Environment News - Issue 646 September 2025

Week One September 2025 (Sept. 1-7)

Avalon Dunes Replanting Sunday Sept. 7 - can you help?

On Sunday September 7  there will be a big planting morning of beach plants to help stabilise the sand on the blowout on the northern end of Avalon Dunes. Starting about 8.30am we will put in about 1000 plants. 



But before that, on August 25-29 the westward moving sand will be moved back to the beach from Des Creagh Reserve  and stabilised with 100+ coir logs and jute matting. This is a joint project of Northern Beaches Council and the NSW Government.

This blowout happened because dune fencing broke and people trampled on fragile dune vegetation, trying to get a high view of the beach,  just where the strong south-east winds blast up from the beach. 

All help very welcome.
No bookings required.
Please wear:
  • Gloves
  • Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
  • Wear long pants and sleeved shirt
  • Enclosed boots/shoes
  • Water to drink
Tools and supervision will be provided.

Avalon Preservation Association

States join forces to expand container deposit schemes to accept wine and spirits

September 3, 2025

In a major boost to recycling efforts across New South Wales and South Australia, each state’s container deposit scheme is set to expand to accept wine and spirit bottles and larger drink containers, the governments' of each state announced today.

The container deposit scheme – which is now active in every state and territory – is the most successful recycling program in Australia’s history and is also incredibly popular with more containers collected every year.

Each state’s recycling scheme has already seen billions of eligible bottles and cans recycled – tackling litter, reducing pressure on landfills and rewarding people for their recycling behaviours.

Now even more residents and businesses will benefit from the 10-cent refund for returning a wider range of bottles and containers, while making it a smoother transition for industry.

The expansion across both states will see nearly half a billion additional beverage containers returned each year, saved from landfill and sent for recycling.

Each container deposit program will grow to include:

  • Wine and spirits glass bottles
  • Cordials and juice concentrate containers
  • Larger containers of up to three litres of beverages that are already in the scheme, like flavoured milk, fruit and vegetable juice.

Plain milk and health tonic containers will continue to be excluded from the schemes.

These new containers will not be accepted at refund points immediately, giving the wine and spirits industry time to adjust and allowing collection points and systems to ramp up for the additional new containers.

New South Wales and South Australia will enact these changes by late-2027.

Queensland has already integrated glass wine and spirit bottles into their container deposit scheme. Western Australia committed to expanding their scheme during their recent state election. The Northern Territory has also recently announced it will bring in legislation to expand its scheme.

As the states work together to implement these changes, people are encouraged to keep recycling these containers through their kerbside bins, until collection points are ready.

SA and NSW will be jointly inviting peak bodies representing key industries to further engagement on implementing these changes.

South Australian Premier the Hon. Peter Malinauskas said:

“For almost half a century, South Australia has led the nation on container deposit legislation. It’s been an incredible success story.

“Now it is time to take the next step, and to do so in a coordinated way.

“Each year around 660 million drink containers (about 40,000 tonnes) are returned by South Australians for refund and recycling, preventing those containers from being littered or sent to landfill.

“We expect that number to increase once these changes take effect – delivering further financial benefit to community groups, sporting clubs and charities.”

NSW Minister for Environment, the Hon. Penny Sharpe said:

“The Container Deposit Scheme is fantastic for the environment, great for our recycling industry and also puts money back in people’s pockets. It’s also incredibly popular with more and more items collected every year.

“By expanding to include more types of beverages, it’s estimated at least 27,000 tonnes of materials will be saved from landfill each year in NSW.

“It’s really important that people don’t try to take their wine bottles to a Return and Earn machine tomorrow. We’re working with industry to ensure a smooth transition and to ensure return systems will be ready to handle the new containers by mid-2027.”

South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water the Hon. Susan Close said:

“Beverage container glass in the kerbside recycling system is problematic. Just 11 per cent of the nearly 36,000 tonnes of glass containers put in the kerbside co‑mingled recycling bins in SA makes it back to a glass container each year.

“By comparison, of the 42,000 tonnes of glass containers received by CDS collection depots in SA, 99 per cent of that glass is recovered for local bottle manufacturing.

“By making the container deposit scheme simpler, we reduce confusion about what’s included and what’s not. It will also help to keep glass out of landfill and support local remanufacturing.

“We’ve listened to industry concerns, particularly from smaller wine producers, and we will continue to engage closely with them as reforms roll out.

“We will assist the wine and spirit industry with this transition and will work with the industry to ensure the least cost, simplest approach possible, with a special focus on assisting smaller operations.”

Magpies in Spring

By WIRES

If you live in Australia, chances are you’re familiar with magpie swooping. This is a defensive behaviour, carried out almost entirely by male magpies, as they protect their eggs and chicks during the breeding season.

In reality, swooping is uncommon. Fewer than 10% of breeding males will swoop people, yet the behaviour feels widespread. Swooping usually occurs between August and October and stops once chicks have left the nest.

If you do encounter a protective parent, here are some tips to stay safe:

  • 🐦 Avoid the area where magpies are swooping and consider placing a temporary sign to warn others.
  • 🐦 Wear a hat or carry an open umbrella for protection.
  • 🐦 Cyclists should dismount and walk through.
  • 🐦 Travel in groups, as magpies usually only target individuals.
  • 🐦 Stay calm around magpies in trees – walk, don’t run.
  • 🐦 Avoid making direct eye contact with the birds.

If you are swooped, keep moving. You’re still in the bird’s territory, so it will continue until you leave the area. Remember, this behaviour is temporary and will end once the young have fledged.

If you find an injured or orphaned native animal, call WIRES on 1300 094 737 or report a rescue via our website:  https://hubs.la/Q03GCZmZ0

Sydney Wildlife (Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services) Needs People for the Rescue Line

We are calling on you to help save the rescue line because the current lack of operators is seriously worrying. Look at these faces! They need you! 

Every week we have around 15 shifts either not filled or with just one operator and the busy season is around the corner. This situation impacts on the operators, MOPs, vets and the animals, because the phone line is constantly busy. Already the baby possum season is ramping up with calls for urgent assistance for these vulnerable little ones.

We have an amazing team, but they can’t answer every call in Spring and Summer if they work on their own.  Please jump in and join us – you would be welcomed with open arms!  We offer lots of training and support and you can work from the office in the Lane Cove National Park or on your home computer.

If you are not able to help do you know someone (a friend or family member perhaps) who might be interested?

Please send us a message and we will get in touch. Please send our wonderful office admin Carolyn an email at sysneywildliferesxueline@gmail.com

WIRES Volunteer called to Dee Why Beach for Yellow-bellied Sea Snake 

Friday September 5, 2025

WIRES Emergency Responder Rachel was called to Dee Why Beach after a Yellow-bellied Sea Snake had washed up on the sand.

When she arrived, the snake was lethargic but still moving. Rachel carefully contained it and transported it to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium for assessment. On examination the vets found a small lesion inside its mouth but otherwise reported the snake to be healthy and feisty. It is now being held for rehydration and monitoring, with hopes for its release back into the ocean.

The Yellow-bellied Sea Snake is a pelagic species, meaning it lives its entire life in the open ocean. If one is found on land, it is severely compromised and in urgent need of help. While these snakes may sometimes drift ashore due to illness or injury, they are highly venomous and should never be handled by members of the public.

⚠️Their bites can cause muscle pain, paralysis, and in rare cases, death. Anyone suspected of being bitten by a Yellow-bellied Sea Snake should seek urgent medical attention immediately, even if the bite appears minor. Sea snake bites are often initially painless and may show no swelling or discoloration, which can make them easy to underestimate.

If you encounter a sea snake onshore:

✅ Call WIRES or your local wildlife rescue service immediately.

❌ Do not attempt to return the snake to the sea.

Photo: Rachel/WIRES

 

Australasian Dark Sky Alliance Calls for National Legislation to Curb Light Pollution

Barrenjoey Lighthouse -  Photo Credit: Tom Elliott

The Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (ADSA) is calling on the Australian Government to introduce legislation to limit artificial light at night (ALAN).

Light pollution is one of the fastest-growing environmental threats. It disrupts ecosystems, threatens nocturnal wildlife, impacts human health, wastes energy, and dims the stars that connect us to the universe.

“Voluntary guidelines only go so far,” said Marnie Ogg, Founder of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. “Legislation is the most effective way forward. By regulating how both public and private exterior lighting are used at night, we can ensure lights are at safe, fit-for-purpose levels.”

Countries such as France, Germany, and Croatia have already shown what’s possible. France’s decree is one of the strictest in the world, setting standards for brightness, colour temperature, curfews, and light direction. Since its introduction, satellite data has shown a 6% national reduction in light emissions in the first year, and by 2023 a remarkable 25% drop in nocturnal radiance. Beyond the numbers, public engagement has grown too, with hundreds of towns now participating in dark-sky initiatives — a clear example of how well legislation can work when combined with community support.

Closer to home, the success of designated Dark Sky Places shows what is possible when communities embrace the value of darkness. At Palm Beach — the first Urban Night Sky Place in the Southern Hemisphere — residents, councils, and businesses have come together to conserve the night. They have discovered that protecting darkness not only benefits wildlife and the environment, but also creates new opportunities for community pride, tourism, and wellbeing.

To demonstrate strong public support here in Australia, ADSA is urging Australians to sign a national petition calling for light pollution laws. The petition closes 19 September and aims to gather more than 10,000 signatures — but the higher the number, the stronger the message.

Every signature helps to:

⦁ Protect nocturnal wildlife and ecosystems

⦁ Reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions

⦁ Preserve starry night skies for future generations

“By signing and sharing this petition, Australians can help send a powerful message to government: the night matters, and it’s time we protect it,” said Selena Griffith, Chair of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. 

Sign Petition EN7346 - National Legislation for Light Pollution Regulation and Dark Sky Preservation

Light pollution caused by excessive Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) has harmful effects on human health, is harmful and disruptive to vulnerable species of flora and fauna, and has negative impacts on the economy, including placing unnecessary loads on electrical infrastructure, which leads to increases in greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Reducing ALAN not only helps to reduce the harmful effects listed above, but can also lead to benefits, such as making streets safer by reducing glare and light trespass, and increasing Astrotourism.

Petition Request

We therefore ask the House to interduce legislation to limit light pollution and ALAN, including public and private exterior illumination, ensuring that lighting is only used when and where is it necessary, and is limited to levels which are safe and fit for purpose. Countries such as France, Germany and Croatia have already successfully introduced such legislation which limits light pollution and ALAN.

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY: www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN7346

You will receive a confirmation email - please make sure you click on that link provided in the to make your signature count.

Warriewood DA Proposes removal of 11 Hectares of Vegetation, 280+ extra vehicles for streets

Dear Editor

This is a notice to make the community aware of a proposed development lodged for 120 Mona Vale Road, Warriewood and 8 Forest Road, Warriewood. Currently 8 Forest Rd has a development in progress for 80 dwellings (see 'Lone Wallaby'). 120 Mona Vale Rd proposes to contain 63 residential lots, and to link the land to 8 Forest Rd with a very substantial bridge over Narrabeen Creek, in order for all residents of both properties to then exit Jubilee Avenue. The developers have previously been denied access to Mona Vale Road, and are therefore attempting to gain access over the creek, with a potential 280 vehicles to be added over both sites and to be funnelled through the suburban streets of Warriewood. 

120 Mona Vale Rd is currently zoned R2 and C4. In New South Wales, Australia, "R2" refers to the Low Density Residential zone, primarily for single-family detached homes, while "C4" refers to the Environmental Living zone, intended for areas with special environmental values that allow for low-impact residential development, including dwelling houses and secondary dwellings, while prioritising environmental preservation.

In March 2025, the Biodiversity Conservation Act (BC Act) reforms mandated that developers "avoid, minimise, and offset" biodiversity impacts, requiring genuine avoidance and minimisation efforts to be demonstrated before offsets are considered. The reforms, which took full effect from March 7, 2025, legislated this hierarchy within the Act and introduced new assessment standards and public registers to improve transparency and ensure developers implement real measures to protect biodiversity values. This process has not been demonstrated. The majority of native vegetation in the subject lot will be cleared for the development, and an unreasonable amount of vegetation fragmentation will occur for the access track.

Clearing of hectares of native vegetation all of which is known habitat for over 20 threatened species is completely unreasonable, unsustainable and is a complete disregard for the principle of ‘Avoid’.

