The Palaszczuk government has purchased the land proposed for the Earl Hills development at Trinity Beach, protecting the land from developers.

Member for Barron River Craig Crawford says the area is home to threatened species and  the plan was to develop the 54 hectares of land into a conservation park by the years end.

Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch says its important to protect areas like Earl Hill to ensure Queenslanders can enjoy the natural beauty they provide.

An experimental Ebola vaccine will be administered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the city of Mbandaka.

Three confirmed cases of Ebola was confirmed in the city last week and there are growing concerns about the spread of the virus into the nine neighbouring countries.

DRC’s Minister of health, Oly Ilunga said the vaccine would initially target the health staff, contacts of the sick and contacts of the contact.

Residents of Hawaii’s Big Island is under threat of Laze as Kilauea Volcano lava reaches the Pacific ocean.

Laze is a product formed when hot lava hits the ocean, sending hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass particles into the air.

It’s proved deadly before, leading to two deaths in 2000 and can cause lung, eye and skin irritation.

The US Coastguard has enforced a Lava Entry Safety Zone for the navigable waters around the Kilauea Volcano.

The final cotton harvest of far west New South Wales is taking place in the town of Menindee, as the water rights to the Tandou property were sold back to the government after several years of difficult conditions caused by a water shortage.

Property Manager Robert Lowe said the current conditions are significantly worse than the 1990s, when the property could support a full cropping program.

The government buyback will allow the water authorities to reconfigure the surrounding lake system to be more efficient.

Commonwealth Bank once again has found themselves in hot water as reports reveal they manipulated children accounts.

The ‘Dollamite’ accounts were activated by the bank’s own staff to increase sales and targets to reach bonus goals.

Commbank’s new chief executive, Matt Comyn said he deeply regrets what’s happened and sworn to take action against any employee caught doing the wrong thing.

A world first technology which scans tourists handprints to identify and track them is being tested in the Great Barrier Reef.

Currently, tour operators use manual headcounts, although the Tourist Onboard Management System using palm vein scanning technology created by Fujitsu to identify tourists.

The technology on trial has so far proven successful and could save lives by ensuring drivers are not left behind.

Brisbane residents want to prioritise lifestyles and green space, according to responses in Brisbane City Council’s urban design game Plan Your Brisbane.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the results indicate a high level of agreement around planning Brisbane’s future, while also emphasising the council’s move to a more open style of consultation.

The Lord Mayor said the council will review all ideas put forward during the consultation on Brisbane’s future to develop a charter for guiding future planning decisions.