A time-lapse photo of the night sky in a dark sky reserve in New Zealand. Photo: ANDREW KACIMAIWAI Sunshine Coast Council is moving forward with plans for a dark skies reserve in the hinterland with a draft light management plan. A dark sky reserve is a designated location whose clear night sky views are protected,…
A seal and pup crossing a road in New Zealand. Photo: NZ Department of Conservation Heads up to those driving around New Zealand (including tourists) – it’s seal silly season when young seals and sea lions are on the move and crossing roads. NZ’s Department of Conservation (DoC) and Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency are running…
Ipswich is facing a massive funding shortfall from state and federal governments. Photo: ANDREW KACIMAIWAI Ipswich ratepayers are to be charged a $55 infrastructure levy to make up for a billion-dollar shortfall in state and government funding. The levy is a part of Ipswich City Council’s 2025-26 Budget which will be handed down on July…
The Wallabies squad for the Test features a 20-16 split in favour of the forwards. Photo: @wallabies/X (Twitter) France-based lock Will Skelton is back in the Wallabies after coach Joe Schmidt named a 36-player squad to meet Fiji on July 6. The one-off match in Newcastle will serve as a warm-up for players before the…
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte talks to Anthony Albanese at the summit. Photo: NATO Australia and the European Union are to start talks on a new defence and security pact separate to any free trade agreement. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa agreed to the…
File photo …. Children in a refugee camp in Idlib, Syria. Photo: Ahmed Akacha /pexels.com The UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, says it is cutting global staffing numbers by 30% forced upon it by severe funding cuts. A UNCHR announcement says the cuts amount to letting go of almost half of all senior staff at its…
A 2023 marine heatwave in the North Atlantic was the equivalent of 20 years of warming, the study says. Photo: CSIRO A record-breaking marine heatwave in the North Atlantic Ocean in 2023 could very well prove to be a glimpse of the future, University of NSW scientists say. In a UNSW-led Nature study (see link…
Neither the US nor Australia have enough welders, says Weld Australia CEO Geoff Crittenden. Photo: Giomar Arango/www.pixabay.com A steadily deepening shortage of welders in Australia could very well sink the AUKUS submarine program – and not in the intended manner. The warning comes from Weld Australia, the national body for the welding industry. The AUKUS…
Footage of strikes this year have been released by Queensland Rail. To watch the video, click on the button at the bottom. Image: supplied For the second time this year, Qld Rail has gone public with a message to tall vehicle drivers to avoid striking rail bridges and protection beams. A new campaign is now…
Gig economy workers and content creators will be targeted this tax season, says the CPA. Stock photo: Anna Nekrashevich/www.pexels.com If you work a side-hustle in the gig economy and don’t pay tax, expect to get a tax bill this reporting season. That’s the word from Australia’s largest professional accounting body, CPA Australia, who say the…