Abandoned Inala skate rink to be demolished
An abandoned skating rink in the south-west suburb of Inala has been bought by a developer, who has already submitted a development application for the site to be demolished.
The proposal includes two buildings, with a gym, pool, and sixteen other ground level tenancies planned. A farm fresh Grocer has already committed to one tenancy.
The skating rink has been closed since 2007, with squatters moving in, doors ripped off and fires started. Police have a set of key to prevent trespassers on the property.
Image source: Flickr.
Turning 100 in the digital age
Winton’s Royal open-air Picture Theatre has turned one hundred years old, and is the last of the four open air theatres in the rural town to survive to this day.
The Royal Theatre is often used as a museum for visitors, and at the annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival.
However the future of the theatre is in doubt, with the owners unable to provide for an upgrade to a digital projector.
The Theatre currently uses a loaned digital projector to host the film festival, and all other movies are projected using film.
NZ Prime Minister claims Australia in UN Breach
Acting Prime Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters claimed Australia breached its UN obligations of Children’s rights, after a seventeen-year-old NZ citizen was detained with adults in Melbourne.
Peter Dutton responded to the claim, saying he is welcome to go back on the first flight out, and his own duty was to keep Australia safe.
More than one thousand Kiwi’s have been deported since changes to the migration act in 2014.
Press gallery threatens boycott
Canberra’s political journalists are threatening to boycott Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's visit to Nauru, unless local government reverses its ban on ABC staff attending.
The ABC was due to send a cameraman, a photographer and a journalist to cover the Pacific Islands Forum, but in wake of the ban, the federal press gallery decided if one cannot go, none will go.
Mr Turnbull said the Nauruan government’s decision is regrettable, but the local authorities have the right to decide who is allowed in.
Former Malaysian prime minister pleads not guilty
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty to three charges of criminal breach of trust and one count of using his position for gratification.
The charges are part of a probe into missing money from Malaysia’s state fund 1MDB, with over 42 million ringgit transferred into Mr Najib’s personal bank account.
Mr Najib said he is confident in his innocence, and is due to appear in court February next year.
Birds at largest risk of eating plastic in Tasman Sea
A major New Zealand conservation group is urging the NZ government to end production of single-use plastic, after research suggested that the Tasman Sea was the riskiest place for sea birds to ingest plastic
Further research also suggested that there will be more plastic in the ocean by 20-50 than fish. Forest and Bird are urging the NZ government to support the ban.
The Tasman sea is populated by one third of the worlds seabird species, which is disproportionately affected by even a small amount of plastic in the area.
Removing trees to make room for and environment centre
Brisbane City Council plans to up root trees at the Boondall wetlands to make room for a new environment centre, following a 20-16 election commitment from the Lord Mayor.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk campaigned on the $5 million dollar building as the current environment centre is housed in a one-hundred-year-old building which opened twenty-years ago.
Doubts about darts
A major bust of illegal cigarettes has been uncovered by Queensland Police, the Australian Border Force, the Department of Home Affairs, ACIC and NSW Police; seizing 57 million cigarettes at the border.
The cigarettes are worth more than forty million dollars in tobacco excise, and are being imported by a south-east Asia syndicate.
A further ten shipments of illicit tobacco have intercepted since the formation of a specialist task force to deal with increasing amounts of illicit cigarettes after six years of tobacco excise increases.
Quarranting wealth in the Goldfields
Community groups from the Western Australia Goldfields area are reporting people on the Cashless Debit Card are having their tax refunds placed onto the welfare management program.
The Facebook page, Ms Mental As Anything, claimed a Goldfields resident has had their tax return sent to the CDC program instead of their personal account, and is now planning a hunger strike.
Testimony shared by the Say No Seven group, including from the last senate inquiry, claimed the LNP have denied non-wealthfare payments and rebates would not be paid into the program.
Leyonhjelm doubles down
Liberal Democrat senator, David Leyonhjelm has continued to defend his choice of words following a confrontation with a Greens Senator.
Senator Leyonhjelm appeared on the Studio Ten program yesterday to defend his comments directed at the show’s co-host, Angela Bishop, who Leyonhjelm had labelled "bigoted bitch" on Twitter.
The senator continues to defend his comments by saying that they are the vernacular of the regular Australian and calling people who challenge him out of touch