The Labor Party's hold on the city that helped give birth to the modern union movement and the eight-hour working day loosens.

NSW's water woes extend beyond the farm gate and its impact on the local environment water is intimately linked to the strength of regional economies. And many are struggling.

The headstones at Broken Hill's cemetery tell the story not only of the city's colourful history, but the progression of workers' rights.

The word, which describes an iconic blend ingredients, is finally set for official recognition along with a special reference to a certain town where the dish is virtually a staple.

The driver appeared nervous, police say, triggering a search of his car and allegedly revealing almost $1 million in cash stuffed in the bottom of a fuel tank in outback New South Wales.

For keen rugby league player Owen Whyman, times are tough enough in the Darling River town of Wilcannia without losing the game he looks forward to each week.

Taxi driver Reg Kelly will bear the scars of a murder attempt for the rest of his life, but he wants to thank his home town for rallying to his side.

In the shadow of mass fish kills at the start of the year, residents of Menindee in NSW are now worried for the rich and rare birdlife that relies on the area to breed.

Wilcannia locals worry their weir won't ever be built, despite State and Federal Government pre-election promises.

Bill Nighy says he's fallen in love with Australian outback skies and small-town charm while filming his new movie, Buckley's Chance, in Broken Hill.

A commercial fisher has been fined $15,000 and had his boat confiscated after pleading guilty to seven charges of illegal fishing in the Darling River.

In the old tin mosque in Broken Hill, Samia made a discovery that disproved what historians had thought for more than 40 years.

So shocking is the case of 18-year-old Alex Braes, it's prompted a group of clinicians who worked at the regional hospital where he was treated to blow the whistle on what they believe are systemic failures.

A new art exhibition opening in Sydney today brings together some of the nation's leading artists who offer an urgent message about the destruction of the beleaguered Murray-Darling basin.

Once an outback oasis, Copi Hollow is now almost all that's left of the Menindee lakes system, but its future is uncertain.

Officials are hoping for a big turnout at the restart of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in Albany today.

An organisation which has been highly critical of Western Australia's land clearing regulations says the way the issue is approached needs to significantly change.

For generations they have been the champions of rural communities, providing tried and true recipes from the nations favourite cooks. Country Womens Associations across the state have been doing it tough lately.

The Education Minister says the completion of a major upgrade should ensure Denmark High School can continue its strong performance while dealing with a growing school population.

The receivers of the collapsed Rare Coin Company say the return of stock, owned by customers caught up in the company's demise, will not begin until next year.

An investor, who has been left waiting months for the return of rare bank notes he owned through a collapsed Albany dealer, says further delays to that process are distressing.

The Police Commissioner has paid tribute to a senior Walpole policeman as an "outstanding officer" after he won WA's Police Officer of the Year Award.

The Department of Fisheries has released the results of a survey of WA's recreational fishing take, which has found the blue swimmer crab is the most commonly caught species.

The latest survey of the cost of living in regional WA has shown a significant drop in living costs in the state's north. The State Government assesses the cost of 500 goods and services in 27 regional centres as part of the Regional Price Index every second year.

Pledging to quit smoking, lose weight and get fit is pretty popular on New Years' Eve, so why do many people fail?

Local government officials in Mount Barker say they are angered by the "senseless" burglary and vandalism at the town's swimming pool complex.

Clubs WA has hit out at the recommendations in a review of Western Australia's liquor laws released yesterday, claiming its interests have been ignored. The review of the Liquor Control Act released by the State Government makes 141 recommendations, including the introduction of secondary supply laws which make it an offence to supply liquor to a juvenile on an unlicensed premise without parental consent.

A Western Australian Government survey has found the Great Southern has one of the state's lowest rates of people looking to relocate to another region.

Analysts say it makes sense for Grange Resources to examine trying to get its Southdown project, near Albany, off the ground sooner by starting on a smaller scale.

"We'd rather be taken by a grey nurse than a nursing home."

