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How can we deal with the climate crisis when narrow-minded ideologues hamper well-intentioned politicians? Rather than trying to persuade party recalcitrants, perhaps a better solution is to work “across the aisle”.
News from the front desk on Friday (part II) – Richard Di Natale was right for the times; Adam Bandt is right for now. Newscorp calls Bandt the Greens “attack dog”.
Collective eyerolls are the order of the day in recent weeks, as we watch governments claiming emissions targets will be met while also approving expansion of emissions-producing industries. It’s like the various moving parts of policy and research just don’t connect even when they are in the same departmental body.
Remarkably attractive council housing in London is still being built and fits nicely within existing neighbourhoods. And Paris is undergoing something of a boom in high quality social housing that also fits within existing development patterns. A Minister for Sydney: Whacko, at long last we’re going to get one!!! Ahhh, well, actually no; just support […]
The federal government keeps pushing back on taking responsibility for major national infrastructure centred on cities. But there are five good reasons it needs to reassess and take a leadership position.
There’s been a deafening silence on affordable housing and homelessness from the Morrison government. There’s a minister with the word “homelessness” in his job title, but the homelessness advocacy sector is still waiting to hear anything. National Shelter has written several times to Luke Howarth, assistant minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services, but […]
Direct accountability for the waste crisis is the biggest win for sustainability in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s new ministry in what is otherwise a pretty troubling line up.
It’s not good news. The carbon lobby is real, it’s powerful and it’s determined to keep coal as the centrepiece of fuel for Australia.
An expanded the rooftop solar and storage program, big spending on rail and a crackdown on dodgy energy companies are among the highlights of the 2019-20 Victorian budget.
There’s a new style guide doing the rounds in media: a preference for the term global heating instead of global warming and climate emergency instead of climate change.
The “climate election” has delivered a harsh lesson for those of us who believe that we are indeed facing a climate emergency. After recent alarming scientific predictions and destructive weather events, one would think the Greens would be in the box seat for gains.
Many Australians might agree: there’s certainly a lot of rubbish in this Federal election.
The federal election has been called for 18 May, so strap in for another wild ride at the fun-fair roller coaster that passes for our governance these days. Think of it like a festival at the Colosseum. Or “Reality TV goes to the Polls”.
In Tuesday’s federal budget, the Coalition government announced its Commuter Car Park Fund, a A$500 million, ten-year package intended to make it easier for people in the suburbs and regions to drive to their local railway station.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s first budget, handed down on Tuesday, left the property industry purring but hasn’t boded well with environmental and social sustainability advocates.
ANALYSIS: NSW environment and climate supporters would have been in shock on Tuesday afternoon. Early news had just seeped out that newly re-anointed premier Gladys Berijiklian looked like she’d reneged on the still fresh optimism on climate action she stoked in the weeks before the state election and had demolished the Office of Environment and Heritage.
For decades, Australians have dreamt about high speed rail along our east coast. It would be nation building at its best: big, bold and transformative.
OPINION: The state election last weekend returned the Liberal/National government in NSW, so we can expect little change in the way planning and development is done. A close outcome may have put some pressure on rethinking the processes that caused so much concern in the community. Issues like the refusal to take the Heritage Council […]
OPINION: Water was once seen as a public good. But over recent decades water utilities have been corporatised and water is now a scarce commodity for sale. These statutory monopolies now primarily aim to maximize their economic performance, with secondary aims to protect the public good and our valuable water eco-systems.
NSW voters are walking into an election on Saturday and it’s going to be very close with the latest YouGov-Galaxy polling showing the NSW Coalition government and Labor split 50-50 on a two-party preferred basis, with just days to go.
Tens of thousands of students plus some adult supporters (The Fifth Estate included) turned out on Friday, a school day, to protest inaction on climate change.
The Labor Party has committed to spending $1.1 billion on developing hydrogen fuel networks and an export hub in Gladstone in Queensland if elected. What would this mean for the hydrogen economy?
SOLAR ENERGY REBATES REPORT: Politicians are latching on to the vote-winning potential of incentives for solar energy. So what’s on offer now in NSW and federally, and what’s the state of play in the solar market? We talk to Adelaide based solar expert and founder of SolarQuotes, Finn Peacock.
There’s a rising tide of independent and minor parties vying for election in NSW next month. But what do they stand for exactly and how could their policies sway the climate and green agenda?
In this stifling summer, we’ve just had a welcome breath of fresh air on energy efficiency. Energy ministers from across Australia have approved a set of recommendations to increase minimum standards for energy performance in new buildings.
Passive House as a methodology of construction is about to break out of its boutique box in residential and hit the broader market sectors.
There are many logical and economic reasons to support better energy efficiency in housing especially for low income housing where standards sometimes verge on the appalling, but no, the government says no again.
Australians cherish their neighbourhoods and want a say in how their communities evolve. Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Cities Anthony Albanese believes he has a way to make that happen.
Population and the pressure on infrastructure are shaping up as key election issues. Here’s what the Opposition spokesman on these issues, Anthony Albanese, says are the problems and the solutions. A few years back there was a popular genre of computer games that allowed players to build civilisations from the ground up. Players would build […]
It’s exciting this week to bring you a special report that proves that sustainability and green investment is the winning track to be on.