Two of the world's biggest gold mining companies have merged in a $14 billion deal. What does it mean for the Kalgoorlie Super Pit and other Aussie gold mines?

When tiny pieces of plastic that were spilled on other side of the world start washing up on your beaches, who is responsible for cleaning them up?

A shortage of volunteers and funding has triggered serious concerns for animal welfare in far-north Western Australia, with cats, dogs, puppies and kittens "very much at risk" of being euthanased.

Autonomous mining trucks and remote health tools are among key Australian technologies that NASA will need for its 2024 Moon mission, stakeholders say.

Proposed new powers for South Australia's Country Fire Service volunteers to be able to stop members of the public from operating due to fire dangers has put them at odds with farmers.

Cape Carnot south of Port Lincoln is popular with tourists because of its rugged cliffs and caves, but another two drownings are forcing the site's owner to rethink its future.

The remains of 12,000 World War I diggers are believed to be buried in unmarked graves not at Gallipoli or the fields of Flanders, but in suburban cemeteries across Australia.

A report finds Adelaide's drinking water could be under risk of contamination, leading to outbreaks of gastro, because of the State Government's plan to open up reservoirs to recreational activities.

The shrinking town of Poochera is pinning its hopes of survival on a big statue and a prehistoric ant, and locals say their plan may just be enough to save their home from dying out completely.

Volunteer whale spotters believe they've photographed more than 50 whales at South Australia's Sleaford Bay this year, raising questions about how the marine mammals might be affected by a desalination plant proposed for the area.

The South Australian Government is considering providing council rate relief to drought-affected farmers as the state opposition claims that South Australia is way behind other state support.

Authorities could order the destruction of hundreds of thousands of chickens at a Victorian poultry farm, after the detection of a rare strain of salmonella at the property sparked a massive supermarket egg recall.

A disease is wreaking havoc on Australian beehives, and one PhD student and beekeeper is trying to find out why.

Tanya Day died of traumatic brain injuries after she was arrested for public drunkenness in December, 2017. Lawyers for the Indigenous woman's family are now asking the Victorian coroner to consider whether systemic racism was a factor in her death.

We're so bad at controlling our dogs that researchers are calling for no-dog zones to replace on-leash areas in close proximity to native animals.

Bioscientists are developing 3D printed artificial tissues that may help heal bone and cartilage typically damaged in sports-related injuries.

Campden BRI have begun a research project to evaluate how 3D printing could benefit the food industry.

Consumer demand for coconuts is booming and world supply is struggling to keep up, so an industry awaits as Australia imports nearly all the coconut it consumes.

New research on where feral pigs live and how far they travel is being hailed as "one of the best data sets in the world" by a shooter contracted to manage the invasive species, while also raising alarm bells about serious diseases.

The legalisation of marijuana has boosted tourism and created jobs in parts of the United States, and it could do the same in the Northern Territory, an economist says.

Rural independents are proving a difficult test for the Coalition in this election. But the pathway to parliament is harder than it might seem.

A care package for people diagnosed with cancer could be rolled out nationally after its success in a regional community.

The late deputy PM's fascination with trains was a lifelong obsession. So of course, his final public appearance had to include a rail journey. After profiling Tim Fischer four times over the past 27 years, Australian Story producer Ben Cheshire says his final goodbye.

The Coalition's cashless welfare card is compared to the intervention and "mission" times by Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory

An inquest into the death of murdered child Bradyn Dillon hears his father lied to school authorities in a deliberate attempt to hide his son from the public.

Directors of building companies responsible for substandard works in Canberra could be held personally responsible for defects, under new laws proposed by the ACT Government.

Raiders mentor Ricky Stuart has 196 wins, 196 losses and 2 draws in his 394-game coaching career. So is he a poor, average, good or even a great coach? Sunday's NRL grand final against the Roosters could be the decisive factor in moulding "Sticky's" legacy, writes Richard Hinds.

The NRL has been revolutionised by an Englishman, his Canberra Raiders teammates and their secret code and it could hold the key to the NRL grand final.

The Sydney and Melbourne buildings have served as the gateway to Canberra for decades. But time and neglect have taken their toll on the icons, which now form a crumbling entrance to the capital's lake and parliamentary precinct.

Computers have traditionally excelled at mathematical tasks, and are now better than humans at games such as chess, but some AI experts believe they could one day produce literature to rival Shakespeare himself.

A large bushfire that has claimed 11 properties in the Gold Coast hinterland as well as historic Binna Burra Lodge could have been deliberately lit, Queensland's Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll says.

Paying money to see other people work out might not sound like everyone's idea of fun, but it is fast becoming a part of the international sporting calendar, and there's hope it will become part of a future Olympic Games.

Pro-refugee activism and the travel history of a Tamil father could see a Biloela family at the centre of an immigration row deported, an experienced immigration lawyer says.

A fast train network connecting greater Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle as a "mega region" could create more than 10,000 new jobs, according to a new report.

Two regional Australian doctors are at the forefront of an international effort to eliminate a horrendous childbirth injury, and say they could succeed within a decade.

Brody Finlay hadn't auditioned for Baz Luhrmann's next project, and was surprised when the director's office contacted him.

Parents of children attending regional and rural schools are calling for a commonsense approach in the wake of the NSW Government's crackdown on school enrolment caps and out-of-area enrolments.

Connor Drum admits he steals food from the supermarket to supplement the Newstart payments he receives unable to find work, some in the Federal Government say he should leave the support networks he has in Canberra to search for a job in regional Australia.

Women face a number of hurdles when it comes to working in manual trades, but overcoming the barriers as some have done could be the answer to the skills shortage.