Tag Archives: oceania

PhD candidate accused of plotting Australia Day terror attack

A student has been accused of planning to throw a Molotov cocktail at an Australia Day crowd as part of an alleged terrorist plot to overthrow the government.

Sepehr Saryazdi, 24, allegedly planned the attack for Monday's celebrations in Queensland to promote a new phase of civilisation powered by artificial intelligence.

He is accused of targeting a Gold Coast event, allegedly posting online that he would be leading Australia Day "riots" on the popular tourist strip.

Sepehr Saryazdi has been charged with terror offences.

READ MORE: Coalition splits again as Ley goes quiet and Littleproud rules future 'untenable'

Saryazdi today applied for bail in Brisbane Magistrates Court after being charged with the preparation of or planning for a terrorist act.

He bought bottles of alcohol, wrapping paper and a blanket between January 4 and 9 in preparation for the attack, according to court documents.

Crown prosecutor Ellie McDonald opposed bail, saying he had made "extremely concerning" comments in a Facebook chat.

"He states, 'I'll be leading the Gold Coast riots on January 26," she said.

"'If you know people in Melbourne let them know so they can start buying vodka bottles early and stockpiling batches'.'"

Saryazdi allegedly said he expected to die during the Gold Coast attack unless he was killed or lobotomised by Australia's spy agency ASIO.

He allegedly added that his actions were "purely logical given the trajectory of this nation".

"I recommend learning how to shoot guns at shooting ranges while you can," he allegedly said on Facebook.

Saryazdi allegedly told police he saw the government as "turning tyrannical" and wanted to replace it with a "cybernetics" alternative where society was guided by AI and data analysis.

He allegedly had a document titled "Australia's future cybernetics government the next phase of civilisation".

Saryazdi has a Master of Mathematical Sciences from the University of Sydney, according to his online profiles.

He also described himself as a PhD candidate with the CSIRO data and digital specialist arm and Australian Centre for Robotics.

Saryazdi intended to make national news and bring people together with attention to his disenchantment with the government, his Legal Aid solicitor Hellen Shilton said.

He had a very isolated lifestyle and lost contact with his parents since moving interstate to Brisbane, she said.

"He became influenced a bit by the new people he associated with. He was watching videos of protests," Shilton said.

"He admits he became quite overwhelmed emotionally. He felt he should do something with the way the world was going … it was never his intention to hurt anyone."

At the point of allegedly purchasing the alcohol and other items, reality started to sink in and he had made silly choices about his cause, his solicitor said.

"He has never taken part in any protests, he is obviously misguided," Shilton said.

Saryazdi's argument for bail appeared at odds with his statements to police, magistrate Penelope Hay said.

"Contrary to admissions he made that he intended to throw a Molotov cocktail in a public place on Australia Day and overthrow the government?" she said.

Hay denied Saryazdi bail due to the apparent strength of the prosecution case and his alleged serious link to violent offending.

He was remanded in custody and is due to face court again on February 20.

Songwriter condemns use of Down Under at March for Australia rallies

Former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay has condemned the use of his 1981 hit Down Under at March for Australia rallies, telling organisers and attendees to "go write your own song". 

Hay, who emigrated with his family from Scotland in 1967, co-wrote the song that went on to become an Australian classic.

That song has been hijacked by some anti-immigration demonstrators and played at their rallies.

READ MORE: More testing needed to determine how Canadian backpacker died on K'gari

Colin Hay, the former frontman of Men at Work.

Hay has criticised their use of his song, which he said did not align with its meaning or intent.

"Let me say that I most strenuously disapprove of any unauthorised, unlicensed use of Down Under, for any 'March For Australia' events," he said in a statement posted on social media.

"Down Under, a song I co-wrote, does not belong to those who attempt to sow xenophobia within the fabric of our great land, our great people.

"Down Under is ultimately a song of celebration. It's for pluralism and inclusion; unity, not division.

"Go write your own song, leave mine alone."

The artist signed off his statement with: "Colin Hay (immigrant)."

Hay is not the first artist to come out and denounce the use of his song at March for Australia events.

READ MORE: Coalition splits again as Ley goes quiet and Littleproud rules future 'untenable'

Men at work in 1983: Greg Ham, John Rees, Colin Hay, Roy Strykert and Jerry Spicer.

Country music singer John Williamson and punk rock band The Living End have publicly criticised the use of their music at the rallies, while PR representatives for Jimmy Barnes and Icehouse have said no approval was sought or granted to play their music at the same events.

