Post of the Day
How climate campaigners dusted themselves off, flipped the script, and won the 2022 election
Annabel Crabb
This was the election at which Australians quietly but unmistakably allied themselves with action on climate change. And the story of how it all came to pass serves as a valuable lesson in modern campaigning
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Climate lawsuit breaks ground as German judges visit Peru glacier
Lawyers working on a groundbreaking climate lawsuit said it had entered a decisive phase after judges from Germany visited a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes to assess flood risk, which the case links to emissions from European electricity giant RWE.
Linking nitrous oxide to climate risk is yet another example of the disdain shown to women’s pain
Isabelle Oderberg
Why this report? Why now? Why did I get all those rolling eye emoji text messages?
National
Coal communities ‘short-changed’ as exports and royalties boom
Coal prices are at record highs and royalties payments to state coffers are forecast to grow by billions, but some coal communities say not enough is filtering down to their towns.
As the US Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v Wade, there are calls for women’s sexual and reproductive health to be prioritised closer to home.
Deposed Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has revealed the full cost of getting his party to back the former Coalition government’s net zero policy was close to $30 billion. He has also confirmed he planned to step down as leader if he was re-elected on Monday.
Joyce goes nuclear in first speech since loss
Ousted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has urged the new federal government to “come on board” with moving Australia to nuclear energy.
Action but not laws on climate: Coalition
Surviving members of the federal coalition are grappling with their climate policies after a slew of Liberal members lost their seats to candidates advocating for stronger action on the environment.
ESG considerations following Labor’s win
Given the Albanese government’s focus on climate change moving forward, lawyers – particularly those in renewables and financial services – will have to consider the impact of such changes on ESG investments.
Labor will cut EV taxes and try to legislate 2030 emissions target, Chris Bowen says
New climate minister says calls to raise Labor’s emissions target are ‘odd’ and asks Greens and in
Crucial roles for new climate and environment ministers
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) congratulates the newly appointed Albanese Government ministers taking on crucial climate and environment portfolios.
Policy renovation and budget repair need to align to “end climate wars”
Carbon Market Institute
CMI paper outlines five priorities for Australian climate institutions, policy & funding
How climate campaigners dusted themselves off, flipped the script, and won the 2022 election
Annabel Crabb
This was the election at which Australians quietly but unmistakably allied themselves with action on climate change. And the story of how it all came to pass serves as a valuable lesson in modern campaigning
Who’s who in the new Labor cabinet?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his new cabinet, with election losses and cabinet shake-ups seeing some new faces enter the fold. Here’s who got what position.
Labor deliberately designed climate policies to skip over the crossbench
New Energy Minister Chris Bowen insists voters gave Labor a mandate to deliver its “ambitious” climate plan, warning independents and Greens that his crossbench-proof climate policy won’t require negotiating an end to coal and gas.
Cannon-Brookes declares ‘big ideas’ for AGL’s future
Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has declared he has big ideas for the future of AGL ahead of a meeting this week with the power giant’s board of directors.
The Greens could fatally wound Labor, as they have done before
Shaun Carney
When it comes to ideology this election, the Coalition had none, Labor had too little, and the Greens too much.
Higher bills on the way after AGL abandons plan to split [$]
Terry McCrann
AGL Energy’s decision to abandon its plan to split into two companies won’t have any impact on the planet but will mean the end of cheap, plentiful and reliable electricity.
Climate change seemed far away, but COVID-19 showed how little it takes for people to behave badly
Kate Grenville
It’s the image of the breakdown of order, even more than the image of fires and floods, that fills me with horror.
Combat or consensus: Cannon-Brookes’ team to meet this week with AGL
Elizabeth Knight
The billionaire investor has at least one non-negotiable element to his demands – that AGL does not attempt to sell off either of its two businesses.
Record 10 women in Albanese cabinet, and surprise move for Plibersek to environment
Michelle Grattan
Anthony Albanese has switched Tanya Plibersek from education to environment and promoted Clare O’Neil into the plum home affairs ministry in a 23-member cabinet that contains a record 10 women.
John Quiggin
Labor will form a majority government with a climate policy carefully calibrated to provide a clear point of distinction with the Coalition, while doing as little as possible to alienate any significant group of voters.
Better public health starts with effective climate policy
David Shearman
The Albanese Government now has a chance to act on climate change, resulting in better public health for all Australians.
Victoria
Victoria’s environmental regulator under fire over handling of contaminated West Gate Tunnel soil
Victoria’s Ombudsman found the EPA may have compromised its independence by helping create bespoke regulations for disposal of PFAS contaminated soil.
Your small acts make big impact on our waste
Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government has launched a new campaign, Small Acts Make a Big Impact, making it easier for Greater Shepparton to find ways to reduce waste and recycle correctly.
Who let the fox in? Fears for penguins as Phillip Island defences breached
Pest controllers have launched a high-tech hunt to track down the first fox in seven years to get past the island’s sophisticated defence system.
Cuts to key tram routes as flexible working dents CBD travel demand
Fewer trams will run on two of Melbourne’s busiest inner-city routes as remote working hits passenger numbers and demand for CBD commuting.
