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A whale has been rescued after becoming trapped in shark nets off the coast of Noosa, marking the tenth time a whale has been trapped in Queensland this year.

Drone footage was captured of the tired humpback heavily ensnared in the nets off Noosa Main Beach by hobbyist drone pilot Tom Loubardi this morning, prompting a rescue mission.

Loubardi, who was called to the scene around 7am said seeing the trapped whale was incredibly distressing.

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"I was very sad, I am trying to record as much as I can because I love animals and I love whales a lot," he said.

"It's something you don't expect and don't want to see- it was a very sad moment."

Loubardi said he had seen another whale calf become trapped in the same shark net in October last year.

"I know these shark nets kill so many animals from turtles, dolphins, big fish- I don't think we need shark nets on the coast," he said.

"Everywhere in Australia has the same problem it's just killing wildlife and animals everywhere- not good."

Loubardi said the whale remained motionless after its rescue before swimming away.

"Who knows what the stress will make to the whale, very sad news," he said.

A spokesperson from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said rescue crews were able to free the whale around 9am this morning.

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"The Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol's Marine Animal Release Team (MART) was quickly on scene to unpick the net from the 8-metre whale's tail," the spokesperson said.

"This was the tenth activation for MART this year."

The incident is the latest in a series of entrapments this whale season, prompting renewed calls to address the risks of shark nets on Australian beaches.

Earlier this week, a juvenile humpback became trapped in shark nets off the coast of Currumbin, on the Gold Coast, before it was rescued by the Sea World rescue team.

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Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said the nets would not be removed until it was deemed safe to do so.

"Protection of human life will always come first under the Palaszczuk Government," he said.

"We continue to invest in innovation in the Shark Control Program, but we will make no changes unless we are convinced they can be safe and appropriate in Queensland conditions."

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The Victorian Government is set to face a class action over its alleged mismanagement of Victoria's COVID-19 hotel quarantine program following a Supreme Court ruling.

The class action is being led on behalf of Victorian businesses and seeks to force the government to pay for losses suffered during the state's second lockdown.

Victoria's second lockdown began in July 2020 after coronavirus spread from the state's quarantine hotels into the community.

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Victoria's Supreme Court Justice John Dixon today ruled the class action could proceed.

Lawyer Damian Scattini from Quinn Emanuel Trial Lawyers, who is leading the class action, is arguing a second lockdown could have been avoided if the "hotel quarantine program had been handled competently by the people in charge".

"When the Victorian Government decided to run a mandatory hotel quarantine program, it took on a duty to ensure it was managed properly," he said.

Scattini said the class action was representing tens of thousands of businesses that suffered financial loss because of Victoria's second lockdown.

"We are in the early stages and already, we've been inundated with calls and emails from thousands of business owners across Victoria, from hospitality and retail to fitness and beauty, who are desperate for help.

"One gym owner went from earning $10,000 a week to $50 a week. The lead plaintiff is a restaurant owner who, like many hospitality venues, had to pivot to a local take-away offering and was forced to cease dine in operations. These businesses are still struggling."

WorkSafe has already charged Victoria's health department with 58 breaches of the Occupation Health and Safety Act over the quarantine program.

The watchdog has alleged the Department of Health failed to provide a safe working environment for employees and non-employees and put them at risk.

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Retail giant Wesfarmers has recorded a drop in yearly profit but insists its brands are in prime position to capitalise on the cost of living crisis being felt across Australia.

The owner of Bunnings, Kmart and Target on Friday announced net profits after tax of $2.35 billion for the 2022 financial year, a drop of 2.9 per cent.

Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott put the slump down to disruptions caused by COVID-19, but pointed out the group's profits increased in the second half of the financial year after lockdowns around the country ended.

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"The group's financial results for the year reflect the material impact of COVID-19 on trading conditions during the first half which included weeks where almost half of the group's retail stores were either subject to trading restrictions or closed," Scott said.

"In the second half of the year, Wesfarmers delivered strong net profit after tax growth of 13.1 per cent… with trading conditions improving as restrictions were eased."

The group says it is primed to take advantage of shoppers looking for value as Australians feel the pressure of rising cost of living.

"The group's retail businesses are well positioned as cost of living pressures impact household budgets and value once again becomes increasingly important to customers," it said in a statement.

"The retail businesses will maintain their focus on meeting the changing needs of customers and delivering even greater value, quality and convenience."

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Kmart group, which also includes Target and online retailer Catch, had its revenue drop 3.5 per cent to $9.13 billion and earnings fall by 39.7 per cent to $418 million in 2022.

There was better news for Bunnings, whose revenue rose to $17.75 billion – a jump of 5.2 per cent.

The hardware giant's earnings also rose, up 0.9 per cent to $2.2 billion.

Officeworks, which also operates under the Wesfarmers umbrella, saw its earnings drop by 14.6 per cent to $181 million despite increased revenue of $3.17 billion, which was 4.6 per cent higher than in 2021.

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