Queensland's waste dumping rate exceeds population growth
Queensland’s waste dumping rate is seven times the population growth rate, with only 31% of rubbish from Queensland homes being recycled according to a state government report.
The report indicates moving to a circular economy would result in increased recycling rates and waste reuse, tripling the number of local jobs created.
State development minister Cameron Dick says he is striving for 80% of household rubbish to be recycled by 2030, up from the current 31%.
Labour leader criticises anti-Adani activists
Labor leader Anthony Albanese says he disapproves of the anti-Adani activists who toured Australia during the election campaign.
According to Mr Albanese, Australia needs to act on climate change, but to reduce it to a debate about a single coal mine is unproductive.
Mr Albanese says good policy is about jobs, clean energy, as well as about making sure we take “the community with us.”
Australian Navy helicopters targeted by lasers in South China Sea
Chinese maritime militia vessels are allegedly responsible for a series of laser attacks on Australian Navy pilots during a recent voyage through the South China Sea.
The Australian Defence Department is yet to comment publicly, but similar incidents involving lasers and the Chinese military have also been reported as far as Djibouti, where the US and China have bases.
UK Labour under pressure to advocate for second EU referendum
The UK Labour party is under pressure to ballot all party members on whether to begin campaigning for a second EU referendum, following elections to the European parliament.
Campaigners advocating for a ‘people’s vote’ wrote to the party’s national executive committee, saying in a letter that over 70% of Labour voters want a second referendum and to remain in the EU.
11AM ZEDLINES
Good Morning, this is Maria, Zara, Floss and Jedd with your 11am Zedlines
Brisbane cyclist attaches pool noodle to his bike
A Brisbane cyclist was spotted in Bardon over the weekend, with a yellow pool noodle sticking out of the right hand side of his bicycle.
The Queensland road cyclist rules state ‘a cyclist must keep at least 2m between themself and the vehicle’.
This innovative noodle design has sparked a conversation towards resolving the continuous vehicle verses cyclist debate, with some people branding it as a 'great idea'
Landholders in Queensland warned of massive fines over land clearing
A ruling in the Queensland Court of Appeal has warned massive fines to Queensland landholders over ’exempt’ land clearing.
Many landholders have cleared land without permits from the local council and this offence could lead up to penalties of $600,000 dollars.
This ruling raises the stakes for environmental protection in Queensland where land clearing is already a contentious political issue as areas being cleared may include habitats for endangered species.
National domestic violence crisis a priority for QLD
Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has recommited herself to fighting the country wide epidemic that is family and domestic violence.
A report in 2018 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, said 1 in 6 women and 1 in 16 men had experienced physical or sexual abuse from a partner.
Queensland’s Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Di Farmer, encourages people to stand up to domestic violence, saying “everyone can do something”.
Assistant minister for multicultural affairs criticised for “African gangs” rhetoric
Jason Wood, assistant minister for multicultural affairs has been criticised for his “African gangs” rhetoric.
Mr Wood three weeks before the election wrote on Facebook stating the behaviour displayed by young African gangs were “sickening” and “disgusting”
According to the Victorian Crimes Statistics Agency the reporting of African gangs relied on incorrect statistics, with the supposed ‘gangs’ being responsible for 1% of total Victorian crime.
Banks worldwide sued for rigging currency exchange rates
Investment banks worldwide are being sued for allegedly engaging in ‘illegal cartel conduct’.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn filed a Federal Court class action against the likes of Citibank, UBS and JP Morgan yesterday, accusing them of rigging currency exchange rates from 2008 till 2013.
Currencies affected include the Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Euro, Indian rupee, Japanese yen and more.