Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has used a senate estimates haring to grill Joe Evans, deputy secretary of the Department of Environment and Energy, about the effect of climate change.

It will take a test case a Canberra smoker who police decide to arrest and charge to determine what the law actually is.

Last year, Nigel Shedden got married to wife Belinda and together they moved into their dream home. Today, the couple are living with Mr Shedden's mother, and the home they spent 18 months building has been sold.

Up to one in three Australian women have experienced birth trauma and one in 10 women emerge from childbirth with post-traumatic stress disorder, prompting calls for a major shake-up of the maternity system.

If you've been avoiding your local library because you are yet to return that dog-eared book by your bedside, the ACT Government has good news for you.

If you're a Canberra renter who loves pets and is fond of hanging art, there's good news. New laws coming into effect today will make it easier for renters, but there are fears it could lead to a downturn in rental properties.

The Australian Federal Police is assessing whether to suspend officer Ivan Kovacic after he allegedly committed an act of indecency on a woman he had invited to his apartment with her two friends to try some craft beer.

Three accused Rebels bikies who appealed to the High Court to overturn an order preventing them from associating with one another have lost their bid, clearing the way for the NSW Police Commissioner to impose strict restraints on them, including a curfew and restricted mobile phone possession.

Comcare covered 973 massages for a former Sydney Symphony Orchestra violinist before deciding to cut support. But their decision to cease funding has been overturned, with the Administration Appeals Tribunal ruling that massage is a "reasonable" medical treatment.

A 27-year-old man arrested over a dramatic shooting in Canberra yesterday, has faced the ACT Magistrates Court on nine charges, including shooting at a woman and trying to steal her car.

A decade of dry conditions and lower rainfall has left parts of northern Australia facing an early and "above normal" bushfire risk in parts of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Farmers say the Queensland Government's decision to axe "vital" transport subsidies will take a further mental toll on already struggling graziers who have relied on the funding during severe drought periods.

Florists say deceptive advertising is tricking customers into thinking they're buying local flowers when they're not. One businesswoman says the practice has cost her as much as $80,000.

To encourage more migrants to work in regions, the Government is relaxing long-held restrictions on temporary workers.

Letters of solidarity and more than 400 Aboriginal 'passports' will be delivered to Manus Island refugees as a group of boats set sail for Papua New Guinea.

Running or riding hundreds of kilometres for fun, sport, and a physical and mental challenge.

The team at Neville's Garden Site: Phil Creaser, Karen Roberts, Liz Price, Sue Hand, Kenny Travouillon, Dr Mike Archer, Arthur White, and John Scan

A large fossil of Riversleigh snake vertebrae that are 19 million years old

Workplace Health and Safety is investigating after a crane comes into contact with powerlines in Far North Queensland, injuring two people and killing one.

Two men are critically injured after a crane overturns near Mareeba in Far North Queensland this morning. The crash follows the death of a man in a separate crane incident on Sunday.

A 21-year-old woman suffers serious leg injuries in an attack by what is believed to be two sharks in Great Barrier Reef waters off Cape York Peninsula.

They travelled across the world in the 1950s and '60s to build a new life cutting cane in the steamy paddocks of north Queensland. Now Basques return to learn the story of their ancestors.

There are concerns, and equally hopes, that an extension to a ban on live sheep exports and cruelty charges against a live exporter are eroding the livestock exporting industry.

Australian icon Les Hiddins is back and instead of publishing another book, the Bush Tucker Man has gone digital, with a searchable website and a social media account.

For the first time in his life, Alistair Bowie, 26, doesn't have to share a home with up to a dozen extended family members and he helped to build the house himself.

Australias largest barramundi farm is calling for a halt in whole-fish imports from Asia not because around 60 per cent is imported, but for biosecurity reasons.

People who experience homelessness are more likely to be exposed to trauma, but experts say creative therapies could help them heal.

State and territory leaders have agreed to establish a timetable to work towards a waste export ban.

Dark-coloured jerseys could lead to poor performance, increased rates of injury, and even jeopardise the careers of young rugby league players, researchers say.

A North Queensland Cowboys feeder club hopes its American import is more than your average Joe when he trots out for his first QRL game this weekend.

Matthew Ross White pleads not guilty to the murder of Donna Steele, as the Supreme Court in Cairns hears her killing occurred when she fought back during a botched extortion bid.

A court releases the video of a police interview that shows the murder confession of Matthew White, who strangled Cooktown woman Donna Steele in a botched extortion bid and has been sentenced to life in jail.

People in parts of tropical Far North Queensland wake to early-morning frost as the region experiences its coldest August night in more than 60 years.

Myanmar's national sport is similar to volleyball but players use their feet instead of their hands. The game is now being regularly played in Australia by Karen refugees.

The supermarket giant is criticised in court for its "recalcitrant attitude" after being caught selling out-of-date baby formula for the second time at a Cairns store in Far North Queensland.

Howard the crocodile is being targeted for removal after a resident complained the four-metre reptile had been spotted basking near properties north of Cairns. But locals are angry and want him to stay.

Farmers build bioreactors on their farms to reduce run-off of fertilisers that have been blamed for declining coral health.

Queensland's Royal Flying Doctor Service trades training for loyalty in a new program to bring in more pilots.

What's driving Australian families overseas to gamble on "magical" stem cell treatments at sky-high prices?

Stakeholders call for an overhaul of the government's $5 billion fund that promised to turn northern Australia into an economic powerhouse.

A Far North Queensland tourist island, left lying in ruins for years, will undergo a multi-million-dollar redevelopment in an effort to create an international tourism drawcard.

A Cape York mayor says a perpetual cycle of death is ripping his community apart and more can be done to detect chronic diseases earlier.

Health professionals who say they have seen an increase in the number of "very young children" under the influence of solvents and inhalants warn the consequences of their actions are irreversible.