A ratepayers advocacy group says a damning report into the risk of corruption within local government in Victoria highlights the need for greater scrutiny of regional councils.

The green hills of south-west Victoria couldn't be further from the latest outbreak of the highly contagious viral disease African swine fever (ASF) in Timor-Leste, but pork producer Xavier Meade isn't taking any chances.

Twelve years ago Paul Preusker was disqualified for possessing an electronic jigger. Now he's back, training the Melbourne Cup favourite and insisting he's a changed man.

Rob Minshull produces Weekends with Warren and is an avid reader.

Rob Minshull is an avid reader, and the producer of Weekends with Warren Boland

This year's NAIDOC Week theme is Voice. Treaty. Truth. But the truth is that many Indigenous people feel voiceless when it comes to expressing where Australia stands on treaty today.

A braille teacher says technology is causing a decline in literacy among people who are vision-impaired, prompting her to bring the tactile language into the mainstream.

St George Illawarra's season is all but over, but a sensational debut from young winger Jason Saab in the team's latest loss may be a sign of better things to come.

Do you suffer from an indescribable feeling of vertigo, constant dizziness and motion sickness? Chances are you could have Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.

St George Illawarra player Jack de Belin has withdrawn his legal challenge to the NRL's no-fault stand down policy, with his lawyers telling a Federal Court in Sydney there was "no utility" in proceeding.

Locals say a man who died while under attack from a swooping magpie near Wollongong was in a 'bad way' and they tried to resuscitate him before help arrived.

A coldsnap has resulted in snow blanketing parts of regional NSW, with the Goulburn and the Blue Mountain receiving particularly heavy falls.

The graves of five young WWII servicemen have been destroyed at a NSW cemetery in what has been described as a "disgraceful" act of vandalism.

A cold front moving across NSW dumps snow around Goulburn and the Blue Mountains, while erratic winds and lightning may hamper firefighting efforts in the north of the state.

Lance Daly has been through a heroin addiction, multiple stints in jail and gang violence and now wants to help people remove the marks of the past that are stifling their futures.

Energy Australia has apologised to a customer for issuing him multiple bills that 'did not make sense' despite his repeated complaints.

With so much of Australia's allure to tourists based on our oceans and waterways, a charity founder has launched a campaign he'd like to see played in airports and pushed via visa applications.

After police recorded her abusing an elderly woman, a carer told a court what it heard was "me slapping myself". In finding her guilty, the magistrate described the 26-year-old as "mean-spirited and nasty".

The University of Adelaide says the departures of chancellor Kevin Scarce and vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen have nothing to do with its finances despite admitting it is facing a budget shortfall of $100 million.

Sam Leishman was sexually abused by his high school teacher in Hobart in 1978. He and other survivors are suing the Department of Education for negligence.

Black holes usually cannot be seen but astronomers have now discovered one closer to Earth than any that have ever been located before.

The Australian Government joins a small group of so-called "first mover" nations which have been relatively successful in suppressing the coronavirus, to exchange ideas as restrictions continue to loosen.

MORNING BRIEFING: The proposed changes allow councils to apply the rate cap more flexibly and comes as local governments suffer financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic.

When the coronavirus pandemic began, London-based events planner Ali Lord decided the best place to be was at her parents' cattle station, so she packed up her laptop and reconnected it 17 days later, after an epic commute.

Australia's national cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss relaxing coronavirus social-distancing restrictions, but NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warns nothing will be changed before Mother's Day on Sunday.

Social media posts containing fake quotes from Nobel laureate Tasuku Honjo have spread on Facebook. The posts claimed that Professor Honjo said the novel coronavirus was "manufactured in China".

Up to five members of the same household will be allowed to visit another household this Sunday as the Queensland Government moves to further ease COVID-19 contact restrictions.

The Northern Territory has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 testing in the nation. Will testing increase ahead of pubs and restaurants opening next weekend?

The WA Government drills down on its decision to reject a home and away AFL season, saying the state's borders "would not and should not" be compromised to accommodate players.

SA legal reforms that will allow alleged sex offenders to be named earlier in proceedings are being hailed as an important safety measure, but the Law Society is concerned about vigilantism.

WARNING: This article contains the name and image of a person who has died. A trailblazing Indigenous jockey whose skills and humanity made him a legend has died aged 76.

A long-awaited path out of nationwide coronavirus restrictions that have upended the lives of millions of Australians is expected to be considered when state and territory leaders meet with the Prime Minister today.

Queenslanders can enjoy a gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions ahead of Mother's Day, but we're not out of the virus crisis yet, so what can you do and what can't you do?

A gonorrhoea expert says people will be keen to get "out and about" as social restrictions ease, which could worsen an already higher-than-usual number of cases on the Gold Coast.

MORNING BRIEFING: The NSW Transport Minister will no longer serve as Leader of the House, the latest episode in a tumultuous week for Mr Constance in which he announced his bid for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro before withdrawing from the race 24 hours later.

Heading into the Top End's dry season, Jawoyn rangers are working to prevent dangerous bushfires from tearing through their country and communities.

Bright, bold and ethereal — the sight of May's supermoon rising behind world landmarks will take your breath away.

Sydney silk Bret Walker SC, who is leading the special commission of inquiry into the Ruby Princess, says he did not take Scott Morrison's criticisms of his "aggressive" questioning of a teary witness as an attempt to interfere with the probe's independence.

Residents on the New South Wales south coast have rejected the finding from a Rural Fire Service investigation into the cause of a deadly fire at Lake Conjola.