Regional councils across Australia will be left to pick up the bill for new national security measures being implemented at local airports.

Council have warned the new security screening costs could devastate regional air travel, and the cost of these measures will affect people living and working in regional areas.

Murweh Shire Council chief executive officer Neil Polglase says it is tough in a small community to help run operations, considering limited access to resources and reliance on government grants. 

Laws protecting federal public servant whistleblowers in Australia are reportedly in line for reforming.

Attorney-General Christian Porter has set an overhaul of the Public Disclosure Act aiming at making the whistleblower scheme easier to use and provide better protection for bureaucrats.

Mr Porter says the new secrecy provisions actually provide a significantly higher level of protection to journalists.

Major traffic delays along one of Brisbane city’s busiests streets after a car crashed into a pole, and took out a traffic light on the Boomerang and Coronation Drive intersection.

Paramedics treated a young man in his 20s, later taking him to the Royal Brisbane Hospital complaining of chest and thoracic panes.

A crane was brought in to lift the pole, with police directing traffic through the busy iteration until the light was repaired. 

Earlier this week, the Queensland government announced the $4.5 million Quandamooka Arts, Music and Performance Institute on North Stradbroke Island.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones, said it will be a tourism drawcard and offer a more in-depth experience for people who want to come and visit Minjerribah’s rich culture and natural beauty.

Work is due to start on the precinct in 2020 and expected to be completed by 2021.

A failed Indigenous boarding facility for girls will be forced to pay back $1 million to the Federal Government following the abrupt closure after just one semester.

The Young Australia League opened Kaziew Rangath Academy in Cairns last year, taking in Indigenous high school students from across Cape York and the Torres Strait.

After five months of educating Indigenous girls, angry family members are being forced to find a roof to put over children’s heads.

Mackay’s homeless population receive assistance from the Queensland Dignity First Fund.

Over 100 backpacks were handed out to Young people experiencing homelessness, filled with important basic supplies.

Minister for Housing and Public works Mick de Brenni said Dignity First Funding was established in 2016 to provide localised, people centric support, and was essential to providing Queenslanders with housing security.

Regional broadcaster WIN is closing four newsrooms due to the increasing competition of digital media and the substantial changes in consumer habits.

The broadcaster will close newsrooms in Orange/Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Albury and Wide Bay next week, which could cost up to 40 jobs.

NSW Nationals State Director Ross Cadell says rural and regional people need strong and diverse media coverage, reducing those services will weaken communities.

The Morrison government has told cross-benchers the income tax-cut package will be presented to parliament as a whole, and there will be no negotiations.

The government needs four cross-benchers to support the tax package, if it is not backed by Labor.

Pauline Hanson, leader of One Nation, says she wants the government to prioritise cuts to power prices and increasing infrastructure spending, but the Finance Minister says he will not negotiate.

The Tory leadership contest has come down to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt as the two final contenders for British Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson, who received 160 votes to Hunt’s 77 in the last ballot, is a staunch supporter of Brexit, and wants to stick to the deadline of October 31, with or without a deal in place.

Jeremy Hunt says he would rather have a deal in place when leaving the European Union, even if that means extending the deadline.