Ash Barty at today's press conference Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today thanked Queensland tennis ace Ash Barty for her inspirational contribution to world tennis and women’s sport. “On behalf of all Queenslanders I congratulate Ash Barty on an incredible career and wish her well with whatever she chooses to do next,” the Premier said. “Ash has been a true champion on and off the court and an exceptional role model who has done us all proud. “From Ipswich and the western suburbs of Brisbane all the way to the world stage, we thank her for inspiring us all to be our best. “While Ash doesn’t want a statue, we are working on a way that will pay tribute to her and her career and perhaps give future generations the opportunity to follow in her footsteps.” Queensland Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Ash Barty is a once-in-a-generation tennis great who has encouraged countless young Queensland and Australian women to strive to be their best in the sport of their choice. “As the ...

Render of Kogan Renewable Photo State of Queensland Construction of a renewable hydrogen plant expected to fuel heavy transport in Queensland’s Western Downs is expected to start in the next six months creating more jobs and more industry for Queenslanders. The Palaszczuk Government will provide $28.9 million towards a renewable hydrogen demonstration plant and refuelling facilities on the Western Downs as part of Queensland’s plan for economic recovery that will support the state’s ambitions to become hydrogen and renewable superpower. Publicly owned CS Energy has appointed IHI Engineering Australia (a subsidiary of IHI Corporation Japan) to construct the Kogan Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant near Chinchilla, with work to start on site in six months. CS Energy’s plans for an associated refuelling network in South West Queensland are in the development phase. Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said the government would provide $28.9 million towards the p...

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you.  Thanks, everyone, for joining.  I just — at the top, I want to say, you know, incredibly sorry for the delay today.  We really try for this not to ever happen.  And just some scheduling and logistical challenges today put us a little bit back.  So, again, true apologies, and we know how important your time is. So, that being said, you know, welcome to the call.  This call is on the background.  It is attributable to a “senior administration official.”  And this call is embargoed until the end of the call. For your awareness and not for reporting, the speaker on this call is [senior administration official].  And with that, I’ll turn it over to you to give some remarks, and then we’ll take some questions.  Thanks, again, everyone. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, [senior administration official].  And I’ll just reiterate: Everybody, thanks for your patience today.  A...

  The floods affecting Australia’s eastern seaboard are a “ 1 in 1,000-year event ”, according to New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet. But that’s not what science, or the insurance industry, suggests. Throughout Australia in areas prone to fires, cyclones and floods, home owners and businesses are facing escalating insurance costs as the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increase with the warming climate. Premiums have risen sharply over the past decade as insurers count the cost of insurance claims and factor in future risks. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published this week, predicts global warming of 1.5℃ will lead to a fourfold increase in natural disasters. Rising insurance premiums are creating a crisis of underinsurance in Australia. In 2017 the federal government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate insurance affordability in northern Australia, where destructive st...

Indigenous arts  Image by  Tim Lin  from  Pixabay   Seven First Nations artists and organisations will share in almost $400,000 of funding in the latest round of the Palaszczuk Government’s First Nations Commissioning Fund. Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the First Nations Commissioning Fund has supported the development of exciting new works that celebrate the stories of two of the longest continuous living cultures in the world, through authentic Indigenous arts and cultural experiences. “This fund further develops connections for future generations, creates employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers, and enables Queenslanders to experience and engage in diverse works by First Nations artists,” Minister Enoch said.  “The funding is investing in new works and experiences across theatre, dance, fashion, visual arts, community cultural arts, and also an innovative app by Gabba Musik who will partner w...

Office Workers Image by  sigre  from  Pixabay   The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.0 per cent in February 2022, the lowest unemployment rate since August 2008, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).  Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said: “With employment increasing by 77,000 people and unemployment falling by 19,000, the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points, to 4.0 per cent. “This is the lowest unemployment rate since August 2008 and only the third time in the history of the monthly survey when unemployment was as low as 4.0 per cent (February 2008, August 2008, February 2022).  Lower unemployment rates occurred in the series before November 1974, when the survey was quarterly. "The 3.8 per cent unemployment rate for women was the lowest since May 1974. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for men fell to 4.2 per cent, its second-lowest level since November 2008 and just abo...

The Andrews Labor Government is backing a processing facility in western Victoria to become one of Australia’s newest producers of plant-based meat, while boosting local jobs. Australian Eatwell has created 11 full-time jobs through the project, including roles in management, maintenance, quality control production and logistics. The company has cemented its position as a major employer in Donald, now employing 40 full-time staff. The project includes the installation of new equipment, including a packaging system and chiller to store vegan meat at the site. Australian Eatwell has also expanded its staff areas and increased the number of employees since the project was completed. With the new production plant up and running, the company is now selling plant-based mince and sausages to supermarkets across the country directly from Donald along with its organic tofu, vegetable burgers and soy cheese products. Established in 1993, A...

Women in the Grocery store Image by  Architect and artist  from  Pixabay     Russia and Ukraine between them account for almost a quarter of the world’s wheat exports. Russia and Ukraine are also big exporters of maize (corn), barley, and other grains that much of the world relies on to make food. Wheat alone accounts for an estimated 20% of human calorie consumption. Since the start of February, as war became more likely, the grains and oilseed price index compiled by the International Grains Council has jumped 17%. The big drivers have been jumps of 28% in the price of wheat , 23% in the price of maize and 22% in the price of barley . Russia and Ukraine account for one fifth of the world’s barley exports. Maize is a common substitute for wheat and barley. Russia and Ukraine are also enormous producers of sunflower oil, between them accounting for around 70% of global exports. Among the world’s biggest wheat importers are Egy...

Anti-tank missile Ukraine’s allies have sent some 17,000 anti-tank weapons into the battlefield, in a bid to help fighters bog down the Russian offensive. The stockpile includes at least 2,000 NLAW (Next Generation Light Antitank Weapon) missiles from the United Kingdom, 100 NLAWs from Luxembourg , and several hundred Javelin missiles from the United States and Estonia . The NLAW and Javelin are some of the most advanced man-portable anti-tank missiles available. Both are relatively lightweight, shoulder-fired missiles which – although they won’t completely turn the tide of the war – have so far proven valuable in what is otherwise a highly asymmetrical conflict. So how do the missiles work? And what makes them so helpful for Ukraine’s defence? What are anti-tank missiles? Portable anti-tank missiles are specifically designed to destroy main battle tanks, which are more heavily armoured than other types of armoured vehicles (such as armoured personnel carriers, for instance...