Progress on treaty won’t come until after referendum
Negotiations for a treaty between Indigenous people and the federal government won't begin until after a successful referendum, the government has declared.
national news
Push to end driving fear for medicinal cannabis users
Roadside drug laws are particularly harsh on rural and outer suburban people who cannot use public transport, but proposed laws could change that.
Industry groups urge backing for ‘vital’ housing fund
Labor is trying to break a political stand-off over the government's $10 billion fund for social and affordable homes, which has industry support.
Borrowers spared further pain as RBA stays on hold
The Reserve Bank has kept the cash rate on hold for a second month in a move that has some experts speculating the hiking cycle might be over.
Australia’s answer to Silicon Valley are tech clusters
Top tech innovators are scattered through 96 "tech clusters", a report reveals, including four major hubs expected to create the jobs of tomorrow.
Hit-run victim’s family hear mum and son’s guilty pleas
The cousin of an Indigenous woman partially buried after a hit and run has stared down a mother and son in court telling them they did the wrong thing.
NSW nets trap few sharks but lots of threatened species
Threatened species accounted for more than 70 per cent of everything caught in shark nets at NSW beaches in the last eight-month netting season.
Andrews tried to conceal report findings: ex-IBAC boss
Daniel Andrews' claim that a corruption report made no findings against his government was disingenuous, the former boss of Victoria's integrity watchdog says.
Dark web link to childcare worker’s 1623 abuse charges
Police have revealed details of the long, painstaking operation that led to an ex-Gold Coast childcare worker being charged with 1623 offences against children.
Paul McCartney gets back to Australia with stadium tour
Former Beatle Paul McCartney is touring Australia for the first time in six years, ready to rock Down Under with his Got Back Tour.
UN holds off Great Barrier Reef ‘danger’ classification
Australia has declared no one else cares more for its great natural wonder, as the UN gives the government more time to demonstrate reef protection efforts.
Soft landing tipped for economy as RBA trims inflation
The Reserve Bank says the economy can avoid a recession as inflation falls and unemployment rises, but there are a number of risks.
Why electric trucks are driving closer to price parity
Eco-friendly delivery trucks could cost no more than diesel models by 2030, analysis has found, but policies are need for some of the biggest electric trucks.
‘Light shone so brightly’: chopper victims remembered
The families of four ADF members who died in a helicopter crash during a military exercise in Queensland have delivered moving tributes to their loved-ones.
Home price rebound loses some of its bounce
A batch of housing data reveals a soaring property market losing some of its momentum, lower housing lending and more weakness in building approvals.
Australian cattle tested to prove no ‘disease risk’
Australia's chief vet has reassured Indonesian authorities that Australia remains free of the potentially deadly lumpy skin disease.
Court asked to halt logging in fire-hit koala habitat
A NSW court will be asked to halt logging in two fire-hit forests, with advocates saying koalas are only just starting to recover from the Black Summer blazes.
Morrison rejects robodebt royal commission findings
Ex-Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison has spoken publicly about the robodebt royal commission for the first time and rejected findings he misled cabinet.
Cop awarded $1.8m after ‘catastrophic’ PTSD failures
A court has found NSW Police failed catastrophically at all levels to properly care for the head of a task force related to the child abuse royal commission.
Shakespearean defence launched against corruption probe
A former councillor and property developer being examined by a corruption probe have launched a colourful defence, insisting nothing inappropriate happened.
Charges ‘could still be laid’ over Hillcrest tragedy
A court hearing over document access relating to the Hillcrest Primary School jumping castle tragedy has been told charges are still being considered.
Liberals won’t stand in the way of welfare rise: Dutton
Despite the opposition saying the money would be better spent on incentivising work, it won't stand against a rise in benefit payments for welfare recipients.
Jail for murdering neighbours over garden hose dispute
An elderly Victorian who killed two apartment complex neighbours over a dispute about a garden hose repeatedly being turned off has been jailed for 30 years.
New MP Cameron Caldwell sworn in to federal parliament
Former Gold Coast councillor Cameron Caldwell has been officially sworn in as the MP for Fadden, having retained the seat for the Liberals at a by-election.
Modular home installed in a day wins design award
A pre-fabricated, low-cost modular home has won the national Houses award for the best new home under 200 square metres.
Ex-bikie wife was ‘in the dark’ over illegal activity
The widow of allegedly murdered Rebel bikie, Ricky Ciano, never questioned how he funded their lavish lifestyle, but assumed it was through "illegal activity".
Stubborn inflation hangs over challenging rates call
The end of the interest rate hikes may be in sight but the next cash rate call won't be an easy decision, with high inflation proving hard to knock over.
Push for lawmakers to weigh up climate impacts on kids
Independent senator David Pocock wants the government to consider the harm additional pollution caused by fossil fuel projects will have on children.
Home affairs detention contracts under scrutiny
Offshore detention contracts will be audited under an independent review following recent claims they were mismanaged by the Department of Home Affairs.
Public interest beats truth, ABC tells defamation trial
The ABC has said journalists have a public interest in reporting alleged war crimes by Australians whether those claims were later shown to be true or not.
Jobs and housing remain a drawcard for tree-changers
Australians are moving further away from cities in pursuit of available jobs and housing, as more people leave Sydney than any other capital.