Background Briefing

Victoria is marketed as an exciting culinary destination. But organic farmers say they're facing draconian rules that prevent consumers from accessing the ethical food they want.Reporter Mahmood Fazal investigates.

Worried about racial inequities in the health system, First Nations women are fighting for culturally safe birth options. But as Quandamooka woman Carly Williams finds out, not everyone in the mainstream healthcare service is on board.

Being one of Australia’s cutest animals hasn’t prevented its slide towards extinction. Reporter Rachael Brown investigates what is being done to try to curb the koala's declining population.

Thousands of Australians are finding they still feel ill several months after contracting coronavirus.They're experiencing a new and little understood condition called long COVID.As Geoff Thompson discovered, the demand for medical treatment is now overwhelming.

Precious artefacts looted from Cambodia and Thailand made their way into prominent collections here in Australia, and around the world.In the second and final episode of his investigation, Mario Christodoulou investigates why it’s taking so long for these precious works to be returned to their rightful home.

Many ancient Cambodian artefacts arrived in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s, when the south east Asian country was in turmoil.Mario Christodoulou investigates how some had come from looted historic sites or passed through the hands of suspected smugglers, and now feature in major galleries around the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged schools across the country like never before, but it's also shone a light on existing issues within the profession such as a chronic shortage of specialised teachers and growing workload stress. Reporter Mayeta Clark follows teachers in public schools in NSW as they struggle to cover classes and keep their students engaged.

Many states have repealed tough laws that put sex workers at risk of prosecution.But so far, Queensland hasn't followed suit.Now, the state government is looking at introducing new safeguards to protect those in the industry.Reporter Mahmood Fazal investigates.

IVF has grown into a huge industry, with companies competing to provide fertility services.But in the quest to innovate and gain an edge, one Australian company may have taken things too far.Now hundreds of those who used a controversial new genetic test are taking legal actionReporter Rachael Brown investigates.

Reporter Geoff Thompson followed several residents of Lismore as they tried to recover from February's monster flood in Northern NSW. But before they'd finished the clean-up, the waters started to rise again.