From: Maelor Himbury <M.Himbury@acfonline.org.au>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2026 at 8:37 am
Subject: Daily Links Aug 11
To:
Post of the Day
Karen Rickards et al
Intense heat, unprecedented wildfires and savage droughts have hit Europe hard this northern summer. More than 25,000 people have died from the heat, while hundreds of thousands have been evacuated.
On This Day
Explainer: What happens if you do not complete your census form?
Census 2026 is here. This is the lowdown on how it works and whether there is a fine for not completing the form.
Climate Change
Quitting dream job over climate fears a ‘no-brainer’ for former pilot
Geoff Collis spent 40 years flying high in the sky, but left his dream job to become a baker due to concerns about his role in a warming climate.
‘It’s very challenging’: how the Duke of Westminster’s farm is taking on the climate crisis
Amid world pressure from heatwaves and fertiliser shortages, billionaire’s business has invested in circular farming and biomethane
Billionaires, misleading campaigns are at the heart of the climate-industrial complex
Craig Rucker
News and social media, schools and universities, search engines, activists, foundations, Democrat-socialist legislators, and “renewable” energy companies have built a powerful, multi-trillion-dollar climate-industrial complex.
National
Call for support for Indigenous Rangers on bird flu frontline
An independent NGO working with Indigenous Rangers and Indigenous Protected Areas nationwide says Indigenous Rangers and IPAs are an integral part of the frontline response to the deadly H5 bird flu a…
Government green bank in talks to fund renewables-powered data centres [$]
Clean Energy Finance Corporation chief executive Ian Learmonth says funding deals are in the pipeline that will support data centre projects using clean power.
Race to renewables drives record year for green bank – and sends it past $100 billion milestone
The federal government’s green bank has closed the books on another record-setting year, including finance to help break Australia’s wind drought and to build the first stage of Marinus Link.
Victoria
If opposition wins November’s state election, leader Jess Wilson vows households will not pay more under the change
Support is collapsing for the Suburban Rail Loop debacle. Albanese is the last fool standing [$]
Bernard Keane
The federal government remains committed to spending billions of dollars on the Suburban Rail Loop disaster in Melbourne. It’s the only one remaining enthusiastic about what has become a corruption magnet.
The cold political reality killing Victoria’s airport rail dream [$]
Justin Smith
Melbourne’s airport rail has been promised for decades — and a new premier’s announcement this week has done little to convince me it will ever be built.
Victoria’s energy trilemma is the elephant in the election [$]
AFR editorial
Looming coal plant retirements and sluggish green infrastructure rollouts leave energy reliability hanging in the balance before polls open in November.
New South Wales
Why this Sydney metro station will have twice as many underground platforms [$]
The station being built for the $29 billion Metro West rail line will be capable of clearing queues of more than 26,000 passengers within 70 minutes.
First look at the divisive plans for Sydney’s $150m Town Hall square [$]
The City of Sydney is forging ahead with its $150 million proposal for a civic square opposite Town Hall, despite a backlash over its cost and scale.
Forest carbon scheme puts Great Koala National Park at risk
Sue Arnold
A Federal Government controversial forest carbon scheme is raising fears that conservation is being sacrificed, particularly in NSW, for trade offsets.
ACT
Why you might be more likely to see a platypus at Tidbinbilla now [$]
Platypuses rescued during the severe drought in the ACT six years ago have finally got back to what counts as platypus normal life.
Queensland
Premier pushes land seizure laws despite outcry [$]
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has dismissed farmer concerns over proposed laws that could hand the government sweeping powers to seize private land for mining and renewables projects.
Public transport is faster than the car in these 72 Brisbane suburbs
Analysis across 205 Brisbane suburbs can reveal the best places to live for a quick commute to the city. They’re not all in the inner suburbs.
New train numbering system could derail LNP’s Elizabeth Line [$]
Translink is rolling out T1-to-T6 line numbers across south-east Queensland, a move Labor and transport groups hope will end the LNP’s plans for an ‘Elizabeth Line’.
Reef relief: how a late summer monsoon helped cool the Great Barrier Reef at just the right time
Jessica Benthusyen et al
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a true natural wonder: a unique and diverse underwater seascape the size of a small country.
South Australia
Adelaide waterfalls roar to life as reservoirs receive decade-high deluge
In scenes reminiscent of tropical Queensland, waterfalls in the Adelaide Hills have been whipped into raging torrents as reservoirs receive 18 billion litres of water in just 24 hours.
Northern Territory
‘Find a mate with a ute’: Darwin’s pre-cyclone clean-up cancelled this year
Darwin Council has scrapped its annual pre-cyclone clean-up collection service this year which it says is due to “significant operational impacts of Cyclone Fina” that hit the city last November, with Mayor Peter Styles telling residents to rent trailers or call a “mate with a ute” to take their own hard waste to the tip this year.
NT Labor signed gas deals – now it questions a key project [$]
Territory Labor is backing Canberra to block Northern Territory gas-powered data centres, despite signing gas contracts with local companies when it held government.
Western Australia
‘Risky’ water plan threatens Derby’s drinking water supplies, advocates warn
The Western Australian government has been warned not to “gamble” with Derby’s drinking water under…
Plans trashed: Where to dump one-third of Perth’s household waste?
Seven local government areas face an uncertain future for household rubbish as critical site infrastructure is rejected.
In WA’s ochre-red Mid West, a cyclone’s deluge fuels carpets of wildflowers [$]
Western Australia’s wildflower season has begun early at Hamelin Station Reserve, which lies on the doorstep of Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
Sustainability
Falkland Islanders call for referendum on plans for massive salmon farm
The 3,500 population is divided over the venture, which would bring investment and jobs, but critics claim the environmental cost would be too high
US judge dismisses criminal case against Indian billionaire Adani
A U.S. judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, but said the Justice Department’s decision to abandon the fraud and bribery case was concerning.
Nature Conservation
In Amazon rivers, fish breathe and ingest plastics
Following proof of the presence of microplastics in Amazonian rivers, streams and lakes, researchers are investigating how these particles affect fish health and physiology.
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