Legislation passed in State parliament yesterday will see South Australia become the first state in the country to ban single use plastics.

The Government had initially intended to ban the sale, supply and distribution of single use plastic products by the middle of this year, but the impacts of COVID-19 have delayed the move until 2021.

State Environment Minister David Speirs says that plastic items will be removed in stages, with an overarching goal of eliminating them completely. 

Virgin Australia has made cuts to several regional flight routes as it continues to restructure in the wake of COVID-19.

The airline has announced that a total of 10 regional routes have been stopped entirely, with a spokesperson for the company saying it is not commercially viable for them to continue these flights

Amendments made to Queenslands’ criminal code will give judges the power to hand out jail time to employers guilty of wage theft.

New laws passed in State parliament yesterday afternoon mean that employers who underpay their workers are now looking at penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment.

The legislation was passed without opposition, and will be enacted in Queensland before government dissolves on the 6th of October in anticipation of the state election. 

Queensland has recorded eight new cases of COVID-19 bringing the states total above forty for the latest cluster of the virus.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says that seven out of the eight new cases were individuals who were already in Quarantine when they tested positive.

Eight is the highest number of cases reported in a 24 hour period since the 22nd of August, and three of those cases have been linked to an outbreak at Ipswich Hospital. 

Louisiana’s death toll rises to 26 and over 500 race horses remain displaced at Delta Downs racetrack in Calcasieu Parish, southwest Louisiana. 

New Orleans racecourse refuses to take the displaced horses due to concerns of COVID-19 and are understaffed during the height of hurricane season.

Hurricane Laura, destroyed parts of Louisiana’s powergrid since making landfall on August 24 leaving 130, 000 homes and businesses without electricity. 

The growing food crisis in Southern Africa is putting 50 million people at risk.

The drought from 2019 as well as pest infestation has threatened food supply in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Food insecurity  is heightened by growing economic hardship stemming from Coronavirus restrictions.

The class action under environmental law is the first of its kind, eight teenage climate-advocates file an injuction to stop the Australian Government approving the extension of Whitehaven's Vickery coal mine.

The injunction was filed in the Federal Court on Tuesday argues further coal mining will harm young people's future by accelerating the climate crisis. 

Experts say, if successful it could cause problems for new coal mine companies in Australia.

 
A man passed away last night after a shark attack on Queensland's Coolangatta beach.
 
Greenmount beach is a netted swimming area however the net does not cover the surface to the bottom
 
The incident is the first for the area in over 8 years. 

In an exclusive report by Brisbane Times reporter, Lucy Stone,Brisbane City Council argue for e-scooters to be taken off CBD footpaths and into bike lanes.

In June a woman was allegedly struck by an e-scooter in Woolloongabba, resulting in a broken kneecap, calls for changes to the permit to govern where e-scooters are allowed and their speed. 

The council’s public and active transport committee chair, Ryan Murphy, said taking the e-scooters off footpaths in the CBD is a “necessary step” to better protect pedestrians.