Ancient bone tools found in caves in Western Australia have been confirmed to be among some of the oldest ever found.

The bones have been dated to be more than 35,000 years old; the discovery confirms that bone tools have been used longer than previously thought. 

The tools are made primarily from kangaroo bones, and were believed to have been used for a multitude of tasks including, splitting resin and as spear points for hunting. Such archaeological finds are rare in Australia due to harsh climate conditions causing bones to decay quickly.

Melbourne workers have secured a new pay deal ensuring better pay and conditions after a six-week strike at a McCormick food factory.

McCormick makes dipping sauces for fast food chains including McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks, and Nandos. The new agreement ensures a three percent pay rise each year for workers, and preserves previous conditions the company wanted to remove, including the 4 day week roster.

The Victorian secretary of the United Workers Union, Susie Allison, says the victory shows that when workers stand united to fight for respect, they can win.

Deloitte’s tourism and hotel market outlook report found the Gold Coast’s tourism sectors will not return to pre-pandemic levels before 2023, placing its recovery behind Brisbane’s. 

Queensland’s tourism industry lost half its 2019 income in 2020 with business owners struggling to survive.

Deloitte national tourism leader Adele Labine-Romain said the Gold Coast’s hotel sector's reliance on international visitors is the cause for the slower recovery. 

11,000 people have signed a petition calling for the decriminalisation of marijuana in Queensland.

The petition argues drug laws penalise consumers more than traffickers and target those seeking access to marijuana for medicinal purposes. It calls for an immediate moratorium on arrests for personal use of the drug.

Attorney General Shannon Fentiman says the laws are in place for a reason, but the government plans on examining whether alternative responses to low-harm offences are a possibility.

New plans were unveiled today for the revitalisation of Brisbane’s oldest theatre, the Princess Theatre.

The theatre was purchased by brothers Steve and Dave Sleswick, who currently own and run the Tivoli.

They plan to convert the theatre into a new live music venue, featuring a performance auditorium with a standing capacity of 900, and a seated theatre capacity of 500.

Construction began three days ago, with an official opening scheduled for late August this year.

Joe Biden has announced first steps to combat gun violence in America.

Biden said one of the executive actions taken directs the justice department to tighten regulations of the sales of untraceable firearms assembled from kits. He acknowledges 106 people die a day from gun violence in America, hitting Black and brown communities the hardest.

Amy Hunter, a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, says the Association vows to fight Biden’s proposed actions as they restrict the rights of Americans.

The New South Wales Auditor General released a report that warned the state could run out of space for school enrolments within two years.

The Education Department said it is developing a ten year plan to fund the building of new schools to combat the shortage.

180,000 students are expected to enrol in public schools over the next twenty years.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the government is committed to ensuring both growth areas and existing communities receive funding.

Professor Terry Hughes, Australia’s foremost coral reef scientist, warned that government plans to restore the Great Barrier Reef are too small and expensive to make any real impact towards saving the reef. 

A recent report by the Australian Academy of Sciences said only 1 per cent of corals would survive a 2 degree temperature increase. It forecasted 1.5 degree warming by 2045. 

The federal government committed $100 million for reef restoration, including a $2 million plan to trial underwater fans to cool the reef.

Curatorial staff at the new Home of the Arts Art Gallery on the Gold Coast positioned the first artwork of the gallery this week.

CEO of the gallery, Criena Gehrke, said the painting’s unexpected viewpoints and moments of surprise inspired the gallery building's design, but also served as a metaphor for the curatorial approach.    

Mayor Tom Tate said the gallery is a reflection of the Gold Coast's personality. 

The gallery officially opens on May 8th.