A man is in a critical condition after he was pulled unconscious from water at Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Paramedics performed CPR on the man on Green Island and he was flown to Cairns Hospital for further treatment.

A spokesperson for the Queensland Ambulance Service says it is unclear whether the incident was a near drowning or a medical incident.

Two of Brisbane’s longest-serving councillors are set to retire at the next Brisbane City Council election.

Ian McKenzie for Coorparoo and Norm Wyndham for McDowall are expected to retire from their positions before the 2020 election.

Councillor McKenzie has discussed his plan to retire within the LNP, and says he will make an announcement when he has made a decision on when to retire.

China has granted Nepal access to its land and sea ports, top officials of the two countries announced earlier this month, ending the landlocked Himalayan nation's dependence on India for trading routes.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be the first private passenger on a solo SpaceX rocket trip around the moon.

Inflated balloons have been found floating 250km off the east coast of Australia by CSIRO researchers.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has ruled out pill testing as an option for New South Wales festivals, despite assembling an expert panel to make recommendations on how to improve the safety of music festivals.

The Queensland government has committed $1 million to help strawberry farmers struggling after the ongoing needle contamination scare.