The section of the proponents BDAR (section 7) does not detail the Principal of ‘Avoid’ but instead relies on the principles of ‘Offset’; and ‘Minimise’. This is a failure of the development to meet the offset hierarchy. The preparation of a Vegetation Management Plan to protect vegetation along riparian corridors is not an adequate demonstration of avoid, when over 6.18 hectares of native vegetation habitat for threatened species, including at least three (3) Serious and Irreversible Impact (SAII) entities will be cleared and lost forever.

There is extreme concern for the damage this will do to Narrabeen Creek and surrounds, not to mention the high increase in traffic through 8 Forest Rd and out Jubilee Avenue. The bridge will necessitate destruction of prime habitat and riparian land, with many piers to be sunk into the creek and surrounds. In total more than 11 hectares of vegetation will be cleared, 6.18 hectares being native vegetation.

Where potential breeding habitat for Large-eared Pied Bat (Chalinolobus dwyeri) and Eastern Cave Bat (Vespadelus troughtoni) breeding occurs (e.g. sandstone cliff faces and crevices/caves) appropriately timed targeted surveys using harp traps and/or mist nets must be undertaken between Mid November through December to January to confirm whether the species are breeding. If they are breeding they are an SAII entity that must not be harmed. The breeding habitat and a buffer around it must be protected. This is clearly detailed in the bat survey guidelines which must be properly implemented, not ignored: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/publications/species-creditthreatened-bats-and-their-habitats

A Large-eared Pied Bat was detected. Therefore it must be assumed as breeding until the appropriate level of survey is undertaken or an Expert Report produced.

Further, of the 9 species of microbats noted to be using the area as habitat, 3 species are threatened, and will be heavily impacted. There are further species that will be impacted due to the close locality of the Warriewood Escarpment.

A significant, large specimen of this Critically Endangered SAII species, Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens) is on the edge of Boundary Road within the far north-eastern corner of the Subject Land. This specimen was found by a respected Botanist. The BDAR fails to mention this record nor generate a Species polygon around it. The habitat that this plant occurs is contiguous with the Subject Property. Where there is one plant there is likely to be more, particularly in the lower elevation portions of the site. 

There is also a population of Angus Onion orchids, a threatened species, on the property (more than 100 plants have been surveyed) and the 4.87 hectares containing these plants will be cleared, destroying the entire population. 

To make a submission prior to the cut off of October 1 2025, go to DA2025/1087 to locate documents for further viewing, and lodge your comments through the ‘make a submission’ link, or quoting the DA number and sending an email to council@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au 

Such damage and blatant disregard for the local environment is concerning and should not be allowed to be carried out.

Exhibition Period:03/09/2025 to 01/10/2025

Concerned Resident

Exhibition Notice

DA2025/1087

Address: 8 Forest Road and 120 Mona Vale Road WARRIEWOOD

Lot 3, Lot 4 & Lot 5 DP 124602 and Lot 1 DP 5055

Description: Subdivision of three lots into 63 residential lots, one (1) community title lot and one (1) residue lot including the construction of a bridge, associated infrastructure, services and access works

Consent Authority: Sydney North Planning Panel

Applicant: Opera Properties Pty Ltd

Exhibition Start Date: 3 September 2025

Exhibition End Date: 1 October 2025

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The proposal is ‘Integrated Development’ and approval is required from NSW Rural Fire Service under s100B of the Rural Fires Act 1997. The proposal is also ‘Nominated Integrated Development’ and approval is required from the Department of Planning and Environment - Water under s91 (Controlled Activity Approval) of the Water Management Act 2000.

Submissions can be made to Council during the exhibition period. Any submission must specify the grounds for objection.

Half million dollar fine for clearing Hectares of critically endangered ‘Cumberland Plain Woodland' imposed on company now in liquidation

Western Sydney property developer, Aerotropolis Pty Ltd, has been convicted and fined $587,200 in relation to 20 charges after unlawfully clearing 36.8 hectares of critically endangered ‘Cumberland Plain Woodland’.

In addition to the fine, Aerotropolis Pty Ltd was ordered to pay the Prosecutor’s legal costs.

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) prosecuted the developer for causing damage to the woodland and the habitat of the endangered Cumberland Plain land snail.

While the company is now in liquidation, the fine is among the higher cumulative penalties imposed by the Court for native vegetation clearing offences, making it an important deterrent for other potential offenders.

Aerotropolis Pty Ltd is not associated with the NSW Government’s Aerotropolis project and this matter occurred outside the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Precinct.

The NSW Land and Environment Court determined that, between April 2016 and May 2020, Aerotropolis Pty Ltd unlawfully cleared native vegetation on a 121-hectare property in Bringelly, approximately 4 km from the Western Sydney Airport site.

The Court found clearing prior to August 2017 breached sections of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, while clearing after that date breached sections of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

His Honour Justice Robson outlined that company director Mr Jemon Varghese was “the directing mind and will” of the defendant company and his primary concern (and therefore that of Aerotropolis Pty Ltd) was to clear parts of the property to prepare it for a very large commercial development.

DCCEEW Executive Director Regional Delivery Ingrid Emery stated:

“Cumberland Plain Woodland was once widespread across Sydney’s west but is now critically endangered. Only nine per cent of the original area of Cumberland Plain Woodland survives today.

“Reduced to small, isolated patches, it hosts species that also face a high risk of extinction, including swift parrots and regent honeyeaters as well as the Cumberland Plain land snail.

“It is disappointing this offender is now in liquidation, but the penalty serves as a strong reminder that most native vegetation in Western Sydney is protected under the Biodiversity Conservation Act.

“Clearing without appropriate approvals or exemptions is unlawful and may result in penalties of up to $1.65 million, two years’ imprisonment or both.

“Developers are urged to seek approval through their local Council or the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure before commencing any vegetation clearing to avoid harming our precious plants and animals in Western Sydney and the prospect of costly litigation and the potential of criminal and financial penalties.”

Past reports:

Cumberland Woodplain resident. Photo: A J Guesdon.

NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee Provisional listing on an emergency basis: Leadbeater's possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri McCoy, 1867

September 1, 2025

Leadbeater's possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri McCoy, 1867 has been provisionally listed as a critically endangered species.

Until recently, Leadbeater's possum was thought to be endemic to Victoria, where it was confined to two geographically and genetically distinct areas: Victorian Central Highlands, and near Yellingbo. Historically, the species' range was much broader than its current distribution. Remote camera images from Kosciuszko National Park reviewed in May 2025 have now revealed that Leadbeater's possum is present in New South Wales.

More information on the species can be found in the Committees' provisional listing on an emergency basis determination.

In the near future the Committee will make a preliminary determination regarding this proposal, which will be placed on public exhibition. Public submissions will be invited at that time.

Leadbeater's possum in Victoria. Credit: Zoos Victoria

Breeding is booming for bridled nailtail wallabies in Mallee Cliffs

September 4 2025

The NSW Department of Environment is reporting at  least fourteen new bridled nailtail wallabies have been detected at Mallee Cliffs National Park, marking the first generation of this once-thought-extinct species to be born in the park in nearly a century.

The species was reintroduced to Mallee Cliffs in June last year through a partnership between the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

Breeding began soon after reintroduction, with the first juveniles recorded within just four months. Ecologists have since spotted of 38 of 45 reintroduced wallabies, along with the 14 new individuals.

The bridled nailtail wallaby once existed throughout inland areas of south - eastern Australia and was last recorded in NSW in the 1920s. It was presumed extinct for three decades until a chance rediscovery in 1973 when a member of the public spotted the wallaby in the Women’s Day magazine.

These wallabies now live within Mallee Cliffs nearly 10,000-hectare feral predator-free area – the largest of its kind on mainland Australia, providing them with protection from feral cats and foxes, a key driver of previous declines.

Grey to light tan in colour, they have a distinct white line forming a 'bridle' from the back of the neck to behind the forelimbs. Its name is derived from a pointed ‘nail’ on its tail-tip.

Today, Mallee Cliffs joins a small number of secure sites, including the Pilliga State Conservation Area, helping to recover the species.

The bridled nailtail wallaby is listed as critically endangered. In NSW, it was the eighth species reintroduced to Mallee Cliffs under the NPWS and AWC partnership, which currently aims to restore 10 locally extinct mammals to the park.

Every year feral cats kill around 1.5 billion native animals across Australia and are a leading cause of Australia’s mammal extinction record and a direct threat to over 200 at-risk native species.

NPWS Manager of Threatened Species Dave Kelly said:

"The birth of 14 bridled nailtail wallabies at Mallee Cliffs National Park is an exciting milestone in the recovery of a species once thought lost to our beautiful country forever.

“It shows with the right protection and partnerships we can bring our precious native wildlife back from the brink.

"This success is proof feral predator-free areas are critical to protecting threatened species. The secure environment at Mallee Cliffs gives these wallabies the best chance to survive, thrive and rebuild their numbers for the future.

"We are determined to see these populations grow so future generations can enjoy a richer, more resilient NSW environment."

Bridled nailtail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata). Credit: Stuart Cohen/DCCEEW

Look out for Lithgow’s loved up butterflies

September 4, 2025

Citizen scientists from across NSW’s Central Tablelands are urged to look out for the dazzling but endangered Purple Copper Butterfly that only lives in this part of the world. 

These elusive butterflies emerge from September through to November each year and everyone from Bathurst to Lithgow to Oberon is invited to join the search during ‘Biodiversity Month’. 

Known for its spectacular bright iridescent wings, the Purple Copper Butterfly is not as well known for its captivating mating habits. 

Female butterflies are chased by eager males in spiralling courtship displays at this time of year. Males are also known to territorially chase each other and bask in the sun. 

After mating the female lays eggs on her favourite plant, the native Blackthorn (Bursaria spinosa subsp. Lasiophylla), a spiky looking bush that grows over ant nests. 

During the 14 to 17 days the caterpillars take to hatch, ‘attendant ants’ (Anonychomyrma itinerans) constantly patrol the Blackthorn. When the butterfly larvae emerge, ants are there to attend to them. 

This year students as young as five are joining the ‘butterfly brigade’ of citizen scientists. 

Meadow Flat Public School has recently planted 120 native Blackthorn seedlings in the school’s Purple Copper Butterfly Garden. 

Now the race is on to spot the first ‘spiralling courtship’ of the season and hopefully these students will spy a butterfly this Spring. 

For tips on how to find the Purple Copper Butterfly and instructions on how to record your sightings visit NSW Environment. 

This data will help ecologists get a better understanding of the species’ distribution and there is always the potential for new populations to be discovered.  

The Purple Copper Butterfly was identified by scientists in 2021 as one of 26 Australian butterflies at greatest risk of extinction.   

DCCEEW species expert, Alison Cowie said:

“September is ‘Biodiversity Month’ so we really encourage the whole community to get out there and help us spot these Purple Copper Butterflies.

“We particularly love seeing school kids getting involved in conservation from an early age and helping us to protect this very unique endangered species. 

"By collecting data and improving our understanding of this species, we can make better conservation decisions to give this beautiful multicoloured butterfly the best possible chance of survival.” 

Purple copper butterfly (Paralucia spinifera).Credit: David Roma/DCCEEW

$10 million to cut food waste in NSW households + businesses

August 26, 2025
More than a quarter of a million extra households will soon have access to food organics and garden organics (FOGO) recycling thanks to $5.3 million in funding, while another $4.4 million is up for grabs to help businesses make the switch.

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Executive Director of Programs & Innovation, Alexandra Geddes, said with Greater Sydney on track to run out of landfill space by 2030, diverting organic waste is critical to ease pressure on the system and prevent a looming waste crisis. 

“Together with $344,000 for FOGO education, this is a $10 million FOGO bonanza that tackles food waste at every stage — from the kitchen bench, to supermarkets, to people in need,” Ms Geddes said.

“Under Round 4 of the Go FOGO program, 10 councils have been awarded between $50,000 and $1.46 million to establish or upgrade weekly services to more than 263,000 households. 

“From Dungog to Waverley, the funding will equip councils to prepare households that receive a red bin service for the mandatory shift to weekly FO or FOGO collections by 1 July 2030.

“This investment empowers households to do their bit to manage food waste, reduce landfill volumes and combat climate change.  

“We know food and garden waste makes up a third of red-lid bins. FOGO is one of the most effective ways to keep this out of landfill, and this funding is about giving more households access to the service and ensuring they are confident in how to use it.

“By backing new and existing services, we’re helping councils set up their communities for long-term success with this program.”

The $344,000 from Round 3 of the Scrap Together program will help 23 more councils boost education and awareness in areas where FOGO is already in place. 