"To be absolutely clear, the goals and philosophies of these marches are abhorrent to us, and we don't support them in any way," The Living End said.

"Our songs are written to bring people together, not to divide them, and especially not to be used in this way.

"In summary: F— Nazis."

Williamson said: "True Blue is a song for all Australians and should not be hijacked by any group that seeks to use the song to sow division.

"I believe in a multicultural society – one where all Australians come together in unity to celebrate our unique multicultural nature and freedoms."

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Children among the missing in NZ holiday park landslide

An Australian tourist has described his terrifying escape from a landslide at New Zealand's Mount Maunganui, saying he was swimming in a pool when a caravan smashed through a cinder block wall and crashed down beside him.

Multiple people are missing after the landslide wiped out parts of Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park at the base of Mauao this morning, police said.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ a girl is among those missing.

READ MORE: More testing needed to determine how Canadian backpacker died on K'gari

Sonny Worrall, from Newcastle Australia, described how escaped a caravan that crashed through a wall into the pool he was in during the Mount Maunganui landslide. Photo: Tony Wall/Stuff

Speaking to a Stuff reporter, the survivor Sonny Worrall, from Newcastle in regional New South Wales, said he had to dive into the next pool to avoid being struck.

"As I'm swimming, I heard this huge landslide behind me, trees cracking, and there was a caravan that almost hit me. I was just fearing for my life.

"It was the scariest thing I've ever felt in my life," he said.

Still visibly shaken, Worrall said the scene felt "like a movie".

"Luckily, there were no children in the kids' pool. But who knows – there could have been someone inside the caravan that was swept over."

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said caravans, a toilet block, cars, and tents have been affected by the landslide, said Rutherford.

READ MORE: Shocking video shows shark leaping out of Sydney river near school rowers

A search and rescue is underway in Mount Maunganui. Photo: Jess Pedersen / Jess Pedersen

Dion Siluch said he was having a massage at the Mount Pools when the "whole room started shaking like crazy".

As he was being evacuated, he saw a large caravan that had slipped down onto the pools from the campground at Pilot Bay.

A Stuff reporter at the scene near Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park said multiple ambulances, fire engines and police were present, with a large crowd gathering nearby.

Police have established a base at the Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club, where officers are working through a register of campers to determine who remains unaccounted for.

Campers could be seen being processed by police.

Helicopters have also been deployed to support ongoing search and rescue efforts.

A local bystander said no one had been found yet, despite police dogs being deployed.

READ MORE: High-tech new speed cameras watching drivers in one Australian state

Emergency services work at slip at Mt Maunganui campground where several people are unaccounted for. Photo: Jess Pedersen

Penny Carnaby saw the devastation unfold from directly across the road at the apartments.

She heard a "loud crack" and rushed to the verandah.

"I just saw it keep coming and coming, and everyone was running and there was screaming and yelling… it just happened so fast. It was just horrific."

She said in the desperate minutes before emergency services arrived, bystanders raced to the scene of the slip to help.

"There was nothing that they could do," a tearful Carnaby said.

"Because there's so much dirt.

"It took out the whole kitchen block… There's going be so many people missing," she told Stuff.

Police said they were called to Adams Ave after 9.30am.

"The campsite has been evacuated, and Adams Ave is closed while emergency services work to locate anybody who remains in the area."

Police were pushing back crowds of people who had come out of their Mount apartments to watch, a Stuff reporter said.

"It's for your safety, we don't know if another slip will happen," one officer said.

Hato Hone St John had eight emergency vehicles on the scene.

That was including four ambulances, one rapid response unit, two operations managers, and a helicopter.

Further units were on the way, a spokesperson said.

READ MORE: Coalition splits again as Ley goes quiet and Littleproud rules future 'untenable'

The scene at the Mount Hot Pools after a major land slide ripped thorough a Mount Maunganui campground. Photo: Jess Pedersen

READ MORE: Man dies after being struck by garbage truck in North Sydney

NZ Herald has reported eyewitnesses heard people screaming and were concerned some may be trapped.

Members of the public are advised to avoid the area, police said.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said in a statement they are aware that some people are unaccounted for, and our thoughts are with them, their families, and everyone affected.

"We are doing all we can on the ground and providing support to campground staff and visitors.

"This is a deeply distressing event, and our priority right now is the safety and wellbeing of those involved."

