The Nurses Union is putting pressure on the health board to act on IRC recommendations

While their families celebrated back home, Papua New Guinean students marked the 40th anniversary of their country's independence from Australia with a colourful performance at TAFE Queensland North in Townsville.

He's been a popular artist on the local Gippsland scene for a number of years and has received a number of awards from regional art shows, but admirers might be surprised to know Jason Foster never officially trained as an artist. Jason taught himself how to depict Gippsland's rolling hills after falling in love with them and making South Gippsland his home five years ago.

Timboon's Community Garden is a great space in need of people!

A team of volunteer dog owners are faithfully visiting aged-care homes with their canine companions, bringing much joy and contentment to many of the residents.

Congratulations to the winners of the ABC categories in the 2015 Toowoomba Chronicle Carnival of Flowers Garden Competition.

On a cattle property near the outback Queensland town of Barcaldine, Jocelyn Chandler has created a spectacular green oasis with her own bare hands. Her garden has undergone a dramatic transformation since she and her husband bought the property in 1979, when there was just one mango tree, one kurrajong tree, and a couple of shrubs near the house.

Kimberley historian Dion Marinis has travelled to the US to meet the families of an air crew who died at Broome during the 1942 Japanese air raid on the remote town.

Cowboys fever is ramping up in Townsville in north Queensland in anticipation of Saturday night's elimination final against the Cronulla Sharks. Meet some of the fans who will be cheering the Cowboys to victory.

The sound of soft chatter and the occasional clink as a ball is hit across the short green turf is what fills the air at the St Leonards Croquet Club in Launceston for part of the national championships of the sport.

The streets of Maryborough on the Fraser Coast were awash with pink as dogs and their owners took over the town for the Pooches on Parade event. The fashion parade was part of the Queensland city's inaugural Rockin' Maryborough Vintage Festival, a celebration of retro fashion, music and style.

In the end Mines Rovers were too good for Railways, securing their 42nd Goldfields Football League flag with a thumping 64-point win.

After 25 years of entering Toowoomba's Carnival of Flowers garden competition, two 72-year olds have won grand champion.

An array of spectacular orchid displays attracted more than 2,500 people from across Queensland to the Australian Orchid Council conference and show in Mackay at the weekend.

A new initiative to bring more public art to the streets of Dubbo has started with a series of murals going up this week.

The Mallee Park Peckers have taken out the 2015 A Grade football premiership in Port Lincoln, getting up over the Boston Tigers by 7 goals at Centenary oval.

Sixth generation dairy farmers in Yandoit in central Victoria's bushland stick to what they know and love.

When horse racing began in the outback Queensland town of Longreach in 1890 Australia had never had a Prime Minister, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was still decades away from being built and motorcars were just a dream for the future of the country. One hundred and twenty-five years later the Longreach Jockey Club has survived and prospered - and even made history when it appointed Australia's first female racing club president.

Powerful surf, cool winds and sporadic pockets of heavy rain has swept across the Hunter.

Making it through the night in a dark cell surrounded by spirits, ghost-seekers, psychics and spooky storytellers.

Food that would otherwise be thrown out is cooked up and served to the community at a Bendigo park.

A maze that until recently was being eaten by sheep has been bought by a couple who are committed to restoring it to its full glory.

In Maffra's memorial hall almost a million Lego pieces are being constructed into dragons, landmarks and streetscapes in an exhibition to raise money for the Central Gippsland Health Service.

Australia and New Zealand share a long history of sporting rivalry. Last weekend both nations' competitive sides were brought to light in a basketball game between Indigenous Australian and Maori players.

Gymnastics clubs from around the country converge in Bendigo for the National Club Championships.

A tribute to the hundreds of jockeys who have been killed during races in Australia since European settlement is being created by a stonemason in the heart of inland New South Wales.

For a week, knights, elves and fairies made the rolling hills of Gippsland their home as they battled for glory. Meanwhile, a dragon-decorated castle is becoming a popular choice for weddings.

Launceston Country Women's Association (CWA) shop in Launceston is celebrating 60 years of operation in 2015.

