Stradbroke Island hopes to bring back tent camping

Stradbroke Island businesses called for the end of a tent ban at three camp grounds following the easing of camping restrictions across the state.

From 1:00AM Saturday the four-per-site limit on campers, which was introduced on February 25th, will be lifted.

The island's camping administration, Minjerribah Camping, said they will likely meet next Tuesday to discuss the best course of action.

Local businesses hope the grounds can be open for tents in time for the Easter long weekend, to help combat tourism operators' continued struggle with declining revenue.

Audio of NASA rover undertaking geologist tasks released

NASA has released an audio recording of its Perseverance rover blasting rocks with a laser. Researchers use the data from the rover’s SuperCam to learn about the composition of Martian rock.

The rover aims to head to an ancient river delta to collect rocks that will one day be brought to Earth. Its next steps include releasing an experimental helicopter named Ingenuity to scope the area.

 

Country Liberal Party failed to report electoral donations

The Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC) found that the Country Liberal Party (CLP) failed to report almost $90 000 in electoral donations by the required deadline.

The review said the CLP's accountant excluded receipts under $1500, while the law requires the total of all receipts to be reported.

CLP president Jamie DeBrenni said the party responded to the electoral commission soon after the report’s publication to fulfill the requirements to a satisfactory standard.

 

Evasive quoll discovered in Logan

After ten years of reported sightings with no concrete evidence, the endangered spotted quoll has been discovered in Logan.

Flora and fauna surveyors found and analysed scat, which turned out to contain quoll hair. 

The presence of quoll populations could improve the conservation value of land, which would impact what development options are available to local landholders

Developer AV Jennings seeks extension from Ipswich City Council

Developer AV Jennings is seeking an extension from Ipswich City Council for the approval of a residential development proposed at Deebing Creek. 

The original approvals, granted in 2018, would be valid until the end of this year, but development has been delayed due to objections from traditional land owners regarding the presence of ancient burial sites on the sacred land. 

AV Jennings seeks an extension to 2025. 

Queenslanders warned about cyber scams surrounding COVID-19 Vaccines

Security firm Mimecast is warning Queenslanders about the increase in potential cyber scams involving the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. 

The warning follows reports cyber criminals are sending fake vaccine booking messages to steal personal information and cash from victims.

Mimecast’s cybersecurity expert, Garrett O’Hara, says it’s important to check links before clicking them to ensure they come from official sources. 

 

Security experts warn of vaccine booking scams

Security firm Mimecast has warned Queenslanders about the increase in potential cyber scams involving the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. 

The warning has followed reports that cyber criminals are sending fake vaccine booking messages to steal personal information and cash from victims.

Mimecast’s cybersecurity expert, Garrett O’Hara, said it’s important to check links before clicking them to ensure they come from official sources. 

"Events like this are a perfect storm," O'Hara said.

Uber and Lyft to share data on deactivated drivers

In the United States, rideshare companies Uber and Lyft have announced they will be sharing data with each other, regarding drivers deactivated for serious crime offences, such as sexual or physical assault, and murder. 

The collaboration is called the Industry Safety Sharing Project, and will be administered by a third party.

Uber and Lyft have invited other US rideshare companies to join the project.

 

ATO owed hundreds of millions of dollars in JobKeeper repayments

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.