$190 million to cover stolen Indigenous workers' wages

The Queensland government has agreed to pay $190 million in a class action on behalf of an estimated 10,000 Indigenous workers who had their wages stolen between 1939 and 1972. 

Lead applicant Hans Pearson took the Queensland government to the Federal Court to claim wages he earned but did not receive due to the Protection Act, which mandated Indigenous workers have their pay given to the state. 

Australia's biased data collection

Amazon's former chief scientist, Dr Andreas Weigend, says cities that collect data from citizens must be aware of unintended bias or risk missing obvious problems.

Dr Weigend says people in poorer economic areas may not drive, and may not see potholes as a problem, or they may not be connected online and may not report them, meaning the issue is not addressed. 

Dr Weigend also says citizens should be transparent about how they use private data, and that citizens should be able to see their own data within that organisation. 
 

Measles detected in NSW

A measles alert in New South Wales has been issued after a man was diagnosed with the disease upon returning from Southeast Asia, in the 40th New South Wales case of the disease since Christmas.

Measles symptoms include fever, sore eyes, a cough for three or four days followed by a red, spotty rash that spreads from the head down the body.

Glacial melting facing point of irreversibility

Recent studies on Antarctic glaciers have found the region is reaching a tipping point where glacial melting will accelerate and become irreversible, even if global heating eases. 

A NASA-funded study found instability in the Thwaites glacier, part of the West Antarctic ice sheet, meant it would likely reach a point where it was impossible to stop it flowing into the sea, shedding ice faster than previously expected and triggering a 50cm sea level rise. 

Same-sex marriage and abortion legalised in Northern Ireland

MPs in Northern Ireland have voted to allow same-sex marriage and access to abortion, bringing the region’s laws into line with the rest of the UK on the two social issues. 

The changes came via amendments to a separate bill and were approved through a conscience vote, with the changes to marriage law passing by 383 votes to 73 and the extension of abortion rights passing by 332 votes to 99. 

Victorian Indigenous treaty

Victoria is working to become the first Australian state or territory to undertake treaty negotiations with its Indigenous people.

The treaty aims to recognise elements of historical significance to the Indigenous people such as sacred sites and place names as well as apologies for historical wrongs and how these relationships can be managed in the future.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Natalie Hutchins said when the process started last year that “it is a historic moment in history for our state and country.”
 

Australia's toxic garbage seized in Indonesia

Indonesia's Customs agency has seized 210 tonnes of "toxic" garbage at the port in Surabaya and is preparing to ship eight containers of material back to Australia.

The containers were shipped to Indonesia from Brisbane on June 12, and were supposed to contain paper for recycling, but also contained mixed plastic waste and other contaminants. 

The head of Customs at Tanjung Perak port, Basuki Suryanto, says his officials found electronic waste, remote controls, soft drink cans, cables, styrofoam and other materials in the containers.
 

Facial recognition facing ban in Brisbane

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced facial recognition could be banned in Brisbane following a presentation regarding the technology at this year’s Asian Pacfic Cities Summit.

The speech delivered by Former Amazon chief scientist Andreas Weigend has sparked the conversation about the technology in Brisbane, where the scientist discussed the technology’s capabilities to not only identify faces, but detect emotion in citizens.