Built in 1925, the Noojee Hotel catered for the growing timber industry in the area, providing accommodation and beer. Then in the early 1960s, a series of dinosaur sculptures were made by local man Jack Kelly. Their reputation preceded them and after much wear and tear, they were thrown out to waste. Now two locals have reignited Noojee's love affair with the prehistoric animal.

A hospital corridor is not where you would normally find an art exhibition, but Busted is not a normal exhibition.

What began as a small campaign protesting against the proposed Bendigo mosque has gained the support of far-right anti-Islamic groups, spilling from social media to the streets and into a council meeting. Four Muslims from Bendigo talk about how it has affected them.

From late August every year, wildflowers blanket the south west corner of Western Australia. The ABC Great Southern's wildflower photo competition showcases the most beautiful blooms of the season, submitted by audience members.

Some refer to them as silent ninjas, others call them dive bombers. But the common name for the iconic black and white bird is a magpie.

Finding the point of tension in the 'contour' of the landscape

Bonalbo Memorial Hall, Broadwater Riley's Hill Community Hall, Eatonsville Hall, Eureka Hall, Meerschaum Vale Hall, The Channon Hall and Tumbulgum Hall have all been announced as the lucky winners of the Arts Northern Rivers project called 'If These Halls Could Talk'.

When you suffer from a mental illness, the darkness can be all encompassing. So finding something in your life to make you smile becomes precious. For some at the Bridges Health and Community Care centre in Bundaberg; the love of pets, their family, games and movies, and helping others all helps to brighten their day.

Riverland youngsters stepped back in time this week to make butter, fly kites and learn about the past when the Loxton Historical Village opened its doors for its annual Kids Day Out.

Oktoberfest celebrations took over Gladstone in Queensland, with hundreds of people turning out for the annual event. But it's not all about beer and sausages. Over the event's history it has raised thousands of dollars for local charities and helped people new to the area make connections in the city.

The importance of empowering women worldwide was at the forefront of discussion when hundreds of women gathered in north Queensland recently. Many of them said education was the key.

After a sublime performance by the Vampires, some were saying that the newly constructed Pavilion at Bermagui may be the highest quality music venue between Nowra and Melbourne. The concert, presented by a local community group in a venue built by another local community group, combined a world-class band with an acoustically designed world-class venue.

Vic Jurskis says his new book, Firestick Ecology, is a simple story of how Aboriginal people managed the land through fire to create and maintain the biodiversity and the fire-safe environment that greeted the first European settlers. The sub-title is 'fairdinkum science in plain English'. He says that to conserve biodiversity and live safely, we need to manage our forests with fire 'willingly, frequently and, with practice, skilfully'. The evidence of our land management failure is all around us, he says.

That was the call of the Cooee Marchers, or "Cooees" who left Gilgandra looking for recruits to join the ANZACS during World War I.

Leigh and Geoff Coggins' garden is a mixture of formal areas, rare plants, and relaxing spaces, and this weekend it will be open to visitors.

Coffs photographer Dan Stewart won the local Pic of the Week competition with this magnificent photo of a rainbow.

When Jean-Luc Devere's elderly mum ran over his beloved motorbike, he thought it was time to reveal his love of the controversial Japanese subculture, Bosozoku. But he is reluctant to take it too seriously when he travels to Japan this year.

Teenagers looking to find their place in the world is all part of growing up. Ideas take hold, emotions run high, and many look for some sort of creative outlet. In the Bundaberg region that creativity is fostered by high school arts programs and celebrated at the annual Emerge exhibition at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery.

Many Nimbin residents have welcomed Federal Government plans to legalise medicinal cannabis and say their town would be an ideal hub for the new potential cash crop.

When it comes to fashions on the field, it helps to have a head start.

Visitors to the City of Greater Geraldton's council chambers earlier this week were greeted with a display of more than 200 pink silhouettes strategically placed on the grassed area near the main entrance .

Step inside one of the beautiful open gardens on show during the Renmark Rose Festival. Artemis and Harry Ppiros are Greek immigrants who kept their green thumbs busy after retiring from their Riverland fruit block.