Law & order

A Barkers Vale man and woman have been arrested and charged with importation of cocaine. NSW Police arrested the 33 year old man and 31 year old woman following investigations into an organised crime syndicate operating between NSW and Queensland.

A well-respected Warumungu elder was bestowed the Fitzgerald Justice Award in the 2021 Northern Territory Human Rights Awards recently. John Fitz Jakamarra was nominated for his dedication to being a community mentor to the welfare, wellbeing and reintegration of local people in the Barkly community ... An NT Shelter spokesperson said John is committed to supporting to those who have been impacted or at risk of being impacted by the justice system.

Australia has secured an emphatic World Trade Organization (WTO) win against India’s price-distorting sugar production supports and export subsidies a WTO Panel found that India had export subsidies in place which were prohibited under trading rules and it recommended their removal. The Panel also found that India’s levels of sugarcane price supports had consistently exceeded permitted levels.

The federal government has released draft legislation on the reinsurance pool for cyclones and related flood damage which could bring down costs for Cape York residents ...Member for Leichardt Warren Entsch said it was anticipated more than 500,000 residential, strata and small business property insurance policies in northern Australia were expected to be eligible to be covered by the reinsurance pool.

Earlier this year, Rockhampton Regional Council and Queensland Police Service Rockhampton stood united in support of women’s safety by endorsing a locally run initiative – the OzAngel program. Designed to provide businesses with support and resources, OzAngel offers patrons a discreet way to raise the alarm when they feel unsafe in bars, clubs and hotels.

Dancing broke out at the Cairns Courthouse last week after the Federal Court recognised the Kuuku Ya’u and Uutaalnganu people’s Native Title rights to more than 210,000 hectares of land in Cape York. It was a major milestone for the Cape York Land Council’s United #1Claim, which covers more than half of all land on the Peninsula.

Mark Knowles. Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance chair Robbie Sands has written an open letter to PM Scott Morrison, calling on him to stop a bill that would require voters to show ID before casting their ballot as it would discriminate against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in remote communities by limiting their right to vote if they cannot produce ID ... Outspoken North Queensland MP Bob Katter said he was against the proposed changes.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has today taken aim at the Animal Justice Party (AJP) for recklessly threatening the future of the state’s invaluable fishing industry. Mr Marshall said he would not entertain the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Aquatic Animal Recognition) Bill 2021 tabled before Parliament by the radical group.

Peter Rutherford. The Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and other outlets published an article regarding a freedom of information (FOI) request lodged by the South East Timber Association on 28 April 2021. The initial request was for emails and letters between Professor David Lindenmayer and 17 journalists and 4 other parties ... It is flattering that the named journalists and Professor Lindenmayer are so overwhelmed by the FOI request that they have made a national news story. As every single exchange between the Professor and the journalists has been redacted, what is the point of the story?

Renewable energy and renewable timber may soon be produced side-by-side, with the passage today of legislation to enable clean energy developments such as wind energy to be established in State forest pine plantations. NSW Parliament passed amendments to the Forestry Act 2012 as part of the Energy Legislation Amendment Bill to facilitate the opportunity to establish renewable energy infrastructure in State forest pine plantations.

Kendall Jennings. The trio of councillors said the Zoom meetings have been difficult from their residences due to service connectivity and wanted to use the council offices for the scheduled meetings for the day. However, the councillors have been told that the offices are not a working space because there is no disability access, and to use the space would be against the anti-discrimination act.

From 1 November 2021, owners of short-term rental accommodation (STRA) will be required to register their properties with the NSW Government and will no longer require Council planning approval.

More than 100,000 acres of pastoral land in Cape York has been lit up by a fire bug on the Peninsula Developmental Road ... “The cost is astronomical. Not only do the domestic herd of cattle now need to be fed, but we’ve lost carbon credits and been pulled away from our regular work looking after the environment. There's also a massive psychological cost when it comes to fighting fires": Sally Gray, Piccaninny Plains.

A boat used repeatedly for illegal black market fishing on the Sunshine Coast and seized by fisheries officers is being sold to the highest bidder at auction.

Delivering on our commitment to crossbench Members of Parliament, a new pandemic-specific part of the  Public Health and Wellbeing Act  2008  will be legislated to embed lessons learnt managing COVID-19, incorporate best practice public health administration from other jurisdictions like New Zealand, and introduce greater transparency and accountability around decision-making.

A brainchild of Weipa Community Care, the banners on Central Avenue were erected to send a message about domestic violence and sexual violence ... Weipa Community Care support worker Lucy Waugh said domestic and family violence, as well as sexual violence, was too high in Cape York. “We need to change the thinking about what a healthy relationship is,” she said.

WA Forestry Minister Dave Kelly has introduced a Bill to amend the Forest Products Act 2000, which will allow the Forest Products Commission (FPC) to trade in carbon assets ... Carbon capture or sequestration in trees such as renewable pine plantations, is one of the most effective ways to remove carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases causing climate change, from the atmosphere.