Some of Australia’s largest media companies including NewsCorp and Nine Entertainment, have pleaded guilty to contempt of court and breaching suppression orders over their coverage of the Cardinal George Pell trial.

The companies submitted guilty pleas in exchange for the Victorian Supreme Court dismissing its charges against individual journalists who illegally published details of the case.

Cardinal Pell, once the third most powerful member of the Catholic Church, had five child sexual abuse convictions overturned last year.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher says search engines such as Bing and DuckDuckGo are ready to take over from market heavyweight Google as the company threatens to withdraw from Australia.

Google’s threat comes in response to a proposed bill that would force it to pay for journalism it provides links to in an attempt to boost Australia’s troubled media industry. 

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is one of several groups cautioning against the bill, saying it is unclear how funds will be spent.

Brisbane City Hall’s auditorium has replaced it’s one hundred year old floorboards, costing over half a million dollars.

The timing of this restoration is being questioned by Labor councillors who say the priorities are wrong.

The LNP administration has put cost cutting measures in the 2021 budget, making the restoration’s urgency completed at a seemingly odd time.

The Brisbane City Council is under scrutiny after approving a material change from industrial to indoor sport and recreation at Total Fusion gym in Morningside.

This material change allows gyms to operate alongside heavy industry including a nearby meatworks while the gym only has a two year approval.

Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles says he will continue to work with Brisbane City Council to encourage and maintain industrial development.

A proposed development application for a shopping centre near the historic Boggo Road Gaol is causing disagreement within the community.

The planned development will cost $300 million dollars, taking up green space currently used by families, pedestrians and cyclists. 

Residents in the area say they want the green space to stay, keeping it car free as the area is valuable and rare to the community.

Brisbane South State Secondary College is receiving complaints of unlawful night works after construction increased for the school term to start. 

Construction has been in the works during late night and early hours of the morning without a proper permit from the council causing complaints since September 2020.

Construction will continue during school hours, however, Assistant Education Minister Brittany Lauga says it will be considerate to the learning environment.

Queensland farmers are being encouraged to attend free industry support network workshops around the state this month.

The Queensland Farmers Federation will run workshops in Ayr, Bowen, Townsville and Ingham with the aim to help farmers recover from disasters.

Queensland Farmers Federation CEO Georgina Davis says farmers have been tested last year with economic turmoil, natural disasters and everything in between.

An independent review released yesterday says it has uncovered a culture of ‘systemic racism’ at AFL club Collingwood.

The club commissioned the review following a complaint from former player Heritier Lumumba that he was nicknamed ‘chimp’ and marginalised by team leaders during his time at the club.

The review condemns the club’s ‘deny, double down and deflect’ approach to complaints and accuses it of only responding to racist incidents once under public pressure to do so.

The Victorian government is attempting to extend the current state of emergency until mid december this year.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the government will introduce a bill to extend the state of emergency past it’s maximum legislated period of twelve months.  

The Premier declared the state of emergency on March 16 2020, and wants to extend it to December 15th this year.