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The commission that exposed Gladys Berejiklian's secret love life at the peak of her popularity will deliver its report into the former NSW premier's relationship with an ex-MP.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Thursday morning will table the long-awaited report in the NSW parliament, more than 600 days after public hearings ended.

The report is expected to be published online minutes later.

ICAC had investigated whether Ms Berejiklian breached public trust by failing to disclose her long-time personal relationship with then-MP Daryl Maguire while treasurer and premier.

The commission's inquiry began as a probe into possible corrupt conduct by Mr Maguire but expanded to Ms Berejiklian after she was compelled to reveal the relationship in public hearings in 2020.

She denied wrongdoing and retained office, only to step down when ICAC in late-2021 began investigating her conduct.

Even after the relationship was exposed, Ms Berejiklian held onto widespread public support, with net approval ratings of more than 35 per cent.

After quitting office in October 2021, she turned down an opportunity to run for federal parliament and moved into the private sector as an Optus executive.

The Minns government on Wednesday backed a parliamentary committee's call for ICAC to develop its own time standards and measure its performance against them.

"(The changes) will increase transparency and public accountability of the ICAC's reporting functions without imposing inflexible restrictions on the ICAC," the government said.

Delays in the release of the ICAC report into Ms Berejiklian and Ms Maguire have been criticised.

The commission has said delays were caused by complex legal issues and copious submissions.

© AAP 2023

Scientists have developed a vaccine to protect farmed saltwater crocodiles from a disfiguring virus threatening northern Australia's multi-million dollar leather industry.

The Australian saltwater crocodile is the largest in the world and produces high-quality leather treasured by the most exclusive international fashion houses.

Worth more than $100 million a year, the commercial viability of the industry has been under threat by the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.

Outbreaks of the West Nile virus increase in high rainfall years and cause blemishes and lesions, damaging the potential value of the skins which fetch more than $US9 a centimetre.

Scientists from the University of Queensland have developed a vaccine to protect the industry from the devastating disease.

"Crocs infected with the local strain of WNV, known as Kunjin virus, develop small skin lesions called pix, which renders their hide unsaleable," Dr Jody Hobson-Peters said.

Any potential West Nile infection could affect up to 30 per cent of croc hides, costing the industry as much as $10 million in a single year.

"If we were to experience consecutive years of high rainfall, the virus could render the crocodile farming industry unviable and threaten the current conservation model," Dr Hobson-Peters said.

"It would also disrupt an industry that contributes to Indigenous livelihoods and economic development opportunities in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland."

The vaccine is based on a benign 'Binjari' virus isolated from Australian mosquitoes and is the first of its kind.

"We have demonstrated that our vaccine induces a robust, immune response in vaccinated animals after two doses," UQ's Professor Roy Hall said

"Crocodiles that received the vaccine developed strong protective immunity against WNV, without the virus replicating."

The success of crocodile farming has led to a surge in the wild crocodile population.

"It's not just an economic threat we're facing - croc farming has played a pivotal role in returning this apex predator from the brink of extinction over the past 60 years," Dr Sally Isberg from the NT's Centre for Crocodile Research said.

The research team is working with the Australian veterinary vaccine company Treidlia BioVet, to develop a commercial version of the vaccine.

© AAP 2023

England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow has been hailed a hero and earned the praise of the British Prime Minister for carrying a protester off the field while other Ashes players protected the Lord's pitch amid chaos at the second Test.

Two Just Stop Oil demonstrators burst on to the ground five minutes after the start of play at the home of cricket on Wednesday, forcing players to physically stop them from throwing orange paint powder on the pitch.

One was apprehended by Bairstow, a keen rugby league player in his youth who picked up the protester and carried him 50 metres to the boundary.

Another had to be wrestled to the ground close to the wicket as Ben Stokes and David Warner, with bat in hand, barred his way and attempted to tackle him. A third protester was apprehended in the stands, with the trio all arrested.

The incident prompted only a delay of five minutes as the ground staff cleared some of the powder from the outfield - but the players had stopped a potentially much-longer delay.

Ashes debutant Josh Tongue even wondered if Bairstow might have saved the five-day match from being cancelled, adding his teammate was a "bit of a hero to be fair."

"Jonny doing what he did, who knows? The game could have been called off, added Tongue.

"For myself, I wouldn't probably go towards them just in case they had anything else on them. Obviously Jonny doing that, maybe he shouldn't have done that, but I don't know the protocol."

An official spokesman for PM Rishi Sunak said: "The Prime Minister is pleased play was able to resume quickly and thanks security staff, the swift hands of Jonny Bairstow and other England players who stepped in."

Warner reckoned it had been a "touchy situation", admitting: "Me and Stokesy didn't really know what to do."

The Aussie opener added: "It was quite confronting because you don't know what to do in that situation, you usually let those people run their course, but because they could potentially damage the wicket, we felt like we had to intervene.

"We were actually told to stand away and be careful, but we know what they're trying to do to the wicket so it was about - not manhandling them like Jonny - but it was about protecting the wicket.

"I don't know what that chalk does to the wicket but it would have been a long delay and we wouldn't have wanted that."

Officials have been concerned about the threat of protesters disrupting Test matches this summer and the potential of matches being abandoned if pitches are destroyed.

Several major sporting events, including premier league matches, the premiership rugby final at Twickenham and World Snooker Championships in April had already been targeted by activists.

England's team bus was also held up by the protesters during the Lord's Test against Ireland earlier this month.

Curators have prepared a back-up pitch in recent Tests in England in case the main one is damaged, however that would significantly change match conditions.

Bairstow had handed his protester over to the stewards, before heading to the pavilion to change his whites, but it was noticeable that he and the other players reacted quicker than the ground security.

Broadcasters largely chose not to highlight the incident, but Ricky Ponting couldn't resist a jokey reference to Bairstow's first-Test wicketkeeping woes.

"I didn't want to say anything, but the one chance that's come Jonny's way, he's held on to so far," the former Australian captain said on Sky Sports.

© AAP 2023