Plans have been lodged with Brisbane City Council for a floating pedestrian and cyclist riverwalk that would link the existing City Reach boardwalk to the City Botanic Garden’s Banya Way.

The project would be funded as part of the council’s $100 million Better Bikeways for Brisbane program.

Council will now assess the application including a permit seeking approval for tidal and building work on a Queensland heritage place.

Justice advocates are preparing to launch an independent group to highlight the lack of oversight of police misconduct in the wake of the recent reporting of Queensland Police shredding a victim’s rape statement.

The group was started by justice advocate Renee Eaves with other advocates including Narelle Dawson-Wells, an experienced clinical psychologist and the wife of former Queensland attorney general Dean wells.

The New South Wales government hyped up the Sydney light rail project before technical difficulties were fully known a report says.

Screenshots of a 2016 review by Transport for NSW experts, entitled lessons for rail, and released by Labor leader Luke Foley’s office, shows changes to the design of the $2.1bn project triggered delays and hefty costs.

The report warned the project would be blamed or delayed when it failed to meet “unrealistic expectations”.

Farmers who have been affected by drought will receive up to $12,000 in cash payments.

The initiative has been supported by the National Farmers Federation, NFF President Fiona Simson says it’s vital we help farmers and families dealing with the stress and pressures drought brings.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a $190 million relief package which will also boost mental health services, with couples being able to access $12,000 and singles receiving $7,200.

A helicopter carrying oil workers and three crew members crashed into another aircraft in the Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia, killing 18 people.

The incident occurred when the Russian-made Mi-8 aircraft knocked into the cargo of an adjacent helicopter as both were completing take-off.

A commission has been set up to investigate the crash with both helicopters’ black boxes sent to Moscow.

Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina is urging students to go home as police fired teargas on the eighth day of protests over road safety.

Tens of thousands of students took to the capital after two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus however protests took a violent turn with more than 100 people injured after police fired rubber bullets.  

High schools were shut on Thursday as officials promised students their demands for road safety reforms would be considered.

Trips on Brisbane’s city cycles have increased 35 per cent in the past year with more than 2,000 trips taken each day according to recent data.

Council’s public and active transport chairman Adrian Schrinner says a change to the memberships as well as the visibility of the bikes contributed to the recent increase in usage.

The council has signed a 20 year contract with JCDecaux with bikes progressively replaced and new technology to allow the bikes to be tracked could be considered.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he will not hold a referendum to provide an indigenous voice to parliament.

Australian author Richard Flanagan says the Prime Minister has humiliated indigenous leaders and squandered a chance at reconciliation.

The idea of having an indigenous voice in parliament through an advisory body has been reportedly encouraged by the Prime Minister’s Indigenous advisors.

Australian women could soon be able to purchase sanitary products without having to pay any Goods and Services Tax (GST), after Treasurer Scott Morrison revealed the government would push for an exemption for all sanitary products from GST charges.

The charges on Sanitary products have been a point of debate for years, with many opponents of the charges describing it as sexist as products such as condoms are exempt from the 10 per cent GST charge.