Boaties will no longer be required to display registration stickers on their boats once they are made redundant from October this year.

Transport Minister Steven Miles says the boat stickers were a source of frustration since they regularly peeled and faded when exposed to harsh weather.

Mr Miles says all other boat registration requirements will remain the same despite the stickers being phased out.

The number of immunised Australian children has reached record highs, with nearly 95 per cent of five year olds vaccinated according to updated data.

Health Minister Greg Hunt says he is delighted the public health campaigns and immunisation are resonating with parents and successfully protecting all Australians.

Indigenous children beat the national average with nearly 97 per cent immunised against deadly diseases.

The Federal Government has set aside $750,000 to purchase and renovate the South Australian childhood home of former-Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says preserving the heritage-listed building will allow current and future generations to celebrate the life of Mr Hawke.

The Hawke House is a stone cottage and was the home to the former-Prime Minister from 1929 to 1935.

North Korean media claims an Australian student was detained last week for spying on the North Korean government by having ‘anti-state’ data and images published in Western media.

Alek Sigley was studying a masters degree in the country before being arrested last week and released from North Korea on Thursday after Swedish intervention.

CEO of the Korea Risk Group Chad O’Carroll says Mr Sigley’s articles represented North Korean life in a positive light and rejects North Korea’s claims they were ‘anti-state’.

Russia has buried 14 naval officers killed in a nuclear submarine fire whilst details remain ‘state secret’.

The officers died in the Barents Sea on Monday, but the accident was only made public a day later with the Russian media reporting the ship was a top-secret nuclear-powered mini-submarine.

The funerals on Saturday were closed to the media and President Vladimir Putin awarded state honours to the 14 navy officers killed in the fire.

Turning waste into valuable products is a new and innovative industry set to thrive in Queensland.

Minister for Environment Leeanne Enoch said the Sunshine Coast-based business Waste Free Systems, which collects used shampoo containers from over 40 salons and makes them into prosthetic arms for children, is a great example of how we can embrace innovative ideas to reuse waste, and extract all of the value from products before they are disposed.

The CEO of an Australian advertising agency raises concerns over the Queensland Government’s plan to ban junk food advertising on government-owned billboards.

JCDecaux Australia executive Steve O’Connor says money will move away from local marketing agencies and towards US companies who do not face the same restrictions.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the ban is their bid to fight childhood obesity and help Queenslander make healthier choices.

Scientists have observed mature sandalwood trees which have been alive for hundreds of years, are dying in South Australia's outback.

Ecologist John Read said he believes climate change and drought are responsible for the tree deaths because he also noticed quite a significant die-off of wattles and long-lived pine trees.

Citizen scientists are encouraged to help track the impact of drought on trees by uploading pictures of them online via a project called Dead Tree Detectives. 

Northern Territory gardners are using native plants to fight animal extinction. 

Kate Stevens is the program co-ordinator for Gardens for Wildlife in Alice Springs, a not-for-profit organisation providing people with free garden assessments and advice about how to make their gardens friendlier to native wildlife.

Dr Stevens said Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate in the world, but creating pockets of native habitat in urban areas can help combat the endangered animals crisis.