A new program is working with communities to develop and refine community-led approaches to bushfire recovery. 

The Bushfire Resilience Program will build an evidence base of what communities achieve when supported to lead their own recovery.

Monash University Professor Rebekah Brown said a new paradigm for disaster preparedness and recovery has emerged. 

“While there is recognition that communities need to be at the heart of disaster recovery, there is limited guidance on how to do this,” she said. 

A new coral reef monitoring system will identify coral bleaching events, via satellite.

The Allen Coral Atlas uses detailed maps of every major coral reef in the world to detect bleaching in real time. 

UQ researcher Dr Chris Rolfsema says the system will inform scientists and policymakers to make rapid conservation decisions.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has reiterated his interest in growing the space industry in Queensland.

Interest has been expressed by space technology companies for a rocket launch site near Mackay.

Mr Miles said our easterly-facing position and our proximity to the equator make Queensland the perfect place to invest in space.

The US state of Texas has passed a law banning abortions from as early as six weeks. 

The new law grants citizens the right to sue doctors who perform abortions past six weeks, with the only exception being medical emergencies. 

Centre for Reproductive Rights spokesperson said this bill allows anyone who is hostile towards abortion to sue doctors and clinics.

Anti-government protests have stretched into their fourth week in Colombia, as groups demand social change from the government. 

The protests began last month after Colombia’s right-wing government proposed a tax bill, which critics said would harm the working- and middle-classes. 

Political analyst Elizabeth Dickinson said the protests indicate a widespread distrust of government.

A Greens senator has questioned whether Centrelink’s increasingly digitised systems are letting urgent Disability Support Pension cases slip through the cracks. 

Senator Rachel Siewert put forward new data which said 130 people with a terminal illness died before Centrelink granted them a Disability Support Pension last year.

Ms Siewert says the government needs to review its processes so people do not die waiting for support.

Mining company Bravus, formerly known as Adani, has been found to have adequate measures in place to minimise erosion issues near a major rail project despite having potentially polluted a waterway.

A recent report investigated allegations that Bravus failed to properly manage erosion at a rail project in Central Queensland.

The Office of the Coordinator-General will continue to monitor Bravus to ensure full compliance.