The tourist mecca's potholes are legendary, and locals are taking matters into their own hands as the mayor laments that the town's affluent profile means little to its financially-struggling council.

Up to 20 homes and structures are destroyed in the village of Rappville, as watch and act warnings are issued for several bushfires burning within 100km of each other in northern NSW.

Authorities say at least 30 homes have been damaged or destroyed as fast-moving bushfires burned in and around Rappville in northern NSW on October 8, 2019.

Rappville residents share stories of survival after a bushfire swept through their small community in northern NSW, with one 82-year-old pensioner hiding in his shed in a bid to escape the inferno.

Police are investigating the "suspicious" origins of a devastating bushfire, which is believed to have started late Friday and yesterday destroyed 21 homes in northern NSW.

The community of Rappville in northern NSW is banding together to make sure everyone gets back on their feet, but Allan Robertson is dreading having to tell his partner that their home is now just ashes.

MORNING BRIEFING: A number of fish have died at a lake near Menindee as the Federal Government announces emergency funds to protect fish, while volunteers work to deliver supplies to farmers who are unwilling to leave their fire-ravaged properties.

As ferocious blazes tore through Rappville last week, many of the community's young people displayed extraordinary bravery, rescuing their neighbours and animals while fighting tooth and nail to save homes.

A 16-year-old girl tells an inquiry she can no longer trust police after she was subjected to a strip search at the Splendour in the Grass music festival when a sniffer dog falsely detected drugs on her.

The Vietnam vet, master of ceremonies at Currumbin's Elephant Rock dawn service for 25 years, says this year's Anzac Day cancellations prove we sometimes don't know what we've got till it's gone.

The decision to not award several thousand Vietnam veterans the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal leaves some feeling ashamed in the company of decorated veterans.

Semi-retired Keith and Glenda Drake, both in their 80s, will donate the proceeds of their seaside penthouse to help researchers develop a treatment for coronavirus.

For Country Women's Association secretary and cookery judge Pam Wright, whose uncle died a POW and whose father succumbed to his war injuries, Anzac biscuits mean more than just a delicious treat.

The shire's mayor says with more than 500,000 people from the Gold Coast having their beaches closed and all descending on the Tweed, it is a "pretty frightening prospect for our community".

The Last Post is played in a paddock at dawn to commemorate Anzac Day.

A veteran discovers 72 unmarked war graves at a cemetery west of Brisbane, working tirelessly to identify the lost servicemen who died in a mental asylum with most having no next of kin, to get plaques placed on their final resting place.

Researchers make some interesting discoveries about Fitzroy River humpback dolphins.

On one part of the Sunshine Coast, up to 116mm of rain is still needed to saturate the soil to reduce the risk of bushfires flaring.

A Queensland man who was sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a German backpacker in inner-Brisbane has his murder conviction set aside and a retrial ordered.

Queensland continues to tackle the coronavirus pandemic head on with no new cases announced today, but the impact on the state's bottom line is not so healthy, with the Treasurer revealing a $4 billion hit to revenue.

An infant baby girl is recovering in a Queensland hospital with life threating injuries after allegedly being assaulted by her mother last month.

Just as Australia was about to confirm its first case of coronavirus in Australia in January, Sunshine Coast health figures were given a grim briefing.

Australian Olympic cycling champion, Anna Meares, says fracturing her neck in 2008 and a quick succession of significant life changes, transformed her outlook on life.

The bashing was so violent, a nurse at the hospital couldn't do a blood test when the 79-year-old was first admitted because he'd "lost that much blood". His grandson was later convicted of assault.

By the end of April there has normally been regular fire crew training, inductions, and planning, but social distancing has made that near-impossible.

Logies organisers say the "challenges of COVID-19" have forced them to write off the 2020 Australian television awards, but "an even bigger event" will be held on the Gold Coast next year.

Despite calls from governments to open their doors, many aged care providers are maintaining visitor lockdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A man accused of murdering his 45-year-old ex-partner at a home north of Brisbane, picked up a sledgehammer and hit her over the back of the head, police allege.

Federal funding worth $185 million for Queensland's regional roads is welcomed by some local mayors but other regional leaders are concerned about some trouble spots missing out.

Queensland authorities question if the coastal city could return to its usual way of life too soon, after allowing beaches to open and people to picnic.

Authorities in a 'dry' Queensland community say illegal alcohol poses one of the biggest health threats to its people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicholas John Crilley is sentenced to life in prison for what prosecutors said was the "sadistic" torture of a woman that left her with broken facial bones and burns to almost half her body.

Suzanne Miller earnt a high wage but in a "gross abuse of high office" she also illegally spent a further $75,000 in taxpayer funds on personal purchases, a Brisbane court hears.

Some Queensland residents may find it too cold to enjoy the relaxed coronavirus restrictions that start today, as temperatures across in some areas in the state's south drop below zero.

While farmers are keeping the nation fed during the coronavirus lockdown, many struggle to put food on their own tables. The ABC joined a charity travelling around hard-hit rural areas helping farmers through the tough times.

What have flash floods, bushfires and a pandemic taught the Gold Coast about its relationship with its beaches?

The Mayor of Queensland's Central Highlands hopes work and lifestyle attract people to the region during the coronavirus pandemic.

SA Police reveal details about the suspected murder of Michael Purse, who they say may have been lured to a property in Kilburn and murdered.

Removalist John Siaki specialises in helping women in abusive relationships flee to safety and says the demand for his service has increased by 60 per cent since coronavirus restrictions were introduced.

The former workers of a north-west Queensland mine, who have been waiting for their wages for more than six months, see a reprieve with the company put into liquidation.

First-time mayors and councillors who are the subject of minor misconduct complaints will get a three-month amnesty, Queensland's Office of the Independent Assessor says.

The Mount Isa Medical Centre is taking over the testing service to ensure people with respiratory symptoms are checked, despite no cases being recorded in the city.

A scientific research vessel off the Queensland coast is surveying the "very unexplored" depths of Australia's largest marine park without a single scientist on board.