A bushfire burning north of Hobart could pose a threat to the city's suburbs and critical infrastructure if uncontrolled, a fire officer warns, as Tasmania prepares for hot weather and strong winds over the next few days.

The head of the Royal Hobart Hospital's emergency department tells an inquest of a large increase in the number of mental health patients trying to access care, and of more suicide attempts at the facility.

DAILY BRIEFING: Firefighters downgrade the alerts for four bushfires which are burning out of control north of Hobart and in a shack area of the Central Highlands.

As bushfire conditions ease around Tasmania this weekend, the firefighter's union wants laws to back volunteers leaving work in an emergency as the bushfire season extends to as long as six months.

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania says more private landowners are investigating handing their land back to Aboriginal people, to protect it from development and "to do the right thing".

Parents in Tasmania are struggling to access speech pathology treatment for their children because NDIS funding has caused an explosion in demand for services.

A Tasmanian great-grandmother-to-be was shocked to discover she was forking out for private health services she didn't ask for and didn't need. But her insurer said it was simply a case of 'buyer beware'.

Isabella Corbin can remember sitting on her dad's lap in the cockpit of his helicopter when she was just a baby. Two years after his death, she's determined to keep his legacy alive.

A severe heatwave threatens to break all-time records in South Australia and Victoria today including the maximum of 46.1C in Adelaide set in 1939 as experts warn that "nowhere is going to escape the heat".

Single dad becomes unsung hero of a photographic exhibition championing men's health that is making a difference

Port Lincoln, on South Australia's west coast, celebrates four decades of a tuna-tossing competition that commemorates the city's fishing history and is proving popular with hammer throwers.

High speeds, low altitudes, and "crazy" games of chicken meet two of Australia's most elite pilots, including the first woman to become the national aerobatics champion in more than 20 years.

Make-up course organiser Larissa Jones says parents can't ignore the pressure their children feel to wear make-up and it is better to coach them and let them talk about their insecurities.

Phoebe is your average 13-year-old, except that when she's not at school, she cares for her mum. She is among one in eight Australians who are unpaid carers, but are "largely unrecognised", something a new awareness campaign hopes to change.

From growing agri-tourism to tackling racism, these Trailblazers are taking their big ideas to the country's corridors of power to revolutionise regional Australia.

Some members of South Australia's Aboriginal community have lost 23 members of their family in the past two years and they are desperate for help in dealing with grief.

The District Council of Coober Pedy spends $60,000 investigating complaints before the complainant himself is elected to council.

Male southern bottlenose dolphins in South Australia's Coffin Bay have greater sexual success if they hang out with their brothers and cousins, according to new research.

The proud railway identity of Cummins is to become history as the farming community prepares to tackle 50 extra trucks on its roads each day.

Lukina Lukin has fought her way to the top of Australia's lucrative southern bluefin tuna industry in a classic rags-to-riches tale of survival and success.

Hot temperatures and low rainfall take their toll on South Australian wine grape growers, but many are happy with the quality of the wines in spite of, or perhaps even because of, the tough conditions.

The Federal Government pledges to extend cashless debit card trials, designed to curb drug and alcohol abuse, but reports of the card's success are mixed.

The search for two people missing off the coast of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula ends tragically as the bodies of a 35-year-old man and his five-year-old daughter are spotted in waters after they were swept from rocks at Cape Carnot.

Cape Carnot south of Port Lincoln is popular with tourists because of its rugged cliffs and caves, but another two drownings are forcing the site's owner to rethink its future.

A chance finding among the bric-a-brac at a backyard auction in Port Lincoln results in a 12-year journey that uncovers one of Australia's most tragic family losses from war.

With no pub or shops in the town, these former city girls started a community-run cafe and it's improving the welfare of local farmers while raising money for charity too.

The Australian birthing kit program sees groups of women get together to help at-risk mothers around the globe and is believed to have helped save nearly 300,000 lives.

Mother's Day can be a painful time for members of the Stolen Generations, but it can also be a source of pride and strength for those who have maintained unbreakable bonds spanning generations.

South Australian voters watching party leaders cut a trail through marginal seats across the country could be justified in feeling like they have been left in the dust with the state barely rating a blip for Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

About 500 locals turn out in Cummins, on SA's Eyre Peninsula, to farewell one of the final trains passing through the town as the region prepares for more trucks on the road.

An 'island-rock' formation in South Australian is believed to have formed billions of years ago and while it is eroding, experts say it is not likely to disappear anytime soon.

Charities are turning to technology as they struggle to source enough food to feed a growing number of people going hungry in rural and remote communities.

Landholders fight for independent review after the controversial Mining bill passes the Lower House.

SA's tuna industry is a lucrative one, but its potential has been limited by its seasonal nature. A new freezing technique, however, could help to change that.

It took less than 48 hours for the author of a 50-year-old message in a bottle to be found on the other side of the world, after being discovered on a remote South Australian beach this week.

The vulnerable species breeds year-round in captivity and arid zones but a study of re-introduced populations on the Eyre Peninsula suggests that may not be the case in southern parts of Australia.

Many rural parents are facing increasing debt and overdrawing their accounts in a bid to pay for "exorbitant" boarding fees. There are calls for more financial help for those living in isolated parts of Australia.

The forgotten language of the Barngarla people on Eyre Peninsula is being revived thanks to a dictionary written by a German Lutheran pastor in 1844.

Beach wheelchairs and special matting are finally out of mothballs after two years, thanks to the Whyalla City Council's decision to cover public liability insurance.

The shrinking town of Poochera is pinning its hopes of survival on a big statue and a prehistoric ant, and locals say their plan may just be enough to save their home from dying out completely.