Organisations and charities can also apply for a slice of $4.4 million to prepare for the business mandates, which will be required in stages from 1 July 2026. 

This includes $3.3 million under Round 3 of the Business Food Waste Partnership Grants, with up to $200,000 per project to support peak bodies, organisations, councils and institutions to reduce and source-separate food waste. 

The remaining $1.1 million is available through Round 2 of the Food Rescue Grants, with up to $300,000 for charities and not-for-profit organisations to save more edible food and redistribute it to people in need.

Ms Geddes added bringing businesses on the journey is just as important as supporting households.

“NSW generates around 1.7 million tonnes of food waste per year and retail, hospitality and institutions like schools, hospitals and aged care facilities, are responsible for around 37 percent of this waste,” she said.

“We’re helping businesses transition now so they’re ready for their relevant deadline to start separating food waste, which starts in 2026 for some large premises.

“We also want more good food to be rescued and shared with people who need it, not wasted by ending up in landfill.”

To apply for Business Food Waste Partnership Grants by 21 October 2025, visit: www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Business-food-waste-grants 

To apply for Food Rescue Grants by 21 October 2025, visit: www.epa.nsw.gov.au/infrastructure-fund/Food-rescue-grants

Round 4 awarded $5.3 million to 10 projects. Collectively these grants will provide a new weekly FOGO or FO service to nearly 260,000 households. 
  • $1,134,970 Council of the City of Ryde
  • $50,000 City of Parramatta Council
  • $195,550 Dungog Shire Council  
  • $837,500 Hornsby Shire Council
  •  $176,530 Hunters Hill Council
  • $50,000 Inner West Council
  • $529,075 Lane Cove Council
  • $176,135 Singleton Council
  • $1,460,730 The Hills Shire Council
  • $717,290 Waverley Council 
Successful recipients from Go FOGO Round 4 include:  
  • Hornsby Shire Council– Received $837,500 to introduce a food-only collection service to 53,500 households in 2027, including the delivery of kitchen caddies, liners and educational resources, contamination monitoring, pop-up events and hiring extra staff to support on-the-ground efforts.
  • Hunters Hill Council – Received $176,530 to launch a FOGO service to 5,271 households in 2026, including targeted education particularly in large apartment blocks.
  • Singleton Council – Received $176,135 to roll out FOGO to 9,300 households in 2025, including regular bin audits and inspections, delivering ongoing education, and giving away compost to residents.
  • Waverley Council – Received $717,920 to implement a FOGO service to 29,976 households in 2027, including distributing kitchen caddies and starter kits with QR-linked education materials, multi-unit dwelling engagement, hosting pop-up information sessions and repurposing bins to improve efficiency.  
Successful recipients from Scrap Together Round 3 include:
  • NetWaste (Western NSW Councils) – Received $119,604 to deliver the Scrap Together education campaign across eight council areas, including school lesson plans and community events to ensure the message ‘every scrap counts’ reaches residents.
  • Gregadoo Waste Management Centre (Wagga Wagga City Council) – Received $15,000 to promote the Scrap Together education campaign on what belongs in the FOGO bin, supported by social media posts and an A-Z organics guide. 

Draft resource recovery order and exemption for biosolids: Have your say to EPA by September 26

The EPA are seeking feedback on updated requirements to test new chemical contaminants, record keeping and reporting, application management and new definition for biosolids.

The EPA is updating the resource recovery order and exemption for the reuse of biosolids to ensure that land application is beneficial and poses minimal risk of harm to human health and the environment.

The EPA  are seeking your feedback on what the new chemical contaminant limits will mean for industry including updated requirements for testing new chemical contaminants, record keeping and reporting, biosolids application management and a new definition for biosolids. This follows publication of the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan 3.0 (PFAS NEMP), and the outcomes of previous public consultation and testing of sewage treatment plants across the state by the EPA in 2023.

To read the documents and have a say by September 26 2025, visit: yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/biosolids-revised-RROE

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Climate Change Licensee Requirements: Have your say to EPA by October 7

The EPA  are seeking public feedback on the EPA’s proposed requirements for NSW’s large greenhouse gas emitters.

The EPA states:

''The requirements are for licensees that emit 25,000t or more of CO2-e of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions per year. Our aim is to drive emissions reductions across NSW, improve emitting practices and the transparency of greenhouse gas data and climate actions by our licence holders.

What we are consulting on:
  • Climate Change Licensee Requirements
  • Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plans: Mitigation Requirements
  • Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Guide for NSW Coal Mines.
The requirements will target around 200 (or 10%) of the EPA’s licensees that emit 25,000t or more of CO2-e of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions per year. Although making up a small portion of our licensees, this group emit around 50% of all NSW emissions.

By targeting this group of licensees, the EPA can fulfil its obligation to address climate change while working with our regulated community to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes for operations.''

Feedback open until 5pm, Tuesday 7 October 2025

Thomas Stephens Reserve, Church Point - boardwalk + seawall works to commence This September

Council's Major Infrastructure Projects Team  has advised that as part of its Church Point Precinct Masterplan, it is building a new boardwalk in front of the Pasadena, a new jetty for ferry access, and upgrading the sandstone seawall.

''A temporary gangway will ensure the ferry service continues without disruption and access to The Waterfront Café & General Store, and Pasadena Sydney will remain open. The reserve will be closed while we undertake these important works.'' the CMIPT states

The improvements will be delivered in three carefully planned stages.

Stage 1 – Marine Works

  • Includes a new boardwalk outside the Pasadena Sydney and a new accessible gangway to the ferry pontoon.
  • Repairs and additions to the sandstone seawall along Thomas Stephens Reserve.
  • Thomas Stephens Reserve will be temporarily closed during these works.
  • Works to commence in September 2025 with the aim of being completed by Christmas.
  • A temporary alternate gangway to the ferry wharf will be installed ensuring access to the Ferry services at all times during the works.
  • Access to The Waterfront Cafe and General Store and Pasadena Sydney will be maintained throughout the works.

Stage 2 – Landscaping Works

  • Landscaping works will begin in early 2026 and will include permeable paving, tree retention, and improved public seating and bike facilities. Completing the landscaping will finalise the Masterplan.
  • Thomas Stephens Reserve will be temporarily closed during these works.

Stage 3 – McCarrs Creek Road Upgrade

  • Detailed design will be presented to the Local Transport Forum in September 2025 for consideration.
  • Construction will be staged and is expected to take place from early 2026.

Council's webpage states the first works will take place Monday - Friday between 7am and 5pm. We appreciate your patience as we deliver this important community upgrade.''

An overview of the council's plan and link to their project webpage is available in the September 2024 PON report; Church Point's Thomas Stephens Reserve Landscape works

Wildlife Hungry: Moving to road Edges to feed - Please Slow down

A Sydney Wildlife Carer has stated this week: ''We've  been getting a lot of calls to Sydney Wildlife (Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services) lately. 

Please slow down and be aware that food through winter is scarce and many animals are moving closer to the edges of the road in search of winter grass. 

If you see any sick or injured animal please call Sydney Wildlife Rescue 9413 4300.''

622kg of Rubbish Collected from Local Beaches: Adopt your local beach program

Sadly, our beaches are not as pristine as we'd all like to think they are. 

Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches' Adopt A beach ocean conservation program is highlighting that we need to clean up our act.

Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches' states:
''The collective action by our amazing local community at their monthly beach clean events across 9 beach locations is assisting Surfrider Foundation NB in the compilation of quantitative data on the volume, type and often source of the marine pollution occurring at each location.

In just 6 sessions, clear indicators are already forming on the waste items and areas to target with dedicated litter prevention strategies.

Plastic pollution is an every body problem and the solution to fixing it lies within every one of us.
Together we can choose to refuse this fate on our Northern beaches and turn the tide on pollution. 
A cleaner coast together !''

Join us - 1st Sunday of the month, Adopt your local for a power beach clean or donate to help support our program here. https://www.surfrider.org.au/donate/

Next clean up - Sunday September 7 4 – 5 pm.

Event locations 
  • Avalon – Des Creagh Reserve (North Avalon Beach Lookout)
  • North Narrabeen – Corner Ocean St & Malcolm St (grass reserve next to North Narrabeen SLSC)
  • Collaroy– 1058 Pittwater Rd (beachfront next to The Beach Club Collaroy)
  • Dee Why Beach –  Corner Howard Ave & The Strand (beachfront grass reserve, opposite Blu Restaurant)
  • Curl Curl – Beachfront at North Curl Curl Surf Club. Shuttle bus also available from Harbord Diggers to transport participants to/from North Curl Curl beach. 
  • Freshwater Beach – Moore Rd Beach Reserve (opposite Pilu Restaurant)
  • Manly Beach – 11 South Steyne (grass reserve opposite Manly Grill)
  • Manly Cove – Beach at West Esplanade (opposite Fratelli Fresh)
  • Little Manly– 55 Stuart St Little Manly (Beachfront Grass Reserve)
… and more to follow!

Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches

Stony Range Spring Festival 2025: September 14

Eco-Garden at Kimbriki: Spring 2025 Workshops

This Tick Season: Freeze it - don't squeeze it

EPA tackling greenhouse gas emissions with new licensee requirements: Have your say

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is seeking feedback on requirements to help industry cut emissions and drive NSW towards achieving net zero by 2050. 

The proposed Climate Change Licensee Requirements and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptions Plans: Mitigation Requirements released July 29 aim to strengthen the transparency of greenhouse gas reporting and businesses’ emission reduction plans. 

To support the shift to a decarbonised economy, the proposed measures will be phased in across industry sectors, firstly applying to very large greenhouse gas emitters that hold environment protection licences.

NSW EPA CEO, Tony Chappel said this is a significant step forward in setting new standards for climate action, providing certainty to industry and the community as we transition to net zero.

“Climate change is not a problem for the future. We are already facing its escalating consequences, from unprecedented fires to recent devastating flood events across regional NSW,” said Mr Chappel. 

“We need to treat greenhouse gases like any other pollutant we regulate. EPA licensees currently contribute half of NSW’s total greenhouse gas emissions. 

“Introducing new requirements and guidance for industry is essential as we move towards a climate resilient future. 

“This will be a complex journey, and we are committed to developing specific approaches for different industries and sectors, rather than a one size fits all solution.”

To build our evidence base, the EPA commissioned the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to conduct an independent expert review of methane measurement technologies for fugitive methane emissions.

The EPA is also developing sector specific guides on emissions reductions. The first of these, the Proposed Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Guide for NSW Coal Mines, outlines tailored climate actions for the coal industry, targeting methane, a potent greenhouse gas. 

The draft requirements will apply to about 200 premises and are set to include:

  • Annual climate change emissions reporting 
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation plans
  • Specific mitigation actions 
  • Emissions measurement 

To help meet the proposed requirements, eligible licensees will be able to access grants from the High Emitting Industries Fund

The requirements, mitigation guidance and guide for NSW coal mines are key initiatives set in the Government's Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2023-26

For more information and to have your say by 5pm Tuesday 7 October 2025, visit: https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au

$1.2 million on offer to crack down on illegal dumping

Councils, public land managers and regional waste groups across NSW can now apply for a share of more than $1.2 million to prevent illegal dumping and protect local environments and communities.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has opened Round 3 of the Illegal Dumping Prevention Program, which supports targeted, on-the-ground projects to address the problem at its source. 

Funding is available for a wide range of initiatives, including deterrents such as fencing and barriers, site clean-ups, education and behaviour change campaigns, surveillance and enforcement tools.

EPA Executive Director of Programs and Innovation, Alexandra Geddes said $2.83 million awarded to 36 successful recipients across the first two rounds has had a meaningful impact.

“These grants help organisations take action, making a real difference by preventing illegal dumping before it occurs,” Ms Geddes said.

“We’ve seen great results in places like Bathurst and the Shoalhaven, where previous funding improved monitoring and helped deter repeat offenders through innovative design and technology.

“In this Round, we’re looking to back more projects that reduce the volume of waste being dumped illegally, because it is more than just an eyesore – it’s a threat to our environment, wildlife and public safety.” 

Dumping incidents in the Bathurst local government area are estimated to have halved after Bathurst Regional Council received more than $117,000 under Round 1 of the program. The council installed solar-powered mobile cameras and community signage across known hotspots, allowing it to monitor activity in real time, catch perpetrators in the act, and clean up dumped materials more efficiently.

