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The deadline is 8pm on Monday 18 September.

You can enrol to vote or check your details here.

The quote
"I feel refreshed, I feel energised and I'm absolutely determined to lead the party and this government to the next election." – Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in a press conference yesterday, responding to questions over whether she’ll stay on as leader. The next Queensland election is in 2024.

The stat
77%
The proportion of Americans who think there should be a limit on how old you can be if you are an elected official (i.e. politician), according to a new survey by CBS.

Today in history
1959: The Soviet Union launched Luna 2, the first space probe to hit the moon.

Some headlines from this morning:

A bushfire four times the size of the ACT is burning through the Northern Territory, triggering a total fire ban for several parts of the territory.

The fire is burning across almost 10,000km of land east of the town of Tennant Creek, which is home to 3,000 people.

There are concerns it may cross a nearby river, which would make it a threat to Tennant Creek.

Further details:
The NT Government issued a ‘watch and act’ warning message to locals on Sunday evening, as threat levels rose over the day.

The firefighting effort is taking place next to the Stuart Highway, the main road running from Darwin to South Australia.

Residents have been told to avoid unnecessary travel, and be aware of lowered visibility and other safety risks when driving through this area.

El Niño:
Bushfire warnings are expected to be rife during the summer months, largely due to the emergence of an El Niño weather pattern that would bring hot and dry conditions.

On Saturday, the entire Northern Territory was declared a fire danger area until the end of summer.

This means any burning will require official approval before occurring, and all fires must be fully extinguished before being left.

The Greens have announced they will support Labor's major housing bill in exchange for an additional $1 billion in short-term funding for social housing.

Greens Housing Spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather had previously said the Greens would not vote for the policy unless they secured a commitment to a nationwide rent freeze.

The bill is now set to pass the Senate and become law.

The housing fund:
The Government's bill seeks to create a $10 billion investment fund to build social and affordable housing.

Social housing is housing delivered by state and territory governments and charities with some federal funding. Government figures indicate a large national shortage of social housing.

Affordable housing is housing offered for rent at below-market rates by for-profit companies or community organisations.

The fund would support the construction of both types of housing.

How it would work:
The $10 billion would not directly fund housing construction. Instead, it would be invested. The money would be managed by the Future Fund, a government-owned investment fund that effectively operates like any other investor.

Any return from investing the $10 billion would then go to fund housing construction, with a guaranteed $500 million per year. The government hopes this would fund 30,000 homes in the next five years.

The Future Fund already manages funds like this for medical research, natural disaster relief and disability support.

The politics:
The Coalition opposes the bill, arguing it is too expensive for taxpayers.

That means the Government needs the support of the Greens and at least two other Senators to pass the bill.

The Government already has the support of Senator David Pocock and the two Senators from the Jacqui Lambie network, so the bill will now pass with the Greens’ support.

What they said:
In a statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Housing Minister Julie Collins thanked the Greens for "constructive engagement over a number of months" and said the bill would "ensure more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home."

Chandler-Mather said he was "upset and angry" Labor had not agreed to a rent freeze but that the Greens would continue to push for one to be enacted.

Get all the news you need to know today in your ears on The Daily Aus podcast!

Australian Josh Giddey has been named one of the best young basketball players in the world.

The 20-year-old has been named the first-ever Wanda Rising Star of the Basketball World Cup. The title is given to the tournament’s most promising young player. When he’s not wearing the Boomers jersey, Giddey plays for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Are you someone who grabs a plastic bottle of water when you’re thirsty? Choosing bottled water on the regular can be a pricey and unsustainable way to hydrate.

When BRITA surveyed Australian households that mainly drink bottled water at home, they found these households collectively spend $3.9 million* daily on bottled water.

If this sounds like you, consider BRITA filtered water - to achieve that bottled water taste without the environmental and economic impacts. Check it out here.

*Figure based on 10% of Australian households who mainly drink bottled water at home consuming the recommended daily consumption of 2.5L per person purchasing the cheapest bottled water available at $0.60 per litre.

A city in the U.S. state of Texas is holding an ‘Ugliest Lawn Contest’ to incentivise residents to save water.

Johnson City Council will award Visa gift cards (between $US50 - $US150 in value) to three residents who send in photographic evidence of their unkempt and unwatered lawns.

The council, which uses groundwater pumped from an aquifer to provide water to the city, says: “Conservation measures implemented to protect this limited resource are extremely important, and we hope, in this case, a little fun!”

So fun! An ugly lawn! For $50!

P.S. The photo of Edward Scissorhands’ beautiful lawn sculpture may seem like an odd choice for a story about an ugly lawn contest. It just seemed like a good excuse to appreciate the under-appreciated lawns of Edward Scissorhands.

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