400 central Queensland business owners have gathered to express concerns over the impact of the state government’s COVID-19 restrictions for unvaccinated people. 

During the meeting in Yeppoon, it was expressed that due to low vaccination rates in many areas of regional Queensland, small businesses fear they will have to ‘shut their doors’ to navigate their way through allowing unvaccinated people into their premises. 

Queensland Minister for Energy, Renewables, and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni has announced plans to double the state’s production of large scale renewable energy methods.

The new investments include network upgrades between Cairns and Townsville to support a Green Power Hub wind farm in the Northern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone, increased push in the Central Queensland Renewable Energy Zone to transform Gladstone into a hydrogen production hub, and further network investments in the Darling downs to link the MacIntyre Wind Farm with a new Renewable Energy Project in Dulacca.

Human rights advocates have demanded the federal government to outline when strict rules on international travel will be eased for temporary visa holders and refugees seeking to enter Australia. 

This follows more than 10,00 refugees stuck offshore remain in limbo because of the government’s international travel restriction. 

The Human Rights Law Centre has said the government’s refusal to detail a plan for lifting travel restrictions means these groups continue to face uncertainty. 

Australia’s largest coal port has been interrupted by abseiling protesters once again as part of continued efforts by Blockade Australia against coal infrastructure.

Early this morning, two activists climbed atop machinery at the Newcastle Coal port, and lowered themselves out of reach using an intricate system of ropes and pulleys, effectively bringing production to a standstill.

Human Rights Watch has criticised the appointment of Egypt to host the next climate summit, COP27, warning the government would use it to ‘whitewash its appalling record of human rights abuses’.

The Arab country was selected last week to host the next climate summit slated for late 2022. 

The rights group has also noted that Egypt’s restrictive assembly laws and choice of hosting the summit would prevent grassroot protests, which has been a visible feature at previous conferences.

According to Queensland Health’s acting deputy director general and chief medical officer Keith McNeil, Ross River accounts for the largest number of human mosquito-borne diseases in the state. 

Queensland Health data shows there has been a dramatic increase in infection rates from 1649 cases in 2019 to 3407 cases last year. 

Professor McNeil says, “There's no vaccine or specific treatment… so it's important you take steps to avoid infection as much as possible.”

Wildlife officials discovered over 20 dead or dying magpies in the suburb of Yeerongpilly in the space of a week with some birds being found with meat in their mouths.

Wildlife officer Cameron Wregg said, "People in the Yeerongpilly area advise that someone in the neighbourhood may be involved in the poisoning of the magpies.”

Anyone found responsible for the birds’ deaths could be fined almost $400,000 or sentenced to two years in jail.

Researchers from UQ and Carnegie Mellon University in the US found even short-term exposure to air-pollution can impact our brain performance and capacity to work. 

The data found air pollution damaged cognitive function in working-age adults. 

Using data from the brain training app Lumosity, researchers found “exposure to moderately high levels of fine particulate matter caused a player to drop by almost six points in a 100-point scale.” 

The Torres Strait was the first region in Australia to be offered the jab in order to fortify the region against neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

However, figures show only fifty percent of eligible people in the Torres and Cape region are double vaccinated, far behind state and national averages.

Many fears are circulating such as sickness or reaction, conspiracy theories or the belief Covid-19 will not affect them.