The Australian Tax Office’s Second Commissioner, Jeremy Hirschhorn, has revealed the agency is still owed several hundreds of millions of dollars from Jobkeeper recipient companies that were declared ineligible, were overpaid, or attempted to rort the payments. 

Since Jobkeeper’s inception, over $80 billion in payments have been made. 

The Serious Financial Crime Taskforce is currently overseeing five JobKeeper related cases, with two more such cases under consideration for acceptance.

The Myanmar military has reportedly murdered seventy civilians since staging a coup in February.

United Nations human rights investigations reveal concerns of growing evidence of crimes against humanity being committed by the new military regime.

More than two thousand people have been unlawfully detained, with evidence emerging of the use of torture.

The military have been clashing with protestors across Myanmar since the military deposed the elected government of Aung Suu Kyi on February 1st.

49 Queensland suburbs are under high alert after wastewater testing found fragments of the COVID-19 virus in water treatment facilities. 

Fragments have been detected in Cairns North, Marlin Coast, Fairfield and Mackay South, covering a catchment area of 49 suburbs. 

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young urges anyone with symptoms to get tested, no matter how mild.

North Queensland mother Chloe Wilson has begun a petition asking the Whitsundays Regional Council to consider a rebate program for the purchase of reusable nappies.

Wilson said that the initial cost of modern cloth nappies prevents parents from choosing them.

It is estimated one million nappies have gone to landfill in the Whitsundays. Each will take up to five hundred years to break down.

The Whitsundays Regional Council said it will raise the issue at a regional waste management meeting later this month.

The England and Wales court of appeal passed a landmark ruling yesterday that strengthens overseas third party workers’ protections against international corporations.

The case involves London-based shipping company Maran, which sends its old vessels to be demolished in South Asia. 

The practice exploits South Asian countries’ weak regulations while distancing the shipping company from liability, at least until now.

The European Parliament has declared the European Union an LGBTIQ freedom zone in retaliation against Polish politicians labelling themselves as ‘LGBT ideology free zones’. 

The resolution states that LGBTIQ people in Europe have the right to enjoy the freedom to publicly show their sexual orientation without discrimination.

Four hundred and ninety two members of the European Parliament supported the resolution, one hundred and forty one voted against, and forty six abstained.

In national news, New South Wales health has announced that new rules will apply for people arriving from New Zealand starting today.

People who have visited Auckland in the past fourteen days will not have to stay in hotel quarantine if they are tested for COVID-19 after arriving in New South Wales.

They are still required to self-isolate until a negative result is achieved.

New South Wales health says they will follow up arrivals whose test results are not recorded to inform them of their obligations.

In local news, the Sunshine Coast Council has announced plans to investigate sites for natural burials within existing cemeteries.

A natural burial occurs when an individual is buried without using chemicals to embalm the body.

It also typically involves the use of a biodegradable coffin.

Native trees are used in place of headstones and the body’s location is recorded using GPS.

Councillor Winston Johnson says the council’s process includes liaising with local funeral directors to ensure the natural burial offerings meet both community and cultural needs.

Woodford Folk festival will announce in July whether they will be cancelling for a second year in a row. 

The bush-time event meant to be held in January of this year was also cancelled due to the three day lockdown in Brisbane with organisers having to refund 740 tickets. 

Woodfordia Incorporated is currently funding their remaining staff through COVID-19 arts grants from both the Queensland and Federal Governments.

Organizers are concerned the ending of job-keeper at the end of the month will see further job cuts.