Sydney news

Queensland Parliament hands new powers to the construction watchdog to crack down on suppliers of flammable cladding and other unsafe building products, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.

An Alice Springs-based lettuce farm rides the merry-go-round of seasons to produce a bumper winter crop.

Olympic and Commonwealth Games cyclist Jack Bobridge appears in a Perth court charged with selling MDMA, a little over a year after winning a silver medal in the men's team pursuit in Rio.

An aged care facility in Adelaide's north is trying to retain its federal accreditation after an audit revealed compliance failures in areas including clinical care, privacy, complaint handling, staffing and medication management.

It's never a good time to give up 50 points in front of your home fans, but Brisbane's suddenly listless defence is a major worry ahead of the NRL finals.

Increasing the proportion of Indigenous people on juries in the NT would improve confidence in the jury system, says the head of the NT Criminal Lawyers Association.

Locals living in regional towns near mines are being given a leg up to get jobs in the mining industry in laws passed with bipartisan support in Queensland Parliament overnight.

Next month the NT Government is expected to receive the outcome of a broad review into the Territory's alcohol laws, and health groups want to see the causes of heavy drinking targeted, as well as a wider range of rehab options for drinkers.

The shift to rooftop solar energy may be helping millions of Australians bring down their power bills, but a new report warns poorer households are missing out because they cannot afford the technology.

To its fans, Richmond is so much more than just a footy team. But they are keeping extra quiet when asked the dread questioncan the Tigers win the flag in 2017?

It was miserable viewing for Brisbane and glory for Parramatta as the Eels run riot to beat the Broncos 52-34 in an incredible Lang Park NRL stunner.

The Indian mining giant will contest the fine issued by the Queensland Government over the unauthorised release of sediment stormwater from the Abbot Point coal terminal.

The NRMA says there is an alarming shortfall in spending on the state's local roads, with regional and rural areas hardest hit.

Former Olympic and Commonwealth Games cyclist Jack Bobridge appears in court charged with selling MDMA, a little over a year after winning a silver medal in the men's team pursuit in Rio.

Daniel James Holdom, charged with the murder of single mother Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her two-year-old daughter Khandalyce Pearce, is committed to stand trial.

Senior government minister, Christopher Pyne, says claims that a vote for marriage equality is a vote against free speech and for political correctness is a red herring.

A former St Edmund's College teacher accused of grooming and indecently assaulting a vulnerable student in the early 1980s has denied any wrongdoing, saying he had never heard of some of the things he was accused of.

Canberrans are a quirky breed, the kind of people who enjoy a Kate Bush re-enactment en masse in a city park. So should spending on our nation's capital really be left in the hands of its people?

The second-placed Broncos host the fifth-placed Eels in a high-stakes Thursday night NRL encounter. Follow all the action in our live ScoreCentre.

Canberra's Liberal Opposition youth spokeswoman, Elizabeth Kikkert, says the Safe Schools program is "grooming" and traumatising children, as they table a petition calling for the withdrawal of government support for the initiative.

Resistance is growing to the cashless welfare card in one of the Federal Government's original trial sites, with a key supporter turning against the controversial scheme.

The family of hit-and-run victim Lucy Paveley is urging against feelings of anger and revenge in the wake of her death, after tensions flared outside court earlier this week.

There is no kerbside recycling in Alice Springs, and a mayoral candidate calls for waste to be processed locally.

Two South Australians and a woman from New South Wales are charged over child sex abuse and exploitation material, as part of an investigation involving state and Federal Police.

A former PE teacher upstages David Attenborough by filming the moment a female weedy seadragon transfers her eggs onto the male's tail.

Prolific midfielder Brent Stanton joins Essendon teammates Jobe Watson and James Kelly in confirming his AFL retirement.

It has long been flagged as the future for food, and now a WA start-up company has been given the green light to sell crickets for human consumption.

Rodney Croome, arrested almost 30 years ago by police after a complaint by Hobart City Council, helps the Mayor raise a rainbow flag atop a council building, cheered on by supporters.

The South Sea Islander community is calling for a statue of Townsville founder Robert Towns to be changed, to pay tribute to those who were kidnapped, brought to Queensland and forced into labour.

A former PE teacher upstages David Attenborough by filming the moment a female weedy seadragon transfers her eggs onto the male's tail.

Court documents reveal the diagram Michael Atkins provided police to locate the body of his younger lover, Matthew Leveson, who was buried in Sydney's Royal National Park.

The maritime safety regulator is aiming to crack down on outdated livestock export vessels in a bid to improve animal welfare on old ships.

A seven-week-old German shepherd named after Brisbane's world champion boxer, Jeff Horn, will soon begin training to become the newest addition to the Queensland Police Service Dog Squad.

Communities are being advised to get familiar with so-called "bushfire last-resort refuges" ahead of the upcoming fire danger season in SA.

A new app aims to bring to life the poignant and often tragic tales of hundreds of people buried in Robe's historic cemetery.

Barkandji and Malyangapa traditional owners in far west New South Wales have had a win in the Federal Court with more land now included in the State's largest native title claim.

A former Wollongong lifeguard is working to educate residents of a Vietnamese tourist island about the environmental danger of plastic, starting with a beach clean that has exposed the magnitude of the problem.

An independent review finds staff are "disappointed and ashamed" at aspects of leadership within the Australian Olympic Committee, while describing it as "the most dysfunctional organisation that they have worked for".

It has long been flagged as the future for food, and now a WA start-up company has been given the green light to sell crickets for human consumption.

Daniel James Holdom, charged with the murder of single mother Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her two-year-old daughter Khandalyce Stevenson, is committed to stand trial.

A host of golden daffodils are making their way across the country, as the Cancer Council prepares for one of their biggest fundraisers of the year.

One of two Canberra women who allegedly discussed, over work email, plans to scam customers of electricity and gas provider ActewAGL pleads guilty to stealing thousands of dollars, while the other pleads not guilty.

Australia's largest undeveloped copper project will be turned into a $916 million mine after OZ Minerals' board approves the Carrapateena project near Port Augusta.

Sheep graziers across New South Wales are being warned that an outbreak of virulent footrot is spreading, despite dry seasonal conditions.

Barkindji and Malyangapa traditional owners in far west New South Wales have had a win in the Federal Court with more land now included in the State's largest native title claim.

Almost every town in regional Australia has a festival, celebrating everything from potatoes to poets and balloons to beer, but are there too many?

From the sublime to the ridiculousCanberra artists looking for inspiration have found it in unlikely places.

The best farmers and the effectiveness of farming technology are being hampered by poor telecommunications in the bush.

Regional police will receive extra training to combat the spike in livestock thefts from farms in South Australia.

Colourful children's books are being left at iconic places throughout the city by mums hoping to spread positive messages about refugees.