Farmers are gathering in Merredin this weekend to give thanks for what they believe was 'divine intervention' in the last cropping season.

The State Government says it's sent a serious threat to the owners of one of Albany's prime vacant lots, by signing off on a plan that would allow it to reclaim the site. But the Opposition maintains it's a hollow threat.

The Katanning Shire says it still expects to be the first area in Western Australia's Great Southern to have fixed line access to the National Broadband Network (NBN), despite earlier work being carried out in Narrogin.

The chairman of Australia's first parliamentary inquiry into 'fracking' says the investigation is entering a significant new chapter.

A court in WA has heard a Collingwood footballer was motivated by "sheer revenge" when he assaulted a man outside a nightclub on the state's south coast. Marley Williams, 20, is on trial in the District Court charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

A Collingwood footballer admitted to police hours after his arrest that he punched a man out of 'anger' following an earlier altercation outside a nightclub. The trial of Magpies defender Marley Williams in the District Court in his home town of Albany, on WA's South Coast, was this morning played the accused's initial interview with police. Williams is charged with grievous bodily harm, after punching then 29-year-old Matthew Robertson outside the Studio 146 nightclub in December 2012.

Footballer Marley William's claim he acted in self defence when he punched another man is a "fantasy", the prosecution in his trial says. Mr Williams admits to punching then 29-year-old Matthew Robertson in the face outside the Studio 146 nightclub in the south coastal town of Albany, the Magpies defender's home town. He gave evidence on Wednesday and today, saying Mr Robertson and two other men had previously attacked him inside the club and he feared being 'beaten up' again outside.

Collingwood footballer Marley Williams has been found guilty of grievous bodily harm over a one-punch attack in Albany.

Supporters of wind farms are urging state and federal governments to back the use of the renewable energy source, after an official review of evidence found a lack of support for claims of health effects.

Farmers in some of the driest parts of Western Australia are concerned they will miss out on funds from the Federal Government's drought assistance package because they will not meet the criteria.

Tristan was a kind and gentle 23-year-old surfer from Byron Bay. One night he suffered a drug-induced psychotic episode. And ended up driven to hospital in a small steel cage. Police say it is probably the worst place he could be. Tristan later died in hospital. Mario Christodoulou investigates the series of tragic events that led to Tristan's death that raise questions about how emergency services treat young drug-affected people in New South Wales.

Coronavirus is changing the way the entire human race lives. Emergency workers are scrambling together contingency plans, fearing hospitals could soon be overwhelmed. Scientists are racing to invent a faster, cheaper Covid-19 test kit available for us all. Restaurants are reinventing themselves as delivery services, artists are turning to live-streaming to make a living. This week, the entire Background Briefing team investigates how each of us are finding new ways to get by.

What does it take to prepare for a pandemic? Many hospitals around the world are already overwhelmed by patients infected with COVID-19. Australian doctors and nurses are bracing for something most of them have never faced before. In our country hospitals, resources are already stretched: beds are in short supply and there’s a greater proportion of older people. Preparation will, in many cases, be the difference between life and death.
 ABC National Regional Reporter Jess Davis takes us inside the Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham, Victoria, as the team tries to prepare for the unimaginable.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing pain and suffering the world over, but then there are always those who never let a good crisis go to waste. Some are benefiting from COVID-19 for legitimate reasons: just think of companies that make video conferencing apps, ventilators, or canny investors. But there are also more nefarious players looking to bank a win off the back of coronavirus fear and confusion: scam artists, fraudsters, counterfeiters. This week, Geoff Thompson, Mario Christodoulou, Meghna Bali and Kat Gregory investigate who's winning in these turbulent times and how.

Pat O'Sullivan took over the Hillston Spectator from his dad more than 60 years ago. But now, with his garden calling, the publication could be at risk of folding.

It's hard to imagine a subtropical island struggling with drought, but Norfolk Island has had only 12mm of rain all summer and dams and water tanks are running dry.