Mount Maunganui's Facebook page said Mauao is fully closed to the public until further notice, as the area is unsafe due to the large slips.

"Due to the heightened risk to public safety, all tracks, access points, and surrounding areas of Mauao are closed while the considerable damage is assessed," it said.

"Fencing is being installed and secured at key entry points, with signage and barriers in place at all closure points to prevent public access.

"Security will also be present to monitor the closure and ensure public safety."

The public is strongly advised not to enter Mauao, or attempt to bypass fencing or barriers.

Crews from Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, Maketu, and Greerton are currently assisting, with further crews on the way

This article was originally published on Stuff and has been reproduced here with permission.

Greenland issues pamphlet to locals to ‘prepare for crisis’

Greenland's government has sent out a pamphlet to its citizens urging them to prepare for a "crisis", as Donald Trump speaks repeatedly of annexing the territory.

The pamphlet urged Greenlanders to have enough to "fend for yourself for five days if a crisis occurs".

"If you are prepared and can take care of yourself and your loved ones, the authorities can focus efforts where the needs are greatest and work to normalise the situation," the pamphlet read.

READ MORE: Donald Trump appears to mix up Greenland and Iceland four times

Fish drying in Rodebay, Greenland.

"The more people who can fend for themselves and help others, the stronger we are as a society.

"Do what you can and help those around you. Fortunately, we are good at that."

The pamphlet does not reference Donald Trump or the United States, or even make reference to an invasion.

But the timing of the pamphlet, issued yesterday, raised eyebrows.

It does mention the rise of tsunamis and cybercrime.

READ MORE: Wall Street cashes in as TACO Trump 'chickens out' on Greenland

Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

"In addition, international conflicts and geopolitical tensions can affect security of supply and infrastructure, which can have consequences for daily life," it read.

The advice suggests the five days of food should be able to be stored without refrigeration and eaten without heating.

"Hunting and fishing can be a source of food in a crisis situation," the pamphlet read.

"Therefore, also consider access to hunting weapons, ammunition and fishing equipment."

Animals commonly hunted in Greenland include musk ox, reindeer, hare, fox and seals.

But hours after the pamphlet was issued, Trump appeared to back down on his annexation ambitions.

READ MORE: Trump rants at Norway over Nobel Prize during rambling press conference

Musk ox is a popular target for hunters in Greenland.

Instead he announced an unspecified "framework of a future deal" for the island.

The US president went into few details about the agreement he had struck with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

"This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st."

Wall Street jumped today in the wake of Trump's announcement.

READ MORE: Greenland is nowhere near as big as it looks. Here's why

Donald Trump is no longer pushing a military takeover of Greenland.

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More testing needed to determine how Canadian backpacker died on K’gari

A coroner will investigate the death of 19-year-old Canadian backpacker Piper James, who was found mauled by dingoes on K'gari, with further testing needed to understand how she died.

James was found surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes earlier this week, but police have been unable to conclude whether she had drowned or been fatally attacked.

The Coroners Court of Queensland has confirmed it has opened an investigation into her death and said her body will require more tests after an autopsy is completed.

READ MORE: Coalition splits again as Ley goes quiet and Littleproud rules future 'untenable'

Piper James, 19, was found dead on K'Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, yesterday morning surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes.

"Following the autopsy, further scientific testing will be required," a Coroners Court spokesperson said.

"These further results and establishing the cause of death may take some time.

"Family of the deceased have been kept up to date with the investigation.

"The coronial investigation is ongoing, as such no further information can be provided at this time."

The potential that dingoes could be responsible has stunned locals and tourists alike.

K'gari dingoes are a protected species due to their potential to become the purest strain of dingo in the country, but attacks have been on the rise recently.

The island has not seen a fatal attack since 2001, when a nine-year-old boy was killed.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has signalled there will be a state response to the findings of the autopsy.

But Indigenous elders claimed they have repeatedly warned the state government that dingoes are growing more dangerous as tourism takes over.

READ MORE: 'We share their grief': Australia marks day of mourning for Bondi terror attack

James had been working as a housekeeper at a backpacker campsite on K'gari for the past six weeks with hometown friend Taylor Stricker.

The pair had saved up money for a year so they could travel Australia before returning home in March. 

But on Monday, James went for an early-morning swim before she was found scratched, bitten and surrounded by dingoes on a beach just a few hundred metres away from the campsite.

Her mum, Angela James, believed Piper had intended to call home from the beach as she often did.

