A magistrate who found a Nimbin Mardi Grass festival worker not guilty of drug driving has blasted the NSW Government's advice to motorists, saying it "lulls them into a false sense of security".

We are all doing the right thing putting our compost and garden waste in the green bin, right? Well, yes, but that is only the start of a story that can end in disaster.

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.

Strong winds and high temperatures fuelled bushfires that destroyed at least 30 homes in northern NSW on October 8, 2019.

After watching their home burn on the news, Tina Hag, Robert Collier and their four children return to Rappville, wondering about the future of their northern New South Wales town, which lost 15 homes and 20,000 hectares of grazing land to a bushfire.

As southern parts of Australia look set for a wet winter, the northern part of the NT is grappling with its second poor wet season in as many years.

The SA Government is proposing new incentives for landholders to kill wild dogs on their properties, as well as allowing aerial baiting, but an ecologist says the new policy will inevitably target native dingoes.

Unemployment in one Queensland region soars to more than double the state figure as an expert warns it's the 'calm before the storm'.

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.

With many people struggling to adapt to social isolation and other issues associated with coronavirus, a growing number are turning to mental health services to help them cope with anxiety.

What started out as a routine walk of the neighbourhood has ended in a viral video when Mike Cook's golden retriever Elsie "wasn't in the mood for walking".

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.

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

The residents of short-term accommodation in Cairns West may struggle to find affordable housing after the complex they call home is shut down next month.

A cold front sweeps across southern Queensland, bringing record low temperatures to the outback in an icy blast that will remain until next week.

Recorded less than 60 times worldwide, much remains a mystery about the ornate eagle ray, which boasts leopard-like signature spots and thick black vein-like lines.

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.

The most senior police officer on the Sunshine Coast is warning would-be tourists that breaching the 50km travel limit for a Mother's Day picnic is a bad idea and could cost a $1,334 fine.

Firefighters have praised the "gutsy" efforts of police who helped them rescue an 18-month-old boy from a burning house in Rockhampton last night.

The five men suffered upper torso and airway burns in the explosion.

Cairns Regional Council records significant increase in waste created by residents since coronavirus restrictions came into effect in March.

Hundreds of thousands of "coffee table"-sized units will help power a renewable gas plant being built on the Western Downs.

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Jean Luc Ponty, Lennie White and Aussie Frank Gambale

ABC North Coast resident arts reviewer, Jeanti St Clair looks at the latest music and theatre to hit the region.

Victoria has recorded two new coronavirus cases overnight as of April 28, 2020, as Premier Daniel Andrews says the state is aiming to conduct 100,000 tests over the next two weeks.

Communities in western New South Wales are mourning the suspension of their local newspapers with some saying the publications are the "heart" of the communities.

It started with a "scratchy throat", but now almost every day at Newmarch House brings another death — here's what we know about the nursing home at the centre of a massive coronavirus outbreak.

People are being urged to batten down the hatches as the cold weather hits, including sheep graziers who could lose animals to the potentially deadly chill.

Newmarch House records another death as cases there continue to climb, while more than 7,200 people were tested in NSW yesterday, the highest testing on a Saturday so far.

If you're thinking of sending flowers for Mother's Day next week, order early because some growers are predicting a sell-out of supply.

The native desert rice flower plant that appeared on New South Wales properties after widespread rainfall has caused death and serious illness in cattle

The only unburnt area of bushland around the Conjola National Park, on the South Coast, is set to be cleared this week for a new housing development.

Amber Christie, 49, has been reported missing by her family and friends after failing to return to her Evans Head home from a Sunday afternoon walk.

MORNING BRIEFING: The multi-arts venue hosts Vivid, Sydney Writers' Festival and Fashion Week, but a new proposal would see the Sydney Opera House take control.

A drop in the number of domestic violence incidents reported in the NSW Central West in recent months sparks concern at a local support service.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says school size matters when it comes to planning students' return.

If Perth got the kind of photographic makeover that New York enjoys, it would be a fortunate city, says ABC 720's cultural correspondent Victoria Laurie

Exhibition builds on legacy of 1973 Aquarius Festival

There's nothing quite like a portrait exhibition to bring the crowds in. A steady stream of visitors has been arriving at the Lismore Regional Gallery since the 2013 Northern Rivers Portrait Prize opened on June 8.

The girl is good. Very good.

Funny and disturbing, this play is a must see.

Southern Stars is not only a priceless gift for the students involved in it, it's a mind-blowing showcase of what young people are capable of when matched with professional direction and a huge venue.

An 11-bed regional aged care facility is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a community-owned organisation, which has kept jobs and residents in town while proving the viability of an innovative new model for aged care.

As a river runs dry in the northern basin, the blame game continues, and farmer Andrew Watson says irrigators are being unjustly targeted over water use.

Matt Clifton grew up with a passion for music, but his small-town upbringing meant live music events were few and far between, so he brought one home.