Increasing access to university education for regional and remote students is key to the University Accord's vision for the future of Australia's tertiary sector.

For bush kids living in remote Australia, schooling is a virtual experience. Governesses are employed to assist in facilitating the School of the Air program. 

Encore: Life on Cocos Islands, what locals love about living thousands of Ks from anywhere, and what troubles them about their future.   

51-year-old Samantha Murphy went for her regular run in bushland near her Ballarat East home on Sunday, February 4, and has not been seen since.

Human rights advocates call for government leadership on modern slavery in Australia 

Waters transform Channel Country into green oasis, but it's not all good news.

Beagle Bay resident Adrian, who saw the men standing under shade in the township's main street, said they were in good health.

WA government prepare to put in place the toughest gun laws in the country.  

Thousands of Victorians remain without power following Tuesday's storms, this comes as bushfire authorities work to bring fires under under control in the state's west.

With South East South Australia's unemployment rate at a record low, local people with disability say businesses need to be better equipped to welcome them during hiring and once in the job. 

For geographically isolated students, distance education is often their only choice. But with the cost of boarding schools rising dramatically, what does this mean for universal access to education? 

The role of a jetty to a coastal town can often be overlooked, but they contribute to tourism, and wellbeing of local communities. Who will save them if they crumble in regional towns? 

Workers weigh up their plans for the future as Indian company shutters Russell Vale coal mine after safety concerns.  

How resilient is our national transport infrastructure and how much is the climate factored into its planning?

A death in custody of a teen 40 years ago continues to be felt in WA's Pilbara. And an ambitious plan to lock out wayward cattle causing mischief in an historic gold mining town.    

Pop star Taylor Swift, US President Jo Biden and Donald Trump have all been victims of deep fakes. A fake video of  iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest has surfaced designed to scam investors. 

Live export ships from Australia will take a different route to Israel as a a result of Houthi rebel attacks. The return of live export ship MV Bahijah has put the live export in the spotlight with critics ramping up their attacks on trade. 

Insurance industry slammed for "appaling behaviour" by consumer groups at inquiry into flooding events across eastern seaboard in 2022.

Kirsty experienced financial abuse, and wants others to know it is possible to rebuild their lives.

After 25 years,  the first of four men convicted over what was dubbed the "bodies-in-the-barrels murders" could be freed from jail.

It is estimated two hundred thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people don't have a birth certificate.

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily has been upgraded to a category three system as it approaches the north Queensland coast.

In areas more prone to floods and cyclones, home insurance premiums have soared and its raised concerns people will drop insurance cover. 

There's a lot of lithium in an electric car with 7kgs of it in every Tesla driving on the road. But recently lithium prices has gone from boom to bust, leading to mine closures in regional Australia. 

Livestock producers say unreliable long-term weather forecasts have played havoc with sheep and cattle prices, after farmers made business decisions based on media reports.

Life on Cocos Islands, what locals love about living thousands of ks from anywhere and what troublesm thesm about theri future.   

A study commissioned by the Tasmanian government found that the power and water required for artificial snow on the state's only commercial ski field would not be economically viable.

Tropical Cyclone Jasper has intensified to a category two system and is predicted to bring heavy rain and destructive winds to a broad area of Far North Queensland.

Residents say they live in friendly and resilient communities that should not be defined by the fatal shootings that rocked the nation a year ago.

Families are heading out into the bush with little more than a tent to provide safety and stability for their children.

Bing Crosby, Shirley Temple, Hitler and Stalin lived in the Australian outback. Their names hark back to a dark chapter in Australia’s past.

Matthew Quinn was once a member of a violent racist group, but now as the founder and CEO of Exit Australia, he identifies people at risk of being radicalised. 

Negotiations at COP28 are expected to decide the direction of global climate policy.

The laid-back tourist town of Exmouth in WA is best known for the Ningaloo reef and whale sharks but soon it will get a new high-tech facility to improve “deep-space object tracking”.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Youth justice workers and police in Mount Isa have adopted a new approach to tackle youth crime - they're forging connections with local kids to prevent crime before it starts. 

Starting today, leaders and stakeholders from around the world will convene in Dubai to tackle the ever-growing issue of climate change. 

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

The situation in Gaza, may seem worlds aways from Central Australia, but in the early hours of the morning protestors blocked access to the high secretive Pine Gap military facility located outside of Alice Springs.

