Plastics are well known as poor conductors of electricity and find many applications in industries and households as insulators. But now scientists have claimed that they have prepared a new class of plastic material that conducts electricity similar to metals.

Scientists placed a thin film of metal on a plastic sheet. They mixed it with polymer surface using an ion beam. In this experiment, researchers found that the material well conducted electricity. Research was done by an international team of scientists.

The ongoing construction and earthwork to protect the Great Barrier Reef is damaging the wetland. According to the authority of Queensland the heavy impact earthworks in the catchment of reef's wetlands will now be scrutinized. This has to done with proper with proper planning and development and to be executed well as per the plan.

Eleventh hour talks between the authorities over the Queensland land dispute issues are taking place.

Meanwhile, the Queensland government has said that a debate in the Parliament will take place. The issue is about making amendments in the land valuation laws of Queensland.

These talks have already been delayed by a fortnight.

Experts believe that as per the proposed tax rates, the property owners will have to shell out no less that $ 1,500 every year. For the large owners, the increase would be even higher.

Marijuana smokers are at a definite risk of developing schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms in their teens compared to adults.

After an observational research conducted upon 3800 youngsters by the Researchers from Queensland Brain Institute, at the University of Queensland, they discovered that the ones who used the drug for six or more years were twice as likely to suffer from delusional disorders as those who never used it.

Brisbane, Jan 5 : Ana Ivanovic won her first match since mid-August as the Serb defeated Australian Jelena Dokic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 Monday to start with a welcome victory at the Brisbane International.

Ivanovic, a former French Open champion who briefly stood number one in the world after that 2008 triumph on clay, thwarted the hopes of the host nation and 2009 Australian Open quarter-finalist Dokic.

Like Ivanovic, the Serb-born Dokic had suffered through a poor 2009, fighting off injury and illness for much of the year.

Brisbane, Jan 4  : Top seed Andy Roddick gave his October knee injury a solid test Monday, firing 15 aces in a first-round defeat of Australian Peter Luczak 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 at the Brisbane International.

The American, playing in Australia for only the second time outside of the January Open, was joined as a winner by second seed Radek Stepanek. The veteran Czech out put Australian John Millman 6-4, 6-0.

Roddick has said that his knee injury is still not 100 percent but he expects to be fit for the Grand Slam start Jan 18 in Melbourne.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has recommended at least 9 per cent hike in power prices in Queensland. AER recently released a draft submitted by Energex and Ergon Energy, the two leading power distributors of the province. It maintains that power price hike is a need of the hour given to increase in cost of electricity distribution and in order to ensure better supply network for consumers. Queensland Energy Minister Stephen Robertson added that the draft is currently under review and most likely to be accepted as it is. The minister added, "Nobody likes to see prices rise.

Queensland, June 29 : In an analysis done by a leading Australian newspaper, it has formulated a plan which has suggested different methods to the Australian squad for winning the historic Ashes series this year.

The Courier-Mail in its analysis titled "ABC of how Australia can win the Ashes", bewares the English side of its plan.

It has `A for Alderman', where it gives advice to fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus to emulate Alderman''s methods of bowling impeccably aimed away swingers and off-cutters.

Latest study conducted by Professor Rebekah Russell-Bennett and Dr. Larry Neale from the Queensland University of Technology reveals that social networking platform Facebook is popular among males and females differently. They use various applications such as 'Superpoke', 'Mousehunt' and 'Scrabble' in different manner to interact on internet.

As per the media reports, Santos has expressed that an agreement to sell 2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its Gladstone plant, in central Queensland, is a major milestone for the project.  

Santos Gladstone LNG president Rick Wilkinson said that a guaranteed sales agreement is required for a project of this size to progress.

He further said that the gas will be sold to the Malaysian firm, Petronas.

He said, “We are well passed half-way - this is, as I said, an essential part for us.”

Sydney, May 2: An Aussie town in Queensland is holding its fifth pub-crawl hoping to earn a place in the Guinness world record for being the world’s largest.

