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Australian news: federal and state politics, the economy, courts, weather and the stories that matter across the country.
2058 articles · page 25 of 43
Western Australia's environmental regulator failed to adequately track or manage thousands of contamination cases, leaving more than 1,200 possibly contaminated sites awaiting assessment for over five years and hundreds of files assigned to staff who no longer worked there, a scathing audit has found.
The NSW Independent Planning Commission has approved an extension for Hunter Valley Operations, allowing the coal mine near Singleton to continue until 2045. The decision is estimated to preserve 1,500 jobs, but comes with conditions aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups.
The latest interest rate rise has deepened financial pressure on Tasmanian households, with new analysis showing an extra $81 a month on an average-sized mortgage and some homeowners saying they may need to sell their homes if rates keep climbing.
Forrestania Resources has updated its mineral resource estimates for the Lady Ada and Lady Magdalene gold deposits in Western Australia, collectively known as "The Ladies", delivering a combined 285,700 ounces of gold at a grade of 1.82 grams per tonne. The deposits are located near Aztec Mining's historic Bounty gold mine and 80 kilometres from the company's Lake Johnson processing plant.
Federal eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has suggested she may not seek a second term when her appointment ends in early 2027, arguing that artificial intelligence giants have demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to regulate themselves. Speaking in Brisbane on Wednesday, Inman Grant described a power imbalance between digital platforms and regulators, and said new leadership would be appropriate for the coming era of a digital duty of care.
The Age, Victoria's most widely read masthead, is seeking aspiring and early-career journalists for 12-month traineeships in its Melbourne newsroom, with applications closing on Sunday, October 18. The program, which begins in February, offers participants the chance to work alongside award-winning reporters and editors with a strong focus on breaking news and digital skills.
Residents of Clermont in central Queensland are being urged to conserve water after both pumps at Theresa Creek Dam failed, triggering emergency water restrictions for a second day. Isaac Regional Council has replaced one pump and is carrying out short-term repairs on the other, while divers investigate the cause of the failure.
Australians bought a record 157,957 new electric vehicles between January and June, an increase of 117% on the same period a year earlier, according to a new report from the Electric Vehicle Council.
Inflation has surged following a recent interest rate hike, while the Reserve Bank of Australia prepares for further tightening amid a labour crunch and a 60-year building surge, according to reports.
The Sydney Morning Herald is seeking applicants for its 12-month journalism traineeship program, with applications open until October 18. The program offers aspiring journalists the chance to learn from experienced reporters at Australia's oldest continually published newspaper.
A near miss at Sydney Airport has been assessed as a Category A runway incursion, the most serious level on an international scale, as the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reveals predictions of elevated fatigue risks for staff at the time of the incident.
Newcastle hooker Harrison Graham will start Sunday's NRL grand final against the Sydney Roosters, filling the No.9 jersey vacated by suspended teammate Phoenix Crossland, despite having started only four games in his NRL career.
Australia's inflation rate rose to 4 per cent in August, a four-month high, a day after the Reserve Bank raised official interest rates to 4.6 per cent – a 15-year peak – casting doubt on whether the tightening cycle has ended.
Jurors in the NSW Supreme Court trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon have been shown crime scene photographs revealing a fired bullet beneath the kitchen floor of the Paddington terrace where Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were allegedly shot dead in February 2024.
Sydney Roosters superfan Thomas Hayes has taken his lifelong support to a new level, buying the team's sponsored BYD Shark ute and winning a small patch of the club's home ground, which now sits in his Engadine backyard.
Australian federal politicians are the most prolific users of artificial intelligence in speeches among English-speaking legislatures, according to an analysis by The Economist. A random sample of speeches delivered in the House of Representatives between September 2025 and September 2026 found that more than 20 per cent were flagged as AI-generated or AI-assisted by the detection tool Pangram, with just under 15 per cent of Senate speeches similarly identified. The finding has renewed debate about how MPs should use the technology.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has offered high praise for Tony Popovic's Socceroos, describing them as 'a really good team' after a 4-2 victory in Brisbane on Tuesday night, while noting a clear tactical evolution from Australia's World Cup campaign earlier this year.
In a deeply personal interview, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei recounts his childhood in Xinjiang, where he helped burn his poet father's art books during the Cultural Revolution. The conversation, published alongside his 'Mushrooms' installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, traces his unlikely journey from extreme poverty to international renown.
Penrith Panthers star Nathan Cleary is the favourite to win his first Dally M Medal on Wednesday night, reportedly watching the count from a hospital bed, as Newcastle Knights drew 12,000 fans to an open training session ahead of Sunday's grand final against the Sydney Roosters.
Dr Dov Degen, an award-winning nephrologist and general physician, has shared his experience of psychosis after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19. Speaking over lunch at Lady of St Kilda restaurant, he described how a depressive episode and antidepressant prescription without mood stabilisers triggered full-blown mania and delusions, including the belief he was the incarnation of Jesus.
Thirteen years after Breaking Bad concluded, stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have definitively ruled out any revival of the acclaimed series, dismissing the idea of a holiday special as unthinkable. Instead, the duo are bringing an unscripted live show to Australia, promising an evening of behind-the-scenes stories and reflections on the show that still tops 'best of all time' audience polls.
Dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale has officially told the Brisbane Lions he will move to Collingwood as a free agent, just one day after celebrating his third successive premiership with fans at a public event in Brisbane.
Police are searching for a gunman south-east of Geraldton after a 32-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 1am in the rural locality of Moonyoonooka, with significant resources including the tactical response group deployed to the area.