"She quite often would set her alarm to get up, catch the sunrise, which is what she did that day," she told 9News.

"I think that's what she probably got up to do. But she never got the opportunity to."

READ MORE: Emotional Harry tells court publisher made Meghan's life 'a misery'

Piper James, 19, had gone for an early-morning swim when her body was found surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes near Orchid Beach on Monday. 

James' father, Todd, said the family was shattered and in pain over her death.

"So many are going to miss you, my precious little baby girl," he wrote on social media.

"May be gone, but how can we ever forget you?"

Stricker's mum, Majorie Stricker, said her daughter awoke to "a nightmare", as the young women were the "very best of inseparable best friends".

"Piper became far more to our family than just our daughter's friend. She became part of our family, just as Taylor is part of hers," she wrote in a social media post.

"From the moment she entered our lives, her light and laughter filled every space.

"She will always be with us, in the seas, the trails, the mountain scapes, the sky and all the sunrises and sunsets that she treasured so much."

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Shocking video shows shark leaping out of Sydney river near school rowers

Extraordinary video shows a shark leaping out of the water near a team of shocked rowers on the Parramatta River in Sydney.

The shark, believed to be a bull shark, breaches the surface to launch itself into the air just metres from the boat in the video filmed in SIlverwater on Monday.

"Holy f—," one observer says in the short clip.

READ MORE: 'Death knell' looms for Ley after second Coalition split in a year

It's understood the rowers were part of a holiday rowing camp run by The King's School.

Nine newspapers reported that in a statement to parents, the school reassured them it was taking strong precautions after the incident.

"On-water sessions will be cancelled if conditions pose an elevated risk of capsize," the statement read, while small boat training on the water has been cancelled.

READ MORE: Australia marks day of mourning for Bondi terror attack

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Bull sharks have been involved in a spate of recent attacks among Sydney, including two that left people critically injured.

Nico Antic, 12, was bitten in the water at Vaucluse on Sunday, followed by Andre De Ruyter, 27, at Manly on Monday.

Two others this week had lucky escapes from major injuries when sharks bit their board.

READ MORE: Donald Trump appears to mix up Greenland and Iceland four times

Experts say the deluge of recent rain has lured bull sharks in closer to shore, and in some cases up Sydney rivers.

Bull sharks are unusually tolerant of brackish water – salt mixed with fresh – and are drawn to animals flushed out of rivers by floods.

Additionally, the murky water makes it difficult to see them get close.

Wall Street cashes in as TACO Trump ‘chickens out’ on Greenland

Donald Trump has retreated on his ambitions for Greenland, instead announcing an unspecified "framework of a future deal" for the island.

The US president went into few details about the agreement he had struck with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

"This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

READ MORE: Bill, Hillary Clinton risk prison after vote by Epstein committee

'Trump always chickens out' is a common expression on Wall Street.

"Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st."

The president's apparent retreat is the latest example of what his critics refer to as TACO Trump.

The unflattering acronym is short for Trump Always Chickens Out, according to former Barack Obama staffer and Pod Save America host Tommy Vietor.

"I mean, it does seem positive that President Trump has walked back his threat to invade Greenland or tariff the entire continent of Europe," Vietor told Today.

"But the fact that I'm saying these words out loud just kind of shows you how ridiculous things have gotten and how America is viewed as a pariah state in a lot of places."

READ MORE: Donors give hundreds of thousands to Trump heckler

Donald Trump has retreated on his ambitions for Greenland.

Vietor was sceptical Trump's announced framework will amount to anything meaningful.

"I doubt there will really be a deal," he said.

"This is Trump doing what he always does, which is TACO."

Vietor was baffled that the president would be so focused on Greenland when the American people were demanding action on the economy.

"He's just a weird mercurial old man who doesn't seem to know what's going on," Vietor said.

"He's doing things that are unpopular and politically damaging."

Top Democratic congressman Jim McGovern was no kinder.

"He said a lot of crazy shit today. I think it's time to take the keys away from grandpa," he said.

"He doesn't seem like he's all there."

READ MORE: Trump rants at Norway over Nobel Prize

Donald Trump is no longer pushing a military takeover of Greenland.

TACO as an acronym emerged from Wall Street, where traders were cashing in on the assumption that the president would back down from his most audacious proposals.

The term first came into use after Trump delayed many of his Liberation Day tariffs.

And many traders have made substantial sums of money betting the president wouldn't keep his word.

