Qld govt spends $1.5m on alcohol blitz (AAP)
The cash-strapped Queensland government will spend $1.5 million on policing entertainment hot spots to curb violence during the festive season.

Police happy with SA schoolies behaviour (AAP)
Thousands of school leavers partying at Victor Harbor, near Adelaide, have been generally well-behaved during the weekend's schoolies celebrations, police say.

Govt wants more supermarkets in suburbs (AAP)
A federal government plan to encourage the growth of more supermarkets in the suburbs has been soundly welcomed by developers.

Month's worth of rain falls on Melbourne (AAP)
Virtually a month's worth of rain has been dumped on Melbourne in about 17 hours over the weekend after a hot and dry November.

Rain delays NSW firefighting aircraft (AAP)
In a cruel twist, rain has hampered the arrival of a NSW firefighting aircraft as several blazes rage across the state.

NSW farms under threat from new fire (AAP)
Rural properties in central NSW are being threatened by a new bushfire believed to have been started by fallen powerlines, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) says.