Category: Queensland

Floods Tipped to Peak in State Border Towns in Australia

Locals in the town of Goondiwindi in Queensland’s southwest are anxiously awaiting their biggest flood in a decade as waters threaten levee banks. The Macintyre River is at major flood levels and has now reached 10.4 metres. It is expected to peak at around this level late on Saturday morning, below the 2011 flood peak…


‘Extremely Serious’: Australian State Committee Calls for Inquiry Into Corruption Watchdog

A Queensland parliamentary committee has asked the Queensland government to order a royal commission into the state’s corruption watchdog after it found the commission exceeded its powers and showed bias in matters surrounding the Logan City Council. The bipartisan committee on Dec. 2 handed down a report that found the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC)…


Teachers at Australian School Take Leave Over Vaccine Mandate

The Queensland Education Department (QED) has confirmed that Glenwood State School is making arrangements to ensure the continuity of learning for its students after reports that the majority of its teachers have taken leave from their jobs ahead of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. It is alleged that four teachers in a school of only…


Major Flooding in Australia Kills Two Men and Forces Hundreds to Flee

A man has died when his car was swept up in floodwaters in the Australian state of Queensland amid rising rivers and widespread flooding that has forced the evacuation of whole townships. But meteorologists and authorities have warned the worst may be yet to come as some rivers are not expected to peak until later…


Queensland Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations in More Sectors

The Australian state of Queensland has mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for more sectors, including workers at public and private schools, early childhood centres, correctional centres, youth detention facilities, and airports. “We are taking this strong action to protect vulnerable Queenslanders. It is action that is consistent with other states and territories such as New South Wales…


Queensland Renewable Targets Lacking Clarity: Report

The Queensland Audit Office (QAO) has recommended the state government improve transparency and accuracy in public reporting on its transition to renewable energy sources after finding that some calculations of its progress were inaccurate and its renewables target was not clearly defined. Renewable energy currently makes up about 18 percent of Queensland energy generated but the…


Queensland Backtracks on PCR Certificate Rule For Travellers

Australians will no longer be required to pay about $150 for a PCR test certificate to show upon entry to the state of Queensland after days of confusion while the rule was challenged by federal and state politicians. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said Tuesday that Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had caused “unnecessary stress” for…


Politicians Pressure Queensland Over PCR Tests Rules for Border Crossing

Australian federal and state politicians have put pressure on the Queensland state government to reconsider its new PCR test rules for domestic travellers wishing to enter the state once domestic borders reopen. Until 90 percent of Queenslanders are double vaccinated—which is expected in January 2022—the state has declared that travellers from all interstate hotspots must…


Australian State Racks up $5 Million in COVID-19 Fines

The Queensland government has racked up AU$5.2 million of COVID-19 related fines, with a portion of individuals or businesses facing enforcement measures such as suspension of their driver’s licence and garnishing of their wages. According to a Queensland Treasury statement issued to The Epoch Times, as of Sept. 30, the government has issued 3,046 infringements…


Quarantine Free International Arrivals Needed ‘As Soon as Possible’: Queensland Tourism Industry Body

Tourism operators in Queensland are excited that the state will be reopening its interstate border to those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after 18 months of disruption, according to the state’s peak tourism industry body. “We’re very keen to get this really important industry going again,” Daniel Gschwind, Chief Executive of Queensland Tourism…