The federal Budget is increasing the time new residents will have to wait for welfare payments. 

The Australian Government is expected to save $671,100,000 over the next 5 years by extending the wait period for welfare payment eligibility to 4 years for new migrants. 

Currently, the Newly Arrived Resident Waiting Period for the carer payment, and carer allowance, amongst others is between 0-2 years. 

The change will only affect those who received permanent resident status after 1 January 2022.

The Queensland Government is delaying a mass vaccination hub until later in the year as it is no longer administering the Astrazeneca vaccine. 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state is in no position to set up an Astrazeneca hub, but will continue with plans for a Pfizer and Moderna hub. 

The State Government is continuing to administer the Pfizer vaccine to frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable people, with 178,000 vaccine doses administered in Queensland so far.

The Queensland government has scrapped the proposed regulations on tattoo ink manufacturers. 

The regulations would have made it an offence for tattoo ink manufacturers and suppliers to provide or use ink without having a compliance analysis certificate.

While parliamentary intent was to ensure inks used in Queensland contained no harmful substances, the condition would have been practically impossible to meet, given there are no Australian ink manufacturers. 

Canadian non-for-profit migrant settlement service, Mosaic, has applied to resettle almost 150 refugees from Australian detention in Canada.

The applications have been made under Canada’s program in which citizens can sponsor refugee resettlement as long as they commit to providing emotional and financial support to the refugee for the period of sponsorship.

Mosaic says they decided to use all of their sponsorships for those in indefinite detention in Australia considering the absence of commitment from the Australian government to settle refugees.

The Northern Territory Health Department has addressed concerns raised about the new medical director of the Howard Springs Centre for National Resilience.

Dr Di Stephens, the new medical director, received passengers on the India repatriation flights, drove them into the quarantine centre on a golf buggy and failed to stay 1.5m away. She then went to work at the In the Grass music festival in the medic tent the following week.

Dr Stephens was not available for comment. 

Prime minster Scott Morrison will meet with Chanel Contos to discuss reforms to sex education in schools, after the petition Contos began prompted hundreds of testimonies from schoolgirls about sexual assault.

Contos says sex education is taught too late, with 50% of children already sexually active by the time it is taught in year ten.

The Morrison government has allocated four point seven million dollars over two years to strengthen criminal justice responses to sexual assault, but Contos hopes there can be a focus on prevention as well as cure.

Queenslanders have raised concerns it is difficult to secure an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Queenslanders can visit the federal Department of Health website and enter their postcode to check for vaccine clinics in the area, however many listed have no appointments available.

Clinics cite patchy vaccine delivery as one of the reasons for a lack in vaccination appointments.

Buyers could claim ownership of an entire town in far north Queensland with a museum, church, and railway station, for less than the cost of an apartment in Brisbane.

Tim Pratter is the current owner of Lappa, a town two hours west of Cairns. He is selling the town for $343,000, citing health and family issues. In comparison, a two-bedroom apartment in Brisbane costs on average $545,000.

Pratter says work needs to be done to restore Lappa, but that the town has many unique charms.

A group of leading researchers have found Queensland’s lockout laws have had a limited effect on ambulance callouts over the past four years.

Deakin University psychology expert Peter Miller says findings showed that monthly ambulance callouts only reduced 4.3% state-wide. However, callouts in high-risk areas like Fortitude Valley reduced by more than 20%. 

Professor Miller says Queensland’s laws have appeared to strike a good balance between protecting people and safeguarding businesses who make their livelihood from hospitality.