The Check In Queensland App has added a new feature allowing Queenslanders to book a COVID vaccinations appointment.

By simply tapping the “Get Your Vaccine” button, users will be redirected to the Queensland health website, where all information regarding vaccines and appointment bookings can be found.

The update comes after millions of Queenslanders received text messages from the State government urging them to get vaccinated, which Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said was vital in keeping Queensland safe.

The Australian Government has announced plans to further expand the focus of eight drought resistance and innovation hubs nationwide, in an effort to increase developments in agriculture and create jobs. 

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud says the additional $20 million being pledged by the Australian government will shift the current focus of the hubs from strictly drought resistance to a more broad approach to agricultural innovation. 

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen has slammed the social media platform in a statement delivered to the United States Congress.

Haugen says Facebook’s products have the potential to harm children, stoke division, and weaken democracy, and that congressional action was needed. 

Her testimony comes just one day after Facebook experienced a six hour long international outage, affecting billions of users and further affecting the site’s reputation. 

Women with undiagnosed endometriosis will have more difficulty conceiving a child with fertility treatments.

The study from the University of Queensland shows women who are diagnosed with the condition after starting IVF would often end up doing more cycles of treatment, and experienced similar outcomes to those who were diagnosed earlier. 

Dr Katrina Moss said some women who received a late diagnosis had to do up to thirty six cycles of treatment, and were also thirty three per cent less likely to report a birth.

Indigenous Business owners in Toowoomba are being given the opportunity to have their voices heard in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. 

The Minister for the Employment and Small Business Di Farmer is using October to celebrate Indigenous Business Month, and open the conversation through a series of “yarns.”

Yarning2032 will kick off on the 14th of October with a Q&A session at the Roma Explorers Inn, aiming to hear from local business owners, and connect them with opportunities to further maximise business.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority will introduce tougher serviceability tests on home loans, which will make it harder for potential borrowers to get a mortgage. 

This means by the end of October, the minimum interest rate buffer will be increased from 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent, leading to a reduction in borrowing capacity for home loan applicants.

APRA chairman Wayne Byers defends the move, saying the new regulations will reduce risks to currently indebted borrowers. 

​​United Kingdom High Commissioner Vicki Treadell is urging Australia to confirm a more ambitious climate target ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

Treadell has described the Morrison Government’s current target of a 28 per cent reduction in emissions as “inadequate,” and would ideally like to see Australia match the global benchmark of 50 per cent, with many countries even pledging net zero.  

Queensland’s research and development sector has announced plans to deliver 80,000 jobs over the next decade.

The development aims to bring $11 billion in revenue, boosting Queensland’s technological developments to a world class standard.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the new jobs in this sector will be vital as Queensland transitions from a short-term economic and health response to a long-term focus on productivity and competitiveness.