Maryborough in Queensland had in 2005 taken the “honour” and then lost it to London in 2006, then reclaimed it again in 2007 and 2008 with a record-breaking 3000 crawlers, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Melbourne, Mar 13: Tropical Tourism North Queensland has kicked off a new raunchy campaign with bikini babes and wet T-shirt competitions to boost their backpackers market.

According to The Courier Mail, once dumped in favour of politically correct images of the reef and rainforest, tourism leaders are back promoting sex and sun to attract tourists.

A raunchy new website "Gotta Love the Wet Season" shows the weekly wet T-shirt competitions of the Cairns party scene.

Brisbane, Mar. 12: Queensland fast bowler Ben Laughlin, who has taken 20 wickets at an average of 15.85 to guide his team to the Ford Ranger Cup final, has been called into the Australian squad for the Twenty20 and one-day clashes with South Africa.

Laughlin, 26, snared 3-25 in the final as Queensland stunned hot favourite Victoria.

"Ben has had an extremely good summer for Queensland and was instrumental in their one-day final victory," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said.

"Ben will add to the versatility of the Australian bowling line up as we continue to look at options progressing forward to the 2011 World Cup."

Brisbane, Feb. 11 : Queensland Government officers failed to check a vital piece of information that may have prevented Indian-born Doctor Jayant Patel from being employed in Queensland, a court has been told.

Dr. Patel a. k. a. Dr. Death is facing 14 charges including three of manslaughter relating to his time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and
2005.

Ainslie McMullen was working as a low-level officer with the Health Practitioners Registration Board in early 2003 when Patel''s application came across her desk.

The Brisbane Magistrates Court today was told that on Dr Patel''s application was a note stating a public order had been made against the 58-year-old doctor in the US.

Recent research revealed that culture of open-plan offices has adverse effect on the health of people working in there. Researchers led by Dr. Vinesh Oommen of Queensland University found that 90% of workers in the ubiquitous corporate space reported adverse health and psychological effects, as well as higher turnover.

Dr. Vinesh Oommen said: "Employees face a multitude of problems such as the loss of privacy, loss of identity, low work productivity, various health issues, overstimulation and low job satisfaction when working in an open plan work environment."

Brisbane, Dec. 30 : Police in Brisbane have charged the boyfriend of a 24-year-old Indian origin girl with the 2003 murders of the Singh siblings.

Max Sica has been charged with the murders of Neelma, 24, Sidhi, 12, Kunal Singh, 18.

They were found dead in a hot spa in the family''s luxury Brisbane home on April 22, 2003. Their parents, Shirley and Vijay Singh, were away on business in Fiji at the time.

Sica, 38, who was the boyfriend of Neelma Singh, was the first to raise the alarm about the killings in Bridgeman Downs, in Brisbane''s northern suburbs.

Homicide detectives arrested him at his home in Stafford this morning, before being taken to the Brisbane Watchhouse.

Brisbane, Dec. 1 : Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has said she would take steps to ensure that David Coker, one of the Australians trapped by terrorists in Mumbai, is nominated for an Australian Bravery Award.

"From everything I''ve seen and read, this young man showed remarkable calm under extraordinary pressure, acted selflessly to protect his girlfriend and deserves recognition for that bravery," Bligh told the Townsville Bulletin.

Sydney woman Kate Anstee, 24, and her Townsville boyfriend David Coker, 23, had been in Mumbai only a day, when a bullet broke Anstee''s femur and exited through the front of her thigh.

Queensland, Aug 25 : Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has said that she was not aware of adoptions of stolen Indian children during her term as Child Safety Minister.

Bligh said the Queensland Government was assisting in the investigation but she could not recall concerns about child stealing during her time as Child Safety Minister.

“Not to the best of my recollection, but there is material being gathered by the department about the child concerned so there may well be something that I don''t recall, but as you''ll appreciate it is a long time ago,” she said.

News. com. au quoted Bligh as saying that she did not wish to speculate about the validity of the adoption, should the case go to court.