"The market is still of the mind that we are going to see this kind of bluster from the get-go — an opening salvo that's pretty aggressive," Natixis Investment Managers Solutions' Garrett Melson told MarketWatch.

"But then it gets dialled back."

Wall Street jumped today in the wake of Trump's announcement.

READ MORE: Has Trump really ended eight wars? Fact-checking the president's claim

Wall Street jumped on news Donald Trump was backing down on Greenland.

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Bill and Hillary Clinton risk prison after vote by Epstein committee

A US congressional committee has voted on charging Bill and Hillary Clinton with contempt, the first step of a process that could see both facing prison time.

Both the Clintons declined to testify in a House Oversight Committee investigation into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

As a consequence, the committee voted to recommend charges for the former president and former secretary of state.

READ MORE: Donors give hundreds of thousands to Trump heckler suspended by Ford

Bill Clinton in a hot tub in a photo from the Epstein files.

If the House of Representatives as a whole approves the citations, a referral will go to the Justice Department.

If found guilty, the pair could face up to a $US100,000 ($147,000) fine and a year in prison.

Today's vote passed on bipartisan grounds, with nine Democrats voting with all the Republicans on the committee on Mr Clinton's charge.

Three Democrats voted in favour of charging Mrs Clinton.

"No witness, not a former president or a private citizen, may willfully defy a Congressional subpoena without consequence," committee chair James Comer said.

"But that is what the Clintons did and that is why we are here."

The Clintons were friends with Epstein, though neither has been implicated in any of his crimes.

READ MORE: Trump announces 'framework of future deal' for Greenland reached

This undated photo released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee shows former President Bill Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, with Clinton's signature at the top of the photo.

"And I think if you ask the victims, 'Do you want to hear from Bill Clinton?'" Comer said.

"I'm pretty confident I know what the answers will be."

Mr Clinton had agreed to be interviewed by the chairman and ranking member under specific conditions.

His conditions included the interview be conducted at his New York office and that questions be limited directly to "travel, use of plane, awareness of criminal activities, knowledge of the federal investigation or prosecutions, and efforts by Epstein to gain leverage".

The committee declined his conditions.

But Democrats would not stand behind the Clintons.

"We should hold anybody connected to Epstein in contempt who will not give us information," Representative Rashida Tlaib said.

"The survivors deserve transparency and justice."

READ MORE: Has Trump really ended eight wars? Fact-checking the president's claim

Bill and Hillary Clinton at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Epstein visited the White House 17 times during the Clinton presidency.

The former president flew on Epstein's plane about 27 times.

Another close friend of Epstein, President Donald Trump, has not been subpoenaed.

There is recent precedent of somebody being jailed for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena.

Trump White House advisors Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were both jailed for four months in 2024 after defying a subpoena.

READ MORE: Less than one per cent of Jeffrey Epstein files released

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‘Had a couple’: A dozen empty beer cans in alleged drunk driver’s car

A Queensland man's licence has been suspended after police allegedly found more than a dozen empty beer cans in the car when they pulled him over for speeding.

Police were patrolling the Bruce Highway at Guthalungra, about 100 kilometres south-east of Townsville, when they stopped a red Suzuki Swift about 11.30am on January 17.

Police will allege the driver, a 53-year-old Craiglie man, was travelling at 148km/h in a 100km/h zone.

READ MORE: Council move could cost Missy up to $15,000 per year in fight to save family farm

The officer found more than a dozen empty cans of beer under the driver's seat of the red Suzuki.

When asked by an officer whether he'd had anything to drink, the man allegedly admitted he'd "had a couple".

Officers found more than a dozen empty beer cans under the driver's seat, as well as a chiller bag filled with what appeared to be more empty cans.

He returned a blood alcohol concentration of 0.111, police allege.

The man's licence was immediately suspended and he was charged with driving while over the middle alcohol limit.

In addition to the charge, he was issued a traffic infringement notice for high-range speeding, fined $1919 and received eight demerit points.

"It is extremely dangerous to speed or get behind the wheel while you are impaired by an intoxicating substance which impacts your ability to judge distance, speed, reduces your coordination and concentration, and distorts your perception of time, place and space," acting Senior Sergeant Ivey said.

"Road safety is a shared duty, and everyone who makes the decision to get behind the wheel has a responsibility to ensure everyone makes it home safe."

READ MORE: Shark survivor recounts moment of attack

The 21-year-old Cairns City man was allegedly detected driving 57 km/h over the speed limit

About 30 minutes earlier, a 21-year-old Cairns man was found driving 157km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Bruce Highway at Inkerman about 11am on January 17, police allege.

