The Queensland government is selling off state-owned land to developers, in a bid to boost housing supply.

Today, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie started the state-wide sale with a 400-home development on Brisbane's northside.

But the new developer-driven housing scheme has drawn criticism from local residents and housing advocates alike.

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The scheme's effectively a land sale program, unlocking under-utilised state-owned land for private development.

The first parcel, a six-hectare block in Banyo, will go from a former Energex depot to 400 new homes.

"We are serious about supply, supply, supply and we're serious about partnering with the private sector," Bleijie said.

"When government and industry work in lockstep, we can actually deliver things faster."

But Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh had questions over affordability.

"The concern is, that this plan won't deliver more social and affordable housing for Queenslanders, which is so sorely needed," she said.

Local residents are also critical, claiming they weren't consulted and calling for better infrastructure in the area.

"[I'm] happy to see it developed and it needs to be developed but now they're talking high density, 400 housing, the streets just can't handle it," neighbouring resident Keith Bitossi told 9News.

Fellow resident Chris Vale agreed.

"The infrastructure for roads, stormwater and sewer just cannot handle what we've got now," he said.

Criticism aside, the deputy premier is expected to announce further sites across the state in coming days and the land sales won't stop there.

Under the new scheme, developers can also register interest in public land not already earmarked for sale.

The government stresses it isn't about selling land for the right price, it's "about land activation and housing supply".

But opposition spokesman for state development Cameron Dick isn't buying it.

"This LNP plan is a big win for property developer and a massive loss for Queenslanders seeking to put a roof over their own head," he said.

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Major banks have begun passing on the Reserve Bank of Australia's interest rate hike.

The official cash rate was today increased by 25 basis points to 3.85 per cent, the first hike in two years.

Westpac was the first to announce that it would raise its variable interest home loan rates by 0.25 per cent. 

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The changes will be automatically applied by February 17.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia also announced it would increase its variable rates by 0.25 per cent.

The move is set to come into effect on February 13. 

Today's hike will add around $100 to an average mortgage holder's monthly repayments, although many borrowers have a buffer built up thanks to last year's three cuts.

The central bank's updated economic forecasts didn't bode well for borrowers, with inflation not predicted to come back into the 2 to 3 per cent target band until June 2027, and core inflation not tipped to reach the middle of that range for a further year.

But Governor Michele Bullock seemed genuinely unsure about what her bank's next move will be.

"It is not the same as the tightening cycle when we were coming out of COVID, when we were coming from 0.1 per cent cash rate; it was quite clear that we had to go up and we had to go up quickly," she said.

"This isn't as clear."

CBA's economists expect another hike in May, taking the cash rate to 4.1 per cent, because there's unlikely to be enough evidence by then to show today's hike is slowing demand.

"Inflation is simply too high for the RBA at this stage, and the central bank has signalled a stronger resolve to bring it back within target," Commonwealth Bank head of Australian economics Belinda Allen said.

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Andy Winitana, 46, died in hospital today.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival has cancelled this year's official party, citing an "existential threat" and two years of significant financial losses.

Chief executive Jesse Matheson said the "difficult decision" was part of his mission to renew and reimagine the renowned LGBTQI+ celebration.

He said the festival had suffered "two years of significant financial loss" and the post-parade party – a $2 million "festival within a festival" – was a major contributor, having run at a loss every year since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"This decision was not taken lightly," he said in a statement posted on the organisation's website this afternoon.

"Facing an existential threat to the future of Mardi Gras, and with new sponsorship uncertain, it was absolutely the right decision."

Matheson said all festival events had been cancelled except the parade, Fair Day, Laneway and the Glitter Club, but hailed community producers and cultural institutions for stepping in to bring back several others.

"The Mardi Gras Party, however, was always going to be the biggest challenge," Matheson said.

"For those unfamiliar with its scale, the Mardi Gras Party is an approximately $2 million event – effectively a festival within a festival. 

"At times, it has cost more to deliver than the Parade and Fair Day, while also being our most expensive ticketed event for the community. It has always been a significant undertaking."

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He pointed to capacity constraints after losing access to the Royal Hall of Industries, the party's financial performance, community feedback and changing demographics to justify the decision to "pause" the event for the year.

"As CEO, I could not continue to sell expensive tickets to an event I did not believe offered value for our community, honoured the Mardi Gras PARTY's legacy, or protected the organisation's financial future," he said.

The parade, which attracts tens of thousands of people from across Australia to watch more than 10,000 participants and more than 200 floats, and other key parts of the festival will go ahead.

This year's theme for is "Ecstatica", which Matheson previously described as "euphoria as resistance, a reminder that our collective queer joy is on a break from the battle".

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival runs from February 13 to March 1.

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Victorian residents have been treated to a rare sight after space junk, believed to be from one of Elon Musk's satellites, soared back into the earth's atmosphere.