Mt Morgan residents eager to see solution to childcare crisis

Skate, salmon and the remote Tasmanian town of Strahan 

In a rare instance of upbeat climate news, global energy modeller Rystad has released a report saying the current pace of clean technology development puts humanity 'within reach' of climate goals.

In the wake of the devastating Hunter Valley bus crash earlier this year, the families of those who died are calling for the implementation of a nationwide bus safety taskforce. 

51 out of Queensland's 77 local councils do not have fluoridated water, including major regional centres such as Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay and Cairns.

The pandemic had a massive impact on the way university education is delivered, as classrooms moved online and students learned remotely.  For many rural students, this shift made tertiary education accessible in a way it hadn't been previously. 

Shark researchers are meeting in Port Lincoln, SA this week to discuss the ocean's apex predator.

Old Timers Village in Alice Springs is in lockdown due to a COVID-19 outbreak impacting more than a third of its residents.  

A dozen new sound recordings have just been added to the Sounds of Australia collection, curated by the National Film and Sound Archive.

Surprise shutdown announcement of Broken Hill’s Rasp Mine leaves uncertain future ahead for workers 

Sentinel chickens a first line of defence against mosquito-borne disease in South Australia

The WA government will impose regulations on landlords making money from short term rentals. It's expected to have a big impact on popular holiday destinations in the southwest of WA, like Margaret River, Dunsborough and Busselton.

Dropouts in communication are common in regional Australia, and experts hope the Optus failure may persuade politicians and regulators to have fail safes in place, as without them, there are serious consequences - particularly for people living in the bush

In a draft report, a government committee has proposed only face-to-face initial specialist consults be eligible for Medicare rebates - a move doctors say would disadvantage rural patients. 

Aboriginal rock carvings on the NSW Central Coast have been vandalised, prompting calls for better education about the significance of these places across Australia.

It's the first trip by an Australian PM to China in seven years does it represent a thawing of relations. 

Ex-stockmen in the Kimberley say they are relieved to have the acknowledgement

Federal police shut down a series of websites responsible for distributing almost 1 million child exploitation images and videos through an internet domain assigned to the Cocos (Keeling) islands.

The family of an aboriginal man who was killed after being restrained by crowd controllers has called on the NT government to address violence in the security industry. 

An NDIS policy designed to protect vulnerable Australians from being overcharged has had the unintended consequence of forcing people who live alone out of their homes in the middle of a housing crisis.

As part of a plan to manage growing numbers of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park, the NSW government has announced it will resume aerial shooting practices. 

Has INSTA killed the magazine industry or are glossies making a comeback? 

The who's who of the international space industry have gathered in Western Australia to speak about the potential of this last frontier.

As an academic, wildlife ecologist Euan Ritchie has had much more freedom to speak about his work, but he’s seen the devastating impact the culture of suppression is having on his peers.

Bushfires have often been perceived to be an issue mainly for people living on farming or lifestyle properties, surrounded by bushland. However, as our climate changes, more houses across Australia are projected to be exposed to increasing threat of bushfire.

The Environment Protection Authority does not believe it poses a risk to workers or the public

Sara Lee Australia desserts are made in a factory in Lisarow, on the New South Wales Central Coast. 

The Mount Isa copper mine is one of the biggest underground mines in the world

The database Books3 contains more than 180,000 works of literature that were taken without permission from authors to develop AI linguistic software.

All six states and the NT voted against enshrining a Voice to Parliament in the constitution.

Saturday will see the first referendum in Australia since the 'republic' poll in 1999. 

Today's Australia Wide hears what people are saying in some of Australia's most remote communities and how the debate about the referendum is effecting indigenous people.

A Senate Inquiry looking into Australia's aviation sector has called for reforms that could include the power to break up the national carrier in a bid to encourage greater competition. 

As debate rages in remote communities about whether a Voice to Parliament will improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, leaders in WA's northern-most town hope it can lift the next generation out of hopelessness to a place of prosperity.

Former Australian Antarctic Division researchers have told a senate inquiry that pervasive workplace culture issues and stress around budget uncertainty drove them to quit.

NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dr James Cockayne has been holding community meetings in towns around the state, hearing stories of where modern slavery exists in the regions.

