Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has encouraged Cairns residents to consider their eligibility for the NDIS as a new disability housing project from Endeavour Foundation launches.

Around 4,700 people are expected to have access to the NDIS in Cairns, with 1,150 new jobs expected to accompany the rollout.

The NDIS is the biggest social reform rollout in Australia since Medicare with support for Far North Queensland including Early Childhood Early Intervention services.

Reports from the Australian Energy Market Operator have warned the countries power network will become far too expensive and unstable if coal-fired power stations close prematurely.

The report has called for current coal-fired power generators to remain open to the end of their technical life, however has warned against the opening of new stations.

Energy storage has also been highlighted as a key need over the next 20 years, in order to ensure flexibility and reliability of supply

A Perth baby has been hospitalised with meningococcal, resulting in 13 cases of the fatal disease in Western Australia this year.

The Department of Health reported that those who came in close contact with the baby had been informed of the disease.

A new strain of the disease, proving to be quite strong is Serogroup W and has caused a significant increase in cases this year.

Out of the 13 cases reported in WA this year, eight have been Serogroup W, three Serogroup B and two Y infections.

Egypt passed a bill which could protect military officers from prosecution related to the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi.

The bill grants President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the right to give eligible officers rewards, including immunity from investigation to offences committed in the period between Morsi’s overthrow to el-Sisi’s presidency.

The bill is still in draft, and requires another parliament session and the president’s final approval before it can become a law.

Residents of Occupied West Bank city Ramallah held a rally demanding Israel to return the bodies of slain Palestinians.

Rally organiser Azhar Abu Srour, whose son’s body has been held since April 2016, says it is their right to bury their dead and the occupation needs to be held accountable for this crime.

Israel claims releasing the bodies leads to violent incitement at funerals, and makes use of the withheld bodies during political negotiations with the Palestinian leadership.

The Bicentennial Bikeway began upgrading yesterday, with closure starting at the Goodwill Bridge and extending to 1 William Street as part of the Queen’s Wharf development upgrade.

When the 12 month upgrade is completed, it is reported the bikeway will be transformed to include a three-metre-wide separated bikeway with an improved line of sight and removal of dangerous pitch points.

A detour has been implemented along Gardens Point Road, with the speed limit on the shared zone now at 20km/h.  

The Holy Cross Convent Wooloowin, which a property developer bought from the Sisters of Mercy in 2015, is now seeking approval to begin major demolition on the site.

Two of the buildings on the site include the historic heritage-listed Holy Cross Convent and the Holy Cross Laundry; however, these buildings will be preserved.

The developer has plans to build 280 apartments and townhouses on the 3.8 hectare site with plans to commence the construction in the first half of 2019.

Mayo by-election candidate Rebekha Sharkie has called for an inquiry on the use of data mining software to target voters.

Sharkie’s comments come in the wake of comments from opponent Georgina Downer on the resettling of asylum seekers in New Zealand, a recently hot topic with only two weeks until the by-election.

The i360 information sourcing program used by the Liberal party in their Mayo campaign is an area of concern, being used to target voters in key seats, according to Sharkie.