Australia Wide
Australia Wide brings you daily news from regional Australia, leveraging the ABC's extensive network of local reporters. Hosted by Sinéad Mangan, the podcast covers stories and issues affecting communities outside the major cities. It offers a unique perspective on life in rural and regional areas across the country.
Episodes
Telstra outage, tourism slump and space junk | Australia Wide this week
Telstra's network outage this week caused disruptions across the country - to public transport, payment systems and those trying to call emergency services. Those living in remote and regional areas are heavily reliant on connectivity - so what can be done to future proof our national networks?
H5 bird flu strain detected in Australian seabird for first time
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Fallout from Telstra outage continues as more services come back online
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Commuters, customers, and emergency callers affected by nationwide Telstra outage
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Free flights and vouchers to lure tourists back to outback Australia
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Surveillance for deadly H5 bird flu increased for Queensland’s seabirds
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Australia Wide
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
First suspected positive H5 bird flu case detected in NSW
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Secret police recordings of croc celebrity Matt Wright released
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
ACCC blocks Coles supermarket to protect Kalgoorlie’s independents
In an unprecedented move, Australia's consumer watchdog has exercised new powers to block the opening of a Coles supermarket in Kalgoorlie, on the grounds it could knock out smaller competitors in the surrounding region.
Concern as private health giant wins access to public emergency patients at regional hospital
Private health group Ramsay given special access to public hospital emergency patients.
'Life-changing' virtual chemotherapy helps rural cancer patients
The expansion of tele-oncology units in regional Australia is allowing rural cancer patients to access treatments in smaller local hospitals.
Bird flu washes in, mining giant class action, and a queer choir | Australia Wide this week
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Female workers allege sexual discrimination and harassment at Fortescue mines
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Tasmanian egg producers brace for deadly strain of bird flu
Tassie prepares as H5N1 bird flu case confirmed in SA and another suspected in WA.
Bird flu concern grows as washed-up porpoise sent for testing and SA checks dead birds
A spectacled porpoise, normally found in Antarctic waters, has washed up on the same coast where two dead migratory birds were found that were confirmed as infected with H5N1 bird flu.
Giant petrel second bird to test positive to bird flu at Cape Le Grand beach
Fuel pain continues, data centre plans, and a Men's Kitchen | Australia Wide this week
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Suspected H5 bird flu detected in Australia
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Australia's rapid expansion of data centres moves into the regions
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Fuel shock expected to be felt for years as businesses urge extended relief
"It's all too hard": Fuel shock pushes regional businesses to the brink
Accused criminals flown from remote areas as 20 WA courts close
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Death in custody inquest details emerge a year after Kumanjayi White's death
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Escaping Ivan Milat, Starlink concerns and young renters' struggle | Australia Wide this week
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Andrew Forrest defends native title deals after $150m Yindjibarndi win
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Government documents flag risks around Elon Musk's Starlink
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Hitchhiker tells NSW missing persons inquiry of Ivan Milat encounter
A New South Wales man who believes Ivan Milat picked him up while hitchhiking as a teenager in the mid-1970s has told an inquiry that a speeding ticket saved his life.
Famous outback race claims another life after serious motorbike crash
The 50th anniversary of the Finke Desert Race has continued in the Central Australian outback, despite the death of a competitor on Sunday.
Australia Wide
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Crack down on illicit vapes and tobacco, shark attack survivor and outback movie magic | Australia Wide this week
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Wagga Wagga's homeless have 'nowhere to go' despite emergency response
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Queensland crackdown cuts illicit tobacco and vape shops, but black market adapts
Queensland crackdown cuts illicit tobacco and vape shops, but black market adapts quickly
Farmers buy CCTV cameras to stop fuel theft
South Australian farmers are rushing to purchase CCTV cameras to protect their diesel supplies amid increasing concern about fuel theft since the war in the Middle East broke out
Patients demand fix to 'unacceptable' travel subsidy scheme
Patients and advocates are calling on the state government to fix a raft of issues they say are plaguing the Queensland's patient travel subsidy scheme.
