Bias and conflict issues found in council recruitment
A local council showed a lack of proper recruitment policy and procedure when employing eight people, Tasmania's Integrity Commission says.
national news
Man shot dead at Sydney police station after attack
A man is dead, another is in hospital with stab wounds and two police officers are being counselled after a knife-wielding man went on a rampage in Sydney.
More than 200 cars deregistered over EV road user tax
The Victorian government has cancelled registrations for more than 200 vehicles as part of its low-emission vehicle road user charge being fought in court.
Ultra-Orthodox teacher Leifer ‘teary’ after stood down
Former ultra-Orthodox Jewish teacher Malka Leifer was teary and claimed she'd done nothing wrong when stood down over sex abuse allegations, a court has heard.
Regulator tells Star to put aside $150m for fines
The securities regulator says that at its request Star Entertainment Group has made a multimillion-dollar provision for more possible fines and penalties.
Pledge for national plan to splash out on ocean health
The federal environment minister has promised to develop Australia's first overarching plan to protect ocean health in the face of mounting pressures.
Scientists urge focus on new tech to capture emissions
Scientists say Australia must pour effort into scaling up new technologies that can suck emissions out of the atmosphere, while it also works to cut them.
Housing squeeze pushing country people to other regions
The quarterly Regional Movers Index shows a post-pandemic disruption to the housing market is pushing growth of migration between country areas.
Drivers asked to go without a car in Uber experiment
Fifty Australian drivers will be paid to go without their own car for a month in a social experiment designed to accelerate transport trends.
Robodebt made victim ‘feel like a cheat’, inquiry told
A man wrongfully accused of owing the government $11,000 has told a royal commission how the robodebt program made him feel like a criminal and a cheat.
Rooftop solar to be nation’s largest energy generator
Following the closure of the Liddell power station in April, rooftop solar will become the country's biggest power generator, according to new analysis.
Economic growth softens amid higher interest rates
Official national accounts figures show easing economic growth as nine interest rate hikes start to weigh on household budgets.
Home price slide loses momentum as new listings tighten
The downturn in housing prices appears to be easing but experts say it's too soon to say if it's bottoming out or has further to fall.
Battleground set for changes to superannuation tax
The treasurer says a change to super tax concessions above $3 million is a modest budget repair measure amid opposition attacks over the higher rate.
Cordingley murder suspect to be charged in Queensland
Queensland police are set to charge Rajwinder Singh with murdering Toyah Cordingley when he arrives in the state after his extradition from India via Victoria.
Fears of unrest after Kumanjayi’s death questioned
Police were not informed that an Indigenous teenager who left an alcohol rehabilitation unit wanted to return, an inquest into his shooting death has heard.
Consumer prices rose 7.4 per cent in year to January
Inflation moderated in January, leading one economist to declare that an end to interest rate hikes "now appears to be in sight".
Plan to ‘future proof’ Sydney with Metro: Perrottet
The premier has defended coalition metro plans for Sydney's west as a poll predicts a majority Labor victory at the looming 'nail-biter' NSW election.
Inland Rail $14.5b project ‘way over budget’, schedule
One of Australia's biggest transport projects is over budget, behind schedule and has been treated like a "vanity project", the federal minister has warned.
Thorpe challenges athletes to wear rainbow colours
Australian swimming icon Ian Thorpe is appealing to high-profile athletes to don rainbow shirts to show support for young, gay people facing discrimination.
‘Prohibition has failed’: Push to legalise weed in NSW
The Greens want to legalise and regulate cannabis in the next term of NSW parliament in a move they say could help end the war on drugs.
Cordingley suspect extradited over DNA, phone evidence
A man who was extradited from India over his alleged involvement in the death of Queensland woman Toyah Cordingley will be flown to Cairns in the coming days.
ASX closes down slightly as market digests data
The local share market has finished down 0.1 per cent after being in and out of positive territory on a day marked by the release of GDP and inflation figures.
Indigenous voice failure ‘unthinkable’, says Liberal MP
A senior Liberal MP says there is scope for co-operation with Labor on a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice, but the focus must be on outcomes.
Low-profile electric vehicle chargers tested in Sydney
The first of 30,000 electric vehicle chargers mounted on power poles has launched in Sydney as part of a plan to help apartment dwellers power up their cars.
States back plan for report on deadly silica dust ban
States and territories have unanimously backed the commissioning of a report to look at a ban on products containing silica dust.
Kumanjayi arrest unsound and unsafe, senior cop says
A senior police officer has told the Kumanjayi Walker inquest that a special unit deviated from a plan to arrest him and it should have used different tactics.
Exotic invaders could be rebadged as neo-natives
Australian botanists face a sticky question as invasive species become more entrenched and adapt to the point where they could be considered "new natives".
Long wait for insurance compounds disaster trauma
A new report into the mental health burden of disasters across Australia shows adequate insurance coverage is central to recovery.
Retail sales bounce back after festive season slide
Retail turnover has improved after a softer-than-expected result in December largely attributed to evolving holiday spending patterns.
Journalists withhold information over defamation fears
A survey of Australian journalists shows that just under half have withheld information because of concerns over possible legal action.