Airfares for flights between Australian capital cities are almost back to their pre-pandemic prices, but for regional routes across the country, exorbitant airfares may stick around for some time to come.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

The disability royal commission has made 222 recommendations for change, but do they adequately address the needs of regional Australians living with disability? 

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

After almost a decade in the role of Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews today handed over the reins to his successor, Jacinta Allan

Voting in the Voice to Parliament referendum has officially started, as the Australian Electoral Commission opens a polling booth for remote Kimberley residents in WA. 

In K'gari, social media has been lit-up with stories of dingoes attacking humans… and it's caught the attention of many interested tourists.

The senate inquiry into the closure of regional banks is continuing with the committee hearing from residents of Junee in NSW.

Fifteen months after battling the varroa mite outbreak in the bee population on the east coast, authorities abandon eradication. 

One of the world's most consequential climate drivers, El Niño, is underway for the first time in eight years, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

New figures from the Rec Cross show only one in 10 Australians are prepared for a natural disaster, despite knowing they'll likely be hit by one.

Tourism bosses in Queensland were dismayed Qatar Airways' request for more flights into the nation's major cities was rejected, but Cairns and Gold Coast airports hope to capitalise instead.

Police warn remote communities of threat of massive Barkly fire in the Northern Territory

The New South Wales government has scrapped one of the largest and most expensive water security projects in the state. 

Bega's hospital has launched a new high fidelity simulation centre, in the hope of enticing doctors out to the regions for longer stints.

After months of debate the Housing Australia Future Fund bill is set to pass parliament. 

Teens at Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre share their experience of life behind bars, and the circumstances that brought them there.

The NSW government has announced it will "engage with Origin Energy" on a proposed extension of the life of Australia's largest black coal-fired power plant. 

The review of the Murray Darling plan would see critical water-saving deadlines pushed out from 2024 to 2027.

Alan Joyce will leave Qantas tomorrow, after a tumultuous week for the airline. Qantas announced his early departure, saying Mr Joyce would bring forward his retirement by two months to help the company "accelerate its renewal".

 Half billion dollar upgrade to airstrip on Cocos Islands runway has locals worried for their futures.  

What does the high cost of fuel mean for regional youth who find freedom and community behind the wheel of a car when they head into town for a 'blockie' or 'mainy'?

An inquiry into Transgrid's $3.3 billion HumeLink Transmission line project has deemed it will remain above ground

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Victorian doctors are calling for the introduction of payments for sperm donations, in the hope of incentivising more donors to come forward.

Three of the 20 marines who survived a fatal military aircraft crash on Melville Island north of Darwin remain in hospital, as the recovery of the three marines killed in the crash continues.

Victorian authorities are establishing emergency biosecurity zones after the discovery of a parasite deadly to bees on the state's border with NSW, in the Sunraysia region. 

Regional Australians are being urged to make the switch to electric vehicles but range anxiety is still an issue despite major improvements in EV batteries and a boom in public charging infrastructure

Flood-affected residents of Rochester, Central Victoria, addressed a parliamentary inquiry today, saying the state government should have done more to support them in the aftermath of the devastating October 2022 flooding.

For families with neurodivergent children, it can be a real struggle to get in to psychiatrists and specialists, particularly in regional areas. 

As the rest of the country debates the Voice referendum, there is little to no evidence of a Yes or No campaign in mount Isa, according to locals.

Authorities and locals have voiced their frustration after a video, posted to social media, went viral of a man fishing just metres away from a large saltwater crocodile in Cairns.

Queensland business owners impacted by the unreliable nature of unsealed outback roads are calling on the state government to invest in upgrades.

When an individual's right to safety clashes with a tenant's right to privacy within their own home, it raises the question — how do you strike a fair balance?

Mary Fowler's World Cup campaign has been the talk of staff and students at Holy Cross School, on Cairns' northern beaches where she grew up.

The state government's new draft South East Queensland Regional Plan forecasts 900,000 new homes will be needed by 2046.

For almost two years, the New South Wales Bushfires Coronial Inquiry has gathered evidence on the 25 deaths during 2019-2020 bushfire season. After almost two years, the inquiry has now withdrawn to consider its findings.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Less than 18 months ago, parts of New South Wales saw some of the worst flooding in living memory.  Today, farmers battle another extreme, as many of those same areas have been declared drought affected.

Australians are facing a "broken" insurance system as the risk of bushfires, floods and cyclones increases with climate change, a new report out today says.

