Federal - State Issues

Revelations about the use of WA's groundwater by bottled water companies, along with record low rainfall, have focused attention on the best way to manage a scarce resource.

Current and former staff of a Victorian high school say they feel unsupported as they face abuse, stalking and feelings of dread in their roles.

The South Australian and Commonwealth governments commit $12 million over three years for Port Augusta and Davenport for youth programs. 

Major Australian nurseries, including retail giant Bunnings, are selling plants listed by governments and their own industry body as invasive weeds.

One of the largest unfinished infrastructure projects in New South Wales could turn Wollongong and south-west Sydney into a region "of national significance", according to a new report.

Disability groups say federal budget funding cuts will leave them less able to support vulnerable Australians as the government rolls out widespread changes to services and supports. 

Parts of Australia are recording their coldest temperatures in more than a decade, and people sleeping rough are bearing the brunt more than ever. 

In the midst of a big news week, crucial recommendations about how to better regulate the NDIS workforce, and cut out fraud, are currently being debated in Federal Parliament.

With Adelaide in the grip of a housing crisis, and surrounding areas experiencing a population boom, the SA Government is looking at rail to deliver thousands of people to work from new regional and outer suburban communities.

They're also frustrated with the recommendations of the government-led Senate inquiry into the legislation describing them as "profoundly disappointing and disrespectful".

Australia currently produces a relatively small amount of radioactive waste due to its limited nuclear industry, so what would happen to the waste generated by seven nuclear reactors if they were built under a Coalition government?

Parts of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula are elevated to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list, but experts warn what many regard a coup, could be a double-edged sword.

State premiers make themselves another hurdle for the federal Coalition to clear if it wants to introduce nuclear power plants at seven locations across the country, saying they would not cooperate to lift state-level nuclear bans.

Indigenous elders say a landmark native title claim in heavily urbanised and tourist destinations of south-east Queensland will not change the way people enjoy or live in the area.

The state government forecasts four years of deficits after a change to how money from the GST is distributed, but has made funding for affordable housing the centrepiece of its budget.

The federal government has given the green light to a fourth offshore wind zone, located off the Illawarra coast, with a reduced size, following community concerns.

Hobart's hosting of the icebreaker research vessel the RSV Nuyina is at risk due to the "exorbitant cost" of the redevelopment of Macquarie Wharf 6, the federal environment minister warns.

The popularity of the ‘Castle Law’ petition highlights the simmering crime concerns in the lead up to the state election. 

New legislation in NSW will make it harder for people charged with serious domestic violence offences to get bail. The move has been welcomed by friends of Molly Ticehurst, who was allegedly murdered earlier this year. 

Alana Moller taught her three daughters at home through distance education, but if she wanted to return to the classroom she'd have to start at the bottom. She says there needs to be more career opportunities for home tutors.

A Queensland political candidate for Katter's Australia Party has gone public with details of his criminal past ahead of a state election that could be decided on issues over crime.

With outback towns stuck in a cycle of workforce shortages and a dire need for childcare, parents are taking care of each other's children so they can keep their jobs.

A plan by oil and gas giant Chevron to leave five decommissioned oil platforms off Western Australia's Pilbara coast draws the ire of unions and green groups.

A plan to build 14,000 high-density homes to ease Brisbane's housing crisis meets with stiff opposition from Greens MP Amy MacMahon, who opposes Priority Development Areas in general.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination says the Cook government's botched rollout and reversal of changes to the state's heritage laws could constitute a breach of international convention.