Defence Force troops are being sent to western NSW today to try and stop the spread of COVID-19 through vulnerable communities.

About 60 per cent of the 116 cases recorded in the region are Indigenous, with just nine per cent of Indigenous residents there fully vaccinated.

Australian health authorities are confident that 80% of Australians will be fully vaccinated by mid-November. 

It comes after world health authorities expressed their concern about Australia’s low vaccination rates. 

A Tweed-Heads local has been fined after laying down on the Gold Coast border and taunting police officers who denied him entry into Queensland for exercise purposes. 

The man protested with police for over an hour claiming he was allowed to cross the border to “go for a swim”.

Queensland-based Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be given a welcome home parade through Brisbane's Queen Street Mall on October 8, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

The celebration, will mark one of Australia's most successful Olympic campaigns, with athletes bringing home 17 gold, seven silver and 22 bronze medals.

Queensland's council misconduct watchdog has denied a conflict of interest after demanding a voice recording from a journalist. 

This comes after Brisbane City Council Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, told reporters that he calls on the Queensland Premier to undertake an investigation into the Office of the Independent Assessors powers.

Two new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Queensland, but neither were infectious in the community.

One case was acquired locally. The other was acquired overseas.

As cases remain low, authorities are worried about the situation in New South Wales.

Prosecutors have dropped environmental offence charges against former executives of Linc Energy.

The charges were relating to contaminating the area around the company’s coal gasification site near Chinchilla.

Environmental group Lock the Gate said the decision to drop charges is devastating.

A new public holiday long weekend has been set in October for the Ekka after being cancelled due to lockdowns in September. 

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that the reinstatement of the Ekka holiday would encourage people to support local tourism businesses during holiday break. 

Members of an Afghan refugee advocacy service in Adelaide called on Australia to take in 20,000 refugees who were seeking protection as the Taliban further encroaches the region as the US exit continues.