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Aboriginal communities sue Federal Government over 'racially discriminatory' work-for-the-dole scheme

Remote WA Aboriginal communities are suing the Federal Government in a landmark action over its controversial work-for-the-dole scheme which they argue is unlawful.




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Gold is booming but mining towns are failing to cash in as miners' wages fly out

Business is booming for the gold mining industry as the price of the precious metal sets new benchmarks almost every day, but not everyone in mining towns like Kalgoorlie is taking a shine to the recent "mini gold rush".





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Police use pepper spray to disperse crowd of 150 brawling with baseball bats near grand final celebration

A police investigation is underway in a quiet corner of WA's south-west, after more than 150 people brawled with baseball bats and poles near a local football club's post-grand final celebration.




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Gold thief wanted 'memento' of time working at rich WA mine

A 22-year-old geology student pleads guilty to stealing from one of Australia's biggest gold mines, saying he wanted a "memento" to motivate him to finish his degree.




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Lithium's teething troubles put WA workforce on shaky ground

Analysts are calling for calm as a series of false starts, delays and lay-offs look set to destabilise Western Australia's burgeoning multi-billion-dollar lithium industry.




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Esperance swimmers brave 13-degree Celsius shark habitat without wetsuit to boost mental fortitude

Unperturbed by the region's infamous sharks and 13-degree Celsius sea temperature, Lisa Julian is among a group that swims off the state's south coast each week without wearing a wetsuit.




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Woman charged over 1995 murder of baby boy in the WA mining town of Kambalda

A woman, who was 14 at the time, has been charged with the murder of a baby boy in 1995 in outback Western Australia.




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Mother accused of wilfully murdering baby boy in Kambalda 24 years ago was also a victim of crime

A 38-year-old woman accused of murdering her newborn baby 24 years ago in the toilets of a remote WA caravan park is allowed to return home to Victoria to await the outcome of the case.






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Komatsu blames typo for workers' bonus bungle that falls foul of Fair Work Act

A Japanese multinational agreed to pay its workers a 2 per cent annual bonus. It ended up in court blaming an errant keystroke after filing paperwork agreeing to pay a 10 per cent bonus.




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Standalone solar replaces power lines in remote WA farming community

After a devastating bushfire, one remote WA farming community takes steps towards a solar solution and it's cheaper, safer, and more reliable.




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Gold rush town of Coolgardie divided over plans to explore beneath their streets

Residents in one of Australia's most famous gold rush towns are divided over plans to explore for the precious metal beneath its streets, amid record prices for gold which have injected new life into Coolgardie.




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Historic Kambalda baby murder case takes new twist as stepfather charged with abusing 13yo mother

A cold case investigation into the death of a baby in a caravan park in WA's Goldfields 24 years ago takes another twist, with a 55-year-old Queensland man charged with historic child sex offences.




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Rare gold coin found by birdwatcher at popular camping spot in outback WA

The find at a dam in outback Western Australia is even more incredible considering the number of fossickers who camp there while prospecting in the Goldfields.




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Kalgoorlie mine workers evacuated from Frog's Leg mine after more than 100 seismic events in one day

The future of one of Australia's most profitable gold mines appears to be on shaky ground after more than 100 seismic events were recorded in a single day.




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Why WA farmers feel they are being forgotten in the drought

While the focus and support has been on the drought in Australia's east, farmers in WA have been hesitant to rock the boat over their own struggles.




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Council threatens man living in caravan on his own property with legal action, fines of up to $50,000

A 60-year-old man living in a caravan in outback WA faces legal action and fines of up to $50,000 from his local council after erecting a shade structure without a building permit.




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Victoria seems to be experiencing its second gold rush, but how will it cope with royalties?

Chinese interest returns to the Ballarat goldfields, which may provide job security for more than 200 people in the town, but there is concern about how new royalties will affect businesses.





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Gold prices are trading near record highs, so why are Australia's mineral explorers crying poor?

Global uncertainty has sent gold prices soaring, resulting in a boom for miners. But it has also had the effect of drying up traditional markets where exploration companies raise cash to explore for rich new discoveries.




