But what if it were a capital of its own state centred around the Riverina? The idea nearly came to fruition in the 1930s and now a Queensland Senator believes it is worth exploring again.

Rockhampton-based Liberal National Party Senator Matt Canavan believes a discussion needs to be held about potential new states as part of the review of the federal-state relationship in the Federation White Paper process. Senator Cavanan suggested Wagga, along with Rockhampton, Tamworth, Launceston and Ballarat, had the potential to be one such new state capital. FULL STORY.

GRIFFITH: “You think you're healthy, you're working, you go about your normal duties. I was very tired leading up to it all and had no idea what was causing it.”

A Griffith cancer survivor has spoken of her battle and the support group that helped her through her ordeal. READ MORE.

JUNEE: It’s been a wet and cold start to winter for Junee with the Riverina township recording its lowest temperatures of the year and almost double its average rainfall for June. FULL STORY.

CULCAIRN: There’s been a huge outpouring of support for dumped Farmer Wants A Wife hopeful Scott Mitchell.

The Culcairn farmer is continuing to win the interest of the media and the hearts of ladies across the region, and now The Daily Advertiser is helping Mr Mitchell on his quest to find love.

HARDEN: Member councils of the South West Slopes Rural Fire Service Zone are still yet to come up with a decision on where to build a new Fire Control Centre. 

The zone is made up of Cootamundra, Harden, Young and Boorowa Shires with the existing headquarters in Harden. READ MORE.

NARRANDERA: It was a sad story with a rare happy ending.

Narrandera farmer Henry Hornbuckle, 88, has been reunited with his missing two best mates, red kelpies “Buster” and “Woody”.

Mr Hornbuckle was distraught when he returned to his paddock on Saturday afternoon to find his two hand-reared and prized sheep dogs had been taken.  FULL STORY.

BENDIGO: THE City of Greater Bendigo says it is disappointed objectors to the mosque have made a claim of bias against VCAT’s president and deputy president that threatens to further delay a decision on the facility proposed for East Bendigo. MORE HERE. 

TAMWORTH: TRIBUTES continue to flow for the popular Tamworth school student Archie Hunt who died in a "heartbreaking accident" at the weekend.

The 13-year-old was shopping in Sydney's Queen Victoria Building on Sunday when he fell from a railing and plunged four storeys to his death. MORE.

PORT MACQUARIE: Two men required airlifting after paragliding incidents south of Port Macquarie on Wednesday.

Emergency services were called at 1.20pm to a beach in Crowdy Bay National Park. MORE HERE.

NATION: The number of young people who have been killed in car crashes this year has soared, as experts warn P-plate drivers their inexperience on the road is one of the most likely causes.

Just two days after three Victorian teenagers died in a crash in the state's outer east, figures from the Transport Accident Commission show that 15 people aged 16 to 17 have been killed so far this year, compared with two in 2014.

The five-year average of deaths in this age group is five. MORE HERE.

MELBOURNE: A chemical spill was found on a Qantas plane at Melbourne Airport on Thursday evening, causing the flight to be cancelled.

A Qantas spokesman said the flight to Dubai was initially delayed after the spill was discovered in one of the aircraft's cargo holds.

"No passengers were on-board the aircraft and we're assisting authorities to have the aircraft back in service," he said.

A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said hazardous materials crews were called to the scene just after 10pm on Thursday and worked with airport firefighters to clean up the spill. MORE HERE.

Building a coffin may seem like a grim task, but for Indigenous residents of a remote island 440 kilometres east of Darwin, it offers the chance of meaningful work and helping their community.

NT: Coffin-building at a furniture workshop on Milingimbi Island is one of the jobs available as part of a revitalised work-for-the-dole scheme in the Northern Territory that was launched on Wednesday by federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion. MORE HERE.

UNITED STATES: President Barack Obama, the president whose place in history could easily have been destroyed over the past week, had instead emerged as one of the most consequential Democratic leaders of the modern era.

Not only did the Supreme Court uphold the legality of his signature piece of legislation, Obamacare, last week, the Senate had granted him the fast-track authority needed to finalise negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a green light to the economic plank to the US "pivot" to Asia. MORE HERE.

INDONESIA: The Indonesian government has denied suggestions by former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa that Australia's relationship with Indonesia is at its lowest point.

During an interview on Sky on Monday, Dr Natalegawa said he believed there was no private communications between the two governments, which would represent an unprecedented collapse in relations. MORE HERE.

WORLD: It was an evening in which guacamole entered the international conversation and US President Barack Obama struck a blow for authenticity.

Late on Wednesday, the President hijacked his own Twitter Q&A session when he detoured from the topic at hand, healthcare, to answer a question about guacamole. MORE HERE.

FACES OF AUSTRALIA - Fred Cahir

Federation University historian Fred Cahir has inspired the film Seeing the Land from an Aboriginal Canoe which will be showing at Federation Square throughout National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee week. 

Seeing the Land from an Aboriginal Canoe was inspired by Federation University historian Fred Cahir. 

It explores unique Wadawurrung stories including white people’s dependence on Aboriginal canoes. 

The film will screen at Federation Square in Melbourne from the 4 to 12 July. Details visit  cv.vic.gov.au

MORE HERE.