Congresswoman Deb Haaland has won Senate confirmation to lead President Biden’s Interior Department, making her the first Native American cabinet official in history.

As Interior secretary, Haaland will be tasked with overseeing nearly 500 million acres of federal lands, including regulating drilling and other fossil fuel activities on them. 

A number of residents in Saphire in Central Queensland have been rescued from flood waters today after a severe thunderstorm hit the area early this morning. 

The State Emergency Service has rescued people from floodwaters, roofs of homes and tops of cars. 

Deputy Premier, Steven Miles, announced the Queensland Government would provide $30 million from the Building Acceleration Fund to two infrastructure projects.

The Palaszczuk Government is providing $15 million, with Lendlease co-investing $9.8 million, to unlock the next phase of the Yarrabilba development, increasing residential land supply and enabling planning to commence for community and health services.

The Queensland Government is being urged to fund more mental health positions as a 90 per cent increase in emergency department presentations have been reported.

Queensland doctors are also reporting a 30 per cent spike in people seeing their GPs for mental health problems.

Allegations of sexual and physical assault within the New South Wales Rural Fire Service ranks have been referred to police.

More than a dozen RFS volunteers made claims on facebook of sexual assault, bullying, harassment and physical violence within RFS ranks.

The population of the critically endangered regent honeyeater bird has dropped so low that  experts say young birds are failing to learn their own bird song.

Research from the Australian National University (ANU) says with no adult birds around to teach them, some juvenile regent honeyeaters had taken to copying the songs of other species.

Congresswoman Deb Haaland has won Senate confirmation to lead President Biden’s Interior Department, making her the first Native American cabinet official in history.

As Interior secretary, Haaland will be tasked with overseeing nearly 500 million acres of federal lands, including regulating drilling and other fossil fuel activities on them. 

A turtle first documented by Steve Irwin could be facing extinction due to plans to build a dam. 

The Urannah Dam, proposed by the federal government, will flood the Urannah and Massey Creeks and will destroy the turtle’s habitat. 

Round 6 of the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative is set to go ahead with 1.4 million dollars worth of grants being given to rural pest control programs.

Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said “there is also funding to continue coordinated ten eighty baiting programs.”