Rail-fail costing QLD on many fronts
Queensland’s “rail-fail” has cost taxpayers more than $41.6 million since 2016.
The 41.6 million has been spent on replacing cancelled trains with buses, issuing taxi coupons to passengers and overtime for train drivers and guards.
Currently, Queensland Rail runs a timetable with 470 fewer services than October 2016.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said there was a steady increase in train drivers which will fix the rostering issues.
McCollough teams up with Adidas for RSPCA
Brisbane Broncos star Andrew McCollough has earned a good reputation, using his influence to promote causes such as the RSPCA and Parley, a global ocean sustainability organisation.
McCollough has said his wife’s influence and the strong women in his life has motivated him to give back to the community.
The RSPCA ambassador recently jumped at the chance to work with Adidas to promote the work of Parley in protecting the oceans from plastic waste.
New wind farm for Rockhampton
A wind farm planned for Central Queensland is proposed to be the largest in the state and rivaling the biggest in Australia.
The State government has granted approval for the one billion dollar project to begin construction in Clarke Creek, north-west of Rockhampton.
Minister Cameron Dick has endorsed the project as a stepping-stone to the Government’s 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.
Breakthrough in breast cancer research
A US woman with advanced breast cancer is healthy again after taking part in an experimental treatment which uses her body’s own immune system to wipe out tumours.
The Florida woman had advanced breast cancer which had stopped responding to chemotherapy and other treatments.
Researchers took a small sample of Ms Perkins’ tumor and studied the DNA mutations in it. They extracted immune cells from the tumor and grew billions of them, finding those most effective to kill her cancer.
'Nessie' nowhere in sight
The legendary Loch Ness Monster mystery might finally be put to rest after a team of international scientists travelled to Scotland to conduct a DNA survey of the famous lake.
New Zealand scientist Neil Gemmell says the technique the team is using is called “environmental DNA”, a mechanism through which they will collect cells from the living things in the Loch Ness.
However, Professor Gemmell says it’s more likely the search will uncover more discoveries on a microscopic level.
Crocodiles snapping-up QLD tourist spots
Crocodiles have been sighted at two popular Far North Queensland water holes.
Babinda creek and Big Sands, in Kuranda, have hosted Crocodiles seen swimming and sunning themselves in the tourist hot spots.
The growing presence in North Queensland has heightened criticism of the Government’s management plans with Senator Fraser Anning calling for an urgent cull of the protected species.
Frozen pomegranate leads to woman's death from Hepatitis A
A 64-year-old South Australian woman has died from Hepatitis A after eating Creative Gourmet’s Frozen Pomegranates.
Since April, there has been a national recall on the frozen fruit product being sold at Coles supermarkets and Health Authorities are urging the public to dispose of the product.
There have been 24 cases of Hepatitis A linked to the pomegranate recall, however this has been the only death.
Parking permits to go digital in 2019
The Brisbane City Council passed an amendment on Tuesday which will see all paper parking permits go digital by mid-2019.
The new system will also introduce new short-term permits for residents and utility vehicles.
Council infrastructure chairman Amanda Cooper says the Council has also made a change to allow car-share permits to continue to operate in traffic areas on event days.
Saudi Arabia issues first driver's license for women in 50 years
Saudi Arabia has issued its first drivers license for women in more than five decades.
Following Saudi Prince, Mohammed bin Salman's trend towards reforming the state’s conservative policies.
Women can officially apply from June 24 and women with driver’s licenses from other jurisdictions have begun trading-in for a Saudi driver's license.
Funerals held in Guatemala for volcano victims
Funerals are being held in Guatemala for volcano victims as hopes for finding survivors begin to fade.
The volcano eruption on Sunday claimed 69 lives and left 300 more injured according to the national coordinator for disaster reduction.
Nic Wirtz, a freelance journalist covering the incident says “firefighters have expressed it's going to be miraculous if they find anyone alive."