He was issued a traffic infringement notice for high-range speeding, fined almost $2000 and received eight demerit points.

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Piper found dead on beach where she’d always call mum

The mother of a backpacker found dead and mauled by dingoes on the Queensland island of K'gari wants her daughter to be remembered as a free-spirited girl who spent two summers fighting bushfires in her native Canada.

Piper James, 19, had gone for an early-morning swim before her body was found surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes on a beach on the tourist island on Monday. 

Speaking to 9News from their family home on Vancouver Island, Piper's mum Angela James said her daughter was "having the time of her life" in Australia.

READ MORE: 'Worst possible outcome': Grave fears for boy mauled by shark

Piper spent two summers fighting bushfires in British Columbia before travelling to Australia.

"She loved it there. She just loved it. She thought it was beautiful," Angela said.

Piper would often phone her parents early in the morning from the beach on K'gari.

"She quite often would set her alarm to get up, catch the sunrise, which is what she did that day," Angela said.

"I think that's what she probably got up to do. But she never got the opportunity to."

Piper James' parents have paid tribute to their teenage daughter after her shock death.

Angela wants her daughter to be remembered as the girl who rode dirt bikes and spent two summers fighting wildfires in British Columbia to save money to see the world.

"They had done an adventure tour in K'gari and just thought it was just amazing, and fell in love with the people there that worked there, and they just clicked. And they offered the girls a job," Angela said.

Piper had spent the last six weeks working as a housekeeper at a backpacker campsite with her hometown friend Taylor Stricker.

The campsite was merely a few hundred metres from the beach where her body was found.

"It's just a tragic accident, it's tragic. I don't know, maybe something needs to be done to keep people a little safer, that's all," Angela said.

Piper's body was found surrounded by dingoes on a K'gari beach.Piper travelled to K'gari with her best friend Taylor Stricker.

Piper's father, Todd James, said the family was shattered and in pain over her death.

"We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit," he wrote in a post on social media this morning.

"So many are going to miss you, my precious little baby girl.

"May be gone, but how can we ever forget you?"

James added that he had supported her to travel to Australia and loved hearing about the bonds and friendships she was developing.

"I admired her strength and determination to go after her dreams," he said.

"She was glad I was on board for her trip to Australia. Lol, she said, 'Because I'm 18, and you can't stop me!'

"Piper would work hard so she could play hard."

READ MORE: 'Saw it shake the board': Shark survivor recounts moment of attack

Piper James, 19, had gone for an early-morning swim when her body was found surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes near Orchid Beach on Monday. Piper James, 19, had gone for an early-morning swim when her body was found surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes near Orchid Beach on Monday. 

Her body, found covered in bites and scratches, was due to undergo an autopsy on mainland Queensland today.

"There's going to be an autopsy, and it's important that that be made public, and there's a considered response to that," Premier David Crisafulli said.

The examination is hoped to provide answers as to whether she died from drowning or being mauled by dingoes.

The potential that dingoes could be responsible has stunned locals and tourists alike.

The last fatal dingo attack on K'gari was 25 years ago, when a nine-year-old boy was killed in 2001.

Since then, Indigenous elders claim they've repeatedly warned the state government that dingoes, known as "wongaris" to the Aboriginal community, are growing more dangerous as tourism takes over.

"We asked them to close camping grounds down, they don't do anything. So yes I do believe we could've made a difference," Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation's Christine Royan said.

K'gari has a permanent population of about 150 people, and about 400,000 tourists visit every year.

READ MORE: 'The miracle': 6-year-old girl is the sole survivor of a family that perished in Spanish train wreck

Each car needs a paid permit and there is limited accommodation in towns and camping zones, but there is no official cap on visitor numbers.

"We're going to fight anybody that wants to actually remove the wongaris from K'gari. What we need to do is look at better management of K'gari," Royan said.

"The premier, I don't even think you've had a visit on K'gari. About time you come over and listen to the real issues."

Crisafulli said he had been to K'gari "many times", but has not visited since he became premier.

Police said the incident has been traumatising to Piper's friend, the two men who found her, officers and the wider community.

People have been warned to stay away from dingoes.

"Dingoes are wild animals, and whilst they are very culturally, and significant to the local First Nations people and to the people that live on the island, they are still wild animals and need to be treated as such," Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie said on Monday. 

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