The harvest is underway at one of Australia's most remote pearl farms and its new owners are excited by what they see.

They collect vital climate information, but weather balloons are also a daily contributor to plastic pollution levels it's a dilemma the Bureau of Meteorology is struggling to solve.

Schools and remote communities across the north of Western Australia fear for their future as vital funding dries up, leaving highly-valued employees jobless.

Indigenous ranger teams have traditionally been dominated by men, but a growing female workforce in the Kimberley is being seen as a vital resource.

A day after Jody Gore was released from her murder sentence in an act of mercy by the WA Government, she says she hopes her case brings the "silent epidemic" of domestic violence into the open.

Voting rights based on owning property were last seen in many democracies in the late 19th century, but they live on in most Australian local government elections.

For many families in remote parts of Australia, virtual classrooms provide a vital education but low enrolment numbers in some parts could spell trouble for schools of the air.

Keeping Aboriginal people 'on country' in their later years has far-reaching community benefits, but poor resources often make that impossible. In WA's remote north, however, that is starting to change.

Australia is home to some of the best dairy operations in the world, but an analyst has warned that without a drastic increase in production the country could soon become an "import nation".

Two of Australia's most unique private military collections are tucked away on WA's south coast, not far from Albany where thousands of soldiers departed for WWI.

The Landcare movement has the ability to unite farmers and environmentalists, but it hasn't received much attention in an election campaign infatuated with climate change.

The weather serves as both a great unifier and obsession for most Australians and now the Bureau of Meteorology is about to bring in the next generation of online forecasting technology.

Australian companies are enjoying record high woodchip prices, with overseas demand especially form China pushing the price for premium chips beyond $260 per bone-dry tonne.

Eighty-two per cent of tourists to WA want an Aboriginal cultural experience when they visit, but only 26 per cent get what they want.

The owners of the mothballed Ravensthorpe nickel mine in WA's south-east, say they will move to re-open the site if surging demand for the metal continues.

A regional council hopes to change attitudes towards the straw-necked ibis, cousin of the Australian white ibis or much-maligned bin chicken, in an effort to win over residents and visitors.

The shared horror of losing family members to homicide has united two women in their quest to form a unique peer support group in Western Australia.

There is no sign of retirement for 91-year-old Rex Egerton-Warburton who still enjoys an active farming career despite being in the saleyards since he was five.

A tax imposed on West Australian ratepayers 16 years ago to support the state's emergency services has raised more than $3 billion, but just $256 million of that has gone to bush fire brigades, and they say this is forcing them to rattle the tin for some essential equipment.

There are only a handful of sheep dairies in Australia, but it is a popular alternative to traditional dairy products.

Authorities in Western Australia investigate a large mussel die-off that covered a 1km stretch of beach on the south coast last week.

Growers question the process behind Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) announcing that a controversial ex-chairman is among the preferred candidates to fill board vacancies.

A man has been charged after he allegedly attempted to drop eight tonnes of animal manure at the offices of Tasmanian politicians.

This wild and rugged corner of north-west Tasmania is bursting with ancient history and dotted with artefacts, but you've probably never heard of it.

Tracey hoped putting her mother in an aged care home would give her a sense of security, but she ended up severely injuring herself in a fall. Warning: contains graphic images.

Lucienne Rickard will draw an extinct species every day for a year but at the end there will hardly be anything left to show for her work.

Rob Dickson has gone from looking after 100 expeditioners in Antarctica to being a GP for the 1,755 people who live in the remote town of Queenstown on Tasmania's west coast. He says regional Australia can be more isolating.

DAILY BRIEFING: A Tasmanian shark attack victim commemorates a year since the incident, cattle deaths hearing delayed and basketball stars arrive in the state.

With just 34 return boat journeys made over a year, politicians are debating whether $200 million should be spent to build a taller bridge in Tasmania's south.

Autonomous mining trucks and remote health tools are among key Australian technologies that NASA will need for its 2024 Moon mission, stakeholders say.

When there's a smell of smoke in the air, bushfire survivor Michael King still feels jittery. He describes it as similar to "how a Vietnam veteran might feel if he hears the sound of a chopper overhead".

DAILY BRIEFING: Inmates involved in an escape from prison allegedly tried to get out earlier the same morning, and the Tasmanian Mayor defends renting a short-stay property to staff.

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

The stories of two Tasmanian officers added to the national list of police who "gave the ultimate sacrifice" most likely differ markedly to those from other jurisdictions.

A man who assaulted his then-pregnant girlfriend on a weekly basis, destroyed her possessions by driving over them and smeared faeces on her clothes is jailed and described by the presiding judge as "domineering" and "cowardly".

More and more Australians are facing the prospect of random drug testing in their places of work. What does it involve, how reliable is it, and can you say no?

Photos and documents show nurses in the Roy Fagan Centre for aged psychiatric patients use old pagers and duress buttons held together with sticky tape.

In a matter of weeks more than 50,000 virtual signatures have been added to an online petition supporting the formation of a Tasmanian AFL team, but it is unlikely to be enough to sway the AFL executive, writes Chris Rowbottom.

DAILY BRIEFING: Premier Will Hodgman says it is "improbable" mining exploration licences or leases will be granted to companies looking for coal on agricultural land, and the Hobart City Council is one step closer to drug testing councillors.

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.

As Antarctic icebreaker Aurora Australis launches into its last season, there are many stories to tell, including a love story.