A man who was a teenager when he murdered his relative whose bones were later found in rural SA receives a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, but his non-parole period has not yet been set.

Two chemical leaks from metals processor Nyrstar have made their way into Port Pirie's groundwater and a waterway over the past two years, the ABC can reveal.

The SA Government has ordered a review into the Environmental Protection Authority's policies over notification of environmental incidents, following an ABC investigation into two chemical spills at Port Pirie's Nyrstar smelter.

Wallaroo locals welcome news that a cruise ship will visit three times over summer, but wonder what happened to their ferry service that was suspended two years ago.

A young child has been transferred to hospital in Adelaide with serious burns from a house fire that has also injured two other children and several adults at Port Augusta in South Australia's north.

A former priest who has served jail time for sexually abusing more than 30 boys will return to prison after being found guilty of abusing two altar boys in the Hunter region.

A stalwart of rock band Rose Tattoo retrains for a role that will help him give back to the community.

When Kate Disher-Quill was given hearing aids at the age of 10, she felt disconnected. Now the 31-year-old photographer has drawn on her experience to tell the stories of people like her in a book, Earshot.

Jenny and Graham Francis only recently learned both of their identities had been stolen.

NSW identity fraud victims want more done to stop imposters from using drivers licences to lodge bogus loan, credit and debit card applications.

The barriers to finding a rental home have become so taxing that some tenants are forced to enlist outside help.

The Bureau of Meteorology's latest forecasts suggest wind gusts about 100 kilometres per hour at Sydney Airport by 6:00am on Tuesday will not ease until mid afternoon.

Arno joined a neo-Nazi skin head group to "repulse" society. He says governments are ignoring his warnings about far-right extremists like he once was.

Health authorities in Newcastle, NSW, have developed a vaccine safety tracking system, now a world-leader in monitoring the rollout of vaccines in Australia.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police release an image of a man they are seeking after a young woman was allegedly knocked to the ground during an attempted robbery, while a new health campaign recommends introducing nuts to babies before they turn one.

An independent investigative commission reviews allegations of police brutality against an Aboriginal man at a station south of Newcastle in New South Wales.

NSW Police say four residents helped rescue a 31-year-old woman and a child from a house fire in Singleton in which three other children died.

Neighbours say they were woken by "screaming" in their quiet cul-de-sac as an intense fire took hold of a house in Singleton on the NSW Hunter Valley, leaving the local community "distraught".

Residents of a quiet suburban street in NSW's Hunter Valley say they watched on helplessly with a young mother whose house burnt down in front of her with three of her children inside.

Former Anglican Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence "avoided" answering questions when giving his evidence about allegations he sexually assaulted a teenager at his home in the early 1990s, a court has heard.

The defence for former Anglican dean Graeme Lawrence has told a court the case against him has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Former rugby league star Jarryd Hayne is committed to stand trial on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a woman in the NSW Hunter region.

The death in custody of Wiradjuri woman Rebecca Maher is ruled accidental but the inquest finds police failed to conduct a proper body search over unfounded concerns of HIV.

One phone call closed a popular waterfront camp that has hosted thousands of children over 75 years but documents obtained by the ABC show that a NSW Government office went against the advice of experts.

The Jessop family liken their small parcel of land in central western New South Wales to a fortress, protecting their sons and daughter from, what are to them, potentially deadly substances.

The former rugby league star pleads not guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault against a 26-year-old woman in the NSW Hunter Valley and tells reporters outside court it's been "a very hard time" for his family.

A post-prison release service in far-western NSW blames delays at the Newcastle morgue for a spike in ice benders by some of its grief-stricken Aboriginal clients waiting up to six weeks to bury loved ones.

A State Government-commissioned review finds the risk of a NSW coal ash dam wall collapsing in an earthquake is "reasonable", but more work is needed to determine the level of risk.

The Federal Government has applauded a decision by the energy giant, but environmental groups say the move is "risky and irresponsible."

A north Queensland mother is worried for the health of her children after PFAS was found in fish and water samples taken near their Mackay property.

New data shows dolphins, turtles and stingrays made up 94 per cent of the marine life caught by shark nets on some of New South Wales's most popular beaches.

A controversial plan to reopen a 'mothballed' coal mine in the New South Wales Upper Hunter Valley is approved, but a five-year extension on the mine's life is denied.

Elderly residents are lucky to escape injury as the roof is torn off their nursing home, as strong winds continue to wreak havoc across the east coast, fanning bushfires on the state's Mid North coast.

Jervis Bay one of Australia's world-renowned coastal tourist hotspots, celebrated for its idyllic white beaches, nearly became home to Australia's first nuclear power plant.

South Sydney misses its chance to jump into the top four, losing to the Bulldogs, after the Storm lost to the Raiders and the Knights broke their drought with a big win over North Queensland.

With no photographic evidence of the Victoria Theatre from when it first opened, a university team has scoured archival eyewitness accounts and architectural floor plans to recreate the theatre in the virtual world.

The drought is dragging on but this Walgett cafe is bucking the trend and expanding and is the shot in the arm this little town needs.

Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown to leave the NRL club after four seasons.

Firefighters are protecting properties in Belmont, south of Newcastle, as a bushfire fanned by strong winds continues to burn near homes.

Danielle Easey's relatives share tributes on social media after her body was found wrapped in plastic and dumped in a creek in the NSW Hunter Region, as police search for clues about when and why she was killed.