A Mackay family have lost their two pet dogs to a suspected baiting attack last Saturday night, leaving police concerned for the wellbeing of young children in the area.

Senior Constable Peter Smith said weeks earlier, the family had received two abusive and threatening letters complaining about the dog’s barking, which had been hand-delivered to their mailbox.

Building an artificial reef could be the key to stabilising a popular beach at Queensland’s Inskip Point, after another large section of sand crumbled into the ocean last weekend.

Geotechnical engineer Alison Golby said that after suffering repeated landslips, this region is “past the point” of carrying out geotechnical assessment to prevent the issue.

Pacific leaders have reminded the world of the need to take action on climate change at the United Nations summit on Climate Action in New York.

Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said that "climate change is now a living nightmare to Fiji residents, who are now frequently affected by ample storms".

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine has also warned that not enough was being done to address the issue and that major polluters faced a choice between “survival” or “selfishness.”

Drivers on the Chinese ridesharing DiDi,  can now choose to identify as verified Communist Party members.

Drivers who have passed the passed "Red Flag Steering Wheel" project certification will post a ‘party member driver’ sticker on the dashboard and can also choose to disclose their red background in the app voluntarily.

The ‘love the party, love the country training’ is also now available on DiDi’s online classroom.

Two Indigenous children have been refused permission to catch a bus without any money in Adelaide, sparking accusations of racial discrimination.

Adelaide resident, Mark Vorwerk, was catching the bus at the time and offered to pay the children’s fares but was told not to get involved by the bus driver.

Pelicans and other waterbirds are in peril in Australia’s outback, as the effects of the drought compound an already concerning long-term decline in populations.

Dead pelicans and water birds are being found across Australia by locals, who are concerned about the wetlands and river systems which are currently declining in quality. 

Brisbane residents are the happiest in the country, according to research commissioned by Brisbane City Council.

Brisbane residents reported a 93 per cent quality-of-life rating on the study, compared with Melbourne and Perth residents, who reported an 89 per cent rating, and Sydney residents, who reported a 76 per cent rating.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says that the survey, conducted by Kantar Public Australia, will be part of a new annual Better Brisbane Index, which will assess the happiness of the city’s residents.

Queensland Premier Annastascia Palasczuk has called upon the Prime Minister to immediately release funding for drought-affected communities in Queensland.

Premier Palasczuk said she had written to the Prime Minister urging him to let the money from the $5 billion Future Drought Fund to be made accessible to farming communities, in light of the state’s drought crisis.

With two-thirds of Queensland drought-declared, and below-average rain again expected this summer, the Premier says that the time for consultation on the issue had passed.