Meanwhile, Shoalhaven City Council was awarded more than $76,000 in funding under Round 2 of the program. Approximately 450 tonnes of illegally dumped waste was recovered from public land in the local government area during the past two years. This investment will enable the council to collaborate with NSW Government agencies, such as National Parks and Wildlife Service and Crown Lands, to run a community awareness campaign, and install gates, bollards, signage and CCTV cameras in high-risk dumping zones. 

Expressions of Interest for Streams 3 & 4 closes on 30 September 2025.

Grants range from $20,000 to $200,000. For more information and to apply, visit:

www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Working-together/Grants/Illegal-dumping/Illegal-Dumping-Prevention 

$1 million to establish independent NSW recreational fishing peak body

The Minns Government states it is delivering on another election commitment by commencing consultation on an independent peak body to represent the interests of the State’s more than one million recreational fishers.

This is part of the NSW Government’s plan to build a better NSW and to boost economic activity in regional NSW.

More than $1 million has been earmarked to fund the new body and to assist it drive on ground outcomes for the State’s recreational fishers.

The recreational fishing industry is major contributor to our coastal and inland communities and generates about $3.4 billion of economic activity in NSW each year. The industry also creates the equivalent of about 14,000 fulltime jobs.

The NSW Government made an election commitment to establish a peak body for the State’s recreational fishers and has worked with the fishing representatives to develop their vision for a peak body that is:

  • a viable and respected professional body: to deliver representation that effectively champions the future of recreational fishing
  • representative of all NSW recreational fishers: including affiliated and unaffiliated fishers from diverse backgrounds
  • independent of Government: to enable apolitical representation to advance the priorities and needs of recreational fishers
  • collaborative and solutions-oriented: to work constructively with Government and other bodies to deliver solutions for recreational fishers.

The people of NSW are now encouraged to have their say on this important process. Public consultation is open from 6 August 2025 to 1 October 2025.

To learn more and provide your feedback, visit the NSW Government’s Have Your Say website.

Our culturally and linguistically diverse fishing community are encouraged to use the translate feature on the Have Your Say website, which offers access in multiple languages and provides a contact for support with submissions.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“Recreational fishing is a vital part of life for many people in NSW.

“The NSW Government is committed to supporting a thriving, inclusive and sustainable recreational fishing sector that encourages participation across all communities.

“This peak body will work closely with the NSW Government to effectively represent the interests of for all NSW recreational fishers.

“The recreational fishing industry is vital to the NSW economy and one the NSW Government is committed to supporting in a cohesive, productive and positive way.”

Peak Body Working Group member, Karl Mathers said:

“The model for this peak body has been designed to ensure an inclusive and collaborative organisation to help advance the priorities and needs of NSW’s recreational fishers.

“Your feedback is important to ensure the final model reflects the needs and perspectives of recreational fishers from all corners of the state.”

Notice of 1080 Poison Baiting

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will be conducting a baiting program using manufactured baits, fresh baits and Canid Pest Ejectors (CPE’s/ejectors) containing 1080 poison (sodium fluoroacetate) for the control of foxes. The program is continuous and ongoing for the protection of threatened species.

This notification is for the period 1 August 2025 to 31 January 2026 at the following locations:

  • Garigal National Park
  • Lane Cove National Park (baits only, no ejectors are used in Lane Cove National Park)
  • Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
  • Sydney Harbour National Park – North Head (including the Quarantine Station), Dobroyd Head, Chowder Head & Bradleys Head managed by the NPWS
  • The North Head Sanctuary managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
  • The Australian Institute of Police Management, North Head

DO NOT TOUCH BAITS OR EJECTORS

All baiting locations will be identifiable by signs.

Please be reminded that domestic pets are not permitted on NPWS Estate. Pets and working dogs may be affected (1080 is lethal to cats and dogs). Pets and working dogs must be restrained or muzzled in the vicinity and must not enter the baiting location. Penalties apply for non-compliance.

In the event of accidental poisoning seek immediate veterinary assistance.

For further information please call the local NPWS office on:

NPWS Sydney North (Middle Head) Area office: 9960 6266

NPWS Sydney North (Forestville) Area office: 9451 3479

NPWS North West Sydney (Lane Cove NP) Area office: 8448 0400

NPWS after-hours Duty officer service: 1300 056 294

Sydney Harbour Federation Trust: 8969 2128

Weed of the Week: Mother of Millions - please get it out of your garden

  

Mother of Millions (Bryophyllum daigremontianumPhoto by John Hosking.

Solar for apartment residents: Funding

Owners corporations can apply now for funding to install shared solar systems on your apartment building. The grants will cover 50% of the cost, which will add value to homes and help residents save on their electricity bills.

You can apply for the Solar for apartment residents grant to fund 50% of the cost of a shared solar photovoltaic (PV) system on eligible apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings in NSW. This will help residents, including renters, to reduce their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

Less than 2% of apartment buildings in NSW currently have solar systems installed. As energy costs climb and the number of people living in apartments continue to increase, innovative solutions are needed to allow apartment owners and renters to benefit from solar energy.

A total of $25 million in grant funding is available, with up to $150,000 per project.

Financial support for this grant is from the Australian Government and the NSW Government.

Applications are open now and will close 5 pm 1 December 2025 or earlier if the funds are fully allocated.

Find out more and apply now at: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-grants-and-schemes/solar-apartment-residents 

Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed

Details:

Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Recycling Batteries: at Mona Vale + Avalon Beach

Over 18,600 tonnes of batteries are discarded to landfill in Australia each year, even though 95% of a battery can be recycled!

That’s why we are rolling out battery recycling units across our stores! Our battery recycling units accept household, button cell, laptop, and power tool batteries as well as mobile phones! 

How To Dispose Of Your Batteries Safely: 

  1. Collect Your Used Batteries: Gather all used batteries from your home. Our battery recycling units accept batteries from a wide range of products such as household, button cell, laptop, and power tool batteries.
  2. Tape Your Terminals: Tape the terminals of used batteries with clear sticky tape.
  3. Drop Them Off: Come and visit your nearest participating store to recycle your batteries for free (at Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Mona Vale and Avalon Beach).
  4. Feel Good About Your Impact: By recycling your batteries, you're helping support a healthier planet by keeping hazardous material out of landfills and conserving resources.

Environmental Benefits

  • Reduces hazardous waste in landfill
  • Conserves natural resources by promoting the use of recycled materials
  • Keep toxic materials out of waterways 

Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council

If the attack happened outside local council hours, you may call your local police station. Police officers are also authorised officers under the Companion Animals Act 1998. Authorised officers have a wide range of powers to deal with owners of attacking dogs, including seizing dogs that have attacked.

You can report dog attacks, along with dogs offleash where they should not be, to the NBC anonymously and via your own name, to get a response, at: https://help.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/s/submit-request?topic=Pets_Animals

If the matter is urgent or dangerous call Council on 1300 434 434 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

If you find injured wildlife please contact:
  • Sydney Wildlife Rescue (24/7): 9413 4300 
  • WIRES: 1300 094 737

Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs

The Berry Collective at 1691 Pittwater Rd, Mona Vale collects them for Oz Bread Tags for Wheelchairs, who recycle the plastic.

Berry Collective is the practice on the left side of the road as you head north, a few blocks before Mona Vale shops . They have parking. Enter the foyer and there's a small bin on a table where you drop your bread ties - very easy.

A full list of Aussie bread tags for wheelchairs is available at: HERE 


Stay Safe From Mosquitoes 

NSW Health is reminding people to protect themselves from mosquitoes when they are out and about.

NSW Health states Mosquitoes in NSW can carry viruses such as Japanese encephalitis (JE), Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE), Kunjin, Ross River and Barmah Forest. The viruses may cause serious diseases with symptoms ranging from tiredness, rash, headache and sore and swollen joints to rare but severe symptoms of seizures and loss of consciousness.

A free vaccine to protect against JE infection is available to those at highest risk in NSW and people can check their eligibility at NSW Health.

People are encouraged to take actions to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of acquiring a mosquito-borne virus by:
  • Applying repellent to exposed skin. Use repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Check the label for reapplication times.
  • Re-applying repellent regularly, particularly after swimming. Be sure to apply sunscreen first and then apply repellent.
  • Wearing light, loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts, long pants and covered footwear and socks.
  • Avoiding going outdoors during peak mosquito times, especially at dawn and dusk.
  • Using insecticide sprays, vapour dispensing units and mosquito coils to repel mosquitoes (mosquito coils should only be used outdoors in well-ventilated areas)
  • Covering windows and doors with insect screens and checking there are no gaps.
  • Removing items that may collect water such as old tyres and empty pots from around your home to reduce the places where mosquitoes can breed.
  • Using repellents that are safe for children. Most skin repellents are safe for use on children aged three months and older. Always check the label for instructions. Protecting infants aged less than three months by using an infant carrier draped with mosquito netting, secured along the edges.
  • While camping, use a tent that has fly screens to prevent mosquitoes entering or sleep under a mosquito net.
Remember, Spray Up – Cover Up – Screen Up to protect from mosquito bite. For more information go to NSW Health.

Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey

This survey aims to document mountain bike related incidents on public land, available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K88PSNP

Sent in by Pittwater resident Academic for future report- study. 

Report fox sightings

Fox sightings, signs of fox activity, den locations and attacks on native or domestic animals can be reported into FoxScan. FoxScan is a free resource for residents, community groups, local Councils, and other land managers to record and report fox sightings and control activities. 

Our Council's Invasive species Team receives an alert when an entry is made into FoxScan.  The information in FoxScan will assist with planning fox control activities and to notify the community when and where foxes are active.



marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast

A new wildlife group was launched on the Central Coast on Saturday, December 10, 2022.

Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast (MWRCC) had its official launch at The Entrance Boat Shed at 10am.

The group comprises current and former members of ASTR, ORRCA, Sea Shepherd, Greenpeace, WIRES and Wildlife ARC, as well as vets, academics, and people from all walks of life.

Well known marine wildlife advocate and activist Cathy Gilmore is spearheading the organisation.

“We believe that it is time the Central Coast looked after its own marine wildlife, and not be under the control or directed by groups that aren’t based locally,” Gilmore said.

“We have the local knowledge and are set up to respond and help injured animals more quickly.

“This also means that donations and money fundraised will go directly into helping our local marine creatures, and not get tied up elsewhere in the state.”

The organisation plans to have rehabilitation facilities and rescue kits placed in strategic locations around the region.

MWRCC will also be in touch with Indigenous groups to learn the traditional importance of the local marine environment and its inhabitants.

“We want to work with these groups and share knowledge between us,” Gilmore said.

“This is an opportunity to help save and protect our local marine wildlife, so if you have passion and commitment, then you are more than welcome to join us.”

Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast has a Facebook page where you may contact members. Visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076317431064


Watch out - shorebirds about

Pittwater is home to many resident and annually visiting birds. If you watch your step you won't harm any beach-nesting and estuary-nesting birds have started setting up home on our shores.

Did you know that Careel Bay and other spots throughout our area are part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP)?

This flyway, and all of the stopping points along its way, are vital to ensure the survival of these Spring and Summer visitors. This is where they rest and feed on their journeys.  For example, did you know that the bar-tailed godwit flies for 239 hours for 8,108 miles from Alaska to Australia?

Not only that, Shorebirds such as endangered oystercatchers and little terns lay their eggs in shallow scraped-out nests in the sand, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Threatened Species officer Ms Katherine Howard has said.
Even our regular residents such as seagulls are currently nesting to bear young.

What can you do to help them?
Known nest sites may be indicated by fencing or signs. The whole community can help protect shorebirds by keeping out of nesting areas marked by signs or fences and only taking your dog to designated dog offleash area. 

Just remember WE are visitors to these areas. These birds LIVE there. This is their home.

Four simple steps to help keep beach-nesting birds safe:
1. Look out for bird nesting signs or fenced-off nesting areas on the beach, stay well clear of these areas and give the parent birds plenty of space.
2. Walk your dogs in designated dog-friendly areas only and always keep them on a leash over summer.
3. Stay out of nesting areas and follow all local rules.
4. Chicks are mobile and don't necessarily stay within fenced nesting areas. When you're near a nesting area, stick to the wet sand to avoid accidentally stepping on a chick.


Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing

Possums in your roof? Please do the right thing 
On the weekend, one of our volunteers noticed a driver pull up, get out of their vehicle, open the boot, remove a trap and attempt to dump a possum on a bush track. Fortunately, our member intervened and saved the beautiful female brushtail and the baby in her pouch from certain death. 

It is illegal to relocate a trapped possum more than 150 metres from the point of capture and substantial penalties apply.  Urbanised possums are highly territorial and do not fare well in unfamiliar bushland. In fact, they may starve to death or be taken by predators.

