Queensland borders open up to regional NSW, long delays anticipated

The Queensland border bubble has expanded with residents from 41 postcodes in Northern NSW now allowed to travel into the sunshine state.

Major delays are to be expected as more than 150,000 residents from NSW can now make the journey north and Queenslanders are now also permitted to travel to far Northern NSW.

Those travelling into their neighbouring state will no longer have to quarantine for 14 days at their own expense, granted they have not been to a Covid-19 hotspot within the last two weeks.

Tolls to be removed on Go Between Bridge during Brisbane metro construction

Tolls are to be removed on the Go Between Bridge when work begins to make the Victoria Bridge car-free in mid-2021.

The decision was announced as the state government finally reached an agreement with Brisbane City Council over the $1.2 billion Brisbane Metro busway project, with council and Transurban to foot the toll expenses. 

Tolls will be waived due to the Victoria Bridge construction diverting more motorists over to the Go Between bridge. 

DFAT error discloses email addresses of over 1000 Australians stranded overseas due to pandemic

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has sent an accidental email sharing the personal email addresses of over 1000 Australians who are still stuck overseas due to Covid-19.

DFAT officials have acknowledged the fault and recalled the original email while urging unintended recipients to delete it. 

The email had been issued to those wishing to apply for the Financial Hardship program however all recipients were not blind carbon copied, allowing the approximately 1200 email addresses to be visible to all who received it.

Victorian Government called upon to make bushfire warnings more accessible to non-English speakers

The Victorian Government is being called upon to offer their Vic Emergency app and its warnings in languages other than English as bushfire season approaches.

In the LOTE agency’s most recent study, significant failings were identified in the way bushfire information was delivered to people who did not speak or understand English well.

Emergency Management Victoria acknowledged that the Vic Emergency app is currently only available in English, with multicultural community leaders voluntarily stepping up to fill the gap until other languages are offered.

 

France announces gradual ban of wild animals in circuses and water parks

France’s environment minister has announced the gradual ban on using wild animals in travelling circuses, keeping dolphins and killer whales in marine park captivity and raising mink on fur farms.

The transition will be spread over several years with the French Government to offer an 8 million-euro package to assist people working in these industries in finding other jobs.

The new regulations will not apply to the use of wild animals in permanent shows or zoos. 

Fiji Prime Minister urges Australia to commit to greater climate change targets

Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has urged his ‘friend’ Scott Morrison to promise greater action to limit Australia's carbon emissions. 

Earlier this month, Scott Morrison refused to commit to a target of zero net emissions by 2050 - a goal adopted by all Australian states and the federal opposition.

Mr Bainimarama said clear targets were essential and not aimless, and backed by science with Fiji being one of the first countries to agree to the Paris Agreement to combat climate change.

Horatio Luna: Boom Boom

<p><span><span>- Horatio Luna (aka <strong>Henry Hicks</strong>) has just put out his latest release titled <em>Boom Boom</em>. An ever-on-the-hustle musician, he is a founding member of <strong>30/70</strong> and member of <strong>On-Ly</strong> (and probably some projects I’m not even aware of!).

JK-47: Made For This

<p><span><span>- First Nation’s hip hop in Australia has been soaring into the mainstream in recent years with the rise of artists like <strong>Baker Boy </strong>and <strong>Briggs </strong>with <strong>A.B. Original </strong>and now riding that wave with his own unique abilities and stories is the newly emerged, energetic MC from Tweed Heads, JK-47.</span></span></p>