Katherine welcomes PFAS legal action, farewell to manual cars and crocs rowing | Australia Wide this week
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
After escaping sexual slavery, Yazidis re-traumatised by return of 'ISIS brides'
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Katherine residents welcome legal action against 3M over PFAS firefighting foam
The Commonwealth is suing the manufacturer of a firefighting foam containing PFAS that contaminated 28 Defence Force bases.
Defence manufacturing hub plan gets mixed response in Collie
Western Australia could be the third state in the nation to manufacture guided weapons domestically under plans for a defence manufacturing hub.
End of an era as Liddell Power Station demolished after 50 years of operation
More than half a century of coal-fired history has come crashing down in the NSW Hunter Valley.
Aboriginal community workers say diphtheria response 'heartbreaking'
Residents and service providers in Yuendumu say the Northern Territory government has not provided enough support to combat the territory's diphtheria outbreak.
Diphtheria outbreak, child protection clamp down, and a mouse plague | Australia Wide this week
There have now been more than 220 cases of diphtheria reported so far this year across Australia, primarily in the Northern Territory but also in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. The Government has announced a $7.2 million vaccine blitz - but will it do enough to protect First Nations communities?
Big swells and strong winds to batter Gold Coast's already exposed beaches
The coastline we have built our lives around is disappearing before our eyes. Coastal erosion is not a new issue, but our changing climate means there have been drastic changes to the coastline in recent decades. This weekend beachgoers on the south-east Queensland coast are being warned to be careful. The weather bureau is forecasting waves of up to four metres to batter the coa
Language and staffing shortages hinder diphtheria outbreak response in remote communities
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
PM visits Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family as former child protection staffers speak out
Former Northern Territory child protection workers have spoken out about the NT's proposed legislative changes, following the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Apology for 'appalling' display of autopsy body parts without consent
A formal apology has been given in Tasmanian parliament for the past practice of taking human specimens from autopsies without the knowledge or consent of family members.
WA mouse plague pushes regulator to approve stronger bait
Australia's chemical regulator has approved an emergency permit for double-strength mouse baits amid plagues in WA and SA's farming regions.
Reactions to Budget ’26, running the Larapinta and flying drones using head movements | Australia Wide weekend edition
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Community concerned over SA government push to lift fracking ban
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
What's in the budget for regional Australians?
Experts have welcomed changes to capital gains and negative gearing rules, saying they are a “step in the right direction” to fix the housing crisis in regional Australia.
What will a changed NDIS mean for children with autism living in regions?
How the federal budget could ease the regional housing crisis
This year's Federal Budget is shaping up to deliver some of the biggest changes in decades. There are hopes tax changes in the budget will alleviate a housing supply issue in some regional towns.
Vigils for Kumanjayi Little Baby, Inland Rail scrapped, and teenagers turn bush rescuers | Australia Wide this week
Across the country thousands of others gathered in regional and metro locations to wear pink and light a candle in reflection. Attendees gathered at Anzac Oval in Alice Springs were encouraged to remember to pay their respects to Kumanjayi Little Baby's family and to hear messages of grief, sorrow and support for the community.
How the community of Alice Springs is grieving following unimaginable tragedy
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Residents of Wagga Wagga camp where newborn died say they have 'nowhere else to go'
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Two rescuers among three dead in boating accident on NSW coast
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Healing ceremonies as NT grieves death of Kumanjayi Little Baby
The Northern Territory is continuing to grieve the short life of a five-year-old girl today with crowds in Alice Springs to pay tribute by donning her favourite colour.
Alice Springs in mourning, gun control and listening to whales | Australia Wide this week
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
NT Police find body believed to be missing Alice Springs girl
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Outback tourism braces for financial hit after fuel-related cancellations
Outback tourism operators are bracing for the financial hit after a high number of fuel-related cancellations.
