A young man has died after the car he was travelling in hit a kangaroo, and then swerved into a tree in Queensland.

The driver of the vehicle and two passengers had been travelling north on the Carnarvon Highway near St George, 500km west of Brisbane at around 2.30am.

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One of the passengers, a man in his 20s, died at the scene.

The driver and another passenger, both in their 20s, were transported to Saint George Hospital with minor injuries.

One man suffered chest pains and and cuts, and the another had injuries on his face.

The kangaroo died in the collision.

Police are investigating.

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A man has been charged after allegedly deliberately lighting a fire during violent protests at Old Parliament House in Canberra last week.

Police allege that the Victorian man – aged 30 – is partly responsible for lighting the fire last Thursday, December 30, that saw the entrance to the historic building go up in flames.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched a joint taskforce with ACT Policing to investigate the fire, which they allege was instigated by protesters.

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Significant damage was caused to the front of the building, with nearby protesters heard shouting "let it burn".

The 30-year-old has been charged with arson and damaging Commonwealth property.

He is expected to face the ACT Magistrates Court tomorrow.

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Today's arrest comes after three others were also arrested over the weekend, who faced court yesterday.

One was charged with three counts of assaulting a frontline service provider, another was charged with one count of assaulting a frontline service provider and a third was charged with hindering a Territory official.

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The protests were initially peaceful but soon escalated, with police having to use pepper spray on the crowds who became violent.

"It then got a little bit out of hand and then when ACT Police went to respond it was greatly exacerbated," Commander Linda Champion from ACT Police said.

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It is believed the protesters were part of an anti-vaccination group, however Commander Champion did not provide any details about them, pointing to the ongoing investigation.

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Anyone with information relating to the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Amy Staunton has been remembered as a "beautiful" and "caring" soul days after the 17-year-old drowned after falling off a houseboat in South Australia.

A desperate search was sparked for Ms Staunton after she fell overboard into the Murray River and failed to resurface on New Year's Eve.

Police recovered her body south of Swan Reach, near to where she fell in the following afternoon.

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Ms Staunton's sister Emily posted a tribute to the talented horse rider.

"My beautiful little sister left this world and became an angel," she wrote.

"Our world has been turned upside down and I refuse to believe this is real.

"We will never stop loving you Amy. ️Forever young baby girl."

Ms Staunton's mentor and work manager Heather Currie, owner of Danson Dressage based in Birdwood, said she was caring teen who loved looking after horses.

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"Amy's daily smiling face, her energy and enthusiasm her potential her love and care for the horses will be deeply missed by everyone here at Danson Dressage," she wrote on Facebook.

"We lost an angel".

Ms Staunton's death is just one in a spate of drownings over the holiday period.

At least eight people have died in Australia in the first couple of days in 2022.

A father died in Queensland yesterday after jumping into a waterfall to save his son who fell into the torrent.

A man also died after a rock fishing accident near Wollongong, south of Sydney yesterday.

The body of a 15-year-old boy was also been recovered in the Shoalhaven River west of Nowra, New South Wales, after he went missing on New Year's Eve.

A seven-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man have died in two separate suspected drowning incidents across Victoria.