The iconic Binna Burra Lodge that was destroyed by bushfires three weeks ago has revealed its bold plans to re-open before Christmas.  

The blaze that swept through the Scenic Rim razed the heritage-listed building that had stood since the 1930s and left almost 60 staff out of work.

Lodge Chairman Steve Noakes says there’s a lot to be done with most of the Lodge’s cabins and other buildings destroyed but is targeting early December to re-open the tourism hotspot.

Victoria Police officers who pulled over a ute driving "erratically" in Melbourne's west have helped deliver a baby girl by the side of the road.

The father, Fernando Martinez, was speeding on Geelong Road just after midnight on Saturday when police pulled him over.

Bianca Martinez told the ABC that her husband got out of their ute, stuck his hands up in the air and said "my wife is having a baby".

Federal Labor has described Australia’s relationship with China as terrible and accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of using “megaphone diplomacy” against the nation’s largest trading partner. 

Labor’s Deputy Leader Richard Marles says there is a sense in China that Australia is losing relevance, and says we should be focused on building trust with China. 

On Sunday, thousands rallied in Sydney and Taipei to support Hong Kong democracy protesters.

In one of the largest solidarity marches in Australia since Hong Kong's latest pro-democracy movement began in June, black-clad participants took to the streets chanting "Add oil", a protest slogan denoting encouragement.

Some Sydney protesters held signs that read "Save Hong Kong" and "Stop tyranny", while others carried yellow umbrellas or handed out paper cranes in scenes that played out in other major cities across the country.

Australia has been urged to step up substantially on the issue of West Papua, with  Vanuatu’s leaders taking to the stage of the UN General Assembly to "emphatically condemn" alleged human rights violations in the region.   

Vanuatu's Prime Minister says Australia’s position on the Human Rights Council and membership of the Pacific Island Forum means it has a responsibility to help end clashes between Indonesian security forces and pro-independence protestors. 

New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre are currently conducting an air and land search for an ultralight plane carrying two men.

The search is taking place in New Zealand's Tararua Ranges, as the plane left Foxpine Airstrip on Sunday afternoon and did not reach its destination. 

Rescue co-ordinator Keith Allen stated that the reported height of the plane would have indicated that the passengers faced rough skies, reasonably strong winds and rain.

Home to more than five million people, south-east Queensland is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and is soon to become home to the country's largest urban farm network.

The evolving community of urban farmers are taking advantage of unused spaces within Brisbane's suburban estates and on the metropolitan fringe to grow food for a hungry city.

One such site is a former CSIRO research station in the Samford Valley where the Moreton Bay Regional Council has helped locals create the 5,000-square-metre Millen Farm.

Queensland Labor has announced former Journalist and Broadcaster Patrick Condren as their candidate for Brisbane’s Lord Mayor in the March 2020 election. 

Former candidate Rod Harding was dumped by the party on Saturday – leading Mr Condren to be chosen in the hope he will have better cut through with voters -  and better Labor’s chances at winning back City Hall.  

Action on climate change is an at-times emotionally-charged issue. But there are some communities in Australia who say they feel left out of the discussion entirely. 

At a Uniting Church in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Strathfield, a multi-faith meeting is being held between local leaders, representing Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities in the area.

These leaders are united over the main item on their agenda: global warming.