An unwanted steam locomotive that was left to rust has become a symbol of pride for a Queensland town, thanks to years of painstaking restoration work.

Thousands of hectares of native forest north of Noosa, which was due to become national park, will now remain open to the timber industry in order to save hundreds of jobs.

It has been three weeks since the NT's last COVID-19 diagnosis and this weekend some Northern Territory parks will reopen.

From May 15, Territorians will be able to sweat it out at the gym, dine at a restaurants and get their nails done. And from June 5, they can get a tattoo or head to a nightclub.

Northern Territorians are hitting the roads, pools and sportsgrounds in droves today, for the beginning of one of Australia's largest wind backs of coronavirus restrictions.

In Central Australia, butterflies have only several weeks in certain months to pollinate flowering plants in the desert region, making their presence there crucial.

Wilcannia locals worry their weir won't ever be built, despite State and Federal Government pre-election promises.

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.

Nigerian police have arrested a man after the death of a West Australian woman who was caught up in an online romance scam.

Lawyers representing a West Australian farmer who is suing his neighbour over genetically modified canola which allegedly contaminated his property, say the court case will hinge on the principle of negligence. The landmark case has been taken by Kojonup organic farmer Steve Marsh. They say the neighbour Michael Baxter had a duty to contain his own crop of GM canola.

Former WA chief scientist Lyn Beazley says she is honoured to be named patron of an agriculture program in Manjimup.

John Bowie is arrested in Brisbane over the suspected murder of his wife Roxlyn, who disappeared from their home in Walgett in northern New South Wales in 1982.

The accused triple-murderer tells police "you gotta be joking" during previously unseen footage of his arrest at his Perth home back in 2016 for the Claremont serial killings.

A magistrate who found a Nimbin Mardi Grass festival worker not guilty of drug driving has blasted the NSW Government's advice to motorists, saying it "lulls them into a false sense of security".

Driving 50km will be permitted, members of the same household will be able to go for picnics, and shopping for non-essential items like clothes and shoes will be allowed.

Queensland students won't return to school yet, despite calls for Year 11 and 12 classes to resume, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says as some coronavirus restrictions ease on Saturday.

As beaches reopen on the Gold Coast, mayor Tom Tate has called on the Federal Government to allow the "gradual" return of the city's crippled hospitality industry.

By the end of April there has normally been regular fire crew training, inductions, and planning, but social distancing has made that near-impossible.

Nearly 150 extra police will be out questioning Queenslanders this weekend who are enjoying the first days of easing restrictions, as the state records just one new case of coronavirus.

Former Queensland shadow police minister Trevor Watts says it was a mistake to have "driveway drinks" with neighbours — caught by a police patrol — with officers alleging it was more like a "street party" that did not follow coronavirus physical distancing rules.

Queensland authorities question if the coastal city could return to its usual way of life too soon, after allowing beaches to open and people to picnic.

International seafarers pose little risk to the public and port access restrictions imposed by some states are not in line with national recommendations, an industry lobby claims.

The only person to lose a home when bushfires swept through a Sunshine Coast beachside suburb last year is finally seeing it rebuilt.

Some of Queensland's coronavirus restrictions ease from this morning, allowing you to head outside your homes for "recreation" — but before you grab your blanket and some brie here's a list of what you can and can't do.

Some Queensland residents may find it too cold to enjoy the relaxed coronavirus restrictions that start today, as temperatures across in some areas in the state's south drop below zero.

Queenslanders hit the waterways and public spaces on the first day of relaxed restrictions, with residents able to picnic or visit national parks for the first time in weeks.

Many restaurants and cafes are struggling to keep their businesses alive on takeaway only and the industry is lobbying the Queensland Government for further relaxing of social distancing restrictions to get people eating out again.

Queensland police shut down three house parties in the 24 hours after some coronavirus restrictions are relaxed and erect fencing at Burleigh Heads where large crowds were dispersed over the weekend.

It was once a holiday destination favoured by US presidents and Hollywood starlets, but Port Douglas in Far North Queensland has turned into a ghost town due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

A Sunshine Coast man launches a campaign to reinvigorate community organisation Rotary by attracting young people.

Cairns Regional Council records significant increase in waste created by residents since coronavirus restrictions came into effect in March.

This family claims isolation has forced them to become around-the-clock carers for their disabled son because they cannot access regular support services and there is no end in sight.

MORNING BRIEFING: Photos shared on social media appear to show two NRL players defying coronavirus restrictions on a camping trip on the NSW Mid-North Coast, while aged care homes say the PM's advice on visitors is "cavalier and careless".

Water restrictions have been eased for residents of the Macquarie Valley, but it's unlikely affected councils will move back to unrestricted water usage anytime soon.

NSW Police are investigating social media images where Rugby League stars Josh Add-Carr and Latrell Mitchell went on a camping trip on the state's mid-north.

Police charge Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr with firearms offences after a weekend getaway as the NRL fines the pair and two other players for "putting the game and community at risk".

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant and Transport Minister Andrew Constance provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak on April 29, 2020. NSW Health has confirmed 11 new cases after 5,400 tests were done overnight.

On March 31, the Premier enacted stricter social-distancing measures "for our own good" — here's how people in Australia's worst-affected coronavirus state survived, and thrived amid the lockdown.

A mental health initiative that became a national success story is forced to innovate in the coronavirus era with Zoom walks and online check-ins.

While thousands at the Arena were 'dancin' in the dark' with Bruce Springsteen, down a secret side street in Subiaco a few lucky festival goers were eating in the dark enjoying a meal they will never forget.

Two men are arrested over the disappearance and suspected murder of a New South Wales man who has been missing for almost a decade.

Gaming business Federal Group says it will not have jobs for about 1,500 of its 1,930 Tasmanian workers because of restrictions on the operation of hotels and casinos introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Tasmania records its first coronavirus death after a woman in her 80s dies in hospital in the state's north-west, with the state's case tally rising by three to 69.

All over Australia, non-essential travel is being discouraged. But the rules vary state to state, so let's take a look at exactly how far you're allowed to travel and who you're allowed to visit.

Hospitals across Tasmania have banned visitors, but one Hobart doctor is helping patients stay in touch with their loved ones during coronavirus pandemic by asking people to "donate" their iPads.

Coronavirus has forced some dramatic changes to how the ABC keeps the public informed, from home-based broadcasting to webcam interviews and recruiting people featured in a story to help film it on their mobile phone.

Aussie expat Morgan Ray usually attends an Anzac Day ceremony on the banks of the Chicago River, but lockdowns have made that impossible this year. He's not alone in feeling alone this year.