A paper published in the journal Science revealed the existence of a shark that was wider than it was long thanks to its long wing-like fins. Named the Aquilolamna milarcae It boasted a wingspan of 1.9 metres and likely glided through the water filter-feeding on plankton.

The shark lived from 93 million years ago until an extinction event 66 million years ago led to a decline in plankton in the oceans.

Flinders University palaeontologist John Long said the discovery shows the awesome plasticity of evolution in response to food sources. 

Murrayville farmer Trevor Wyatt is hoping to see a malleefowl chick this year after 60 years of supervising a nest on his family’s farm.

Wyatt was shown the nest at 6 years old and still supervises it now at 74.

Mallefowl hens lay 20 eggs yearly but only one survives to adulthood thanks to predators.

Chicks are able to fly within hours of hatching, meaning Wyatt has never seen a chick despite decades of caring for the birds. He hopes that this year that will change.

An Australian led initiative has published a document called the Declaration on the Rights of the Moon. The Declaration calls for the Moon to be regarded as "a sovereign natural entity in its own right” by giving it legal personhood, following real life examples like the Whanganui river in New Zealand, or the Atrato River basin in Colombia. 

This follows the socio-legal ‘rights of nature’ movement, which argues that nature has a right to exist and flourish, rather than be treated as property to be exploited by mankind.

The Mackay Hospital and Health Service opened a new free testing clinic for STIs. 

This initiative has been developed because the central Queensland region recorded its highest ever yearly numbers of gonorrhea and chlamydia in 2021, despite the ongoing pandemic. 

These STIs carry the unique challenge of often being largely symptomless, which can result in unknowing transmission. 

The testing clinic will be open every two weeks, and available to anyone over the age of fourteen.

The old ABC site in Toowong has been sold to Consolidated Property Group for $43 million dollars.

Maiwar state MP Michael Berkman has been urging council and state government to buy back the land since the federal government sold it to a developer in 2006. 

Berkman says this would be a good opportunity to convert the 1.5 hectare area into public parkland. The new developers assure they will do plenty of community consultation, and include green space in their plans. 

Townsville-based charity LiteHaus International has built 20 computer labs made from electronic trash for 20 Papua New Guinea schools in the Western Highlands Province. 

Now, 300 fully-recycled electronic devices are being sent to Papua New Guinea from Queensland. They will give 18,000 students access to e-learning for the first time.

LiteHaus International co-founder Josh Growden says LiteHaus hopes to ensure every single student in Papua New Guinea has access to digital learning tools.

A new report from the Coalition MPs called for places in hotel quarantine being reserved for incoming skilled migrant workers.  

Liberal MP Julian Leeser said Australians wanting to return home will still have priority, but skilled migrants should be next in line.

Labor Senator Ciccone said that while Australia should be celebrated as a migration nation, it is important that migrants do not displace Australians from local workplaces.

Chief executive of the Discover English college, Joanna Kelly, says the English language intensive course industry is suffering under COVID-19 border closures. Five English language colleges in Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay, and Cairns have permanently closed their doors.

The industry plays a critical role in allowing international students to improve their skills so they can start university and secure work.

Brett Blacker from English Australia says there will be widespread pain if JobKeeper and state-based rent moratoriums cease.