are based in the state's south-east, but there is a push to encourage entrepreneurs in regional towns to try to tackle the high unemployment rates.
Topics: small-business, business-economics-and-finance, regional, regional-development, activism-and-lobbying, rockhampton-4700, qld, australia
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| UpdatedPolice are investigating what happened to an infant boy who died in Yeppoon in central Queensland on Monday, weeks after concerns were raised with the Queensland Department of Child Safety.
Topics: crime, law-crime-and-justice, state-parliament, government-and-politics, yeppoon-4703, rockhampton-4700, qld
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| UpdatedClive Palmer is looking to build a new open-cut coal mine on his central Queensland cattle station, despite his collapsed Queensland Nickel refinery still owing more than $300 million.
Topics: clive-palmer, person, mining-industry, business-economics-and-finance, rockhampton-4700, qld
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| UpdatedEarly investigations indicate engine failure may have caused a fatal plane crash on a remote central Queensland beach.
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, emergency-incidents, eurimbula-4677, qld, bundaberg-4670, gladstone-4680, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedAngry residents of a small central Queensland town are warning the Federal Government they will not walk away from their land, despite plans to remove them and expand a nearby military training facility.
Topics: defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, government-and-politics, shoalwater-4702
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| UpdatedCatholic parishes in country dioceses are forced to slash popular masses due to a shortage of priests as the Church struggles to find its next generation of priests.
Topics: religion-and-beliefs, community-and-society, catholic, regional, biloela-4715, qld, banyo-4014, brisbane-4000, australia
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Scientists are building nearly a dozen "fish hotels" in central Queensland to try to protect the diversity of aquaculture in the region.
Topics: fishing-aquaculture, fish, biological-diversity, water, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedBowen Basin councils are struggling with millions of dollars' worth of unpaid rates amid the mining downturn, forcing one to consider repossessing homes.
Topics: mining-industry, business-economics-and-finance, local-government, government-and-politics, emerald-4720, moranbah-4744, rockhampton-4700
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Communities in regional areas are trying to break down barriers around domestic violence and create change, according to a central Queensland support service.
Topics: domestic-violence, community-and-society, emerald-4720
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Police say a new pilot program, where disengaged youth will re-fashion unused, stolen bicycles, will help participants build skills and find employment.
Topics: community-and-society, youth, police, rockhampton-4700
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A new technology that measures the precise level of carbon in soil could drive a national boom in carbon farming.
Topics: sustainable-and-alternative-farming, rural, rockhampton-4700, qld
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| UpdatedExperts in Queensland's tourism and agriculture sectors say uncertainty around the proposed backpacker tax is scaring off the working holiday-makers they need to survive.
Topics: tax, travel-and-tourism, federal-parliament, budget, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedA Rockhampton family turned to social media for help tracking down burglars who they allege broke into their home and stole sentimental jewellery and electronics.
Topics: crime, social-media, family, community-and-society, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedLandholders in Central Queensland say their livelihoods could be destroyed by a new coal seam gas facility being built on land adjacent to their properties.
Topics: mining-rural, mining-environmental-issues, environment, tourism, rolleston-4702, qld
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| UpdatedTwo months after a damning review into the death of a baby and the serious injury of three others at a Central Queensland hospital, less than half of the recommendations have been implemented.
Topics: health, health-policy, health-administration, death, infant-health, rockhampton-4700, qld
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After years of tough conditions, luck has turned for Queensland graziers who are winning at the saleyards with some of the highest prices seen in years.
Topics: livestock, beef-cattle, industry, rockhampton-4700
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Topics: livestock, rural, beef-cattle
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| UpdatedThe Coalition has won the central Queensland seat of Flynn, according to the ABC election computer, but LNP incumbent Ken O'Dowd says he is not yet ready to claim victory.
Topics: government-and-politics, elections, federal-elections, gladstone-4680, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedThe Federal Court of Australia has formally recognised the Indigenous people of central Queensland as the traditional owners of the land.
Topics: indigenous-culture, indigenous-policy, north-rockhampton-4701
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Health officials apologise for not recognising issues earlier at the Rockhampton Base Hospital maternity ward that contributed to the death of a baby and the serious injury of three others last year.
Topics: health, infant-health, death, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedThe mayor of a central Queensland Indigenous community says there is growing tension between residents and local police.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, police, woorabinda-4713
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Police have denied there has been any unrest in a central Queensland Indigenous community after a police incident involving an officer and locals.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, police, woorabinda-4713
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Police in a central Queensland town will increase their presence in licensed venues to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.
Topics: crime-prevention, antisocial-behaviour, crime, moranbah-4744, mackay-4740, rockhampton-4700
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A state-owned statutory water board says it is confident the Federal Government will see the business case for investing in the Rookwood Weir in central Queensland.
Topics: dams-and-reservoirs, federal-government, water, programs-and-initiatives, water-management, rockhampton-4700, gladstone-4680
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A man charged with the death of a women in central western Queensland has had his case adjourned in a Rockhampton court.
Topics: courts-and-trials, crime, winton-4735, rockhampton-4700, longreach-4730, mount-isa-4825