Post of the Day
The two animals inflicting a staggering annual death toll on Australia’s native wildlife
Cats and foxes are killing more than 2.6 billion mammals, reptiles and birds every year in Australia, and more species will be lost if we don’t ramp up pest control, experts say.
On This Day
Fast of Esther – Israel
Ecological Observance
National Festival of Trees – Netherlands
National
BlueScope Steel secures funding to build first wind turbines in NSW
BlueScope says its Port Kembla facility will produce the first NSW-built wind turbines, after securing a $55.4 million federal grant to upgrade its steelmaking capability.
Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley successfully argues she does not have a duty of care to protect young people from climate change when assessing fossil fuel projects.
Environment law reform must prioritise nature protection
The federal government’s latest attempt to reform Australia’s environment law is much more about making things easier for the resources sector than protecting nature, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today.
Teen activists vow to keep fighting for ‘climate justice’, despite Federal Court ruling against them
The Federal Court on Tuesday ruled the government has no duty of care to protect children from the impacts of climate change when considering fossil fuel projects. But the teenagers who brought the class action against the environment minister say they’re not giving up.
Can the ‘Wild West’ of ethical investment be tamed? [$]
They’re unregulated, inconsistent and increasingly in demand. No wonder regulators have set their sights on the agencies that rate the ESG credentials of companies.
Climate duty of care ruling overturned but lawfare to continue [$]
The mining sector was relieved by a ruling that the Environment Minister does not have a duty of care over decisions relating to climate change.
‘All Australians are tired now’: Climate activist on government inaction
Young climate activist Luca Saunders responds after the verdict on a climate case brought by her and seven other children was overturned on appeal.
Little-known law could allow creation of regional plans exempting developments in some areas from needing federal environmental approval
How government can cash in on the renewables boom [$]
There is a wall of money looking to invest in renewables for governments that can create the right projects and regulatory incentives.
The federal government commits $240 million to developing its own critical minerals industry, as fears of a Chinese “monopoly” on the materials drives Australia to find its own supplies.
The two animals inflicting a staggering annual death toll on Australia’s native wildlife
Cats and foxes are killing more than 2.6 billion mammals, reptiles and birds every year in Australia, and more species will be lost if we don’t ramp up pest control, experts say.
PM makes announcement on electric vehicles
The Prime Minister will make an announcement related to electric vehicle manufacturing in Australia and becoming less reliant on China.
Jacqueline Peel and Rebekkah Markey-Towler
The federal court today unanimously decided Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley does not have a duty of care to protect young people from the harms of climate change.
States leave feds in the dust as Taylor and Bowen play politics on energy transition
Callum Foote
While Energy Minister Angus Taylor and Shadow Energy’s Chris Bowen quibble over the brass tacks, the states are getting on with the job of energy transition, and in a mostly bipartisan way.
Clean Energy Regulator attacks think tank, defends Santos
Callum Foote
Clean Energy Regulator published a statement attacking an independent think tank’s analysis of Santos’s failed Moomba carbon capture and storage project.
Coalition delivers two punches to the climate in one night
Callum Foote
In one night, the Federal government snuck through two anti-environment policies care of Energy Minister Keith Pitt and *Environment* Minister Sussan Ley.
Appeal court shuts down climate change judicial frolic [$]
Michael Pelly
Justice Mordy Bromberg’s decision was applauded by environmental activists. It has now been exposed as an unsuitable place for the courts to reach into.
ESG complacency no longer cuts it [$]
Garry Bowditch
An honest conversation is required about a platform for good intentions that lacks the openness and transparency to achieve real change and impact.
Some countries are cutting tax to lower petrol prices. Here’s why Australia shouldn’t
Peter Martin
Cutting petrol tax to bring down the cost of living used to be the political version of a joke. But no one is laughing now. New Zealand has cut it’s fuel excise by 25 cents and there’s talk about a similar move in the US. So should Australia follow suit?
Scott Morrison set precedent for carbon levy
Michael Pascoe
There is a recent precedent for the federal government to introduce a $1-a-tonne levy on fossil fuels – and it was set by Scott Morrison.
