Shareholders of the Macadamia Processing Company (MPC) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of acquiring the remaining shares in Pacific Gold Macadamias (PGM).

MPC already had a 37 per cent stake in the Bundaberg processor, and it’s latest acquisition will consolidate the Lismore-based co-operative as the largest macadamia processor in the world.

In a week that Indigenous organisations are calling for national action on youth suicide, communities are also raising concerns about a $48 million National Suicide Prevention Trial that is happening at 12 high-risk sites.

Communities are hopeful the trial will work, but some have raised concerns about a lack of infrastructure and the uncertainty about what will happen after the four-year trial is over.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to put her twice-rejected parting plan from the EU to a vote on Friday to avoid a ‘chaotic split’ from Europe.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow gave his approval to hold the vote saying the plan is ‘substantially different’ from the prior main withdrawal agreements.

Another parliamentary vote is required before Brexit can actually go ahead in two weeks time.

The United Nations weather agencies has found that 62 million people worldwide were hit by extreme weather last year and forced 2 million people to relocate as climate change worsened.

The World Meteorological Organisation's annual state of global climate report says Earth is nearly 1 degree Celsius warmer than when the industrial age started. World leaders are trying to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius.
 

The Federal Government's foreign influence laws have received criticism from the Chinese community, with some Australians of Chinese heritage saying they felt their loyalty was being doubted.

The main point of contention is the new Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme, which quietly came into effect earlier this month, and works as a publicly available list of political lobbyists working "on behalf of" a foreign power.

Faulty alarms at the Royal Adelaide Hospital have sent Hospital Staff to the wrong rooms, which the nursing federation says could pose a risk to staff and patients.

The opening of the hospital's 10-bed psychiatric intensive care unit was delayed by 16 months because of problems with the alarm system, but the state's chief psychiatrist on Thursday imposed new conditions because of "inconsistent performance".

In a major milestone for Queensland tourism, Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones yesterday announced work has begun on the first projects under the government’s $25 million Great Barrier Reef Island Resorts Rejuvenation Program.

Clean-up work is under way at Green Island Resort, 27 kilometres off the coast of Cairns. Ms Jones says Green Island was one of 10 Great Barrier Reef Islands to receive government funding to rejuvenate the areas resorts.

Tough new bail and parole laws for offenders convicted of terrorism or those with links to terror activities have been passed by the Queensland Parliament.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath says the Palaszczuk Government is sending a strong message that terrorism has no place in Queensland.

Mrs D’Ath says the legislation passed yesterday establishes a presumption that those involved in terrorism, those supporting terrorism, or those with links to terror activity will not be eligible for bail or parole.