A giant river otter, previously thought extinct, has been found in Argentina. 

The giant otter was last spotted in the 1980’s, with fears habitat loss and hunting had led to the species extinction in the region.

The return of the otters is being attributed to the formation of the Impenetrable national park in 2014, which aimed to restore natural areas in Argentina.

Giant otters are top predators, and are vital in helping to balance local ecosystems.

Border checks will be re-imposed at Queensland airports and border roads after Victoria was declared a COVID hot spot. 

A hard border won’t be implemented, instead the border checkpoints will be similar to roadside breath test sites. 

Police say stops will be random, and they will be looking for indications of long distance travel. 

A government report acquired by Brisbane Times reveals a bridge linking Bulimba and Teneriffe would be used by up to 3600 people a day. 

It also found the bridge could cut a bus journey from the city to Bulimba by ten minutes. The report, authored by engineering group Arup, considered several bridge models, as well as identifying eight different locations for green bridges. 

The government agency redacted all specific locations in the report.

Facebook is no longer removing posts discussing the possibility of COVID-19 being manufactured in Chinese laboratories. 

The change stems from US President Joe Biden’s order for US intelligence agencies to investigate the lab leak theory of the virus origin. 

A Facebook spokesperson says that the company is constantly reviewing their list of bannable content based on the latest health advice, so as to minimise fake news and misinformation.

Industry group Australian Grape and Wine has called for the federal government to refer China’s tariffs on Australian wine to the World Trade Organisation.

A WTO appeal on the tariffs, which are up to 220%, could take up to 5 years to be resolved, leading some to raise concerns about the risk of further disruption or potential retaliation on the industry.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan says the government is working closely with the wine industry to resolve the dispute with China. 

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission says charges of false and misleading behaviour have been filed against ME Bank in the Federal Court following an investigation. 

The Banking Code of Compliance Committee has also sanctioned ME Bank for serious and systemic breaches of the Banking Code, including poor and ineffective communication to customers regarding changes to their redraw amounts. 

The Bank of Queensland is in the process of a $1.3billion takeover of ME Bank earlier this year, hoping to broaden its customer base .

The Australian Government will give $500,000 in funding to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation to increase the number of Local Drug Action Teams nationwide.

Queensland will receive 12 new teams, bringing the state total up to 51. The Teams deliver education and monitoring programs to at-risk people, including grassroots efforts tailored to communities’ specific needs.

New Queensland locations include Mt Isa, Brisbane, Cooktown, Western Downs, Acacia Ridge, Toowoomba, the Isaac Region, and the Gold Coast, among others.

The energy generating turbine that caught alight and caused mass blackouts across Queensland this week had only last year been given an overhaul to ensure it operated safely and reliably.

CS Energy, who owns the plant, completed works on the $60million overhaul in December 2020.

A spokesperson for CS Energy says a full investigation into the fire, with appropriate experts and authorities, will be undertaken.

A government report says more could have been done to avoid the 2020 bushfires on K'Gari, formally known as Fraser Island. 

 The Queensland Inspector-General of Emergency Management, Alistair Dawson, delivered the report to the Palaszczuk government yesterday, which revealed the K'Gari Locality Specific Fire Management group and Fire Referral Group, run by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, seem not to have held meetings for the last two years.