New package to advance environmental law reform
Sussan Ley and Keith Pitt
As part of our plan for a stronger future, the Morrison Government has announced a $128.5 million Budget reform package to provide greater certainty around environmental protection, streamline assessment and decision-making processes, and strengthen compliance.
Is battling back-to-back disasters distracting us from fighting the climate crisis?
Jeff Sparrow
As floods follow fires, we need to hold our leaders’ feet to the flames – or, for that matter, to the water
David Shearman
The ACM readers’ election survey recently sought the views of non-city-dwellers from regional and rural Australia. Their most important concerns were the environment, climate change, health and leadership, the absence of which is now palpably obvious from the ineffective preparation for extreme weather events, particularly the devastating east coast floods.
Sussan Ley’s appeal hasn’t overturned the facts in climate case
Elaine Johnson
The critical finding by the original court remains and will be influential.
Losing this court case feels like we’ve lost our chance for a safe future
Anjali Sharma
Anjali Sharma was one of a group of eight Australian students who took the federal government to court to owed them a duty of care to protect them from climate change.
Though the children lost their climate case, the war has just begun
Nick O’Malley
The court loss by children seeking to force the federal Environment Minister to consider their future welfare will not slow a global wave of climate lawfare.
1.7 million foxes, 300 million native animals killed every year: now we know the damage foxes wreak
Jaana Dielenberg et al
Foxes kill about 300 million native mammals, birds and reptiles each year, and can be found across 80% of mainland Australia, our devastating new research published today reveals.
Fluence wins auto-bidding contract with grid-supporting battery in Victoria
Fluence auto bidding system to be used at battery contracted to support the Ausnet grid at times of high wind and solar congestion.
Huge solar and battery park to replace Victorian coal backed by CEFC and super fund
CEFC and Hostplus back the development of the Gippsland Renewable Energy Park, which will start with 500MW of solar and 500MWh of battery storage.
Congestion spreads to regions: bumper-to-bumper traffic no longer just a city problem
The once-sleepy Gippsland town of Drouin is booming, and so is its traffic. At the afternoon school pick-up, cars stretch, bumper to bumper, for hundreds of metres.
Pier pressure mounts as 19 neglected jetties are jettisoned
The jetties in Port Phillip and Western Port bays have been closed for safety reasons, but local groups are campaigning to save the assets.
Bid to stop duck hunting given glimmer of hope
A desperate court bid to stop the “massacre” of birds hours before the launch of duck hunting season has failed — for now.
Nuclear energy key to jobs: union boss [$]
The mining and energy union has proposed replacing ageing coal-fired power stations in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley with small modular nuclear reactors.
New South Wales
‘They buried the darkness’: The legacy of coal has defined Newcastle since the Dreamtime
The Awabakal people, from the land we now call Newcastle, are the only known people to include coal in their Dreaming stories. They warned that, if it was ever let out of the earth, there would be a great fire and darkness would spread over the land.
Solidarity shown to flood victims
School Strike 4 Climate organised a solidarity action with flood victims, criticising the federal government for ignoring the link between climate change and extreme weather events.
Support for draft marine park approach
MidCoast Council has expressed overall support in the actions identified in the NSW Government’s draft Marine Parks Network Management Plan.
New $20b plan to overhaul Western Sydney transport [$]
New public transport metrics have made Sydney’s east-west divide even more stark, revealing which areas have a fraction as much access as the inner city. See where your area ranks.
The five-point plan to reduce Sydney’s flood risk [$]
An urban policy think tank has called for a radical rethink of government policy, including a buyback scheme, in order to prevent the risk of another large-scale Sydney flood tragedy.
Fireproof activists snuffed out by council [$]
A group of climate protesters have themselves been blockaded, kicked out of a Sydney council’s facilities over their illegal activities.
Trash talk: Fresh changes to rubbish collection [$]
The Hills Shire Council is calling for residents’ feedback on a rollout of food recycling bins, helping to meet the state’s target of these bins being in every home by 2030.
