Northern Territory gardners are using native plants to fight animal extinction. 

Kate Stevens is the program co-ordinator for Gardens for Wildlife in Alice Springs, a not-for-profit organisation providing people with free garden assessments and advice about how to make their gardens friendlier to native wildlife.

Dr Stevens said Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate in the world, but creating pockets of native habitat in urban areas can help combat the endangered animals crisis.

The Defence Force is tracking a Chinese spy ship sailing towards Australia ahead of joint United States-Australian exercises known as the Talisman Sabre war games.

A similar electronic surveillance ship designed to eavesdrop on other militaries was sited monitoring the war games in 2017.

Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said they are tracking the Chinese ship and are taking appropriate measures.

An Indigenous Australian site Budg Bim which is older than the pyramids and contains the remains of an ancient eel farm, has been accepted onto the World Heritage List as of two days ago.

Project manager Denis Rose said they have been advocating for 17 years to have the site recognised as World Heritage.

Mr Rose said the aquaculture site will receive improved protection and cause global recognition of the Indigenous Gunditjmara people, with the potential to boost tourism.

A food truck for homeless youth named the Good Grub Club had their first run at the PCYC Multicultural Youth Festival in Inala last week.

The support program aims to tackle the issue of homelessness, with 40 percent of Queensland’s homeless being under the age of 25.

Sixteen-year-old Kamilaroi man Raymond Mundy, who works for the food truck, said this is his first job having been without a home for four years.

The mining union has called for a 24-hour shutdown to allow the industry to "reset" following two deaths in two weeks at Queensland mines.

Glencore, who operate the Collinsville Mine, said they are organising support for the family and work colleagues of the minors who were killed at work.

Glencore CEO Geoff Caton said the company is working closely with police and the state's Mines Inspectorate to conduct a full investigation of the accident. 

Heavy fog causes flight delays and ferry service cancellation in Sydney after reducing visibility to as little as 500 meters.

More than 40 domestic flights and 8 international flights have been delayed or diverted to other airports with some flights being cancelled.

Residents of Sydney were alerted by the Bureau of Meteorology early Saturday about the dangerous road conditions and were warned to take extreme care.

Plastic straws and cutlery may be banned in South Australia in a national first after legislation goes before South Australian Parliament next year.

South Australia’s Environment Minister David Speirs said there is overwhelming support for government intervention according to a consultation which received 3,500 responses earlier this year.

Mr Speirs says he will be looking to ban plastic takeaway containers and cups next.

Another earthquake of 7.1 magnitude hit Southern California on Friday night after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake the previous day which left cracked buildings and roads, leaking water and gas lines. 

The US Geological Survey predicts there is a 1 percent chance of another magnitude 7 or higher earthquake this week and raised concerns about the possibility of large aftershocks. 

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake is the largest tremor in America since 1992, when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Cape Mendocino.