After weeks of criticism from farmers, pastoralists, mining groups and opposition parties, the WA Government may soon scrap its new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act. However, with no official confirmation, there's still a lot of confusion around what's in store for the future of the Act. 

In Arnhem Land, on Gumatj Country, thousands of people have gathered for the 23rd Garma Festival. At last year's event, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the wording of the referendum on the Voice to Parliament. With the referendum fast approaching, it's expected the Voice will be a focus of this year's discussions.

The South Australian leg of the Murray River is rising again, authorities say there is no cause for concern but locals still in flood recovery mode are anxiously watching on. 

This week in Perth, a mining industry summit called 'Driving Respect' has brought together leaders from across the sector to tackle toxic FIFO workplace cultures.

With bright green leaves atop a straight trunk, the desert kurrajong looks like a child's drawing of a tree. If you were lost in the red-dirt desert of west and central Australia, these odd-looking trees would not only catch your eye, but may even save your life.

There is no longer hope that four crew onboard an Australian Army helicopter that crashed in Queensland's Whitsundays have survived, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has said. 

Dan Bell will never forget the day he had to help save the life of a colleague who'd been stabbed by a patient at Tasmania's North West Regional Hospital. It made him question his future as an emergency department nurse.  

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

The reason for the stranding is unclear, but experts say pilot whales are "tightly bonded" creatures and tend to follow each other. 

New catch limits for Spanish mackerel has forced many out of an industry they've made a livelihood from for decades.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Mr Fluffy asbestos has been discovered in regional Victorian homes along the NSW border

The Northern Territory government decides to extend takeaway liquor restrictions in Alice Springs for at least another year. 

Traditional owners on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula have won a legal challenge to stop the federal government building a nuclear waste facility near Kimba.

The Victorian government has cancelled its plans to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, saying the cost of hosting would be too high. Funds will be diverted into sporting facilities and housing in regional Victoria.

The survivors of last year's devastating landslips in northern New South Wales ran for their lives when the earth moved under their feet and landslips destroyed their homes. Now, hopeless and homeless, they say they are living in limbo while governments keep them waiting for news of a land buyback.

In the last 24 hours the US National Weather service says there is a greater than 90% chance that El Niño will continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter. In Australia, some Aussie farmers are taking their cue from climate scientists to prepare for changing weather drivers. 

The Yule River bush meeting brings together community leaders from across the Pilbara to discuss the issues and challenges facing their towns, as well as giving them the opportunity to put requests and policy proposals directly to ministers.

As repairs slowly begin, Fitzroy Crossing residents still don't know when they will be able to return to their flood-ravaged homes.

The housing affordability crisis and rising cost of living has seen the number of people sleeping rough nearly doubling in western Victoria. 

The FTA provides Australian sugar exporters with their best access to the UK since 1973

In an attempt to give young First Nations people a voice during the referendum debate, a New South Wales Central Coast organisation has launched a unique podcast - The Mob Pod. 

Many Australians out bush rely on Starlink for better connectivity, but there is concern its satellites are disrupting the dark sky.

When mother-of-four Chrystal found herself with no savings, multiple bills, and a sick dog a few weeks ago, she resorted to doing a "home vet" job. Vets say this is becoming increasingly common, as tightening budgets push more owners to attempt DIY treatments on their pets.

Big Red Bash organisers say the journey to one of the world's most remote music festivals is all part of the experience, but many travellers got more than they bargained for on the way to this year's event.

The upcoming referendum on a First Nations Voice to Parliament is not far away, but the circulation of misinformation has many Australians saying they're confused as to what they're actually voting on.

Dunsborough surfer Ned Hart hit it big with a wild ride in Tasmania and the coverage is proving to be worth more than any contest win.

Legal uncertainty over the rights of Indigenous cultural fishers in NSW is leading to expensive court cases, with some dropped at the last minute.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

Police have been digging up the mine shaft where Ray Kehlet's body was found

The Ridgehaven Retirement Complex in Monto in Queensland says it will struggle to fulfil the new criteria set out by the federal government.  

Councils in tourism hotspots around NSW are watching with interest as Byron Shire Council pushes ahead with plans for a 60-day annual cap on short-term holiday letting.

This winter Parks Victoria is cracking down on organised groups felling river red gums at unprecedented rates.

