The parents of a teenage girl who died after falling off a horse say riders are subjected to avoidable risks when there is no way to trace an animal's history.

Alpine real estate is getting more expensive at Australia's ski resorts, seemingly shrugging off concerns about the impact of climate change on natural snowfall.

Daisy the school dog is the latest staff member at Melrose Primary School, helping students with her calming influence and improving attendance rates.

Ahead of a fierce fire season, a cadet program for volunteer firefighting prompts school students to join their local Rural Fire Service brigade.

The Victorian Government's historic treaty negotiations with the state's Aboriginal communities are one step closer this week, with the election of the First Peoples' Assembly. But the toughest yards to meaningful treaties still lie ahead.

GRAPHIC WARNING: The Department of Agriculture is investigating the alleged inhumane killing of Australian cattle at the Festival of Sacrifice in Indonesia.

A report says the process for a $12 million grandstand at Darwin Turf Club was "independent and fair", but the Chief Minister wants rules tightened.

As the NT Government releases its new management plan for the Limmen Bight Marine Park, traditional owners are pleading for far greater environmental protections and an end to overfishing in the area.

A rare copy of the nearly 40-year-old documentary Dirt Cheap, which details the early resistance against uranium mining in Kakadu National Park, is rediscovered in Darwin.

Haberdasheries, record stores, comic book halls, model train showrooms, and flag shops have hobby stores gone out of fashion? Ron Strachan has run his flag store for more than 20 years, and discussing his retirement is taboo.

Indigenous athlete Shericka Mahoney only received her running blade in June but has set records for long jump and the 100-metres at a national athletics event.

Resources giant Santos is strengthening its grip on the north Australian gas sector, as it moves to secure billions of dollars worth of exploration and production investments in the Top End.

An "extremely disturbing" trend of Northern Territory Government workers facing "reprisals" for raising concerns about corruption or improper conduct triggers a call for the region's whistleblower laws to be strengthened.

The Territory Families Department finalised half the number of child-protection investigations it planned to last financial year, but child welfare advocates say the figure is a result of longer-term reforms.

Professor Thomas Madsen with a dead water python

Edible insects are praised as a sustainable form of snack, but that is not their only drawcard, with some Territorians reporting that they are 'crunchy and full of flavour'.

The Supreme Court of Victoria dismisses a bid by union boss John Setka to stop a vote to have him expelled from the Australian Labor Party, with the court ruling it does not have the jurisdiction to decide the matter.

The lithium industry is facing its own war on waste as a farming community asks questions about the storage of tonnes of tailings and its safety.

A former Canberra law lecturer serving time for sexual offences against several students loses his battle with prison authorities, who want him to undertake a course for sex offenders.

From smart watches to exercise monitors and devices that correct your posture, wearable tech is everywhere and now cancer survivor Kathy Reid has invented a smart breast.

A Victorian man who sent 52 packages filled with asbestos to embassies in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra has been sentenced to one year in prison.

Barnaby Joyce sees "no problems" with extending cashless welfare to families receiving the Farm Household Allowance.

The second stage of the ACT's light rail project will see a centrepiece of Canberra's city transformed, with the southern end of London Circuit raised in order to accommodate a tram line traversing down to Lake Burley Griffin.

The measurable economic benefits might not amount to much and the construction could be a nightmare for commuters, but it's what can't be measured that counts.

While the competition watchdog investigates Australia's water market, those pushing for a central exchange for water trading say it could solve many problems.

Backyard gardeners could face fines of almost $2,500 if they are not careful when covering their fruit trees or vegetable gardens with netting.

The Nationals look set to lobby the Federal Government to ban the terms 'milk', 'meat' and 'seafood' from being used for alternative and plant-based products such as soy milk and so-called 'fake' meat.

Five young detainees used makeshift weapons, including a computer, in an assault last month that left multiple staff members at the Canberra facility injured, a new report finds.

A parliamentary inquiry into how Canberra schools handle bullying complaints reveals tragic stories of desperate parents and students, prompting a raft of recommendations.

They completed less than two in three peak services, but electric buses are still a "viable alternative" for Canberra according to the ACT's Transport Minister.

One email was all it took for hackers to steal some of the most personal information from people potentially now in high-ranking roles across the globe. The cyber attack was so sophisticated it didn't even need the person to click on a link or open a document for the hackers to get in.

Victorian prosecutors say there is no justification for the High Court to grant special leave for Cardinal George Pell to appeal against his child sexual abuse convictions.

Quad bike manufacturer Honda has described the Government's new roll bar rules as a "ban by stealth" and says that today is a "disappointing day for farm safety".

A Canberra man appears before court facing child exploitation charges, after Tinder reported his alleged conversations searching for a young Thai girl to a United States cyber safety watchdog.

A Federal Court judge finds the Registered Organisations Commission's investigation into donations made to the activist group in 2006 when former opposition leader Bill Shorten was leading the union was not politically motivated, but it was launched on a "flawed"basis.

The Home Affairs Minister called the environmental activists "anti-establishment".

A 27-year-old Canberra man is jailed for what is described in court as a "chilling" and "callous" attack on a Pekingese/Maltese cross that lasted 20 minutes.

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.

Chinese telco giant Huawei urges the Federal Government to reconsider its ban on the company providing equipment to Australia's 5G mobile network, describing claims it answers to Beijing as "unfounded attacks and smears".

Disability royal commission chair Ronald Sackville said commentators were discouraging people from telling their stories to the commission, but critics say the real discouragement is the absence of appropriate supports.

When Farishta Arzoo moved to Australia she had to overcome significant obstacles learning English, starting a TAFE course and setting up a new life. Now she's gearing up to face her greatest physical challenge yet running a marathon.

Questions are raised over a Northern Territory university's continued ownership of a loss-making private business colleges in Cairns, at a time when the university is being offered a multi-million-dollar NT Government bailout to keep its training sector afloat.

TV personality Ernie Dingo is travelling around Australia to improve Indigenous men's health by taking them camping in the bush.