New Hope says the Queensland Government must approve its New Acland mine expansion by this weekend or redundancies will begin on Monday, in what is considered the state's longest-running mine dispute.

A company working on the Shell-owned Queensland Gas Corporation project tells job applicants they will not be accepted until they submit to blood tests to check if they are at risk of heart attack, high cholesterol and other conditions.

A Queensland grazier turns to donkeys to ward off wild dogs and says he hasn't lost a calf in a paddock patrolled by the feisty guardian asses.

Fast rail, a high frequency Metro, and a duplicate M1, are just some of the multi-billion-dollar "fixes" aimed at getting South East Queensland moving again. But is it enough to solve the transport woes?

Former school deputy principal Kenneth Ralph Ernst is jailed for the prolonged sexual abuse of a young girl, in a case the judge described as a "gross breach of trust" made worse by Ernst's decision to plead not guilty.

Building an artificial reef could be the key to stabilising a popular beach at Queensland's Inskip Point that suffers from repeated landslips, a geotechnical expert says.

A local politician's stab at finding romance on reality television could backfire, as the Noosa Mayor considers a code of conduct probe into Councillor Jess Glasgow.

When Professor Anna Ralph's six-year-old daughter starting asking about COVID-19, the infectious diseases specialist decided to write a children's book about finding a cure.

Professor Quentin Grafton says government should halt subsidies for irrigation efficiency projects

Professor John Williams says the government has not based their irrigation efficiency policies on the best science available.

For the past four years Broken Hill's Indigenous community has welcomed all new public school teachers to the area with a cultural induction they hope will improve education for all students.

For the first time in 15 years, cattle are grazing the roadsides of the Moyne Shire, in Victoria's south-west.

A fourth-generation grazier, who is selling the family property, says it could take a decade of uncommonly good conditions for pastoralists to recover from the drought in far-west NSW.

As the Federal election draws closer, disability advocates call for changes to ensure people with disabilities have a better voting experience.

About 1,500 Adelaide residents and businesses are being told not to use groundwater because of contamination from uranium from a former mining laboratory and degreasing chemicals from nearby factories.

The drought takes its toll on organic farmers who say the big dry has ruined their ability to meet the conditions of their licences, so they cannot sell their livestock as organic.

The president of WA Farmers is calling for higher standards to be met before proposed foreign investments are given the green light.

An organisation which has been highly critical of Western Australia's land clearing regulations says the way the issue is approached needs to significantly change.

Local governments, facing uncertainty over funding for regional projects in Western Australia's south, say they are relieved the Federal Government has committed to providing the funding.

Western Australian gold explorer Ausgold is launching a capital raising effort, which it says will facilitate further expansion of its Katanning project.

The Royal Life Saving Society says WA's latest drowning figures, which reveal a 50 per cent increase on the previous year, should serve as a warning ahead of the festive season. A new report shows 31 people drowned in the state in 2012. Children under the age of four were the highest risk group for drowning and near drowning. Older people over the age of 55 were also at risk.

A number of Western Australian south-west and Great Southern projects have received funding to clean up contaminated sites.

The Fair Work Ombudsman will be auditing retailers across Perth and regional Western Australia, in response to a spike in complaints.

New modelling shows a proposal to create a national body for research and innovation in the forestry sector would create hundreds of jobs in Western Australia's south.

Local governments have expressed concern about a decision to kill off merger discussions between four Wheatbelt shires.

The developers of a proposed multi-million dollar shopping centre development in Denmark say they are appealing against a decision to refuse planning approval.

Police are investigating a spate of bushfires in Albany over the weekend, which it is suspected may have been deliberately lit.

Investigations are continuing into the cause of a blaze in the Western Australian Wheatbelt town of Corrigin.

An economic forecaster says WA mining companies operating in Africa are struggling with a range of cost and productivity issues. The Deloitte WA Index indicates the combined market capitalisation of WA companies with African assets, particularly gold producers, fell almost 45 per cent. That is compared to WA producers, as a whole, who rose nearly five per cent. The fall is bigger than expected.

The passionfruit vine is a typical grievance for those with a green thumb, a temperamental plant that just won't do what it's told.

Regional local governments say the Western Australian Government's handling of council mergers in Perth is increasing their fears they will be forced into mergers they do not want.

Detectives have charged a man with procuring a child to perform a sexual act after an encounter on a street in the centre of Denmark in the South West. The man approached her on Mitchell Street on Friday night. The 34-year-old then allegedly kissed her on the neck and asked her to engage in sexual behaviour.

A business analyst says conditions are improving in the nickel sector but it is too early to declare that the industry has 'bottomed out'.

The cry of 'save our sharks' echoed through Ellen Cove in Albany over the weekend as hundreds gathered to rally against the WA government's controversial policy.

WA grain growers are being told they must take the initiative to market their own grain if the industry is to survive.

Supporters of wind farms are urging state and federal governments to back the use of the renewable energy source, after an official review of evidence found a lack of support for claims of health effects.

The Shire of Plantagenet is facing a shortfall of nearly $1 million in its funding for a major sporting precinct upgrade, after receiving a smaller than hoped for Western Australian Government grant.

A $42 million upgrade of Albany's sporting facilities is a step closer, after the city council ratified plans for the precinct.

A parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme wants to hear your experiences with the initiative.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing pain and suffering the world over, but then there are always those who never let a good crisis go to waste. Some are benefiting from COVID-19 for legitimate reasons: just think of companies that make video conferencing apps, ventilators, or canny investors. But there are also more nefarious players looking to bank a win off the back of coronavirus fear and confusion: scam artists, fraudsters, counterfeiters. This week, Geoff Thompson, Mario Christodoulou, Meghna Bali and Kat Gregory investigate who's winning in these turbulent times and how.

It's hard to imagine a subtropical island struggling with drought, but Norfolk Island has had only 12mm of rain all summer and dams and water tanks are running dry.

This state-of-the-art shearing shed hopes to attract and retain good shearers in a safe environment.

Award-winning journalist Allan Clarke returns to his home town with his storytelling skills to help local youth capture the stories of their elders.

The UN Security Council plans to call for a 90-day 'humanitarian pause' in conflicts worldwide as part of the ongoing struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic. It's hoped that in some of the world's worst conflict zones, this could lay the groundwork for longer term peace agreements.