Sydney news

A large section of Australia's only international biodiversity hotspot, located in WA's Wheatbelt has been listed as critically endangered by the Federal Government.

Police are using a sniffer dog to search a street in Sydney's inner-west after a man came to hospital with a gunshot wound.

A trucking company subcontracting to the Wollongong steelworks lays off a dozen drivers in the lead up to Christmas.

Looking back at 2015

Workers to continue clearing asbestos and debris at Kurnell in Sydney's south after 80 homes were damaged by a tornado earlier this week.

A major sprinkler failure at Broken Hill's Norm Fox Oval is on its way to being repaired, with $10,000 worth of new equipment due to be installed by Christmas.

There's a new push to have the Menindee Lakes listed as an internationally-significant wetland, with the far west's regional development board to discuss the idea next month.

Northern Territory police are talking to witnesses after a woman was killed on the Stuart Highway near Mataranka this morning.

Consumers are still buying beef despite recent price increases, but they are buying less of it.

Controversial ride-sharing service Uber is set to become legal in Western Australia, the State Government says.

Broken Hill City Library is on a list of council assets set to be reviewed for efficiency, with the city's mayor refusing to rule out the possibility it could be moved.

The new Tintenbar-Ewingsdale stretch of the Pacific Highway is now open to traffic.

An apprentice remains in a critical condition after collapsing on a work site during the worst heatwave Adelaide has experienced during December since European settlement.

A severe fire warning is place for much of the Victoria today as fire crews and health authorities brace for extreme heat over the next few days.

A flood-prone Queensland town hopes insurance bills will be slashed by thousands of dollars for scores of locals once a new levee is extended.

Frontline police in Kempsey, on the state's mid north coast, have become the first in regional NSW to get 'Body Worn Video' cameras.

The Deniliquin Council in south-western New South Wales, has raised concerned about the potential for serious fires in local national parks this summer.

The principal of a Hunter school has moved to reassure parents, while dismissing allegations in the wake of claims an autistic boy was locked in a cupboard.

More than $10,000 worth of equipment has been stolen from the Stockton Fire and Rescue Station.

The ACT budget bottom line blows out by more than $70 million, largely due to superannuation liabilities, the ACT Government says.

Hunter Valley police are urging motorists to play it safe on the region's roads this festive season.

The EPA says it was positive to see the Williamtown RAAF base yesterday in the wake of a contamination crisis.

A Hunter woman is calling for a second Coronial inquest into the murder of her mother in Cooks Hill.

Vacy Bridge will be closed today.

Police are searching a street in Sydney's inner-west after a man came to hospital with what is believed to be a gunshot wound.

Dozens of jobs are set to be created at a Lake Macquarie mine.

Jets coach Scott Miller is confident ahead of tonight's clash with Adelaide.

A union says the ongoing uncertainty over the future of energy jobs in regional New South Wales is causing unnecessary pressure on staff.

It is hoped a grassroots approach to boost health and wellbeing services in the region's south could be rolled out to other communities.

It is hoped a proposed solar farm at Parkes will boost the economy and lead renewable energy generation in the region.

The family of a Newcastle teenage assault victim say they are disappointed his attacker has avoided a custodial sentence.

Many of NSW's councils will be forced to merge to create larger municipalities and significantly reduce the number of local governments.

Sensors are placed in the grass to detect heat during CSIRO experiments on fire behaviour near Braidwood. (17 December 2015)

New research could mean an even shorter window for burning off in the lead-up to the bushfire season.

CSIRO bushfire behaviour principal research scientist Andrew Sullivan checks plans during experiments near Braidwood. (17 December 2015)

Educators across the country are being urged to consider including a mindfulness relaxation program in schools after a trial at a Canberra school saw "overwhelming benefits" for its young students.

A large section of Australia's only international biodiversity hotspot, located in WA's Wheatbelt has been listed as critically endangered by the Federal Government.

Michael Hussey blasts a quickfire 80 to lead the Sydney Sixers to a 36-run win over the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League season opener.

A coronial inquest into the death of a six-year-old Sebastian Keith Parman from complications of swine flu at a regional hospital in Western Australia in 2010 hears allegations of serious flaws in his treatment.

Mushroom-made plastic? What about wood without trees? This may seem far-fetched but fungus is already being used to make materials that are environmentally and economically sustainable.

Authorities warn of extreme fire danger and heat fatigue as Victoria prepares to swelter through temperatures in the high 30s and 40s, with no reprieve until Sunday.

Opposition leader, Billl Shorten, defends the Labor Party's relationship with the unions but warns against over-estimating the influence of the CFMEU.

A 17-year-old apprentice is in a critical condition in an Adelaide hospital after collapsing due to heat-related stress on a worksite, the union says.

Conservationists claim the Queensland Government has failed to fully inform the Federal Government about plans for the controversial Abbot Point port expansion.

Further questions have been raised over the choice of a Canberra-based developer winning the tender to build the Australian Taxation Office in Gosford.

A new system that dramatically lowers the cost of cancer treatment has been developed by a team at the University of New South Wales.

A female road construction worker subjected to assaults, sexual harassment, bullying and rape threats at a Melbourne workplace wins a $1.3 million payout.

Opposition leader, Billl Shorten, says there's no room for corruption within the union movement, but defends the Labor Party's relationship with them.

A Gold Coast man has taken on the ambitious task of recording the audio stories of 100 Gold Coast characters in one year and podcasting them.Josh Bavas joins Drew Kruck as he closes in on his goal.

A Gold Coast man has taken on the ambitious task of recording the audio stories of 100 Gold Coast characters in one year and podcasting them.Josh Bavas joins Drew Kruck as he closes in on his goal.