Crisis accommodation overwhelmed by Gold Coast property demand

The Gold Coast’s growing property market has seen unprecedented vacancy rates beginning to overwhelm crisis accommodation. 

Vacancy rates have fallen below one percent and property prices have grown by more than 16% following a surge of interstate migration. 

One report from Australian Council of Social Services found that there was an inadequate supply of social housing, with over 3300 people on the Gold Coast housing register waitlist. 

Organisations call for accessibility standards in national construction code

Over 30 organisations are asking the Prime Minister to include mandatory accessibility standards in the national construction code.

The Building Better Homes campaign is tackling the current voluntary accessibility standards, stating the standards adopted over a decade ago are failing people with disability.

"Recognise that the volunteer process hasn’t worked and put this into the building code," said Former Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes.


 

China removes BBC News from country's airwaves

China’s broadcasting regulator has removed BBC News from the air, citing “serious content violation”; with China accusing the BBC of undermining ‘national interests.’

Tensions have been rising since last December after the BBC produced a report surrounding the forced labour of ethic Uighur people in China with Chinese state media calling the report ‘fake news’.

The news comes a week after Britain’s media regulator removed a State-run Chinese channel from British television due to licensing issues.
 

Concerns over proposed primary school in Indooroopilly

A proposed Primary School in Brisbane’s inner western suburbs has locals concerned over safety issues. 

The proposed school would be only 500 metres away from the existing Indooroopilly State High School: raising concerns over traffic congestion in the area. 

Education Minister Grace Grace has stated this is just "one possible location", with public consultation ongoing until the end of the month. 

The new school will be the first built in the inner-western suburbs in over 60 years. 

Media Bargaining Code expected to hit the Senate 

World first laws that would force Google and Facebook to pay media organisations for their content are set to be legislated in the coming weeks. 

Representatives from Google and Facebook have stated the proposed bill could make operations in Australia financially unviable. 

With Facebook saying they will have no option but to outright remove the sharing of news from its platform in Australia.  

The news media bargaining code could be debated in the Senate as early as this Tuesday.
 

Community to hold public vigil for 80 detained refugees

The community is set to organise outside the Kangaroo Point Central Hotel in support of the refugee men indefinitely detained there.

About 80 asylum seekers and refugees in need of medical treatment have been detained at the hotel, which is being used as an alternative place of detention.

Faith non-profit Love Makes A Way will hold a public vigil on Walmsley and Main St, Kangaroo Point from 4:30pm, this Sunday 13th. 

Calls to extend JobKeeper Subsidy as tourism industry continues to stall 

Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese is calling for the Government to give more assistance to industries still struggling from the COVID pandemic. 

Mr Albanese is currently on tour in Queensland, and says the ending of JobKeeper on March 28th will largely impact the still struggling Tourism sector. 

Queensland's tourism industry generates roughly twenty eight billion dollars annually for the state, employing 234,000 Queenslanders.  

 

 

Queensland Ambulance wait times fail to improve 

Queenslanders are waiting an average of more than eighteen minutes for ambulance services, two minutes higher than targets set by the Government in 2014.  

Minister for Health Yvette D’Ath says the state has seen a 24% increase in ambulance call-outs since 2014, with rapid population growth putting pressure on health services.    

"Against this increasing demand, QAS Code 1 response times are better than comparable jurisdictions like New South Wales and Victoria," said Ms D'Ath.