The Sunshine Coast Council has rejected a company’s application to build a quarry at Beerburrum, prompting applause from Sunshine Coast locals seated in the public gallery this morning.

All councillors present except Councillor Steve Robinson voted to support Councillor Rick Baberowski’s motion to refuse the Barro Group’s application.

Councillor Baberowski said there is no need for the project and cited the amenity and well-being of local residents and the impact on highly valuable vegetation as key reasons for rejecting the proposed quarry.

Boeing has developed new software features on its automatic flight control system following two deadly crashes in the past 5 months on its 737 aircraft.

Boeing is currently under pressure to prove their 737 MAX aircrafts are safe and that pilots have the training to override the system in an emergency.

However, a Boeing official said the timing of the upgrades is “100 per cent independent” of the recent Ethiopian crash involving one of their 737 MAX aircraft.  

The Austrian Government said it may ban a far-right group called the Identitarian Movement that received a sizeable donation from the Christchurch mosque attacker.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the Austrian Government may seek to dissolve the far-right group after confirming the group received a 1500 euro ($2,383) donation from the alleged shooter in 2018.

The leader of the group Martin Sellner, admitted that it was a significant financial contribution and although he had made contact with the alleged shooter, he denied ever meeting him.

The Greens have released a new climate change policy which aims to ban the burning of coal and exports.

The policy aims to have Australia running on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and proposes a $1 billion transition plan for workers affected by the ban on coal.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale says the transition program will create more than 170, 000 jobs and the program intends to avoid any loss of work to Australians caused by the ban.

The Australian Air Force has appointed Air Marshal Mel Hupfield as its new chief.

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne announced the decision on Thursday and says Air Marshal Hupfield’s current role as Chief Joint Operations along with other leadership roles make him “ideally suited” to lead the Air Force.

Air Marshal Leo Davies will leave the top job on July 3 after 40 years of service and Major General Greg Bilton will replace Hupfield as Chief Joint Operations.

A Gold Coast women and children’s refuge is hurrying to install new security installations after government authorities found inadequate security was putting the shelter residents at risk of violence.

Workplace Health & Safety Queensland told the Gold Coast Bulletin they issued an Improvement Notice to the Salvation Army’s Still Waters refuge facility for domestic violence victims at Southport last year after they observed unauthorised personnel had unrestricted access.

Moreton Bay Regional Council will seek the views of former staff and some “external stakeholders” as part of a review into its operations launched this month.

The council voted to instigate a review a day after the revelation of claims made by five ex-managers that the council had targeted staff that raised issues about governance or efficiency within a “toxic” culture of bullying and reprisal.

11 women have resigned from working at a Vatican women’s magazine as a new male editor is accused of limiting autonomy of the publication.

Women Church World founder Lucia Scaraffia said the women who resigned felt they were being “reduced to silence” under direct male control.

Andrea Mondra, the new editor, said he only made suggestions about what stories to include and people to involve and that the women still have the same autonomy they always had.