Instagram star Molly the magpie is due to be reunited with its best friend Peggy the staffy after Queensland Premier Steven Miles promised the couple would gain a permit.

Molly was seized by authorities two weeks ago as the couple did not have a permit to keep the magpie at their Gold Coast home.

Miles was under pressure from carer photographer Juliette Wells, her husband Reece Mortensen and their 812,000 followers to work with the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) to find a way to bring Molly home.

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"I spoke this morning with Reece and Juliette, Molly's carers, and indicated to them that we have identified a pathway to ensure they can obtain an appropriate permit," Miles said.

"I know that that will come as good news to the thousands of people who comment on my Facebook page every day and call on me to free Molly."

Molly rocketed to fame after the bird was taken in by Gold Coast photographer Juliette Wells and her husband, Reece Mortensen, as a fledgling during lockdowns in 2020.

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The magpie befriended one of the couple's pets, an English staffy named Peggy, and cute photos of the pair taken by Wells quickly went viral.

The couple announced to their followers that they had no choice but to surrender the magpie to the DESI on March 26.

A DESI spokesperson alleged the couple did not have a valid rehabilitation permit at the time.

The next day Miles said his government was committed to working with Wells and Mortensen to ensure they could obtain the required permits.

A post to Peggy and Molly's Instagram page yesterday claimed Miles was not responding to the couple after he promised his support.

"If he does get back to me I'm going to tell him WOOF I'm NOT Happy, I miss my bestie & think about him everyday," the post written in the perspective of the couple's other dog Ruby said.

The post encouraged people to keep emailing their support to the government departments.

Mortensen previously said he had applied for a wildlife permit but was asked to withdraw the application because of a perceived conflict of interest over the couple's social media accounts.

News of the separation of Molly and Peggy caused public outcry.

An online petition calling for the pair to be reunited has attracted more than 154,000 signatures.

Two nine-year-old girls have described the moment they were hit by an allegedly stolen car in Melbourne.

The friends have labelled the accused teens as selfish and careless after they attempted to flee the scene in Berwick, in the city's south-east.

The girls were on their way to a play date, being driven by one of their mothers.

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They were travelling along the Princess Highway in Berwick yesterday morning when a Mazda packed with teens ran a red light.

"We just felt this crash and it was kind of chaotic," one girl said.

"It felt really scary and we didn't know what was going to happen next."

"I thought they were very selfish and careless."

The second girl said the car's airbags emerged as it crashed.

Instead of checking to see if anyone was injured, four teenagers allegedly bolted from the scene.

One teen later posted about the crash online.

The grade four students suffered minor bruising.

One of the girl's mums, who was driving at the time was also shaken, and said they were relieved they were all OK.

One of the teenagers who was arrested over the crash was only bailed on Monday night.

He had been bailed twice in less than 24 hours after being charged over a crime spree in the city's south-eastern suburbs.

A passenger was seen flashing wads of cash while the 14-year-old accused driver was allegedly clocked at speeds of 150km/hour

The teen later boasted about his antics online.

"Anger is turning into disappointment as we've learned that the people who were involved are regularly in the habit of engaging in this sort of conduct," one of the girl's fathers said.

Security footage has captured the moment a runaway racehorse ran loose on the platform of a Sydney train station on Friday night.

The horse had bolted from its stable on a farm near the station before making its way onto the platform of Warwick Farm station.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matthew Longland said staff were warned that a passenger was "horsing around" just before midnight on April 5.

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CCTV shows the horse entering the station, still wearing its raincoat.

The horse gradually makes its way down the train platform, with onlookers appearing spooked by the horse's unexpected appearance.

The horse trotted up and down the rainy platform for around five minutes before a train began to pull into the station.

The train's driver had been warned ahead to keep an eye out for a horse and kept the doors closed as it arrived at the platform.

A short time later, the horse's trainer arrived at the scene.

The horse was collected and led into the back of a trailer before it was taken back to its stable.

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"From time to time we do find animals on tracks, particularly cows on longer regional services," Longland said.

"This one was a little bit unusual, as it was a horse at a suburban station. 

"It's a wonder the horse didn't try to board the train, to be honest.

"The good news is the horse was captured, and it's obviously healthy and unharmed."

Asked if the horse would face fines for not tapping on at the station, Longland said the team had "given the horse a stern warning".

The horse may have escaped from a local farm during the deluge of rain that hit Sydney last weekend.

