When tiny pieces of plastic that were spilled on other side of the world start washing up on your beaches, who is responsible for cleaning them up?

As Australia's farms expand in size and contract in number, research suggests as little as a third of remaining broadacre farms will be passed to the next generation.

A respected marine scientist warns that seagrass beds in Queensland are being smothered by 'snotweed' algae. But there are ways to fight the foul gunk, and other states are starting to take notice of the method.

Researchers are scouring the planet for drought and heat resistant crops as many Australian grain farmers face another failed winter season.

Arm wrestling is often associated with a casual competition at the local pub, but professionals like Ryan 'The Milkman' Scott compete internationally and are working hard to grow the sport in regional communities.

An Australian region larger than Texas has lost its only commercial television news reporter, sparking an outcry from former employees, community leaders and viewers.

As whales cruise past Australia's coastlines on their annual migration, here are some tips on identifying which species is which.

Micheal McRae is accused of bashing his baby son Nathaniel, leaving him with severe brain injuries, but the charge is upgraded after the boy spent a year fighting for life in hospital.

It usually melts long before lunchtime but forecasters expect snow over the Stirling Ranges to linger into the midafternoon this Saturday as a cold front blasts the mountain peaks of southern WA.

A sea snake has washed up on a beach near Esperance on WA's southern coast, marking the region's first verified record of the typically tropical creature.

A shortage of volunteers and funding has triggered serious concerns for animal welfare in far-north Western Australia, with cats, dogs, puppies and kittens "very much at risk" of being euthanased.

As it makes what could be a last-ditch effort to ensure its future, collapsed wave energy hopeful Carnegie Clean Energy is still not disclosing the performance of its most valuable asset, its CETOwave technology.

Modern consumers want to know more about the story of their food where it came from, how it was produced and farmers in WA are taking advantage of the trend.

Concerns have been raised in Australia over the online sale of accessories that turn handguns into automatic weapons.

Australian farmers are grappling with the future of wheat exports as Black Sea nations like Russia and Ukraine increase shipments to Indonesia.

There is no sign of retirement for 91-year-old Rex Egerton-Warburton who still enjoys an active farming career despite being in the saleyards since he was five.

In West Cape Howe National Park on WA's rugged south coast, there is a narrow, twisting track with a fearsome reputation that has become a rite of passage for four-wheel drive enthusiasts.

Regional queer communities say being invisible makes people feel isolated and less likely to get support.

A tax imposed on West Australian ratepayers 16 years ago to support the state's emergency services has raised more than $3 billion, but just $256 million of that has gone to bush fire brigades, and they say this is forcing them to rattle the tin for some essential equipment.

The school holidays are about to get ugly with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting thunderstorms and some wild weather for Friday, the second last day of the Perth Royal Show.

A WA wildlife photographer whose body was found at Bluff Knoll where he previously captured one of his most lauded shots is remembered as a kind, gentle and warm person who honed his craft over 30 years.

African swine fever has depleted China's pig herd, creating a protein shortage that is benefitting Australian sheep farmers.

The WA SES Volunteer Association hits out at department bureaucracy after a decade-long wait for equipment.

Sources have confirmed the $150 million public housing debt owed by Tasmania will be waived, as demanded by Senator Jacqui Lambie in exchange for her vote on the Federal Government's tax cuts.

A severe weather warning for Tasmania's east coast is cancelled but heavy rain continues to fall in the region, with snow in the highlands.

When hunting the Tasmanian tiger, some people use drones and other gadgets, others stealth but one scientist isn't content to wait for one to be found: he intends to bring them back from the dead with technology.

A ship left Melbourne in January 1954 to set up Australia's first Antarctic base. Facing harsh conditions and the unknown, the pioneers built Mawson Station.

A dam project in a Tasmanian municipality has blown the local council's budget, with residents saying the salmon farming giant which is set to benefit most from the dam should pay for its completion.

DAILY BRIEFING: For a Tasmanian team to win its place in the AFL it first needs a spot in the second-tier league, according to the code's top local official.

A trampoline lands on the roof of a Hobart home, piercing a bedroom ceiling, as strong winds of up to 155 kilometres per hour wreak havoc in southern Tasmania overnight.

Bereft of vineyards a couple of years ago, Forcett in south-east Tasmania, will soon have more than 200 hectares of wine grapes in the ground.

DAILY BRIEFING: Man who's been on the run from police for almost two weeks caught, Madeleine Ogilvie takes her new seat in Parliament as an independent.

Tasmanian MP Madeleine Ogilvie is the descendent of Labor royalty but this time around, the new Member for Clark is at pains to prove she's her own person, Emily Baker writes.

Lucienne Rickard will draw an extinct species every day for a year but at the end there will hardly be anything left to show for her work.

DAILY BRIEFING: A woman is in police custody after a house is in Lauderdale on Hobart's eastern shore is destroyed by fire and concerns raised over planned cuts to distance education teacher levels.

A man accused of deliberately running over and killing a stranger had post-traumatic stress disorder after an assault nine years earlier, a court has heard.

DAILY BRIEFING: The family of three-year-old Eleanor Oakley, which has been fundraising so the young girl can travel to the US to receive cancer treatment, reaches its $300,000 target.

DAILY BRIEFING: A Tasmanian shark attack victim commemorates a year since the incident, cattle deaths hearing delayed and basketball stars arrive in the state.

A 60-tonne truck carrying part of a wind turbine rolls over in Tasmania's central highlands, leaving a 68-metre blade across the road.

Laura Kennedy got her first tattoo in Sydney when she was 21, she's now a customer of Tasmania's first dedicated laser tattoo removal studio after a series of bad inking experiences.

South Australia's recent "old mate" tourism campaign may have ended in tears both literally and figuratively but Tasmania is hoping to cash in on that controversy by releasing its own rival ad.

Tasmania's cool conditions have never stopped its people enjoying swimming and diving whether it be in rivers, springs, basins or even an old farm block.