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'All I wanted to do was go home and eat my sushi': Court hears details of Porsche driver's tirade at dying police officer

The body camera of one of the officers killed in Wednesday's Melbourne freeway truck crash captured Richard Pusey telling Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, "you've f***ed my f***ing car" as she was dying, a court has been told.




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Rival publisher to fill news void after paper's closure

The Pyrenees Advocate will release a new weekly paper from May 1 to fill the void left in Ararat by the closure of the 163-year-old Advertiser.




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'This caravan is our home': Travelling families threatened, shooed out of towns

When Kerry and Troy Allard sold their house and packed three kids into a caravan to travel Australia, they didn't expect to be threatened while they searched for a place to stay.




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CEO of Victoria Police Legacy, Lex de Man, says the fallen police officers will never be forgotten

Mr de Man has encouraged the community to thank their police officers for the work they do.




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At least 14 people test positive for coronavirus following outbreak at Victorian psychiatric facility

Victorian health authorities are investigating a coronavirus outbreak at a private psychiatric facility which has resulted in at least 14 confirmed cases of the virus so far.




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Friday Wrap with David Speers

Joining Virginia is Mornings regular and Insiders ABC presenter David Speers, summarizing the top stories of the week and previewing this Sunday's episode of Insiders.




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'Lonely, but a blessing': Muslims in Australia welcome the fasting month without social gatherings

In Australia, Muslims from different backgrounds are preparing for a fasting month of loneliness without social gatherings.




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Wet winter forecast should be good news for farmers, but they remain cautious about modelling

There's growing consensus among weather forecasting models that Australia could be in for a wet winter. But what do farmers think?




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Man accused of stealing a spa from dead workmate denied bail

A man accused of stealing a six-person spa and a car from the home of a dead work colleague has been denied bail due to his ongoing drug habit.




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'He lit up a room': Partner mourns loss of 'adventurous', 'bubbly' constable killed in Melbourne freeway crash

Todd Robinson speaks out about his partner, Constable Glen Humphris — one of the four police officers killed in a fatal crash — saying he was "so proud" to have joined Victoria Police.




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Judge slams Gippsland Grammar as tutor jailed for underage sex with student

The Victorian County Court criticises Gippsland Grammar for not sacking a 21-year-old tutor months before he had sex with an underage student.




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Why this former drug cop turned to the black market to get help for his war-veteran son's PTSD

Max Hill spent his police career hunting cannabis suppliers. Now he's seeking drug dealers out again, but this time as a customer — to help his son David ease his post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.




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Country towns want to be first to have isolation rules relaxed. Do they risk becoming 'guinea pigs'?

Some regional Australians argue they should see social-distancing measures wound back first because there is less risk of COVID-19 spreading, but a leading health expert is not a fan of the idea.




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When the local Anzac Day service was cancelled, residents of this street improvised

Only a few weeks ago Karon Baker was in tears when her local Anzac Day service was called off, but by 6:30am this morning, she couldn't wipe a proud smile off her face.




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Police investigate graffiti at home of Porsche driver who was at scene of police deaths

The word "die" is painted on a roller door at the home of Richard Pusey, the Porsche driver who has been charged over his actions involving Wednesday's truck crash on the Eastern Freeway in which four Victoria Police officers were killed.




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Anne lived across from Frank for 47 years and never knew how they were connected until today

While war veterans around the country are disappointed Anzac Day services have taken a different form, one woman in Melbourne is grateful for a connection.




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Air force veteran Frank Sims and his family celebrated Anzac Day in their driveway this year.

RAAF veteran Frank Sims was disappointed to not be able to walk with remaining men in the Odd Bods Association but was grateful to have his family around him on Anzac Day in 2020. Brighton East, Melbourne.




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Bushfire recovery work a win-win for environment and endangered trout cod

Trees damaged by recent bushfires are used to restore Upper Murray River with the hope of saving the endangered trout cod.




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Family of police officer killed in freeway crash speak of the 'pain that has taken our breath away'

A Victoria Police officer, who was killed along with three of his colleagues when they were struck by a truck, is remembered as a "bright light" by his devastated family, who have been left "with a pain that has taken our breath away".





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Drive-through bakeries, butchers boom as cars queue down the street

It's not just the takeaway giants benefitting from a drive-through business model during the coronavirus pandemic, with consumers opting for drive-through businesses to stock up on bread, meat and produce.