Ipswich residents battle illegal dumping

Ipswich City Council has begun investigating the illegal dumping of construction waste on a main road in Redbank Plains.

Residents have been complaining about the large amount of waste on Austin street for some time, with locals taking matters into their own hands transporting the construction waste to the local dump themselves when the Council takes too long to respond to complaints.

Ipswich city council is urging anyone who has knowledge about illegal dumping in the area to come forward. 

 

FOI release shows Australian involvement with Myanmar military

The Australian Defence Department has released freedom of information documents regarding its involvement with the Myanmar military, which has been under fire in light of the recent coup.

The Australian government has maintained that Australian involvement is modest, largely providing disaster relief and human rights support. While the documents do not directly contradict this line, they also do not show Australian support slowing during the 2017 Rohingya genocide.

Survey suggests political polarisation of COVID-19 vaccine

A new survey by Vox Pop Labs for the ABC found 19% of those who identify with the right side of politics are ‘very unlikely’ to take the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 4% of those on the left.

Professor Julie Leask, an advisor for the World Health Organisation, warns of the potential of Australia following the US and parts of Europe in a trend of political polarisation around vaccination.

Professor Leask cites a need for leaders and influencers on the right in Australia to demonstrate their commitment to vaccination.

Israel's environment protection minister alleges oil spill act of environmental terrorism

Israel’s environmental protection minister Gila Gamliel has accused Iran as the perpetrator of a disastrous oil spill off Israel’s coastline, calling the incident an act of environmental terrorism. 

The conclusion came as a surprise to many government, navy, and intelligence officers, who said that they had not been briefed on the investigator’s claim before it went through the media. 

The environmental protection ministry has backtracked on the minister’s claim, saying it was a “high probability” that it was not a terrorist incident.

 

Toowong QASMT and Coorparoo Secondary school may merge under proposed plans

In local news, Maiwar Greens MP Michael Berkman says the Education Department is considering alternative proposals to a new primary school at Indooroopilly State High School.

Locals and surrounding schools have criticised the proposal to build the new inner-west primary school in Indooroopilly, citing increasing traffic and safety concerns in the area.

Mr Berkman has criticised the Education Departments consultation process, describing it as, 

Queensland mega-prison commences construction

Construction has started on Queensland’s new mega-prison in the Lockyer Valley, which Corrections Minister Mark Ryan has called “Queensland’s second biggest infrastructure project after Cross River Rail”, and which is set to economically revitalise the region.

The project was commissioned as a response to overcrowding issues in state prisons, which have precipitated a rise in assaults. The new prison will be purpose-built to deal with drug offences, with rehabilitative and mental health specialist services onsite.

Gold Coast Takes Climate Change Action

The City of Gold Coast and the State Government have formed a climate adaptation partnership that aims to review how current infrastructure and environmental management practises on the coast need to be adjusted to better address the impacts of climate change.

The Gold Coast has been criticised by environmental groups for not updating its climate change strategy after it expired in 2014. 

Indigenous health services launches legal battle against Northern Territory’s first Dan Murphy’s store

Australian Indigenous health services Danila Dilba is launching a legal challenge against the decision to approve the Northern Territory’s first Dan Murphy’s store.

The case was filed in the Northern Territory supreme court on Thursday against both the NT Liquor licensing director Philip Timney and the Woolworths group.  

Danila Dilba is arguing Mr Timney’s decision was filled with legal errors and that the potential community impacts were not properly considered.