While Sydney Wildlife Rescue does not provide a service to remove possums from your roof, we do offer this advice:

✅ Call us on (02) 9413 4300 and we will refer you to a reliable and trusted licenced contractor in the Sydney metropolitan area. For a small fee they will remove the possum, seal the entry to your roof and provide a suitable home for the possum - a box for a brushtail or drey for a ringtail.
✅ Do-it-yourself by following this advice from the Department of Planning and Environment: 

❌ Do not under any circumstances relocate a possum more than 150 metres from the capture site.
Thank you for caring and doing the right thing.



Sydney Wildlife photos

Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed

Pittwater Online News has interviewed Lynette Millett OAM (WIRES Northern Beaches Branch) needs more bird cages of all sizes for keeping the current huge amount of baby wildlife in care safe or 'homed' while they are healed/allowed to grow bigger to the point where they may be released back into their own home. 

If you have an aviary or large bird cage you are getting rid of or don't need anymore, please email via the link provided above. There is also a pressing need for release sites for brushtail possums - a species that is very territorial and where release into a site already lived in by one possum can result in serious problems and injury. 

If you have a decent backyard and can help out, Lyn and husband Dave can supply you with a simple drey for a nest and food for their first weeks of adjustment.

Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when

For further information or to confirm the meeting details for below groups, please contact Council's Bushcare Officer on 9970 1367 or visit Council's bushcare webpage to find out how you can get involved.

BUSHCARE SCHEDULES 
Where we work                      Which day                              What time 

Avalon     
Angophora Reserve             3rd Sunday                         8:30 - 11:30am 
Avalon Dunes                        1st Sunday                         8:30 - 11:30am 
Avalon Golf Course              2nd Wednesday                 3 - 5:30pm 
Careel Creek                         4th Saturday                      8:30 - 11:30am 
Toongari Reserve                 3rd Saturday                      9 - 12noon (8 - 11am in summer) 
Bangalley Headland            2nd Sunday                         9 to 12noon 
Catalpa Reserve              4th Sunday of the month        8.30 – 11.30
Palmgrove Park              1st Saturday of the month        9.00 – 12 

Bayview     
Winnererremy Bay                 4th Sunday                        9 to 12noon 

Bilgola     
North Bilgola Beach              3rd Monday                        9 - 12noon 
Algona Reserve                     1st Saturday                       9 - 12noon 
Plateau Park                          1st Friday                            8:30 - 11:30am 

Church Point     
Browns Bay Reserve             1st Tuesday                        9 - 12noon 
McCarrs Creek Reserve       Contact Bushcare Officer     To be confirmed 

Clareville     
Old Wharf Reserve                 3rd Saturday                      8 - 11am 

Elanora     
Kundibah Reserve                   4th Sunday                       8:30 - 11:30am 

Mona Vale     
Mona Vale Beach Basin          1st Saturday                    8 - 11am 
Mona Vale Dunes                     2nd Saturday +3rd Thursday     8:30 - 11:30am 

Newport     
Bungan Beach                          4th Sunday                      9 - 12noon 
Crescent Reserve                    3rd Sunday                      9 - 12noon 
North Newport Beach              4th Saturday                    8:30 - 11:30am 
Porter Reserve                          2nd Saturday                  8 - 11am 

North Narrabeen     
Irrawong Reserve                     2nd Saturday                   2 - 5pm 

Palm Beach     
North Palm Beach Dunes      3rd Saturday                    9 - 12noon 

Scotland Island     
Catherine Park                          2nd Sunday                     10 - 12:30pm 
Elizabeth Park                           1st Saturday                      9 - 12noon 
Pathilda Reserve                      3rd Saturday                      9 - 12noon 

Warriewood     
Warriewood Wetlands             1st Sunday                         8:30 - 11:30am 

Whale Beach     
Norma Park                               1st Friday                            9 - 12noon 

Western Foreshores     
Coopers Point, Elvina Bay      2nd Sunday                        10 - 1pm 
Rocky Point, Elvina Bay           1st Monday                          9 - 12noon

Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities

Bush Regeneration - Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment  
This is a wonderful way to become connected to nature and contribute to the health of the environment.  Over the weeks and months you can see positive changes as you give native species a better chance to thrive.  Wildlife appreciate the improvement in their habitat.

Belrose area - Thursday mornings 
Belrose area - Weekend mornings by arrangement
Contact: Phone or text Conny Harris on 0432 643 295

Wheeler Creek - Wednesday mornings 9-11am
Contact: Phone or text Judith Bennett on 0402 974 105
Or email: Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment : email@narrabeenlagoon.org.au

Gardens and Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater

Ringtail Posses 2023

Sydney once produced its own food – but urban development has devoured the city’s food bowl

A 1970s photo of farmland in Glenorie, around 45 km from the Sydney CBD. Spatial Services NSWCC BY-NC-ND
Joshua ZeunertUNSW Sydney and Alys DaroyMurdoch University

For much of Sydney’s history, the city supported its population with crops, orchards, dairies, abattoirs, oyster beds, wineries and market gardens scattered across the basin.

In 1951, New South Wales’ soon-to-be premier Joseph Cahill saw the development pressures building on the city’s food bowl. In parliament, he promised Sydney’s rural areas would be preserved “for vital food production […] soil conservation, irrigation, afforestation”.

Cahill’s promise was in vain. Farms continued to be paved over or turned into housing as the suburban expansion gathered pace. Smaller urban farms disappeared in the face of pressures from developers and larger rural producers. Urban development has now severely weakened Sydney’s local food economy.

Sydney still has room to grow food, which would boost resilience in the face of climate threats and extreme weather. But the city has long been geared towards converting farmland into houses, shops or industries. Today, the city’s five million residents rely almost entirely on food transported into the city’s topographic basin.

We have unearthed the diversity of what was lost in our new book, Sydney’s Food Landscapes and in our Google Maps database of the city’s former wealth of food production sites.

The black dots on this map of Sydney represent lost sites of agricultural production between 1788 and 2021. Joshua Zeunert and Josh GowersCC BY-NC-ND

Botany: Sydney’s backyard vegetable garden

In 1770, the naturalist Joseph Banks recorded the botanical abundance of Kamay (Botany Bay). He later convinced the British House of Commons this would quickly lead to a self-sustaining colony. Following reconnaissance, Governor Arthur Phillip moved the settlement north to Port Jackson, but European crops didn’t grow well in the sandstone soils.

The colony almost collapsed in the “hungry years” of 1788–92. Soil fertility is usually blamed for this, but we argue poor agricultural planning and social factors were also central causes.

In the mid-19th century, Botany became a prolific food district. Chinese market gardeners transformed sandy wetlands through highly productive cooperatives, ingenuity, irrigation and liberal application of night soil as fertiliser. At their peak, market gardeners supplied up to half the city’s vegetables, hawking vegetables such as cabbages and turnips door to door.

Prejudice and industrialisation intervened. In 1901, the Immigration Restriction Act came into effect – laws aimed at limiting Chinese migration. Market garden leases were withdrawn amid persistent racism.

By the 1970s, most had been displaced by factories, ports and airports, with a few gardens remaining today at Matraville, La Perouse, Arncliffe and Kyeemagh – fragile traces of an industry once vital to Sydney’s food security.

Botany was home to many food producers, such as the Davis Gelatine Factory on Spring Street (1937). Royal Australian Historical SocietyCC BY-NC-ND

Hawkesbury: Sydney’s engine room

From Botany, the story moved inland. Wheat and maize fields in Parramatta proved the colony’s first real agricultural success, but slash-and-burn practices soon exhausted soils. Farmers switched to citrus orchards, planting as widely as Pittwater.

Dyarubbin (the Hawkesbury River) was the true catalyst making the colony viable. In the 1790s, these rich floodplains became the “granary of the colony”. The Darug had cultivated the yam daisy, murnong, on these flats for millennia. The bloody dispossession known as the Sydney Wars lasted decades.

Convicts, ex-convict emancipists and opportunistic officials planted wheat, maize, fruit and vegetables. By 1810, Governor Lachlan Macquarie had proclaimed five farming towns to secure food supply.

Sadly, even Sydney’s most fertile soils for agriculture would succumb to suburbanisation after World War II. Large land parcels continue to be lost. Turf-growing, ornamental plants and cut flowers further typically prove more lucrative than food.

Orchards were once common across Parramatta. Pictured are Pye’s orchards in 1878. State Library of NSWCC BY-NC-ND

Lost landscapes

Botany and the Hawkesbury are only part of a kaleidoscopic legacy.

Histories range from the troubling use of child labour to produce 40,000 cabbages a year on Cockatoo Island, to local triumphs such as the Granny Smith apple and Narrabeen Plum varieties.

Six cows brought by the First Fleet escaped and made their way to rich grasslands. When rediscovered in what is now Camden, their numbers had multiplied. The rich “Cowpastures” catalysed a pastoral industry which would eventually dominate half the continent.

Dairies proliferated, with 517 registered in 1932. The gaols at Parramatta and Long Bay produced convict-grown crops. Liverpool became home to Australia’s first irrigation district in 1856, before giving way to industrial-scale poultry farming and billion-dollar empires.

Oyster leases producing what were praised as “the world’s finest oysters” dotted the Georges River. Warriewood’s “glass city” of greenhouses foreshadowed Spain’s plastic megafarms.

Vineyards expanded before the Phylloxera mite devastated much of the industry in 1888. One of the oldest wineries was paved over in 2015 for the construction of the Western Sydney International Airport. In the early 20th century, the St George region became Sydney’s “salad bowl”.

In the mid-twentieth century, agriculture was still Sydney’s most spatially dominant land use. Adapted from Denis Winston (1957) by Stephanie Stankiewicz and Joshua ZeunertCC BY-NC-ND

Could it have been different?

England gives its farmland greater protection through green belts, while Oregon in the United States relies on urban growth boundaries. Japan uses “productive green zones” to protect millions of farms ringing large cities and the European Union has policy settings to help small and medium producers near cities.

By contrast, Sydney has historically treated farming as a mere transition stage before urban development. Mid 20th century plans for a green belt collapsed under developer pressure, as agriculture was written out of official metropolitan plans.

Parramatta’s 19th century farms (top, 1804-5) have been replaced by buildings (2021). Both images are looking east from Government House Gates. George William Evans/Museums of History NSW (top)/Joshua Zeunert (bottom)CC BY-NC-ND

Eating the future

As development squeezed out local food production, more and more food had to be brought in. Sydney now relies on trucks, ships and planes importing food from farms hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. The energy required for transport is greater than the calorific energy in the food. The city’s food system is exposed to natural disasters, global supply shocks and climate volatility.

Over the last 70 years, Sydney has engulfed most of its local food producers. It wasn’t due to poor soils, floods or disappointing harvests. It was a deliberate choice to privilege capital gains above all else.

Newer suburbs such as Austral (pictured in 2022) are often built over agricultural land. Joshua ZeunertCC BY-NC-ND

It’s a slow process to re-centre a city around local food production. But it can be done, if planners and decision makers protect farms and food producers the same way they protect heritage buildings, parks and water catchments. Like clean water, food production has to be treated as vital civic infrastructure – not expendable land. Not all has been lost. Western Sydney still has available farmland.

Sydney may have eaten itself. But it need not starve. Its spectral metropolitan food landscapes offer both warning and inspiration for more resilient, equitable and sustainable futures.The Conversation

Joshua Zeunert, Scientia Associate Professor in Environmental Design, UNSW Sydney and Alys Daroy, Lecturer in English and Theatre, Murdoch University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Insurers have detailed data on your home’s flood risk. So, why don’t you?

Daniel MelserMonash UniversityAntonia SettleMonash University, and Francesca PerugiaCurtin University

Buying a house is one of the most high-stakes decisions many people will make in their lives. Yet many households are investing millions without an adequate understanding of a property’s exposure to growing climate risks.

In Australia, perhaps the starkest climate hazard is flood. Flooding ranks as one of the most financially damaging weather-related disasters, with costs rising sharply over the past five years.

So, how do you find out a given property’s flood risk? This information certainly exists. It is embedded in the insurance premiums we are charged.

But in Australia, unlike many comparable countries, this information is not readily available to all households. Changing that would help them make smarter, more informed decisions – and could benefit us all.

The growing threat of floods

Flooding is a growing problem for households across the nation, and forecast to grow as the climate changes. Yet, flood risk is not always easy to identify. It reflects the complex interplay of two key elements.

