Sydney news

Victorian Nationals MP Russell Northe will see out his term as an independent, as he battles mental illness and gambling issues, and owes substantial debts to a number of people in his electorate.

After plastic bags were banned in 2011, Canberrans are getting creative about their waste.

Police are investigating whether a toddler managed to shoot herself in the neck inside her family home in Sydney's west.

Police establish a crime scene at a house in Sydney's west where a six-year-old girl died after being shot in the neck.

Police are investigating the shooting death of a child in Sydney's west after a six-year-old girl was found with a gunshot wound to her neck.

West Coast Eagles supporters, local businesses and long-time AFL fans bid farewell to Subiaco Oval, where the final siren on Sunday marked the end of a rich 110-year history for the grounds that welcomed WA's first-ever AFL team.

A Josh Dugan-less Dragons manage to edge out the Panthers in Penrith after the Sea Eagles grabbed a golden point win over the Warriors. Look back at all the action.

A number of properties are damaged by bushfires in Batchelor and Tumbling Waters, about an hour south of Darwin.

The City of Parramatta has gone to battle with Hornsby Shire Council, claiming the municipality on Sydney's north owes it millions of ratepayers' dollars.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner will write to the Australia Day Council to make a case for a "new way forward" on celebrations, saying the day should "meaningfully acknowledge the entire story of our nation".

Darwin Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim says she is quietly confident of retaining her position after yesterday's elections, while in Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan claims victory for a record-breaking third term.

Premier Mark McGowan uses his party's state conference to announce a "jobs bill" to help local businesses, and a plan to take back control of one of the state's jails and turn it into WA's first drug and alcohol rehabilitation prison.

Australia may be just days from the first month of spring, but Canberra has experienced a freezing day with snow falling across the capital.

The sister of Gold Coast suspected murder victim Reece Clarke posts a heartfelt tribute to her brother on Facebook, after their sibling Ethan allegedly doused him with petrol and set him alight.

Victorians are asked to name five new underground train stations in Melbourne as part of a competition, but Transport Minister Jacinta Allan warns people to take it seriously.

South Australia's Opposition promises to conduct a full audit of all open public spaces in the state to prevent terrorist attacks if it wins next year's March election.

Sydney police launch an investigation after the cast and audience of a production about a gay love story have their tyres slashedthe second attack on those involved with the show.

The Warriors host the top-eight-hunting Sea Eagles, with St George Illawarra looking to pounce on any slip-ups when it faces Penrith. Follow it live in our NRL ScoreCentre.

Jobseekers in Mandurah south of Perth face having their welfare payments quarantined or even axed under a new drug testing program to start early next year, once it receives the approval of Federal Parliament.

Fifteen years ago Kai Hansen bought an island near Darwin to escape city life, now he lives there in a lodge with his pet crocodile Casey.

As a growing number of children report they are struggling to cope with stress and anxiety, Australian schools are shifting the focus to mental health. Nine in 10 independent schools now offer dedicated wellness programs.

A father and son are shaken but unharmed after being threatened by two men armed with hammers during a "brazen" robbery in West Moonah.

A Brisbane bus driver has facial injuries after being headbutted by a passenger who was asked to show his concession card.

Australia's largest animal refuge facility would include cat condos and a wing dedicated to housing the pets of domestic violence victims as part of a Sydney council's ambitious blueprint.

The search for two people missing after jumping into crocodile-infested waters to allegedly avoid police in the Northern Territory is being scaled back amid reports they have been seen by members of the public.

Without substantial rain in the next two months, authorities predict forest fires could be among the biggest risks to the ACT and the surrounding region this summer.

A Hobart woman flown to a Melbourne hospital with severe burns after a house fire dies from her injuries.

A north Queensland environmental organisation picks up more than 15 tonnes of rubbish and marine debris from the Whitsundays after Cyclone Debbie.

A race against time to find a kidnapped scientist and prevent a zombie outbreakit sounds like the plot of a B-grade film but it's actually part of a new learning initiative at a school in Sydney's west.

The Federal Opposition Leader is playing "catch-up" with his promise to create a $1.6 billion infrastructure fund to partially offset Western Australia's massive GST revenue shortfall, the Government claims.

Three men believed to be from overseas and working in Australia are dead after the car they were travelling in rolled and crashed into trees near Kerang in Victoria's north overnight.

Two Cairns fashion designers are chosen to represent Australia at the World Indigenous Fashion Week in the Seychelles in October.

Far from being cute "dogs of the sea", Tasmania's fishing fraternity say relocated seals are harassing their boats, destroying nets, attacking other wildlife and are a threat to livelihoods.

ING Real Estate is being accused of "acting like the mafia" and "bullying retailers" who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars when the company's giant Ferris wheel in Melbourne's Docklands was forced to close for repairs.

You're about to be bombarded with negative political ads in Queensland and here's why you won't turn off.

An orphan boy from India established one of Tasmania's first luxury hotels, yet you'll struggle to find his story told in history books.