Vietnam will receive produce from a new Melbourne irradiation facility after approval of a new Australian biosecurity facility that bears fruit for growers. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says Vietnam provided interim approval to receive produce from a newly established Merrifield irradiation treatment facility in Melbourne. Vietnam is a very important trading partner for Australia and this approval is key in the emerging market. 

North Stradbroke Island tourism operators say thirty six million dollars worth of state funds has been directed towards unneeded tourist attractions at the expense of basic infrastructure. Locals have criticised large-scale projects such as the Whale on the Hill and Dunwich art museum, saying they have drawn funding away from roads, toilets and disability access schemes. Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe denies the funds have been misused, saying that small-scale amenities are a Redlands City Council Responsibility,

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk plans to fight against online bullying after having her life threatened online during the border closures last year. She says cyberbullying in children is still a really big issue and tackling the issue will be a priority during this term of government after getting the economy back on its feet after damage due to covid 19. Ms Palaszczuk will not face re election until the end of 2024, she says “the next four years are of action”

Fifty Melbourne travellers who arrived in Brisbane are being urgently tracked down by health authorities after a mix up with passenger information. The passengers who were potentially exposed to the contagious covid 19 strain at Melbourne airport, provided false or incorrect contact details. A Queensland health spokesperson says “we’re continuing to follow them up”. Queensland has shut its borders to greater Melbourne after Victoria returned to stage 4 restrictions. 

The Hydrogen Training Centre of Excellence kicked off in Beenleigh on 11th February, with aims to fast track development of the Hydrogen industry and keep Queensland at the forefront as the supplier of choice for hydrogen.

The prospect of cost-effective hydrogen gas, produced using renewable electricity, has opened up the prospect of a zero emissions source that can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has re-signed onto a defence partnership valued at up to $27 billion today. 

The Memorandum of Understanding with Rheinmetall Defence Australia is a reconfirmation of a long standing partnership, with the new agreement set to deliver 450 infantry fighting vehicles for the Australian Army.

The company to the agreement estimates that the further project will create an additional 500 jobs in Queensland.

The North Quay precinct, which spans a few blocks between the river, Milton and Roma Street, is being eyed for a host of multi-million dollar developments.

Multiple high-end commercial towers, a possible university campus, a stadium and train station, seen as a new ‘Grand Central’, are potentially in the works.

A shift of focus from sector-by-sector planning, to thinking about how cities work and how they need to work, post-pandemic has been made. Prioritising mixed-use development, offering residential, commercial, retail and public space all in the same vicinity