The first is topography, the layout of natural and built features on the land, such as hills, rivers, roads, and buildings. The second is hydrology, the way water sources including rainfall, rivers and groundwater are distributed and interact with the environment and human systems.

Efforts to create a unified flood risk map have been limited by fragmented data ownership, proprietary licensing and poor coordination.

Some detailed resources do exist. Queensland, for example, has developed a Property Level Flood Information Portal, currently available to 39 eligible local governments. It’s part of an opt-in program requiring councils to voluntarily participate.

Scaling this kind of initiative to a national level would require collaboration across hundreds of councils, each with varying priorities, resources and technical capacities.

Other public resources, such as the Australian Flood Risk Information Portal (AFRIP), provide metadata that can help identify where flood studies have been done, but do not offer consistent, property-level flood risk data.

Helpful insights, hidden

Australia does, however, have a National Flood Information Database (NFID). This estimates flood risk for approximately 14 million Australian homes and is used by insurers to assess and price flood risk.

It was constructed by the Insurance Council of Australia over many years, by integrating and harmonising much of the flood mapping undertaken by local and state governments in Australia.

Currently, this data is proprietary – meaning insurers who pay can access it to set premiums, but Australian households can’t due to commercial licensing and data ownership restrictions.

This sits awkwardly with the fact that much of National Flood Information Database is based on mapping and studies commissioned by local and state governments.

Lagging the world

Australia is an outlier among comparable countries in not having reliable public data on property-level flood risk. On this front, the Netherlands is widely considered to be the gold standard.

National flood maps are made accessible to households through a government website that allows households to view flood risk information tailored to individual addresses.

This includes information about possible flood depth, what to expect in a flood event and how to stay safe. Information is presented in plain language and with simple infographics.

Elsewhere around the world, the United States has long provided national flood maps in relation to its National Flood Insurance Program. There are also laws in many US states requiring flood risk disclosures when a property is sold.

One of the US’ largest real estate listing websites, Zillow, includes detailed information on an individual property’s exposure to the full range of climate hazards.

And in the United Kingdom, the government produces national maps of flood risk and makes them publicly available.

How we could benefit

In fighting climate change, we need to understand the flood risk to reduce exposure and vulnerability as much as possible.

One key federal government initiative is the Disaster Ready Fund. This supports a variety of programs, from investments in physical and social infrastructure to nature-based solutions and research.

While this holistic approach is important, a much more structured one is needed, especially around flood risk mitigation.

Providing Australians with greater transparency around a home’s flood risk would enable households to make more informed decisions about the properties they purchase or rent.

It would also limit insurance bill shock and better align households’ expectations with the reality of the climate risks they face.

Most importantly, it would provide a much-needed climate signal to property owners and may encourage many to undertake measures to reduce damage in the event of a flood.

More informed discussions

Having reliable and consistent publicly shared flood data information will also support community discussions on what is an acceptable level of risk and guide decisions on where and how to mitigate or relocate.

Making the data we already have on property-level flood risk available for general consumption is a no-brainer. But it is the thin end of the wedge. We also need better data to begin with.

In many areas, the current flood maps are outdated. This introduces additional uncertainty, which is priced into insurance premiums.

This problem calls on Australia to raise the bar, improving the quality and updating the frequency of flood mapping to better inform decisions and debate.

The taxpayer spending required to do this is hard to justify if this data remains locked up within the insurance industry – but it makes more sense if there are wider public benefits, such as for households.The Conversation

Daniel Melser, Senior Research Fellow, Monash UniversityAntonia Settle, Lecturer, Monash University, and Francesca Perugia, Senior Lecturer, School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Australia’s rivers play secret symphonies. Click to hear what this underwater world is telling us

Airam Dato-on/Pexels
Katie TurlingtonGriffith University

Scientists have long used sound to study wildlife. Bird calls, bat echolocation and whale songs, for example, have provided valuable insights for decades. But listening to entire ecosystems is a much newer frontier.

Listening to rivers is especially tricky. Beneath the water is a soundscape of clicks, pops and hums that most of us never hear. Many of these sounds are a mystery. What produces them – an insect? A fish? The water itself?

A new tool developed by my colleagues and I aims to help scientists decode what underwater river sounds really mean. We hope it will help monitor river health and tell the untold stories of these fascinating underwater places.

Sonic sleuthing

Rivers around the world face growing threats, including pollution, water extraction and climate change. So scientists are always looking for better ways to keep an eye on river health.

Sometimes river animals make sounds to attract a mate or ward off rivals. Other times the noise may simply be incidental, made when the animal moves or feeds.

These sounds can reveal a lot. Changes in the pattern or abundance of a sound can be a sign that a species is in decline or the ecosystem is under stress. They might reveal that a species we thought was silent actually makes sounds. Or we might discover a whole new species!

That’s why scientists use sound to monitor ecosystems. It essentially involves lowering waterproof microphones into the water and recording what’s picked up.

Recorders can run continuously, day and night, without disturbing wildlife. Unlike cameras, the recorders work in murky waters. And scientists can leave a recorder running and leave, allowing them to capture far more information with far less effort than traditional surveys.

Every recording is a time capsule. And as new technology develops, these sound files can be re-analysed, offering fresh insights into the state of our rivers.

But there’s a catch. Analysing the hours of recordings can be very time-consuming. Unlike for land-based recordings, no automatic tools have existed to help scientists identify or document what they’ve recorded underwater.

The best method available has been painfully old-fashioned: listening to recordings in real time. But a single recorder can capture tens of thousands of sounds each day. Manually analysing them can take a trained professional up to four times longer than the recording itself.

Our new, publicly available tool sought to address that problem.

Pebbles underwater in a stream
Every underwater river recording is a time capsule. Doğan Alpaslan Demir/Pexels

A smarter way to listen to rivers

Our tool uses R, a free program for analysing data. The author of this article wrote a code instructing the program to analyse sound from underwater recordings.

We then uploaded sound recordings from Warrill Creek in Southeast Queensland. The program scanned the recordings and pulled out each individual sound.

Using the frequency, loudness and duration of every sound, it compared them all — a mammoth task if done by hand. Finally, it grouped similar sounds together — for example, clicks with clicks or hums with hums — turning them into simple clusters of data.

This process allows researchers to study the sounds more easily. Instead of spending hours listening to a recording and trying to distinguish the clicks of waterbugs from the grunts of a fish, the tool sorts the sounds into groups so researchers can jump straight to analysing patterns in the data.

For example, they might analyse which sounds are present in which rivers, or how the sounds change over time or between regions.

In yet-to-be published research, we tested the tool on a further 22 streams and found it successfully processed the sound data into groupings.

Our study found the tool is accurate. It correctly identified almost 90% of distinct sounds – faster and with far less effort than manual listening.

Listen to life beneath the surface

Listen to this recording of waterbugs from the order Hempitera. You’ll hear a chorus of sharp clicks, like marbles rattling in a glass. The recording is filled with hundreds of near-identical calls — a task that would take hours to label by hand.

Waterbugs create a rhythmic chorus of sharp clicks. Katie Turlington660 KB (download)

After we uploaded the sound file, the tool grouped these repetitive calls automatically, saving huge amounts of listening time.

Below is an underwater recording of aquatic macroinvertebrates. The calls of these tiny river creatures, from the orders Hemiptera and Coleoptera, hum like cicadas. The sound is interspersed with the grunts of a fish (order Terapontidae), all set against the quiet backdrop of flowing water.

The tool can handle these layers, grouping sounds to show the community beneath the surface.

A grunting fish joins the chorus of aquatic invertebrates. Katie Turlington92.8 KB (download)

In this next clip, the sound of flowing water is prominent. This is one of the biggest challenges in listening to rivers. But our tool can separate out sounds masked by the constant background noise, so scientists can analyse them.

The steady rush of water over rocks. Katie Turlington322 KB (download)

Below, a chorus of clicking macroinvertebrates fills the recording, until a vehicle sound cuts across from above the water’s surface. It shows how easily human noise crosses the boundary between air and water.

A waterbug chorus competes with the rumble of a passing vehicle. Katie Turlington351 KB (download)

Helping protect our rivers

The tool allows underwater recordings to be processed at scale. It moves beyond hours of manual listening towards truly exploring what rivers are telling us.

It’s also flexible, able to handle data sets of any size, and adaptable to different ecosystems.

We hope the tool will help protect rivers and other water resources, such as oceans. It opens up new ways to monitor these environments and find strategies to protect them.

Scientists have only just begun exploring freshwater sound. By making this tool free, easy to use and publicly available, we hope more people can join in, ask questions and make discoveries of their own.The Conversation

Katie Turlington, PhD Candidate, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Environmental water flows to resume in Toorale National Park

September 1, 20256

The NSW Government today announced it has completed a robust review into the management of water at Toorale Station, allowing critical environmental water to resume flowing to the Western Floodplain in Toorale National Park.

A comprehensive evaluation of the station’s water licencing arrangements began in late 2024 to ensure all flows were being properly accounted for, the government stated in a media release.

''As a result of the review, we have made changes requiring all water diverted to the Western Floodplain at Toorale, via Boera Dam and its levee and regulating structures, to be debited against a corresponding water access licence.

This locks in certainty for all water users in the region, bringing Toorale into line with legislative requirements and providing more clarity and transparency around water management decisions with improved mandatory public reporting.

Thanks to this update, a Stop Work Order issued by the independent Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) on 6 August 2025 is no longer in effect.'' the government said

''The ongoing Toorale NRAR investigation is separate to the recently announced pause on some environmental water in NSW by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder which the NSW Government is working to address as quickly as possible.''

Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

“This is positive news for local communities and the environment. The NSW Government has worked quickly to resolve the Stop Work Order so we can get on with the job of delivering vital flows to the Western Floodplain which is home to hundreds of native plants and animals.

“We have delivered a comprehensive review to ensure all environmental water being diverted from Boera Dam at Toorale is properly accounted for, ensuring management decisions can be made with certainty.

“Getting water management right is a complex task and one we take very seriously which is why we want to continue getting the balance right and being open and transparent about the decisions we make.”

Politicians now talk of climate ‘pragmatism’ to delay action – new study

Steve WestlakeUniversity of Bath

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has described her plan to “maximise extraction” of the UK’s oil and gas from the North Sea as a “common sense” energy policy.

Politicians are using language like this increasingly often – calling themselves “pragmatic” on climate change and invoking “common sense”. It sounds reasonable, reassuring, and grownup – the opposite of “hysterical” campaigners or “unrealistic” targets.

But new research my colleagues and I conducted, calling on a decade of interviews with UK MPs, shows that political “pragmatism” is fast becoming a dangerous form of climate delay. By framing urgent action as “extreme” and steady-as-she-goes policies as “pragmatic”, leaders across the political spectrum are protecting the fossil-fuel status quo at the very moment scientists warn we need rapid, transformative change.

Badenoch’s latest intervention is a perfect example. She said “common sense” dictates that every drop of oil must be extracted from the North Sea, and that net zero by 2050 was a policy pushed by “bullies”. This came just a day after the UK Met Office declared summer 2025 as the hottest on record.

We found that members of parliament deploy the same language of pragmatism to defend fossil fuel companies and to insist to their constituents that nothing needs to change too fast. The paradox, of course, is that more urgent social and economic change is precisely what the world’s climate scientists say is necessary to avert climate breakdown.

In our recent interviews with politicians, MPs from across the political spectrum tended towards gradual change in order to maintain political and public support. One said:

First and foremost be pragmatic. Accept incremental change, because incremental change often accelerates, but you take people with you. If you didn’t take people with you, you’ll start getting resistance.

Another MP contrasted a pragmatic approach with the calls from some campaign groups for more rapid action:

There are campaigns that say we’ve got to be net zero by 2025, or 2030. [laughing incredulously] … do you realise what the consequences of that will be … you’d have a revolution in Britain if you tried to do that, in terms of destroying people’s quality of life.

Interestingly, despite rejecting more ambitious targets, later in the interview the same MP acknowledged that faster change was needed:

We need to do more, we could do more, we are, you know, I’m sure the government will do more. I’m certainly pushing it to do more. But fundamentally we’ve halved our emissions since 1990.

Here we see the nuance, and the danger, of the language of pragmatism. It allows politicians to hold two positions at once. They can acknowledge the need for rapid change, while promoting a “pragmatic” position against it.

The calls for pragmatism appeared to stem from MPs’ desire to present a reasoned and rational case for climate action that does not impinge on constituents’ lives. They also used pragmatism to distance themselves from arguments they portrayed as “extreme” or “shrill”.