The small Kimberley town of Derby is getting its moment in the sun, with a murder mystery-noir comedy being filmed there and the town is buzzing.

Members of the 4 land councils of the Northern Territory gathered at Barunga and declared their support for an Indigenous Voice in the upcoming referendum.

A power station closure has raised hopes for Lake Liddell to be reopened for swimming and fishing

For the Butchulla people of K'gari Island off the coast of Queensland it's been a long road to officially change Fraser Island back to its traditional name 'K'gari' which means paradise

Western Australia has the lowest rate of Aboriginal voter enrolment in the country. But a series of mock referendums are scheduled, in a bid to increase that number and teach people about the process before the Voice to Parliament referendum later in the year. It is hoped the model could roll out nationally.

This was supposed to be the year tourism across the Northern Territory bounced back, but weeks into what should be the peak of the season, David Woodrow is cutting his Darwin Harbour sunset cruises. 

Members of Broken Hill's Aboriginal community have criticised a decision by its local council to stop paying them for undertaking Welcome to Country ceremonies.

Almost five decades on, there's a renewed push to solve the mystery of what happened to Jimmy Taylor

While vigilante action is not a new phenomenon, social media is enabling large groups of people to communicate quickly and mobilise.

Broome cultural leaders urged foreign organisations to return an estimated 16,000 remains to Australia's First Nations groups, as part of broader reconciliation. 

Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.

The program has been hailed as a success but both environmentalists and hunters are calling on the government to do more. 

The government will provide more than $200 million that will help transition workers out of the native timber industry

A group of NZ manuka honey producers have lost another bid to trademark the word.

Maryborough District Health Service is celebrating one year of a new model of maternity care that has attracted midwives, increased birth numbers and is viewed as a standard that other regional health services can follow. 

Since 2020 Australia's $1.6 billion annual timber trade with China has been suspended with Beijing citing quarantine risks.

Traditional ochre paint, sacred songs and massage complement Western medicine at a health service in WA's north — and there are hopes this "sacred knowledge" can be passed on to the region's young people.

Billions of dollars is poured into mining in remote Australia, so why don't the lights stay on in nearby communities? 

About 30,000 claimants will be paid $132.7m from the Commonwealth over historic contamination of regional towns 

The NT arts minister is calling for a national investigation into allegations of interference by white assistants that are creating "reputational damage" to the Indigenous art industry.

The WA government's fire management strategies are outdated and damaging to the bushland burned and the surrounding communities, according to a range of scientists, medical experts and Indigenous leaders.  

While many struggle to even get an appointment with their GP, health advocates say this injection of cash from the budget will have a trickledown effect across the health care system.

Budget night is full of political rhetoric and usually some politician will coin a phrase that sticks, we look at some of the 'lingo' that's helped shape budgets past and present. 

Following several years of underwhelming visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more guests are returning to the iconic rock and cultural heart of Australia.

For millennia humans have gazed up at the wonder of the night sky, but what we can see is rapidly changing because of our quest to be connected.

Yackandandah Health is seeking a takeover in a further sign the aged care sector is struggling to navigate finances and regulations.

The NT Government will allow fracking to go ahead in the Beetaloo Basin

The Tasmanian AFL team will begin playing in 2028, with the AFLW expected to follow in 2029 

Thousands of people living regionally will be impacted by the reduction of Rex Airlines flights from today with more South Australian towns affected than any other state. 

The last running turbine at the Liddell Power Station has powered down, marking the end of a 52-year legacy of generating electricity in the NSW Hunter Valley. 

Housing crisis pushes more into poverty with new research from the University Canberra finding overall poverty rates in regional NSW are now higher than Greater Sydney. 

For more than 15 years, rock concerts have been required to pay a refundable 50 per cent security deposit for any show at Tamworth's town hall, 25 per cent more than what is required for any other genre of music. 

Prolonged stress and reduced feeding times led to a significant decline in mothers' breastmilk supply during the bushfires, and more support is needed for them in emergencies, a study finds.

A Dalmeny mother opened her own family day care centre after struggling to access child care for her own kids.

For regional WA, Exmouth was the first of four upcoming eclipses and the pressure is on to get ready for the next one in the Kimberley in 2028.

In Exmouth, 1,200 kilometres north of Perth, thousands of visitors made the most of being in the best place on Earth to witness the eclipse at totality.