Animal Cruelty Towards Possums on the Rise in Queensland

Footage of a man biting and chewing a possum has been released by the RSPCA, representing the latest act of animal cruelty in a series of videos. 

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty says the past month has seen a spike in deliberate cruelty to possums, but is unsure if this is simply a result of increased reporting.

All native animals are protected under the Nature Conservation Act, and anyone with information regarding incidents of cruelty is encouraged to contact the RSPCA, or the police.

Queensland Property Values on the Rise

Queensland property values appear to still be on the rise despite recent downturns in Sydney and Melbourne and drought across rural regions of the state.

Over one million properties were revalued from their 2017 estimates with a median statewide value increase of 7.1% reported.

Variable changes were seen across Queensland’s outer suburbs and rural areas but inner city suburbs saw large, consistent gains.

Telstra to Axe 78 Business Centres

Telstra has plans to shut down 78 of its business centres, and open 28 Telstra Business Technology Centres in their place.

Telstra Acting Group Executive for Consumer and Small Business, Michael Ackland, says this evolution of the Telstra Business Centre model is ten years in the making, and is sure to bring about big changes over the next two years.

Mr Ackland refused to comment on the impact the move would have on jobs, but claimed the company would achieve ‘efficiencies’ of 25%.

Clean Up Australia Day Clears 15,000 Tonnes of Rubbish

Clean Up Australia Day has released the preliminary results from this year's campaign.

Some 680,000 registered volunteers cleared at least 15 thousand tonnes of rubbish from 6,834 sites across the country.

3000 of those tonnes came from Queensland's parks, bushland, streets, waterways, and beaches thanks to the 130,000 people who volunteered their Sunday to reduce our impact on the local environment.

China to Build Solar Energy Plant in Space

China is taking its renewable energy push further than ever before by working to develop a solar energy plant in space that could one day light an entire city.

This project could take a monumental leap in history as it aims to fight against our planet's current issues with air pollution and global warming.

With Beijing pledging to invest 18 billion dollars in renewable power generation by 2020, China might just have the financial firepower it needs to reach success.

Wildlife Found Abandoned in Suitcases in Manila

Over 1500 exotic turtles and tortoises were found abandoned and wrapped in duct tape at the Manila Airport in the Philippines on Sunday.  

The animals, which were all alive and found in four separate suitcases, were believed to be worth around $86,000. Police believe the bags were abandoned after the passenger found out about the hefty penalties for wildlife trafficking.

Once found, all of the animals were turned over to the Wildlife Traffic Monitoring Unit of the Philippines' Department on Natural Resources.

Baby is Born with Brain Damage After Hospital Mistake

Investigations into the birth of a baby with brain damage at a Queensland hospital have revealed that important patient data was entered into different sections of the mother’s medical record.

The report highlighted this disjointed information flow was likely responsible for obstetricians missing a key test result, which contributed to the incident.

The baby’s mother was a high-risk patient, and suffered short-term memory loss due to eclampsia; a condition that can cause high blood pressure and convulsions during pregnancy.  

Humpback Whales Face Extinction

The Australian humpback whale population is again in danger after already coming close to extinction from hunting.

A University of Queensland study identified that the whales may be overshooting the carrying capacity of the environment to maintain the population, with a lack of krill in the Antarctic posing the greatest threat.

Researchers predict there will be a spike in the population, followed by a sharp decline, set to hit sometime between 2021 and 2026.