The flawed assumption underlying these calls to pragmatism is that the public will not support ambitious, transformative climate policies. We concluded that whereas a few years ago MPs promoted climate policies “by stealth”, meaning they did it on the quiet, now they turn to ideas of pragmatism in an attempt to maintain a fragile political consensus in favour of net zero – a consensus that is already fracturing.

Top-down pragmatism

This turn to pragmatism can now be seen at the very top of British politics, threatening the UK’s steady ratcheting up of climate ambition to date.

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair recently wrote in the Blair Institute’s report on climate change: “People know that the current state of debate over climate change is riven with irrationality.”

Blair then asserted: “Any strategy based on either ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels in the short term or limiting consumption is a strategy doomed to fail.” This is despite the widespread consensus among scientists that both phasing out fossil fuels and reducing consumption of at least some products are essential.

The report goes on to say: “A realistic voice in the climate debate is required, neither ideological nor alarmist but pragmatic.” This language is intended to sound rational, reasonable and even scientific. The problem is that it can be used to justify actions that appear to ignore what the science is telling us.

Former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak warned against treating climate change as an “ideology” . Notably, Sunak referred to “pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic” climate action shortly after his government announced hundreds of new licences for oil and gas fields in the North Sea.

His message coincided with ongoing road-building programmes, plans for airport expansion, and insufficient action to insulate the UK’s housing stock, all of which could jeopardise the UK’s climate targets. Again we see the language of pragmatism working against the rapid societal changes that are necessary.

The pragmatic road ahead

In general, the MPs we spoke to were not using pragmatism in bad faith. Rather it was a way of navigating the complexities of climate politics where the huge changes demanded by climate mitigation are deemed too challenging to sell to constituents. But this political strategy is a very risky one and underestimates the public’s appetite for “strong and clear” climate leadership from government.

The current government is already struggling to reconcile net zero commitments with its economic growth agenda, which includes a new runway at Heathrow airport. Not only is prime minister Keir Starmer facing divisions within the ruling Labour party over net zero ambitions, he is also dealing with increasingly prominent net zero scepticism from the leaders of the Conservative and Reform parties.

The political language of “pragmatism” therefore risks spreading from Badenoch to Starmer, becoming a discourse of delay that promotes non-transformative solutions.


Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.The Conversation


Steve Westlake, Lecturer, Environmental Psychology, University of Bath

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

5 forecasts early climate models got right – the evidence is all around you

The island nation of Tuvalu is losing land to sea-level rise, and its farms and water supplies are under threat from salt water. Mario Tama/Getty Images
Nadir JeevanjeeNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Climate models are complex, just like the world they mirror. They simultaneously simulate the interacting, chaotic flow of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, and they run on the world’s largest supercomputers.

Critiques of climate science, such as the report written for the Department of Energy by a panel in 2025, often point to this complexity to argue that these models are too uncertain to help us understand present-day warming or tell us anything useful about the future.

But the history of climate science tells a different story.

The earliest climate models made specific forecasts about global warming decades before those forecasts could be proved or disproved. And when the observations came in, the models were right. The forecasts weren’t just predictions of global average warming – they also predicted geographical patterns of warming that we see today.

An older man smiles at the camera with an impish grin.
Syukuro Manabe was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2021. Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency/AFP

These early predictions starting in the 1960s emanated largely out of a single, somewhat obscure government laboratory outside Princeton, New Jersey: the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. And many of the discoveries bear the fingerprints of one particularly prescient and persistent climate modeler, Syukuro Manabe, who was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in physics for his work.

Manabe’s models, based in the physics of the atmosphere and ocean, forecast the world we now see while also drawing a blueprint for today’s climate models and their ability to simulate our large-scale climate. While models have limitations, it is this track record of success that gives us confidence in interpreting the changes we’re seeing now, as well as predicting changes to come.

Forecast No. 1: Global warming from CO2

Manabe’s first assignment in the 1960s at the U.S. Weather Bureau, in a lab that would become the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, was to accurately model the greenhouse effect – to show how greenhouse gases trap radiant heat in Earth’s atmosphere. Since the oceans would freeze over without the greenhouse effect, this was a key first step in building any kind of credible climate model.

To test his calculations, Manabe created a very simple climate model. It represented the global atmosphere as a single column of air and included key components of climate, such as incoming sunlight, convection from thunderstorms, and his greenhouse effect model.

Chart showing temperatures warming at ground level and in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide concentrations rises.
Results from Manabe’s 1967 single-column global warming simulations show that as carbon dioxide (CO2) increases, the surface and lower atmosphere warm, while the stratosphere cools. Syukuro Manabe and Richard Wetherald, 1967

Despite its simplicity, the model reproduced Earth’s overall climate quite well. Moreover, it showed that doubling carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere would cause the planet to warm by about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius).

This estimate of Earth’s climate sensitivity, published in 1967, has remained essentially unchanged in the many decades since and captures the overall magnitude of observed global warming. Right now the world is about halfway to doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the global temperature has warmed by about 2.2 F (1.2 C) – right in the ballpark of what Manabe predicted.

Other greenhouses gases such as methane, as well as the ocean’s delayed response to global warming, also affect temperature rise, but the overall conclusion is unchanged: Manabe got Earth’s climate sensitivity about right.

Forecast No. 2: Stratospheric cooling

The surface and lower atmosphere in Manabe’s single-column model warmed as carbon dioxide concentrations rose, but in what was a surprise at the time, the model’s stratosphere actually cooled.

Temperatures in this upper region of the atmosphere, between roughly 7.5 and 31 miles (12 and 50 km) in altitude, are governed by a delicate balance between the absorption of ultraviolet sunlight by ozone and release of radiant heat by carbon dioxide. Increase the carbon dioxide, and the atmosphere traps more radiant heat near the surface but actually releases more radiant heat from the stratosphere, causing it to cool.

Heat map shows cooling in the stratosphere. The stratosphere, starting at 10-15 kilometers above the surface and extending up to an altitude of 50 kilometers, has been cooling over the past 20 years at all latitudes while the atmosphere beneath it has warmed.
IPCC 6th Assessment Report

This cooling of the stratosphere has been detected over decades of satellite measurements and is a distinctive fingerprint of carbon dioxide-driven warming, as warming from other causes such as changes in sunlight or El Niño cycles do not yield stratospheric cooling.

Forecast No. 3: Arctic amplification

Manabe used his single-column model as the basis for a prototype quasi-global model, which simulated only a fraction of the globe. It also simulated only the upper 100 meters or so of the ocean and neglected the effects of ocean currents.

In 1975, Manabe published global warming simulations with this quasi-global model and again found stratospheric cooling. But he also made a new discovery – that the Arctic warms significantly more than the rest of the globe, by a factor of two to three times.

Map shows the Arctic warming much faster than the rest of the planet.
Map from IPCC 6th Assessment Report

This “Arctic amplification” turns out to be a robust feature of global warming, occurring in present-day observations and subsequent simulations. A warming Arctic furthermore means a decline in Arctic sea ice, which has become one of the most visible and dramatic indicators of a changing climate.

Forecast No. 4: Land-ocean contrast

In the early 1970s, Manabe was also working to couple his atmospheric model to a first-of-its-kind dynamical model of the full world ocean built by oceanographer Kirk Bryan.

Around 1990, Manabe and Bryan used this coupled atmosphere-ocean model to simulate global warming over realistic continental geography, including the effects of the full ocean circulation. This led to a slew of insights, including the observation that land generally warms more than ocean, by a factor of about 1.5.

As with Arctic amplification, this land-ocean contrast can be seen in observed warming. It can also be explained from basic scientific principles and is roughly analogous to the way a dry surface, such as pavement, warms more than a moist surface, such as soil, on a hot, sunny day.

The contrast has consequences for land-dwellers like ourselves, as every degree of global warming will be amplified over land.

Forecast No. 5: Delayed Southern Ocean warming

Perhaps the biggest surprise from Manabe’s models came from a region most of us rarely think about: the Southern Ocean.

This vast, remote body of water encircles Antarctica and has strong eastward winds whipping across it unimpeded, due to the absence of land masses in the southern midlatitudes. These winds continually draw up deep ocean waters to the surface.

An illustration shows how ocean upwelling works
Winds around Antarctica contribute to upwelling of cold deep water that keeps the Southern Ocean cool while also raising nutrients to the surface waters. NOAA

Manabe and colleagues found that the Southern Ocean warmed very slowly when atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increased because the surface waters were continually being replenished by these upwelling abyssal waters, which hadn’t yet warmed.

This delayed Southern Ocean warming is also visible in the temperature observations.

What does all this add up to?

Looking back on Manabe’s work more than half a century later, it’s clear that even early climate models captured the broad strokes of global warming.

Manabe’s models simulated these patterns decades before they were observed: Arctic Amplification was simulated in 1975 but only observed with confidence in 2009, while stratospheric cooling was simulated in 1967 but definitively observed only recently.

Climate models have their limitations, of course. For instance, they cannot predict regional climate change as well as people would like. But the fact that climate science, like any field, has significant unknowns should not blind us to what we do know.The Conversation

Nadir Jeevanjee, Research Physical Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

How to help trigger positive tipping points – and speed up climate action

The rapid transition from horse-drawn carts to cars is an example of a positive tipping point. K.E.V/Shutterstock
Tim LentonUniversity of Exeter

The collapse of a major system of ocean currents, the meltdown of major ice sheets or the dieback of the Amazon rainforest are all examples of negative climate tipping points. These are the big risks associated with a changing climate, where harmful change becomes self-propelling. Each could cause environmental disasters affecting hundreds of millions of people.

The prospect of such irreversible and massively damaging outcomes is looming ever closer, as we are set to exceed 1.5°C global warming. Every year and every 0.1°C above this threshold increases the risk of crossing negative climate tipping points. To avert them, climate action must accelerate spectacularly. We need to decarbonise the global economy five times faster than the current rate to have reasonable odds of limiting warming well below 2°C.

This sounds both frightening and daunting. We are facing existential risks and to avoid them requires extraordinary rates and scales of social and technological change. It is understandable to feel climate despair or doomism – particularly with the current spate of backsliding on climate commitments.

But there are credible grounds for conditional optimism. They lie in the evidence of positive tipping points – where changes to zero-emission behaviour and technologies become self-propelling. This is now the only plausible way we can accelerate out of trouble, because we have left it way too late for incremental change to rescue us.

Tipping points happen when amplifying feedback within a system gets strong enough to support self-propelling change. Like putting the proverbial microphone too close to the speaker. They can happen in a range of systems, and history shows us they have happened repeatedly in social systems. Think of political revolutions, abrupt shifts in social norms – like the abandonment of smoking in public, or the rapid transition from horse-drawn carriages to cars.

Happily, almost everything that contributes to human-induced greenhouse gas emissions could be positively tipped towards zero emissions. It can take a lot of work to bring a system to a tipping point, but some key sectors have already positively tipped, at least in some countries.

Norway has tipped from buying petrol and diesel cars to EVs in the space of a decade. The UK abruptly shut down coal burning. While gas temporarily replaced some of coal’s role in electricity generation, rapidly growing renewable power has now replaced coal burning and is starting to displace gas. Neither transition happened by chance. Tipping our societies to zero emissions requires deliberate, intentional action from us all.

In Norway, change was started by social activists in the late 1980s, including members of the pop band A-ha, pushing the government to adopt a package of policies to incentivise EVs. In the UK, tipping was triggered by a rising floor price on carbon in the power sector, a policy that can be traced to the Climate Change Act, which started life as a private member’s bill, in turn born out of decades of environmental activism.

The beauty of tipping points

In my new book, Positive tipping points: How to fix the climate crisis, I highlight how just a small change can make a big difference. A minority can ultimately tip the majority. That minority activates amplifying feedback loops that get stronger with the more people who join in the change. This means we can all play a part in triggering positive tipping points.

We all make decisions about what we consume. Just by adopting a lower emission technology or behaviour (like eating less meat) we encourage others to join us. This is because people imitate one another, and the more people who adopt something the more people they can influence to adopt it too – a phenomenon known as “social contagion”.

With technologies, there are extra amplifiers of “increasing returns”: the more of us who adopt a new technology, the better it will get (through learning by doing), the cheaper it will get (due to economies of scale), and the more other technologies will emerge that make it more useful. This is how solar PV panels, wind turbines and batteries that power EVs have got ever cheaper, better and more accessible.

