Prisoners being transported in Tasmania Police vans have no restraints and are forced to crouch of lie down when they're inside, according to the state's police union, which warns it is only a matter of time before someone dies.

They're some of the most senior figures in the country and are elected to represent the people, but are our politicians earning too much?

DAILY BRIEFING: Tasmania's Speaker pauses parliament as tensions run high over her bid for a pay rise, and a police officer charged over the strip search of an 11-year-old boy indicates she'll plead guilty.

DAILY BRIEFING: Controversial Speaker Sue Hickey wanted a pay rise when she was Lord Mayor, and the Opposition accuses the Government of sending in a health budget razor.

Tasmania's largest salmon producer applies for a research permit to trial spraying water on seals to move them away from fish farming pens, but the Greens say the proposal raises serious animal welfare concerns.

The family of a woman violently stabbed to death by a man with schizophrenia has slammed the prison system which released him in the grip of psychotic delusions, saying prison authorities had blood on their hands.

Spencer Connelly, 11, was supposed to have his third round of skin graft surgery within 90 days. But he's been waiting 15 months as Tasmania's elective surgery waiting list blows out.

Hindmarsh Shire mayor Ron Ismay comes under criticism for using sexist language when introducing the Nationals MP Emma Kealy at an event in Nhill in western Victoria, later saying it "was not that big of a deal".

A man who claims he can make it rain is building a following in the Victorian grain belt, where a group of farmers have paid for rainfall between May and October.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a tragedy carried out in broad daylight to the soundtrack of melancholy and haunting songs

There are now only two active cases in the state, the State Government announces, but border restrictions will stay in place although travel to regional areas may be reopened.

Mudgee's Glen Willow Stadium is attractive to the NRL because it can be closed off to town

A group of farm workers claiming they were underpaid are hit with a rent bill in the lead-up to a Federal Court hearing.

The meat industry says a Melbourne council's decision to take meat off its menu on Mondays could damage regional economies for little environmental gain.

Conservationists are struggling in the fight against many introduced species in the Otways, but they hope a new program will limit the number of feral pigs before they cause too much damage.

Fonterra has announced a loss of more than half a billion dollars and called on its Australian business to "stand on its own two feet" as the dairy company shifts its focus to its New Zealand operations.

A dairy company that accused foreign workers of owing rent after allegations of underpayment arose has agreed to an out-of-court settlement.

David Littleproud will seek a review of rainfall figures as Moyne Shire councillor Colin Ryan says his region doesn't need drought support granted by the Federal Government because his area isn't drought affected.

Every year, thousands of short-tailed shearwaters, or mutton birds, descend on Victoria's coastline at the end of September or early October after a mammoth journey from the northern hemisphere, but so far this year they haven't shown up.

Tula's last day before retirement

Calculating the road toll is "extraordinarily complicated", according to Queensland police as loved ones say the confusion is compounding their grief following a horror few weeks on the state's roads.

Eyewear giant Specsavers has admitted that the personal information of some clients in Queensland is missing and may have been stolen.

A Sunshine Coast mother witnesses the moment alleged car jacker Dylan Matthew Hammond was shot by police and run over by a caravan after a 200-kilometre pursuit that ended on the Bruce Highway yesterday.

The deaths of a 70-year-old man and his son, aged 30, after their boat flipped on a dam west of Bundaberg on Friday evening has hit the community hard, a mayor says, as she urges families to "embrace each other" on Father's Day.

St Kilda chief executive Matt Finnis says the club has been left heartbroken by the death of former captain Danny Frawley.

The Queensland town of Monto that was drought declared and had the local mine close on the same day is determined to see the community survive.

Kay Boisen is being sued by Queensland Health because of an administration error over her long-service leave payment. The union says she could be among hundreds of nurses who've been wrongly paid.

An American Staffordshire Terrier that was pepper-sprayed, tasered and shot by police after it attacked a courier, will have its leg amputated. The owner says the courier company was told not to enter the property and came through a locked gate.

The cashless welfare card trial in Central Queensland is getting mixed reviews, with charities and community organisations saying there are signs of improvement but participants are less enthusiastic.

As it hosts researchers and conservationists as part of the World Whale Conference, Hervey Bay's responsible and sustainable practices have been awarded.

The former mayor of the Fraser Coast Regional Council has been found guilty of using his position to push for his former campaign manager to be appointed his chief-of-staff.

A controversial study plays down the risk of heart disease and cancer from eating red meat, infuriating global health professionals.

In an unassuming warehouse in Wollongong lies the only blast-testing machine of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, providing life-saving information about the defence against bomb attacks.

Livestock industries are not immune to the threat of coronaviruses, but experts say the risk of the COVID-19 strain passing to animals remains low.

In her time as a professional skier, a research student and working at Google, Annabel Blake noticed a reoccurring theme: an alarming shortage of women, and she's on a mission to change that for the next generation.

Radiolab reporter Latif Nasser has explored the plight of his namesake, Abdul Latif Nasser, who has been held in the Guantanamo Bay prison since 2002.

Audio recordings from people, events & curiosities on this day in history.

Emmah Money lives with the lung disease Cystic Fibrosis so she has to be especially careful to avoid coronavirus

Jayson O’Brien survived COVID 19 after 18 days in Dubbo Hospital and 8 days in ICU on ventilator.

The ability to navigate through the physical world is an amazing feat of the brain that was developed by our ancient ancestors. We can walk through unfamiliar places while maintaining a sense of direction, take shortcuts and remember places we visited decades earlier. How do we do it and is this ability threatened by a reliance on GPS?

Police say they've found a man reported missing on Sunday morning after launching a search and public appeal for him at Illawong Beach, South Mackay.