Queenslanders can expect to see petrol prices continue to rise across the South East, following last year’s records for the highest average retail prices of regular unleaded petrol.

RACQ’s Annual Fuel Price Report for 2021 reported an average price of 150 cents per litre, increasing on 2020’s average by almost 30 cents.

The report attributes the price increase to the sudden influx of demand for oil products worldwide, as economies reduce COVID restrictions and people begin to travel more.

Crisis talks have been held overnight between ‘essential' industry groups and the federal government, as businesses try to deal with widespread supply chain issues. 

Supply chains of essential services have been impacted by coronavirus-induced staff shortages, forcing major retailers to enforce product limits on several items. 

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee released advice yesterday that staff in essential services would be able to continue to work after an exposure provided they return a negative RAT test. 

A lawyer representing the Tamil family from Biloela has slammed the Australian government’s handling of Novak Djokovic’s immigation case, outlining the double standard between the tennis player and the treatment of Asylum Seekers in Australia.

Carina Ford who represents the Murugappan family says the Djokovic case shows it would only require the stroke of a pen from Immigation Minister Alex Hawke to allow the family to return home to Central Queensland. 

Maya Angelou has become the first African American woman to appear on a US quarter dollar. 

The late civil rights activist and poet is the first in a group of women who will appear on the quarter as part of an American Women Quarters program which aims to honour women and their achievements in shaping the nation’s history.

The image depicts Angelou with her arms uplifted, a bird in flight and a rising sun behind her. 

Queensland Fire and emergency Services have responded to a chemical leak in Ipswich over the weekend. 

Crews have remained on the scene since Saturday to mitigate damage.  

The leak was caused by 75 1000 litres containers of nitric acid, one of which had ruptured, spilling onto the others. 

Residents in the area took to social media to share their experience with one user writing, “the smell and eye-stinging was crazy." 

Residents in nearby suburbs have been asked by QFES to keep all windows and doors shut.

The first cyclone of the season has hit parts of North Queensland. Tropical cyclone Tiffany has made landfall with Queensland as it heads to the east coast of the Northern Territory. 

The cyclone is expected to lose power as it travels west, however severity will increase as it moves over warmer waters. 

Senior Meteorologist Dean Narramore says they are closely monitoring cyclone Tiffany. He says they expect heavy rainfall, damaging winds and a risk of flooding as the system progresses.

A bushfire is threatening parts of Western Australia’s Margaret River Region. 

The Department of Fire and Emergency services issued a warning yesterday morning to those still in the region, saying it was too late to leave, and they needed to act immediately to survive.

Residents are being urged to keep all windows and doors closed and stay in a room furthest from the fire front. 

The department says, "If your home catches on fire and the conditions inside become unbearable, you need to get out and go to an area that has already been burnt."