The Victorian Government has released its plan to gradually ease pandemic restrictions in the state, which has seen 666 COVID-19 deaths. The road map has announced the dates restrictions will be eased according to the number of new cases, with two different plans for regional and metropolitan areas. The state has recorded 41 new cases and nine deaths in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily increase since June.

A study has found that nearly three-quarters of the Northern New South Wales koala population perished in last summer’s bushfires. The study, commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, reported an overall 71 per cent fall in the koala population across fire grounds from Port Macquarie to Ballina. WWF Australia chief, Dermot O'Gorman has called for national environmental laws to be strengthened, in order to protect koalas and all threatened species.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has released the State Government’s COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review. In a press conference this morning, the Treasurer announced the state’s debt levels will hit more than $100 billion by mid next year. This plan is the only major economic update the Government will provide before the state election on October 31.

Former Queensland deputy opposition leader Tim Mulherin has died at the age of 63. Mr Mulherin was elected to State Parliament in 1995 and served as the member for Mackay for 20 years until he retired in 2015. Treasurer Cameron Dick says Mr Mulherin "distinguished himself" during a time of relative obscurity for the Labor party. He is survived by his wife Erin and their children.

The British government has officially appointed former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as a trade advisor. The news of Mr. Abbott’s appointment sparked criticism from the British opposition Labour party due to Tony Abbott’s past of using sexist language, opposition to same-sex marriage, and skepticism of climate change. Another former Prime Minister Julia Gillard commented on the issue on Sky News referring to the famous Misogyny Speech she made in Parliament in 2012.

Up to 300 people have been arrested in Hong Kong following protests over the postponement of local elections. Democracy protesters were met by riot officers after they took to the streets to demonstrate against a new national security law imposed by China and the postponement of the legislative poll. The poll, which was postponed due to a surge in coronavirus cases, would’ve been Hong Kong’s first official vote since China imposed new security legislation in late June.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is today set to announce that should promising trials prove successful, a free COVID-19 vaccine would be made available progressively through 2021. The vaccines, which are being developed by British and Queensland scientists will be available when ready after the federal government struck two deals at a cost of $1.7 billion. Mr Morrison says that while “there are no guarantees that these vaccines will prove successful, the agreement puts Australia at the top of the queue”.