Not cooking with gas: Councils want to ban gas connections in new developments
At least 13 Victorian councils want to stop new developments being equipped with gas cooktops and heating as they seek to reduce carbon emissions, but state government regulations are preventing them doing so.
The resilience of Melbourne’s food system to climate and pandemic shocks
University of Melbourne
This report outlines the findings of an investigation into the resilience of Melbourne’s food system to climate and pandemic shocks and stresses.
New South Wales
Here’s what you need to know about NSW’s ban on lightweight plastic bags
Tomorrow NSW joins the rest of Australia’s states and territories by banning lightweight plastic bags. Here’s what it means for you, and how our rules compare.
NSW urged to reconsider megaprojects
The state’s independent advisory body has urged the NSW government to reconsider a number of its infrastructure “megaprojects”, as rising costs put a question mark over their benefit to the state.
NSW government to ignore advice and push on with light rail project
The NSW government will proceed with the second stage of the Parramatta light rail but delay other megaprojects worth up to $20 billion.
‘Missing in action’: MP’s broadside against resilience body’s flood response
Northern Rivers mayors and MPs have launched an unprecedented attack on the performance of Resilience NSW in the aftermath of the February flood disaster, describing the lead agency for disaster management as “institutionally incapable of doing the job”.
‘Best thing you can do is leave’: Power company’s dire warning [$]
The nation’s fastest-growing power provider has issued a stunning advisory to its 80,000 customers, urging them to leave before a huge bill hike.
ACT
Reliability audits flagged as key issue for ACT’s EV charging rollout [$]
Braddon, Civic, Kingston, and Canberra’s largest vehicle retailing hubs of Belconnen and Philip are identified as the five top priorities for the rollout of the ACT government’s 50 promised new public recharging stations.
Queensland
Failed $900m resort site hits market after tiny town’s court triumph
A Japanese development giant is selling a prime Sunshine Coast beachfront site after residents convinced a court to throw out a council-approved application to develop a resort and homes.
Gina Rinehart backs out of plans to redevelop Woppa-Great Keppel Island resort site
A traditional owner confirms the mining magnate’s Hancock Prospecting has abandoned its plans for a “world-class, year-round beach club, sandy bars and shopping”.
The little town that could: Goondiwindi hits the gas to fast-track hydrogen
Goondiwindi has a plan to turn wastewater into hydrogen, providing cleaner energy and relief from soaring power bills.
Regional business faces massive power cost hikes blamed on coal prices and Russia
Regional Queensland businesses will face the full impact of soaring coal prices and global geopolitics through a hike of between 10 and 20 per cent for their electricity from July 1.
Traditional owners detail the impact of climate change during Waratah Coal challenge
Gimuy Walubara man Jiritju Fourmile tells a court challenge against a Clive Palmer-linked coal mine developer climate change led to the death of thousands of native bats on his traditional country.
The history of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef
For the first time, a research group from Australia has unraveled the history of climate change upheaval on the Great Barrier Reef over the past eight millennia.
South Australia
Lead pollution concerns for Port Pirie Housing Trust children
Over 40 Housing Trust properties in Port Pirie, all of which are currently occupied by families with children aged under five, will be upgraded due to concerns about potential lead pollution.
‘Adds nothing’: Labor, Greens shoot down Libs’ climate push [$]
A Liberal push that would commit to reducing South Australia’s economy to net-zero emissions by 2050 has been voted down by Labor and the Greens.
Tasmania
Moratorium call on salmon industry expansion
Media release – NWTAS for Clean Oceans
NWTAS for Clean Oceans has endorsed all the recommendations in the government’s own Fin Fish Review released this week.
New nature strip policy for Hobart
Media release – City of Hobart
A new set of guidelines around the use and maintenance of nature strips is set to be developed, opening the door for new and creative uses of this land for residents.
Dan Murphy’s Mandurah is no longer just green by its trademark colour but is now fitted with solar panels to reduce its environmental footprint.
Sustainability
As heat ramps up ahead of what forecasters say will be a hotter than normal summer, electricity experts and officials are warning that states may not have enough power to meet demand in the coming months.
Us older people must fight for a better America, and world, for younger generations
Bill McKibben
Baby boomers were complicit in the decay of our civic life and cultural fabric – and we must play a serious role in fixing it
Nature Conservation
Alaska’s environmental battles
Long-running environmental disputes in Alaska are like the state’s volcanoes. They can be quiet for years, but rumble to life now and then, venting a little steam here, a little lava there. Only once in a while is there a full-blown eruption.
Guns, money, and power: The firearm industry and wildlife conservation
Firearms-related tax revenue is an outsized source of funding for wildlife conservation, even as gun ownership and hunting no longer go hand-in-hand, according to a recent study published in the journal Conservation and Society.
Time to put monetary value on conservation, says Gabon
A key UN summit this year must give biodiversity the same priority as climate change and press ahead with putting a financial value on natural resources, Gabon’s environment minister says.
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