Millions of dollars worth of crops are being left to rot as labour shortages sweep across Queensland's agricultural industry. 

A reliance in backpacker labour over the past few years has meant border restrictions have left many farms across the state without pickers. 

There are roughly 7000 unfilled vacancies across the state. The use of backpacker labour has come under some scrutiny with the farmworkers union claiming a preference for cheap foreign worker labour has led to the labour shortage. 

The president of the Land Court excuses herself from coal mine hearings saying her personal views could affect the proceedings.

The legal battle over the New Acland coal mine about 130 kilometres west of Brisbane is re-entering land courts this month, bringing the New Hope energy company into its fourteenth year of attempts to expand the mine. 

Land Court President Fleur Kingham says it would be inappropriate for her to be involved beyond managing the case to a new hearing.

The Gold Coast’s growing property market has seen unprecedented vacancy rates beginning to overwhelm crisis accommodation. 

Vacancy rates have fallen below one percent and property prices have grown by more than 16% following a surge of interstate migration. 

One report from Australian Council of Social Services found that there was an inadequate supply of social housing, with over 3300 people on the Gold Coast housing register waitlist. 

Over 30 organisations are asking the Prime Minister to include mandatory accessibility standards in the national construction code.

The Building Better Homes campaign is tackling the current voluntary accessibility standards, stating the standards adopted over a decade ago are failing people with disability.

"Recognise that the volunteer process hasn’t worked and put this into the building code," said Former Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes.

China’s broadcasting regulator has removed BBC News from the air, citing “serious content violation”; with China accusing the BBC of undermining ‘national interests.’

Tensions have been rising since last December after the BBC produced a report surrounding the forced labour of ethic Uighur people in China with Chinese state media calling the report ‘fake news’.

The news comes a week after Britain’s media regulator removed a State-run Chinese channel from British television due to licensing issues.
 

A proposed Primary School in Brisbane’s inner western suburbs has locals concerned over safety issues. 

The proposed school would be only 500 metres away from the existing Indooroopilly State High School: raising concerns over traffic congestion in the area. 

Education Minister Grace Grace has stated this is just "one possible location", with public consultation ongoing until the end of the month. 

The new school will be the first built in the inner-western suburbs in over 60 years. 

World first laws that would force Google and Facebook to pay media organisations for their content are set to be legislated in the coming weeks. 

Representatives from Google and Facebook have stated the proposed bill could make operations in Australia financially unviable. 

With Facebook saying they will have no option but to outright remove the sharing of news from its platform in Australia.  

The news media bargaining code could be debated in the Senate as early as this Tuesday.
 

The community is set to organise outside the Kangaroo Point Central Hotel in support of the refugee men indefinitely detained there.

About 80 asylum seekers and refugees in need of medical treatment have been detained at the hotel, which is being used as an alternative place of detention.

Faith non-profit Love Makes A Way will hold a public vigil on Walmsley and Main St, Kangaroo Point from 4:30pm, this Sunday 13th.