The Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) has cleared New South Wales irrigators who were accused of illegal pumping during an embargo that was put in place after recent rain.

Swimming in icy water is not something everyone aspires to do but it should be, according to an outdoor swimming enthusiast.

Having retained all 16 of their seats, welcomed a record number of women to the party and consolidated under leader Michael McCormack, there could be a renewed sense of stability for the country-based party.

A report into hazing at the University of New England finds female students were pressured into sexual acts, "slapped on the arse" by a line of men before entering a party and told to lock their doors at night.

Australia's colonial banks are given new lives as bank branches close across regional Australia.

With towns across New South Wales at risk of running out of water within months, there are renewed calls for an urgent upgrade of water storage infrastructure.

Tamworth farmer Cathy Hockings looks after orphaned calves, helping out drought-affected farmers unable to keep young stock.

MORNING BRIEFING: The Rural Fire Service says it will begin assessing the full extent of the bushfire damage in northern New South Wales today, and a man is charged after a robbery in 2003.

Authorities say two children are confirmed amongst the latest coronavirus cases in Tasmania, as the Government confirms it will refund public school levies, freeze water prices and cap electricity prices as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Public health officials are investigating the recent movements of a worker at Latrobe's Mersey Community Hospital, in the state's north, who has caught coronavirus.

As Tasmanian health authorities say they are yet to learn how two people in the state's north-west contracted coronavirus, four new cases are confirmed.

Defence force personnel will help Tasmanian Police conduct spot checks to ensure people are observing new rules restricting their movements for at least the next four weeks.

No new cases are identified on the day Tasmania records its second coronavirus death, an elderly man in southern Tasmania who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

Six new cases of coronavirus confirmed in the last 24 hours has pushed Tasmania's COVID-19 tally to 80, as police warn the public they will on patrol to ensure strict measures are followed.

Four new cases of coronavirus are confirmed in Tasmania, taking the state's total to 86, after Burnie's hospital shuts two wards to new admissions following staff becoming infected.

Three more cases of coronavirus in Tasmania are confirmed with two of those from the north-west, as investigations into an outbreak at the North West Regional Hospital continue.

The Tasmanian Government bans visits to all of the state's hospitals, with some exceptions for parents and on compassionate grounds, under new social distancing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Authorities reveal eight of the nine new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Tasmania are linked to the North West Regional Hospital, as the state records its third death.

Tasmania's coronavirus tally reaches 133, with the director of Public Health confirming 11 new cases have been diagnosed in the state's north-west today.

The rise of the Aboriginal superhero continues with "total badass" Thylacine, a Pilbara hunter and Suicide Squad's newest recruit.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warns New Zealand to pay attention to Tasmania's experience

Where to start with an old glasshouse, littered with plastic, that was used for a hydroponic tomato farm for several decades?

Coronavirus has forced some dramatic changes to how the ABC keeps the public informed, from home-based broadcasting to webcam interviews and recruiting people featured in a story to help film it on their mobile phone.

The number of coronavirus cases associated with an outbreak in Tasmania's north-west is "trailing off", the state's director of public health says, with additional retail restrictions in place in the region due to be lifted on Sunday night.

Australia's Chief Medical Officer says a coronavirus cluster in Tasmania's north-west was likely sparked by a passenger from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, as the state marks 24 hours without a new case being found.

Another elderly person dies from coronavirus in Tasmania's north-west, the state's third death announced in three days, as four new cases are confirmed on Sunday night.

Tasmania has four new cases of coronavirus to add to its tally, with three being health workers from the state's disease hotspot of the north-west.

Tighter retail restrictions imposed on Tasmania's north-west after a coronavirus outbreak will be lifted on Sunday night, with the situation "largely under control", Premier Peter Gutwein says, as the state records a day free of new cases.

The Premier says Tasmania is talking about the first direct flights to New Zealand since the late 1990s if a "trans-Tasman bubble" excluding coronavirus can be maintained, as the state's four-day case-free run crashes with two new cases.

Ten healthcare workers from the Launceston General Hospital's COVID-19 ward are being tested after their colleague was diagnosed with coronavirus, as the Government reveals cases by municipality.

Ryan Chambers disappeared 13 years ago. Today his face, frozen in time, adorns the side of a shop in South Australia's Riverland, imploring people not to forget the young man who hasn't been seen or heard from since.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police release CCTV footage showing a man and a woman they wish to speak to over the vandalism of the Dog on the Tuckerbox statue, while Opal card travel discounts are extended.

New Zealander Dave Rennie is appointed new coach of the Wallabies, signing a deal that will take him up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Formed millions of years ago and hidden from sight, Australia's precious underground water reserves are becoming a new battleground in the fight for water.

Perth Glory are held to a draw thanks to a controversial extra-time equaliser by Robbie Fowler's Brisbane Roar in the west, as A-League newcomers Western United enjoy a winning debut with a 1-0 win over the Phoenix in Wellington.

Antony Hamilton, who stepped into the artistic director role of Chunky Move in April, presents a five-year vision in the epic, collective new work Token Armies.

Returning to a country she adores, Kumi Taguchi wanted to find her family to deliver news her dad had died.

Shooting to kill, commandeering trucks and spike strips are just some powers of intervention police officers have been told they must use if necessary to stop a hostile vehicle attack.

Japanese Caulfield Cup winner Mer De Glace is the new favourite for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup after the barrier draw is completed at Flemington.

At Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston a group of young netballers have set a new world record or the longest continuous game of netball. But they couldn't have done it without their support team.

Despite battling cool wintery winds and the rushing splashes of waves, workers have begun the process of giving Newcastle's Ocean Baths their annual 'spring' clean.

A Toowoomba-based environmental scientist says finding a small population of a threatened grass in the middle of the city was exciting, as is the process of conserving it in another park.

New species of spider orchids have been discovered near Busselton by the WA Herbarium. They add to the already spectacular array of wildflowers which thrive in the biodiversity hot spot of the South West.

It's hoped that a fossil hunting expedition to Lightning Ridge will lead to the discovery of new Australian dinosaurs.

Merryn Apma is an Aboriginal artist who has been a major force in Aboriginal issues since the famous Long Walk led by former AFL footballer Michael Long from Melbourne to Canberra in 2004. She's made the move to Tilba to return to art practise and to open a gallery for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists. She brings a powerful creativity and sense of spirit to a welcoming community.

A candlelight vigil has been held in central Newcastle aiming to raise awareness of the plight of refugees around the world.

A young New Zealand fur seal has taken a shining to the Walpole Town Jetty just days after it was opened for public use. Frankland District authorities have asked locals to keep a respectful distance until the marine mammal decides to move on.

While their families celebrated back home, Papua New Guinean students marked the 40th anniversary of their country's independence from Australia with a colourful performance at TAFE Queensland North in Townsville.

Powerful surf, cool winds and sporadic pockets of heavy rain has swept across the Hunter.

Making it through the night in a dark cell surrounded by spirits, ghost-seekers, psychics and spooky storytellers.