Community Organisations

Some of the state's most talented surfers are creating serious ripples on the national and international competitive circuit, but the path to compete at the highest levels is a costly one and there's little government support.

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson has told the ABC the "hands-on" use of police property had been approved and "intended to break down barriers".

A study finds local sporting clubs are taking steps to improve their members' mental health, but some need support to implement "best practice" initiatives.

Tip shops, sometimes referred to as resale sheds or treasure chest shops, can be found at dozens of locations around the country. And as Australians continue to grapple with the rising cost of living, some operators say they're seeing new customers.

Environmental activist group Blockade Australia plans to continue protests, which have already stopped passenger trains and coal movements into one of the world's biggest coal ports for more than a week. 

Artificial nesting platforms are installed at key coastal sites across South Australia to help the eastern osprey breed after the population dropped to just 50 pairs of birds. 

Volunteers never imagined the centre would stay open so long. But it has been a long road to recovery — and the "face of Black Summer" is still rebuilding.

Parts of Australia are recording their coldest temperatures in more than a decade, and people sleeping rough are bearing the brunt more than ever. 

These desert lifeguards want more remote swimming pools to be reopened, revitalised, and maintained to unlock the many benefits they offer. 

These players don't have fancy uniforms or special equipment and often train barefoot, but they share one thing in common: an obsession with AFL.

Just 30 kilometres north of a bustling CBD but surrounded by national parks, Palm Beach headland has been given the nod by the DarkSky International organisation. 

Albany football club Railways say it's even willing to let its rivals choose the name if they win an upcoming raffle to raise money for a major redevelopment at its home ground.

After 30 years of providing help for people with autism Tasmania's peak body, Autism Tasmania, will close due to funding being discontinued, with many of those affected reeling over the news, advocates say.

WA's remote north, where Mike Nicholson lives, has one of the highest rates of male suicide in Australia. After seeing his mates struggle, he decided to do something about it, and founded a social motorbike club to bring people together.

A community in New South Wales gets undressed to help its beloved aged care facility. The town of 2,000 people raised nearly $350,000 through fundraising efforts to reopen the centre for its elderly.

Chief executive Kate O'Hara says the Kimberley requires more support to tackle food insecurity, as locals aim to create solutions on the ground to empower residents. 

The Australian Government has announced it will provide $2 million in extra funding to assist Papua New Guinea's recovery response to last month's devastating landslide in Enga Province.

Back in her salon 12 months after the melanoma was removed from her arm, Kira Eacott is having honest conversations about skin health with clients and family.

Soon after arriving, Rebecca Macdonald knew she needed to "find some Filipinos" to help her settle into her new home. At 78 years old, she is paying forward their kindness.

Last year, Halls Creek Shire and the WA government spruiked the town's new BMX track as an exciting way to engage troubled youth. Now residents are asking why it's overgrown with weeds and practically unusable.

Napapan Price turned a skill she had picked up in childhood into a way to make everyone feel a little bit happier.

The North Queensland town of Bowen unveiled its first mural in the late 1980s, but preserving the art and commissioning more is an expensive challenge.

It's a case of ready, set, mow at the Inverell Speedway, where lawnmowers rather than speeding cars are fast becoming fan favourites. 

Hopetoun locals had to travel up to 100kms to get crutches, wheelchairs and commodes before its Men in Sheds Containers for Change program raised $100,000 for the community.

The federal government has given the green light to a fourth offshore wind zone, located off the Illawarra coast, with a reduced size, following community concerns.