ACT
‘Trojan horse’: ACT government slams Morrison’s environment protection shake-up
The federal government is using environmental protection reform as a “trojan horse” to speed up mining project approvals, which will fast-track the effects of climate change and pose a risk to threatened habitat, the ACT environment minister has said.
Queensland
Cruel irony as years of drought, farming research lost in Queensland Uni flood damage
Scientists rue the cruel irony of a flood destroying priceless research into drought resilience at the Brisbane riverside campus.
Putting Emu Creek Dam on table
Toowoomba Regional Council moved a motion today (14 March) to ensure Emu Creek Dam is firmly on the State Government’s radar as an option for future water.
Moreton Bay copped at least five times more mud, silt than during 2011 floods
The massive flow has been attributed to a lack of riverbank revegetation projects since the 2011 flood. Now a peak SEQ environmental agency is hoping the latest disaster will finally prompt action.
$12m fees waived: Tourism operators win in reef budget announcement
The federal budget will include a major announcement aimed at helping tourism operators at the Great Barrier Reef.
‘Biggest clean-up ever’ decade after coal carrier came to grief on Reef
After more than a decade a section of the Great Barrier Reef scarred by a Chinese coal ship running aground is set to receive the world’s “most ambitious and large-scale coral reef clean up”.
Pontoons and scooter helmets wash up on world heritage-listed beach after floods
Everything from e-scooter helmets to plastic bags and pontoons are washing up on the eastern side of Fraser Island (K’gari), with some debris travelling from up to 380 kilometres away from Ipswich.
Jetsetting bilbies meet perfect lovers through blind dates to save species
Bilbies from outback Queensland are flying across Australia to meet their ideal partners, in a bid to save the endangered species.
Time to put brakes on e-scooters on city footpaths?
If we want to grow Adelaide, we need to plan for it
Guy Maron
Poor urban design and the ongoing absence of an underground rail system are just two impediments to accelerated population growth.
Tasmania
Time to get serious on electric vehicles
Media release – Andrew Wilkie
“With fuel prices above the $2 mark, it’s now way beyond time to see a shift towards EVs,” Mr Wilkie said. “Only by doing so can we break free of the uncertainties of global oil supplies, and make real progress on cleaning up the environment and achieving zero net-carbon emissions.
Western Australia
Alinta says WA government standing in the way of ‘quick win’ for struggling retail
The West Australian government is resisting calls to allow more small businesses to shop around for cheaper power until it solves the trickiest problem of tenants in shopping centres having a choice.
Electric delivery vans set to take off in the US
UPS, Amazon, FedEx and more are investing billions to build out EV delivery fleets.
Europe poised to endorse carbon border levy [$]
European Union governments are poised to back a plan that would slap an import levy on iron and steel, cement and aluminum produced in countries with lower environmental standards.
Vigya Sharma et al
The Russia-Ukraine crisis is already a human catastrophe. And it could also prove disastrous for climate action by slowing the global energy transition.
The Tories railed against ‘green crap’. Why trust them to solve the energy crisis now?
Polly Toynbee
Since David Cameron’s 2013 U-turn, wind and solar power have been sidelined. Do you believe Boris Johnson will do better?
James Dwyer
About three weeks into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s safe to say things aren’t going Russia’s way – and it has yet to achieve objectives that were planned to be completed in the first few days.
A new study has found that oil palm can be farmed more sustainably on peatlands by re-wetting the land – conserving both biodiversity and livelihoods.
Halting deforestation is essential for ending hunger, addressing the climate crisis and ensuring the livelihoods of rural and indigenous communities, while sustaining wildlife and biodiversity. This requires a combination of political will, policy coherence, appropriate funding and wide stakeholder engagement, according to the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu.
Hope for Kenya’s mountain bongos as five released into sanctuary
Rewilding programme marks the ‘most significant step’ in ensuring the critically endangered species’ survival
As the ocean industrial revolution gains pace the need for protection is urgent
Douglas J McCauley
With the growth of the ‘blue economy’, the UN must act decisively to protect our shared seas – or industry will decide their fate for us
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