Australia has recorded its second coronavirus-related death. New South Wales Health have overnight confirmed a 95 year old woman tested positive for the virus.

The woman, a resident of a Sydney aged care facility, who died on Tuesday in hospital, is New South Wales’ first coronavirus death. 

Another resident also tested positive for the virus and an aged-care worker at the facility was diagnosed with the virus earlier this week, bringing the total number of infections in New South Wales to 22.

With the council election looming, the Queensland Electoral Commission has revealed the Mayoral candidates ballot draw.

The draw includes nine candidates, with four of those running independently.

QUT professor, John Mickel, says there is research to show that the order of the draw is important, as those at the top of the draw often perform better.

The council election will be taking place on the 28 March.

Despite experiencing the second warmest summer on record, Brisbane's vast rainfall is bringing in more than storm water. Routine maintenance work is uncovering snakes in Brisbane and Ipswich sewers. 

Queensland Urban Utilities spokeswoman Michelle Cull said snakes have been "slithering into the sewers" since the most recent rainfall. Two pythons and three eastern brown snakes have since been removed.

She said a snake catcher had to be called to remove the snakes, as Urban Utilities teams are not skilled in snake-wrangling.

The UK government released a ‘coronavirus action plan’ on Tuesday which outlines an approach focused on containment and delay of the peak of the disease.

The UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, described the approach as “planning for the worst, whilst working for the best”.

The plan sets out what is currently known about the virus and its causes; the UK government’s long term plan for the pandemic; and the government’s previous response to similar pandemics.

Italian manufacturing group, Prysmian Group, was awarded over 150 million Euros for the development of an offshore wind grid connection project in France.

The contract will secure the development of two submarine and land export power cable systems to connect the offshore wind farms to the French mainland power grid.

The offshore wind grid connection project will be able to export 500 megawatts of green and renewable energy.

Greens Senate Leader and spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters wrote to Minister for Women, Marise Payne, asking for additional funding and national coordination to improve police services available to people reporting domestic violence. 

Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of Women’s Safety Ministers she urged an investment of $5.3 billion for a new 10-year National Partnership Agreement on Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women between state and Federal governments.

Insurance company ING recently released new research into “conscious travelling” and the nation’s travel habits. Their research showed four in five Australians are willing to spend more on their holiday if it means minimising their carbon footprint. 

As the effects of climate change become more visible than ever, thirty-six percent of Australians are looking into altering their holiday plans. 

The research also showed a larger percentile of Gen Z and Millennials are likely to be influenced to change their travel than other generations.

A QLD Health spokesperson has confirmed the housemate of a 20-year-old male from China who was diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) earlier this week has tested negative for the virus.

He will self-quarantine in his Toowong home for 14 days due to close contact with his housemate, who was confirmed to have the virus on 3 March 2020. 

This morning, a protester locked themselves onto a vehicle and blocked the road to multinational mining company, BHP’s presentation of it’s ‘15th annual Women's Day Breakfast & Resources Awards for Women’.

A spokesperson for the protest said, “This day should celebrate the ongoing resistance of all women who fought - and continue to fight - for equality. This is not a day to celebrate the ongoing pillaging of the planet.”