The Australian Greens will hold a rare three-way contest for the party's leadership this week, following the unexpected resignation of Larissa Waters due to worsening chronic kidney disease. Five of the eleven federal parliamentarians have nominated, setting up a vote at a two-day party retreat in Sydney.
The Reserve Bank has lifted interest rates to 4.6 per cent, a 15-year high, with governor Michele Bullock blaming domestic capacity pressures and extraordinary shocks including the ongoing Iran war, spending on AI and weak productivity. The decision came despite rising unemployment, falling house prices and sluggish economic growth, and Bullock warned more hikes could be on the way.
Six Queensland babies have died from congenital syphilis since 2024, according to new data from Queensland Health, as the state grapples with a surge in infectious syphilis cases. Fifty-five pregnant women have been diagnosed with the sexually transmitted infection so far this year, and six babies have developed the condition after contracting it in the womb.
Ten years after Ford closed its factories in Geelong and Broadmeadows, former workers like Tony Travers say the loss is still keenly felt. The closures ended more than 90 years of manufacturing, with the American carmaker citing high costs and more than $600 million in losses over five years.
Four years after the Tasmanian government passed the Retail Leases Act 2022 with the aim of helping small business owners resolve disputes without going to court, only two of the act's 90 sections have come into effect, leaving cafe owner Hayley Dick in a costly standoff with her landlord over a required grease trap installation.
A former Western Australian teacher has criticised the Energy Club WA's school incursion program, saying it displaced nearly a week of science classes with industry-sponsored lessons on energy and drilling, without consultation or parental permission.
October's book releases bring a wave of heavy hitters, led by three-time world surfing champion Mick Fanning's memoir All Heart, which reveals a more personal side to the sportsman best known for punching a shark in 2015. The month also features Hernan Diaz's science-fiction novel Ply and a memoir from Sylvester Stallone.
Ryan Papenhuyzen, the retired Melbourne Storm fullback and 2020 grand final winner, is making it clear that his retirement is final. Standing on the first tee at Wollongong Golf Club, he confirmed he turned down a million-dollar contract with the Storm, has no plans to play rugby again, and has no regrets about leaving the game at his peak.
Australian baking star Katherine Sabbath, known for her vibrant and intricate cake creations, will join business leaders and world-famous chefs in OzHarvest's CEO CookOff this November, a month-long campaign aiming to deliver five million meals to Australians in need.
The NRL and Penrith Panthers will wait until Wednesday morning to decide whether Nathan Cleary, the hot favourite for the Dally M Medal, is well enough to appear live on camera from his hospital bed, with his father and coach Ivan Cleary or a pre-recorded acceptance speech among the fallback options being discussed.
Economics writer Millie Muroi has used her own painful experience with a wisdom tooth to argue for free dental care in Australia, noting that an extraction would cost several hundred dollars.
A recent first-hand account from Western Australia's Ningaloo region reports that the area has bounced back from disaster, with the reef appearing vibrant and marine life abundant at Turquoise Bay. The account describes healthy coral gardens and offers relief to those familiar with the reef's recent struggles.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has increased the cash rate to 4.6 percent, the highest level in 15 years, prompting fresh analysis of just how far house prices have risen since rates were last at similar levels.
Property owners concerned about upcoming capital gains tax changes have been told not to rush into obtaining a valuation before June 30, 2027. The Australian Taxation Office has advised that prospective valuations prepared early will not be acceptable, and that retrospective assessments carried out after the date may actually provide a more accurate figure.
The Palestinian Authority insists it has complied with a key condition attached to Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood, as Israel and the United States accuse it of rebranding a controversial prisoner payment scheme, widely known as "pay for slay", to avoid international condemnation.
NSW Labor headquarters has delayed the preselection of two ministers, including a key ally of Premier Chris Minns, over concerns they could lose an open vote among local party members, while senior sources confirm multiple veteran backbenchers may be persuaded to retire before the March election to help the party meet gender equality targets.
The sister of a Terrigal woman allegedly murdered by her American husband will travel to Florida this week in a bid to win custody of her two young nephews and raise them in Australia.
The NSW corruption watchdog has wrapped up 10 weeks of public hearings into Operation Rosny, its nearly four-year investigation of hard-right Liberal Party operatives, fugitive developer Jean Nassif and several other people of interest, with findings and possible prosecution recommendations now expected in 2027.
A 32-year-old man has been charged with murder after the bodies of two men were discovered two weeks apart on a property in northern NSW, while a second person has been charged over the fatal shooting of Alai Ahio, an associate of Sydney rap group OneFour.
Tuesday’s Reserve Bank of Australia rate hike has added to the financial pressure on families like Shane McClymont’s. He learned of the decision through a text from his wife, who asked if they could still afford their son’s birthday takeaway dinner this week.
The Coalition's primary vote has fallen to its lowest-ever level in the latest Guardian Essential poll, despite growing criticism of Labor, while more than half of Australians express support for reducing immigration and hardline enforcement measures such as forced deportation.
The Australian government has conceded in a high court challenge that it implemented its under-16s social media ban before there was scientific consensus on the link between mental health harms and social media use, but argued that the 'credible risks' of issues such as addictive behaviours and anxiety justify the policy.
Australia's peak body for imams says it is deeply concerned about reports that a Melbourne-based Islamic preacher urged followers to take up arms against his enemies and not take Jews and Christians as friends, with independent MP Allegra Spender saying the comments strengthen the case for tougher hate speech protections.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended the government's economic efforts as Australians face the prospect of a looming interest rate hike, according to reports.
Four police officers who died in the line of duty were honoured at an emotional service in Canberra for National Police Remembrance Day, with new touchstones added to the National Police Memorial and a solemn procession of about 300 officers from Australian Federal Police headquarters.