The federal government will reserve 30 per cent of land for conservation to improve biodiversity and set a goal of no new extinctions in an overhaul of its threatened species action plan. The new plan, to be outlined by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on Tuesday, includes a commitment to protect an additional 50 million hectares of land by the end …

The police officer son of former NSW premier and federal senator Kristina Keneally has been charged with fabricating evidence. Constable Daniel Keneally, 24, was investigated by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) earlier this year, over an incident on February 24 last year. He has now been charged with one offence of fabricating false evidence with the intent to mislead …

Two NSW towns are likely to be isolated for days as the NSW flood emergency continues. State Emergency Service (SES) workers performed six rescues and answered 112 calls for help between 6am on Saturday and 6am on Sunday. The towns of Warren and Wee Waa, in the state’s north, are cut off by road and expected to remain that way …

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has used her speech to the UN General Assembly meeting to label Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats “weak and desperate”, while calling on China and the global community to ramp up pressure on Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine. Australia has been a forceful critic of Russia’s invasion and has been providing Ukraine with military equipment. Senator Wong …

Researchers trialling a potentially groundbreaking chlamydia vaccine for koalas are concerned their results could be compromised if a gas company is allowed to explore in the area. Santos, the company behind the Narrabri Gas Project, holds petroleum exploration licences on the nearby Liverpool Plains in north-west New South Wales. It has applied to undertake seismic testing, which uses reflected sound waves to …

Briefly, in the days after the death of the Queen, we were afforded a glimpse into the machine that makes Australia’s money. Assistant Treasury Minister Andrew Leigh turned up at the Royal Australian Mint to explain the process by which a portrait of the King Charles will replace the portrait of the queen on the heads-side of coins minted from 2023. (And …

Australia’s biggest renewable hydrogen project will go ahead in the Pilbara, with support from the federal and state governments. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on Friday announced a grant of $47.5 million towards French energy company ENGIE’s green hydrogen and ammonia project near Karratha in Western Australia. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said the project would …

Almost one per cent of adults in the Northern Territory are in prison at any one time, a rate among the highest in the world, with Indigenous people significantly over-represented. A new report from the Justice Reform Initiative says incarceration rates in the region are four times the Australian average for adults – and five times higher for children. Prisoner …

The public broadcaster faces criticism from the public, as well as some of its staunchest allies and former employees, for its blanket coverage of the death of the Queen. The ABC, along with many media organisations, has devoted a large section of its broadcast and online news to the royal family. On Thursday, the ABC confirmed it had 29 staff …

Online betting will be placed under the microscope as a parliamentary inquiry targets its impacts on people with gambling problems. The House of Representatives’ social policy and legal affairs committee is calling for submissions from interested parties, particularly recommendations on improving consumer protections aimed at reducing problem gambling. It will also look at how effective advertising restrictions are at preventing …