The astronomical display initially looked like a meteor illuminating the sky about 5.27am AEDT – but Melbourne astronomers quickly identified it as a piece of space junk.

Observational Astronomer Associate Professor Michael Brown said the debris was likely a piece of Musk's Starlink-5103 re-entering the sky.

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"Starlink-5103 is a match in both position and being in the current TIP window," amateur astronomer and scientist Marco Langbroek added in a post on Bluesky.

Despite the simple explanation, early risers all over the state were still stunned to witness the piece of junk streak across the sky.

Keen-eyed stargazers filmed the satellite from multiple Victorian suburbs, including Hastings, Langwarrin, Sandringham and Mortlake.

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There is an easy way to tell the difference between space junk and meteors.

Space junk from satellites typically travel at a slower pace, at around eight kilometres per second, and move almost horizontally.

Meteors and shooting stars, meanwhile, can travel tens of kilometres per second.

This comparatively leisurely pace means observers can capture space junk on camera.

A growing number of satellites and space debris in orbit around Earth are impacting the night sky.

As of December 2025, there were currently 9357 Starlink satellites – owned by billionaire Musk's company SpaceX – in orbit.

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Around 10 of these satellites are working, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell.

The Starlink satellites orbit around 550 kilometres above the earth and are designed to stay in the sky for between five and seven years.

Musk previously described Starlink as "rebuilding the internet in space".

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Exclusive: The mother of missing schoolgirl Bung Siriboon is living out her final days after a two-year battle with cancer.

The family has given 9News permission to publish the health update of Vannida, who was diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma in 2024.

She has undergone multiple rounds of chemo but is now in palliative care.

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Those closest to the family say she may only have days to live and it's feared she may never know what happened to Bung.

"These could be her final days, you'd think someone would say something now to help a grieving mum," Bung's best friend from high school Dyamai Hillard said.

Hillard has started a GoFundMe page to help Fred, Vannida and Bung's sister Pang during this difficult time.

"Some answers would change everything, I think it would give Nid the closure and the space to pass on without that pain," she said.

"And Fred, hopefully to heal a bit better because how do you go thorugh life missing your daughter and losing our wife, watching her pass away slowly?"

Bung's stepfather, Fred Pattison, has also lost his niece and mother recently.

"The support for GoFundMe could even just ease a little bit of the burden so he could be present," Hillard said.

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"[It] could go towards a number of things, but most importantly help him be able to pay for her funeral."

Siriyakorn "Bung" Siriboon vanished while walking to school in 2011.

She left her Elsie Street home in Boronia about 8.30am on June 2, 2011.

She was seen by a neighbour a short time later in Elsie Street, walking towards Albert Avenue.

Bung did not arrive at school that day and has not been seen or heard from since. Investigators continue to hold grave fears for her safety.

This year marks 15 years since the schoolgirl vanished without a trace.

There is still a $1 million reward for anyone who has information.

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Rahul Gautum will testify that he never asked the woman to stay the night.

He said he didn’t realise he hurt anyone until the news reported a “champagne shanking”.

Crisis talks between Sussan Ley and David Littleproud are yet to resurrect the Coalition, despite an olive branch offer from the Liberals floating the opportunity of a party reunion.

The Nationals Leader today confirmed his party had received a written offer from Sussan Ley and the Liberals to resolve the party split, after their partnership was unceremoniously slashed earlier this month.

In "constructive conversations" with Littleproud last night, Ley said she was willing to realign with the Nationals, if three senators who crossed the floor on hate speech laws are suspended from shadow cabinet for six months.

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The Liberals' offer is also dependent on an agreement that neither individual party room can override shadow cabinet decisions, after Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald broke ranks to vote against the hate speech bill in the Senate

The senators were later dumped, leading the entire Nationals frontbench, including Littleproud, to quit in protest

Littleproud said the Nationals intend to "take our time to consider the details" of Ley's proposition.

"The Nationals are united in our endeavours to reset the Coalition, but we won't be providing updates on any negotiations through the media," he said.

"It's important we take the time to get the settings right."

If negotiations between the two embittered parties reach an agreement, the Coalition could re-form this week.

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But Littleproud is so far keeping tight-lipped on the future of the alliance, noting his party room "remains focused on the issues that matter to Australians, including protecting our rights and freedoms."

Members of both parties congregated at St Paul's Canberra church this morning for a traditional service to mark the beginning of the parliamentary year.

Nationals MPs there seemed to believe that a Hail Mary would be needed to soothe the rift between the parties.

"That's where we need divine intervention," LNP MP Scott Buchholz said.

"I'll be praying for that, that's exactly what I'll be praying for," Nationals MP Michael McCormack said of a Coalition reunion.

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“There must have been either wilful blindness or recklessness involved,” the judge said.