Bureau of Meteorology releases statement on Cyclone Iris coverage
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a statement in response to claims about its coverage that suggest the BoM had blamed a staffing shortage for a late warning to residents in the path of the cyclone of Cyclone Iris in north Queensland.
BOM Queensland state manager Bruce Gunn reassured the community saying the Bureau remains focused on the threat Tropical Cyclone Iris poses and is fully staffed to run a 24x7 forecasting service.
Abattoir and beef business under review as profits slide
Australia’s largest cattle company has launched a review into their underperforming assets just three years after opening their 100 million dollar abattoir in Darwin.
The Australian Agricultural Company's preliminary results for their 2017-2018 financial year showed their Darwin abattoir was a major contributing factor in the company’s falling profitability.
Investigation launched after tree branch falls onto CBD road and path
Brisbane City Council is investigating what caused a branch of large leopard tree to fall on Ann street outside City Hall, blocking two lanes and the footpath on Monday.
A spokeswoman for Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the council is currently investigating the causes behind the fallen tree, which was inspected in late February with no identifiable issues.
Federal government set to splash $150 million for Queensland highway
The federal government will spend $150 million to upgrade a section of Queensland's Bruce Highway in an attempt to ease congestion.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited the Murrumba Downs section of north Brisbane on Tuesday, marking the start of a three-day blitz of marginal Queensland electorates by the prime minister.
The announcement comes after the federal coalition and Queensland's Labor governments have been at odds over funding for several infrastructure projects, most notably Labor's Cross River Rail.
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WHO says universal health care a priority for South-East Asian countries
The World Health Organisation has called on South-East Asian countries to increase their efforts in providing universal health care without having to suffer financial difficulties.
World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said universal health care is a fundamental human right and imperative for countries to create more productive economies.
Proof of hypothesised black holes found
Astrophysicists have found proof of the hypothesised thousands of black holes clustered around Sagittarius A, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way.
Scientists have long believed that Black Holes are drawn towards to the centres of galaxy’s, but until recently have had no evidence that this phennomen non has occurred in our own.
Holes are notoriously difficult human technology to observe, with only 60 known to human researchers before this latest discovery of dozens in a small area near the galactic centre.
Ice use in Regional Western Australia worst in Australia
Wastewater test results have shown that Regional Western Australia recorded the highest average ice consumption in Australia.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's March report revealed that more than eight tonnes of methylamphetamine had been consumed in regional Western Australia between August 2016 and August 2017.
Regional wasn’t the only area affected however, with Western Australia capital Perth also showing high levels of ice consumption, placing second after Adelaide as the the capital with the highest ice consumption in Australia.
Plastic-free living easier than it seems
The looming statewide ban of single use plastic bags is forcing many to think about what they will do when forced to break their long-established habits.
Lindsay Miles took up the challenge six years ago after seeing a poster promoting a plastic-free July challenge.
Ms Miles said she has now reached her goal, and suggests others wanting to make the plastic free change
buy second hand, grow their own and purchase reusables to avoid the packaging and unnecessary amounts of plastic.
Study reveals 90% of calls to triple zero hotline not emergency calls
Queensland Police have revealed that 90 per cent of reports made to the triple zero emergency hotline in 2017 should have been relayed to police through other avenues.
This high ratio of non-emergency calls can prevent police from quickly responding to genuine crisis situations.
Queensland Police asked that noise complaints, vehicular accidents where no injuries have occured, and reports of breaks in where no offender is present, which callers often assume to be Triple 0 incidents, be directed to the PoliceLink hotline instead.