Working holiday visas are changing to allow backpackers and other visitors to stay in Australia up to three times longer.

The federal government’s plan aims to help farmers fill agricultural job shortages, particularly in the strawberry industry.

Other changes include raising the age limit to 35 years, allowing visa workers to remain in their jobs for over six months and creating opportunities in a wider range of regions across the country.

A Brisbane high school has gone ‘off-grid’, with the school hosting Queensland’s ‘first green energy’ classroom.

Bracken Ridge State High School will be the first in the nation to be battery and solar powered, with rooftop solar panels and a battery storage system in place.

This plan was implemented by Energy Minister Angus Taylor, with similar ‘green’ classrooms to be introduced into seven schools in two thousand and nineteen.

Over 5000 living donors have contributed to Griffith University’s body donation program, helping support a decade’s worth of successful medical research.

Over 410 deceased donors have been accepted since 2007, with strict guidelines regarding time and cause of death.

The program has identified new anatomy variations that have helped medical professionals in their practice, supporting growth and research.

The first UN-led aid since January has finally been delivered to the 50,000  civilians stranded in the settlement of Rukbang on the Syrian-Jordan border.

The convoy had seen months of delays following the blockage from the Syrian army’s control.

Food parcels, hygiene kits and vaccination campaigns are being provided by the convoy, with the camp being described as “one of the most desperate places in Syria”.

Citizens of New Caledonia have cast their referendum ballot, with early indications suggesting over 60 per cent have voted against independence.

The nation has seen social and economic divisions arise from the referendum, with the independence movement drawing its main support from Indigenous populations, in contrast with a large segment of Europeans favouring French rule.

New Caledonia will have three more chances to agree to independence, with further referendums expected in 2020 and 2022.

Australian defence industry minister Steve Ciobo has condemned the federal government’s plan to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle refugee families.

Mr Ciobo says the soft approach would act as a ‘giant magnet’ for people smugglers in the region.

The coalition says they will only accept New Zealand’s offer if refugees sent there have a lifetime ban from entering Australia.

The federal government’s ‘Bilby Blitz’ program reports the species population remains steady in spite of an increasing threat of feral cats and foxes.

Indigenous rangers found bilbies in 58 of the 248 search areas across Australia and feral cats in 111.

Central regional land management officer Richard Moyle says preserving the bilby will help preserve habitats and get rid of common threats across arid Australia.

The 2018 to 2019 budget for the Brisbane City Council has seen a four year delay in the return of water fountains and water features in King George Square, which were removed in the 2000s due to the impact of drought.

The council has committed to returning the fountains, however prioritizes the 944 million dollar Brisbane Metro project.

Several fountains will be re-designed by 2023, the expected date of completion for the Brisbane Metro tunnel, running from Adelaide Street to King George Bus Station.

Questions are being raised to Queensland Tourism after four tourists died in three days due to drowning.

The National Manager of research and policy for Royal Life Saving Society Australia, says awareness and education would be a better way to communicate the risks of water based activity.

Chief Executive of the QLD Tourism Industry Council, Daniel Schwind in speaking to the ABC says, it is a difficult process to try and inform all tourists in every context.