"It's not every day you see a horse on the platform, but that's what we saw at Warwick Farm," NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said.

She said the horse was a well-behaved passenger.

"In fact, it kept its hooves behind the yellow line, which is a good thing."

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright could pause a civil lawsuit brought over a helicopter crash that killed his co-star as he faces criminal charges over the tragedy.

Chris Wilson plunged to his death in a remote area of the Northern Territory in February 2022 while dangling from a helicopter owned by Wright to collect crocodile eggs.

His widow Danielle Wilson filed Federal Court proceedings in December against Wright's company Helibrook as well as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority over the crash.

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Justice Elizabeth Raper today allowed Wilson to join Wright to the lawsuit and amend her pleadings to include claims against him.

She is seeking damages for personal injury as well as from her husband's loss of income after the crash.

Wright is alleged to have had non-delegable duties as the employer of Wilson and as a person vicariously liable for Sebastian Robinson who was piloting the craft when it plummeted to the ground.

Justice Raper heard Wright and Helibrook were considering whether to file a stay application, effectively putting the civil lawsuit on ice, while the criminal case was ongoing.

Wright's lawyer Darryn Kelly told the court his clients did not want to file a defence or have to provide documents in the civil lawsuit out of fear of self-incrimination before the upcoming criminal proceedings.

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Barrister David Lloyd SC, representing Wilson, was happy for Wright and Helibrook to hold off filing a defence for the time being.

CASA's barrister Peter Ward said his client should also not have to file a defence, pointing out anything the organisation had to say could prejudice the criminal case against Wright.

Justice Raper heard Helibrook's insurer QBE and broker Wild Harvest Northern Territory could be joined into the lawsuit if they did not voluntarily assist with mediation talks.

Robinson could also be dragged into the case, the judge was told.

No findings of wrongdoing have been made against him.

Wilson will have to provide evidence about what her actual claimed financial loss was before the parties sit down together at settlement talks.

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NT WorkSafe charged Wright and Helibrook with "reckless conduct for operating unsafe aircraft" in February.

The workplace safety watchdog said it had found "sufficient evidence" Wright made up the number of flight hours his aircraft had done and put his passengers and pilots at risk.

Helibrook Pty Ltd and Wright have each been charged with two counts of reckless conduct.

Separately, Wright will go to trial in the NT Supreme Court over one count of perverting the course of justice.

Six further charges, including tampering with evidence and threatening Robinson, are yet to be heard although Wright denies the allegations.

Wilson's civil case will next come before the Federal Court on May 7.

The search for a "loved" and "respected" police officer reported missing from Far North Queensland has widened to a neighbouring suburb as authorities struggle to locate any sign of him.

Senior Constable Scott Duff, 50, was last seen walking on Slipper Street in Edmonton, in Cairns, about midday on Monday before he disappeared.

Extensive resources — including police, tactical officers, SES, drones and helicopters — have been deployed over the past few days in the desperate effort to find him.

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Superintendent Monique Ralph said search efforts continued today but failed to find anything that could point to the missing constable's whereabouts. 

She appealed for new vision from residents in the neighbouring suburb of Bentley Park as security and dashcam footage have helped officers piece together Duff's trail.

"We're now asking residents to check their CCTV in the vicinity of Bundey Street, Cadell Street, Fitzmaurice Drive, Capricorn Street, Laidley Close, Whela Close, Lora Close, and Hamelin Street and near the Cadell Street park," she said at a press conference.

"Anyone with CCTV footage or dash cam footage in those areas between 1pm and 6.30pm on Monday is urged to contact us." 

Ralph said Duff had been on active duty over the weekend before he vanished and that all police weapons were accounted for and checked into the station.

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She said his disappearance was very out of character as he was "extremely dedicated to policing" and a "family man", which has sparked serious concerns for his welfare.

"Scott is a much loved and valued member of the Queensland Police Service, as well as the community. He's a very wel-respected officer in that southern corridor," she said.

"Scott is a husband, father, son and his family are obviously desperate to try and find him.

"His disappearance is also having an effect on our local police and our community and we've been extremely overwhelmed by the support the community has provided us."

Duff was last seen wearing a dark blue-grey t-shirt, grey shorts, khaki shoes and a grey baseball cap. 

He is described as Caucasian, approximately 188cm tall with grey hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with information or vision is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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