Indigenous Voice to Parliament to amplify regional voices

Local Aboriginal groups will be a part of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, aiming to amplify regional voices. 

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Ken Wyatt, appointed Aboriginal leaders Marcia Langton and Tom Calma to lead design options for an Indigenous advisory board.

The advisory board is different from another voice to Parliament which was part of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and includes calls for a treaty.

Regional communities across Australia have been giving feedback on what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want from the process.

Rainfall misses Brisbane's main water supply dam

Recent rainfall has missed Brisbane’s main water supply catchment. 

While other catchments in the region were saturated, Wivenhoe Dam largely missed out on the rainfall and is at just 37 per cent capacity.

"So, that's only seen a rise of about 1 per cent in storage capacity over the past week," SEQ Water spokesperson Chris Owen said.

"[That's] the one that we really need the rainfall to fall in because it caters to more than 50 per cent of the region's water supply for south-east Queensland."

Cassowary deaths linked to being fed by humans

Wildlife experts in Far North Queensland say people feeding wild cassowaries has contributed to at least five deaths of the bird on local roads. 

In 2014, conservationists estimated there were fewer than 1,000 of the birds remaining in the wild. 

Veterinarian and cassowary expert Graham Lauridsen said the endangered birds are becoming less fearful of humans and vehicles because they are being fed. 

"It is 100 per cent the reason those birds have died," Dr Lauridsen said.

Water pump screens in the Murray-Darling basin to stop native fish deaths

Protecting populations of native fish has been a key part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan since it was implemented in 2012.

However, fish, fingerlings, eggs, larvae and other water life are being sucked into the thousands of irrigation pumps throughout the Murray-Darling river systems.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has found a standard 30-centimetre pipe sucked up about 240 fish a day. 

With 4,546 irrigation pumps operating in New South Wales alone, up to 97 million fish are being lost each year.

Myanmar frees more than 600 coup detainees

Myanmar has freed over 600 coup detainees who arrested during nationwide protests and rallies. 

Local media shows the released prisoners flashing the three-fingered salute sign, a sign of anti-coup resistance. 

The United Nations said it is calling for the liberation of those who have been arbitrarily detained, including journalists and civil society leaders. 

 

 

Federal Government Cabinet re-shuffle expected in coming days

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to announce a cabinet re-shuffle as early as tomorrow.

It’s expected Attorney-General Christian Porter will be replaced by Michaelia Cash, and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will be replaced by Peter Dutton. 

The reshuffle comes after weeks of sustained criticism of the Prime Minister’s handling of sexual assault allegations surrounding the government.

 

Temporary pause lifted on Cashless Debit Card trial

The Federal Government will lift the temporary pause placed on the cashless welfare card trial due to COVID-19.

Under the program, 80 per cent of an individual's welfare payments are allocated on the card, which cannot be used to purchase alcohol or gambling products.

Social Service Minister Anne Ruston says nearly four thousand people will be involuntarily added onto the card trial in the coming weeks.

Insurance claims flood in after QLD and NSW floods

Millions of dollars worth of insurance claims flood in across Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rainfall.

The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the value of the 17,000 claims at over 250 million dollars.

The heavily-affected Gold Coast, Logan and Scenic Rim regions are forecast to have a reprieve from the rain over the coming days.

Queensland Eastern Brown influx

Snake catchers in Gympie and the Sunshine Coast predict increased eastern brown snake activity following wet weather conditions. 

Gympie Snake Catchers owner Julie Smith said brown snake hatchlings have increased by fifteen to twenty per cent compared to previous years.

"Eastern browns are almost exclusively mammal hunters as they get larger and we've had an influx of rodents in the area, so we would expect an influx of eastern brown snakes and that's occurred," she said.

Snake catches advise residents to be wary and distance themselves from the reptile.