The bikie boss, the $800,000 Ferrari and an $18 million Brighton mansion

The first week of public hearings at the royal commission into alleged corruption on Victorian public projects have delved into what the state government knew about a beleaguered level crossing removal.

NSW growers weigh variable yields against soaring input costs in a season where optimism helped some through and others chose not to plant at all.

Australia and the Philippines are set to sign a major defence cooperation agreement as tensions continue to flare with China over the South China Sea.

Lightning Ridge is a town divided by car parts, disputed facts and a history as elusive as the precious black opal mined here.