Regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of remote nurses in South Australia are struck down in Parliament after being criticised by nurses and the family of murdered outback nurse Gayle Woodford.

Former Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence is convicted over the aggravated sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy, after a judge found his evidence was not credible.

The drought is dragging on but this Walgett cafe is bucking the trend and expanding and is the shot in the arm this little town needs.

Wildlife carers say they no longer have to euthanase kangaroos at a New South Wales hospital, after access was cut to thousands of tourists who were flocking to feed them.

A leading surgeon fears a gravely-ill convicted murderer could die within a year if he is deported to Papua New Guinea.

The NSW Parole Authority is set to grant parole to convicted paedophile and disgraced former government minister Milton Orkopoulos.

Recent whale entanglements on the NSW coast highlight the man-made threats marine life face at an increasing rate, and experts say we can expect to see more.

Toddler William Tyrrell, who vanished from his foster grandmother's home in the sleepy town of Kendall almost five years ago, was likely abducted by someone who chose to "act on their desires", an inquest into his disappearance hears.

Much-needed support is rolling in for drought-affected farmers hit by a massive bushfire burning in northern New South Wales.

The honey industry is facing hard times along with other producers, having taken a battering over recent years from the drought and a string of natural disasters.

Vance Mazur will serve at least 15 years behind bars for fatally stabbing a 35-year-old Broome man outside a bottle shop in 2017 while suffering from violent delusions.

An arrest warrant has been issued after a man who served 12 years in prison for bashing and raping two tourists in WA's far north breached his post-sentence supervision order and failed to appear in court.

It usually melts long before lunchtime but forecasters expect snow over the Stirling Ranges to linger into the midafternoon this Saturday as a cold front blasts the mountain peaks of southern WA.

DAILY BRIEFING: A woman is in police custody after a house is in Lauderdale on Hobart's eastern shore is destroyed by fire and concerns raised over planned cuts to distance education teacher levels.

Tasmania is known for being clean and green, but Eva Pagett can't drink her tank water because it's contaminated with lead.

Mandatory drug and alcohol testing for elected representatives could soon be a reality for a second Tasmanian council, but the proposal is proving to be divisive with one councillor labelling it "highly invasive".

The future of the world's largest wild-caught fishery could be on a "path to oblivion" says one man, who after calling for a drastic cut in abalone catch limits was booted from the industry's peak body in Tasmania.

The District Council of Coober Pedy spends $60,000 investigating complaints before the complainant himself is elected to council.

Power is being restored to Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia as authorities consider shutting off power to the Mount Lofty Ranges in response to extreme fire danger conditions in the area.

Australian wool totals are forecast to be down by 12.7 per cent on last year a drop of 43 million kilograms, and the lowest yield since 1924, when the industry was much smaller.

Visitors are travelling to outback South Australia for tours of the former atomic testing site, but traditional owners want to see the narrative refocused to tell their story.

Magarey Medallist Luke Partington from Glenelg thanks volunteers for their tireless contribution to football, while SA football greats Peter Motley and Greg Anderson are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Wellington Shire Council in Victoria's Gippsland region gives eligible farmers $700 pre-loaded debit cards to provide some financial relief and stimulate the local economy.

The Federal Government has been rocked by revelations Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce may not have been validly elected. Barnaby Joyce is the latest to be caught by uncertainty over his citizenship - telling Parliament he may be a dual citizen of New Zealand because his father was born there. Mr Joyce is staying on as Deputy PM while the High Court determines his eligibility, but the Opposition believes he should stand aside immediately. The case could have huge implications for the Coalition, which holds the Lower House with a slim one seat majority.

Eric Ebatarintja escaped from the prison for the second time after removing his electronic monitoring bracelet. Although his sentence had expired, he was being held on an ongoing basis under the Serious Sex Offenders Act because the court deemed him to be at high risk of reoffending.

Leanne Liddle has been shot at and seriously assaulted working as a police officer, but none of that compares to the "despair" she felt when consulting across the NT for the Aboriginal Justice Agreement, where whole communities had been "neglected for decades".

The Country Women's Association of NSW has launched a virtual branch, aiming to cater to its grey nomads members while they are own the move.

Only containers purchased or collected in NSW are supposed to be retuned under the state's scheme.

As farming groups lobby the Federal Government to take action on soaring water prices, water brokers warn some irrigators will be worse off if the Government intervenes in the trade.

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.

Woolworths' bid to set up a Dan Murphy's liquor store in Darwin is rejected by the Northern Territory Liquor Commission on the basis it would increase the risk of alcohol-related harm in nearby Aboriginal communities.

A convicted violent rapist who was found to be at risk of reoffending was on the run for a week before being arrested in the Northern Territory, with no public notifications or warnings issued by NT Police.

Arnhem Land's Malcolm Rosas becomes the first Northern Territory player picked up by an AFL club for next season but he says the remote community of Bulman will always be home.

Garry Marsh, 73, pleads guilty to indecently assaulting a student while he coached him in rugby union at Canberra's St Edmund's College in 1979, and will spend two years behind bars.

Recommendations will be put to the Federal Government before Christmas over whether or not to release a herpes virus to control carp numbers, a potential move described as "reckless" by some commercial fishers.

Rubbish collected by a beach walker

Free fuel, meals, and animal feed are among the supplies donated to volunteer firefighters and people affected by bushfires, as the emergency continues to unfold in southern Queensland.

Crews are battling 57 fires across Queensland including one that is out of control on the Gold Coast hinterland, with the QFES declaring the "unprecedented" blazes are just the start of a very severe fire season.

South-East Queensland's bat population is in crisis as the species faces a mass starvation event which is seeing rescue groups inundated with as many as 50 calls a day reporting deaths and injuries in public spaces and backyards.

With an influx of 350,000 new residents expected by 2041, locals are concerned the planning and development will continue to alter the Gold Coast's unique identity.

An abandoned southern Great Barrier Reef island off the coast of central Queensland, has seen guests visit for the first time in five years.

A disease that could potentially wipe out Australia's multi-billion-dollar livestock industry has been detected at Australian airports.

NSW government-owned energy supplier Essential Energy is expected to cut 165 across regional New South Wales, according to the Electrical Trades Union.