Memorial service held to remember and reflect on Port Arthur massacre, 30 years on
A quiet service has been held in the memorial garden at the Port Arthur historic site in Tasmania to remember the victims of the worst mass shooting in Australia's modern history.
Bitumen shortage a problem for Australian roads
Australia's supply of bitumen is caught up in Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, causing supply shortages and prices to double across the country. Suppliers have secured bitumen that doesn't meet Australia's long-held road quality standards.
Regional fears over NDIS, illegal fishing and a dedicated bugler | Australia Wide this week
NDIS Minister Mark Butler announced the government will slash the growth of the scheme and reduce the number of participants by 160,000 - but the scale of the changes has caught many regional Australians off guard and they are desperate for detail on the alternative programs for those who are moved off the NDIS.
How will the NDIS overhaul affect regional and remote Australians?
NDIS Minister Mark Butler has announced a major overhaul of the scheme that will reduce the number of participants from 760,000 to around 600,000 by the end of the decade.
Papunya residents living in extreme heat sue NT government over unsafe housing
Residents in the remote community of Papunya are suing the Northern Territory government, claiming it has failed to provide safe public housing during periods of extreme heat.
YouTubers face police probe after filming inside Dezi Freeman's hideout
YouTubers have filmed inside the converted shipping container where fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman hid from police.
Australia's biggest AI factory planned for remote WA
A multi-billion-dollar project could see a large-scale AI training data centre established in Western Australia's north.
Oil refinery fire, space awe, and epilepsy advocacy | Australia Wide this week
The ongoing war in the Middle East has continued to impact fuel prices and supply, and a fire in one of Australia's two refineries added even more strain. But there was some good news with the PM confirming the fire wouldn't escalate the fuel security plan and that more diesel had been secured following overseas visits.
Unopened remote votes discovered in seat won by One Nation
Coverage that provides news and analysis of national issues significant to regional Australians.
Rinehart ordered to pay royalty bonanza to rival in battle of mining dynasties
Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart has been dealt a blow, with a court finding the family of former mining pioneer Peter Wright has the right to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars worth of past and future royalties.
Regional air routes first casualty in jet fuel price hikes
Regional routes are the first casualty in QANTAS cutting costs in response to the war in Iran.
Why humanity needed the Artemis 11 mission now
On Australia Wide why collective awe and wonder around the Artemis 11 mission is crucial to humanity right now.
Fuel price hikes force families to reconsider travel for medical treatment
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Space and sovereignty; how Artemis is strengthening industry in regional Australia
Last time round, more than fifty years ago, regional Australia played a key role tracking the mission to the moon. Today on Australia Wide how regional Australia is once again playing a pivotal role.
Gold Coast traffic burden 'could worsen' with expansion of Dreamworld
Theme park Dreamworld could be expanded prompting concerns about how an influx of tourists could burden an already gridlocked region.
Teaching birds to sing to bring an endangered species back from the brink
Conservationists have figured out how to teach young birds their song to protect the critically threatened species, regent honeyeater.
Fuel price pain, Dezi Freeman hunt over, and Pro Hart's legacy | Australia Wide this week
The ongoing war in the Middle East has continued to impact fuel prices and supply, but there was some good news this week in the form of cuts to the fuel excise and reducing the heavy vehicle road user charge. But, it remains front of mind for many Australians, with changes to travel plans impacting tourism and day to day life.
Thousands lost, as fuel crisis bites regional tourism operators
The sound of regional Australia. News and analysis from the ABC's network of regional reporters.
Packed trains, busy charities and struggling farmers and fishers. How fuel shocks play out in the bush.
Global fuel shocks are having a devastating impact on regional communities.
Tourists bussed out as cleanup underway in Exmouth
Tourists bussed out of Exmouth on the Ningaloo coast as cleanup underway after Cyclone Narelle
Dezi Freeman killed by police in Victoria's north-east after seven-month hunt
Police have shot dead fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman following a three-hour stand-off in Victoria's north-east.
