A mandatory speed limit of 40 km/h around stationary emergency vehicles with their lights on was explored after urging by the Queensland police union.

Similar laws exist in the other states, but the Queensland government said it prefers educating motorists to keep slow around roadside emergency vehicles rather than passing new legislation.

The Queensland Police Union said it is important to remember that the roadside is often a police officer’s workplace.

A failed Queensland energy company has been found guilty of all five charges it faced in a Brisbane District Court.

Linc Energy faced multiple charges of ‘wilfully and unlawfully causing environmental harm’ in the Darling Downs around Chinchilla, contaminating local water to the point where it is no longer fit for stock consumption.

When staff expressed concern and observed bubbling, the company continued to run their operations, injecting air into the ground and concreting over surface cracks.

A school bus has plunged off a cliff in India on Monday and killed at least 30 people, including 27 children, 2 teachers, and the driver.

A senior local police official said the bus rolled into a 60 meter deep gorge while carrying students home.

500,000 rupees had been given to each victim’s family as compensation from the state government. 

Injured protesters at the Gaza border have been distributed payouts by Hamas, the terrorist organisation which governs the Gaza territory.

Hamas spokesman, Hazim Qassim, revealed on Thursday that Palestinian protesters critically and moderately injured received $500, while families of those killed in protests were given $3,000.

The Israeli defence force have described the situation as ‘violent riots’ stating protesters have thrown molotov cocktails and rocks at soldiers, opened fire on them and also set tires on fire.

The World Health Organisation said that rockmelons contaminated with listeriosis were exported from Australia to at least nine countries.

This followed 19 confirmed cases and six deaths resulting from listeriosis so far this year in Australia.

Rombola Family Farms, the growers of the melons,  continued to work with authorities and started supplying melons again.

Understaffed nurses and expensive care needs have lead to a trend of for-profit aged-care facilities calling ambulances with the intention of dumping their residents at the hospital.

An assessment by the Queensland Department of Health revealed 460 of Toowoomba’s residents in aged-care have been led in emergency departments since July of last year.

USQ professor Bob Knights said the situation observed in Toowoomba reflects what is happening across Australia.

A new proposal from the Queensland Competition Authority could raise water bills by up to $38 a year.

The proposal was part of the state government’s goal for all eight councils in south-east Queensland to share the same bulk water price.

Energy Minister Anthony Lynham said the government was aware of how cost of living pressure is affecting Queensland households.

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit a remote part of Papua New Guinea on Saturday afternoon after the same area was still recovering from a 7.5 magnitude earthquake earlier this year.

Emergency helicopter response teams were flown to the area where landslides have devastated parts of the landscape.

PNG’s emergency controller, Bill Hamblin, said the landslides may exacerbate the water pollution problem which was already affecting hundreds of thousands of people.