Policy usually also plays a crucial role in stimulating positive tipping points. Mandates to phase in clean technologies and phase out fossil fuelled ones are particularly effective. But despite polling evidence that roughly 80% of people worldwide support more decisive action on the climate crisis, governments can dither or be captured by vested interests. Sometimes they need to see what we support.

This may inspire us to get involved with social activism, which has its own tipping points. Each person joining a protest movement makes it incrementally easier for the next person to join. This can reach a critical mass – as it did for Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion in 2019. Or if, like me, you are not so comfortable on the march, there are other forms of social activism, like divesting from fossil fuels, or bringing civil cases against companies causing the climate crisis and governments failing to adequately respond to it.

Together a fraction of us can trigger positive tipping points to avoid otherwise devastating negative climate tipping points.


This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.


Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.The Conversation

Tim Lenton, Director, Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Long-hidden methane leak in Darwin raises fresh doubts over Australia’s climate action

Melissa HaswellQueensland University of Technology

Environment groups have called for federal intervention following revelations an LNG export hub in Darwin has emitted large volumes of methane from an LNG storage tank since 2006.

The ABC on Monday revealed years of failures to address the leak. State and federal authorities reportedly approved Santos’ controversial 25-year Barossa offshore gas project without requiring the leak to be repaired or replaced.

The incident adds to serious doubts about whether Australia can meet its commitment to reduce emissions of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas.

The vital pledge will only be met if governments and industry prioritise climate action and human health over profits.

What happened in Darwin?

The Darwin case demonstrates dangers of relying on industry to assess and manage risks to the climate and human health.

The leak involved an enormous above-ground tank which contained highly processed methane derived from LNG (liquified natural gas).

According to the ABC, the leak was caused by a design flaw. The reports said the tank’s original owner, ConocoPhillips, discovered the leak in 2006 and reported it to the Northern Territory’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), describing the emissions as “minute”. The tank held gas for the next 18 years.

Two measurements using drone technology, in 2019 and 2020, reportedly indicated the leak was bigger than initially thought – up to 184 kilograms of methane was leaking per hour. This was not reported to the EPA until months later, according to the ABC.

Gas giant Santos now operates the tank, which is now reportedly empty. But it’s set to be filled again, as part of Santos’ Barossa gas project.

The ABC says state and federal regulators have not forced Santos to repair or replace the tank, adding:

They and the company say the leak is stable, and poses a moderate climate risk but no immediate threat to the public or the environment.

Santos told the ABC regulatory approvals and an ongoing monitoring program were in place, and the company reports its greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Methane: a major climate culprit

Methane is a dangerous greenhouse gas which drives about 30% of global warming. While it does not last in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide, its ability to trap heat is potent. In fact, methane is about 86 times more harmful than carbon dioxide (CO₂) in global warming terms, when measured over two decades.

Aside from the harms caused by escaped methane, the leak also represents an enormous waste of a substance produced at a very high cost to the climate. Natural gas extracted from the ground is transported to processing plants and liquified for export, by cooling it to about -160°C. This is an extremely energy-intensive process which itself is powered by natural gas and creates substantial greenhouse gas emissions.

Methane reduction is considered a crucial step towards averting a climate disaster. The International Energy Agency says methane abatement from oil and gas operations offers some of the world’s best opportunities to cut emissions – was also likely to give companies a commercial advantage.

In 2022, Australia signed the Global Methane Pledge, a non-binding commitment to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Australia’s energy producers also claim they are committed to reducing methane emissions in Australia.

The Darwin methane leak reveals a host of problems with gas regulation in Australia – including a lack of public transparency issues with the methods used to quantify leaks. These problems undermine industry and government pledges to reduce emissions.

people in a line holding signs
People protesting Santos’ Barossa Gas project win 2022. The project will soon fill the leaking tank in Darwin. Tamati Smith/Getty Images

A health time bomb

Bushfires and backburning already pollute the air around Darwin.

What’s more, the neighbouring Inpex LNG plant in Darwin has also consistently released huge amounts of highly toxic substances including hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

Methane adds to the problem. It reacts with other chemicals in the atmosphere to form a dangerous air pollutant known as “ground-level ozone”.

Research has found each year, ground-level ozone contributes to up to 1.4 million deaths globally, from respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Tropical areas immediately adjacent to cities, such as Darwin’s outer suburbs, are most at risk from such pollution.

Environment Centre NT has also expressed fears the leaking methane presents an explosion risk.

A challenge exposed

The problem of methane emissions is not confined to gas projects. For example, research earlier this year showed methane emissions from an open-cut coal mine in Queensland were up to eight times higher than reported annually by the operator.

And the problem is not confined to Darwin. Methane-emitting fossil fuel projects are proliferating across Australia. Recent approvals include expansion of Woodside’s Northwest Shelf gas project and numerous coal mines.

What’s more, Australia does a poor job of measuring and reporting methane emissions.

Australian governments and their agencies must get serious about acting on climate change. This includes efforts to rapidly curb methane emissions – while also dramatically cutting CO₂ emissions.

No industry in the world carries more power to secure the planet’s future than the fossil fuel operators. Together, industry and governments must stop fuelling our demise.The Conversation

Melissa Haswell, Professor of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Half a century ago, the Great Barrier Reef was to be drilled for oil. It was saved – for a time

Peter Harrison/Getty
Rohan LloydJames Cook University

At the end of the 1960s, there was every expectation the Great Barrier Reef would be drilled for oil.

The first gas well had been drilled in Victoria’s Bass Strait in 1965 and oil was discovered soon afterwards. Queensland wanted to follow suit. In 1967, the state’s entire coastline was opened to oil exploration.

In August that year, conservationists began fighting to save the reef. Public opinion strongly backed their campaign. Even so, victory was by no means certain.

But in 1975, a national marine park was declared over the Great Barrier Reef, banning oil, gas and mining.

The reef had been saved – for a time. Fifty years later, the Barrier Reef, like coral reefs across the globe, faces the far larger threat of climate change.

It can be easy to look back at history and think what happened was inevitable. But events could very easily have gone down a different path.

man taking measurements on a coastline.
The 19th century naturalist William Saville-Kent did pioneering research on the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef of Australia; its products and potentialities/William Saville Kent

How could an immense reef system be vulnerable?

In 1908, the author Edmund Banfield imagined a future where his tropical home, Dunk Island, and neighbouring islands would form part of a “great insular national park”. Ornithologists and nature writers such as Banfield successfully lobbied to protect many of the reef’s islands to save birds from hunters.

large flock of birds, hovering, black and white photo, historic, Great Barrier Reef island.
To protect the Barrier Reef’s seabirds from hunters, naturalists focused on their island homes. Pictured: large flocks of terns on Michaelmas Cay in the 1930s. North Queensland Photographic Collection, James Cook UniversityCC BY-NC-ND

Early in the 20th century, turtles were routinely butchered and their meat canned and sent abroad. By the 1950s, public outcry over their treatment and falling numbers prompted governments to severely limit their exploitation.

In 1956, park rangers a national park across the Whitsunday Islands or an even larger area to protect reefs from tourists. Reef-walking and coral-collecting were popular, but rangers and conservationists feared the reef might be loved to death. Authorities restricted shell and coral collecting, but the national park idea went nowhere.

historic coral walking tour on Great Barrier Reef
As tourist numbers grew, island rangers and scientists became concerned about the damage done to coral and shells. Pictured: a brochure for a reef walking tour. North Queensland Photographic Collection, James Cook UniversityCC BY-NC-ND

Naturalists and scientists had long known the Great Barrier Reef faced natural threats. In 1925, the naturalist E. H. Rainford observed a “scene of the utmost desolation” after floodwaters covered Whitsunday reefs with silt:

the corals dead, broken to pieces and blackened by decay; the clam shells gaping wide and empty […] a scene with hardly any life in it.

For many, a corals capacity to survive in such conditions was part of their beauty. But in 1960, a new threat emerged – the first recorded crown-of-thorns outbreak. These large coral-eating starfish devastated popular tourist reefs near Cairns.

It shocked people into seeing the entire reef as vulnerable. The future director of the National Museum of Australia, Don McMichael, called for “serious thinking” about the reef’s future.

man examining crown of thorns starfish on desk.
The first documented crown of thorns outbreak drove concern about the fate of the reef. National Archives of AustraliaCC BY-NC-ND

A reef in need of saving

In 1967, cane growers in Cairns applied to mine lime from Ellison Reef off Mission Beach.

Outraged, the local artist John Busst began organising to stop it. His determination would earn him the sobriquet of the “Bingil Bay Bastard”. Poet-turned-environmentalist Judith Wright, forester Len Webb, and the Queensland Littoral Society soon joined.

Their Save the Reef campaign succeeded in stopping the lime mining – only to find oil and gas drilling posed a new threat.

Their expanded campaign caught the Queensland government flat-footed.

A 1968 noted the government was “not well informed” over how much damage the reef could tolerate and had failed to “silence or satisfy the vociferous objections of absolute conservationists”.

Later in 1968, Joh Bjelke-Petersen became the new Queensland premier – a title he would hold for nearly 20 years. Neither he or his deputy, mining minister Ron Camm, had any sympathy for those campaigning to Save the Reef. In fact, Bjelke-Petersen had shares in mining companies with leases over the reef.

What’s more, some reef scientists from the Great Barrier Reef Committee, an influential research group, endorsed the idea of “controlled exploitation” of the reef – including mineral and petroleum resources. This position ruptured relationships between conservationists and scientists.

map showing oil and gas concessions in the Great Barrier Reef in 1970.
Oil and gas companies were poised to conduct test drilling in several parts of the Great Barrier Reef. This map was submitted as part of Exhibit 80 to the Royal Commission. National Library of AustraliaCC BY-NC-ND

Meanwhile, the federal government was under increasing pressure from conservationists and the public to stop oil and gas drilling.

It wasn’t clear, though, which tier of government had sovereignty over the reef and its resources. Conservationists believed the federal government had exclusive rights under a United Nations convention on territorial waters. But the Liberal Prime Minister, John Gorton, was unwilling to test the notion.

As the first major reef drilling operations loomed in January 1970, Queensland’s trade union council announced a “black ban” on any ships or rigs used for reef oil exploration. The two companies affected, Ampol and Japex, stopped preparations and called for an inquiry.

man with drilling equipment on boat with coral core drilled from reef.
In the 1920s, scientists drilled coral cores (pictured) from Michaelmas Cay, off Cairns, to learn more about the reef. Between 1959 and 1967 three wells were dug along the reef in search of oil. Charles Hedley/Great Barrier Reef Committee Report, Volume II, 1928

Buoyed by public support and positive media coverage, the Gorton government persuaded Queensland to stop all reef drilling pending a joint royal commission.

man holding on tied-up turtle, historic image showing turtle use for meat.
Turtles were long seen as easy sources of meat. They were slaughtered and their meat canned. In the 1950s, their numbers dwindled and public backlash stopped the trade. North Queensland Photographic Collection, James Cook UniversityCC BY-NC-ND

A state park – or national?

In May 1970, the royal commission began its marathon hearings into petroleum drilling on the reef. Prominent figures such as the first Reserve Bank governor H. C. “Nugget” Coombs gave statements, alongside scientists, mining experts and conservationists.

Coombs told commission members they were “making a judgement […] on behalf of the community as a whole”, while marine biologist Patricia Mather, the secretary of the Great Barrier Reef Committee (now the Australian Coral Reef Society), drafted and tabled legislation for a possible Barrier Reef Act.

It would take four years for the Royal Commission to deliver its report.

During this time, Australia elected its first Labor government in 23 years. The new Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, had big changes planned.

In 1973, the Whitlam government introduced laws asserting Commonwealth control over Australia’s “submerged lands”. It would mean Canberra controlled the Great Barrier Reef’s oil reserves. Queensland and the other five state governments promptly took the matter to the High Court.

In the meantime, the federal government began drafting reef protection laws – based on the submission by marine biologist Patricia Mather.

The Royal Commission handed down its report on oil drilling on 1 November 1974. Of the three members, two accepted some drilling could occur. But the chair, Gordon Wallace, recommended against any oil drilling at all.

Armed with the chair’s recommendation, Whitlam reached out to Bjelke-Petersen to seek Queensland’s cooperation to protect the reef. But the premier was focused on creating a series of state marine parks which would couple oil, gas and mineral mining with stronger protections.

In a , Bjelke-Petersen described the prime minister’s actions as “impulsive” and asked him to wait for the High Court decision. He stated his government did not wish to be associated with unconstitutional matters and expected Whitlam would “take a similar responsible attitude”.

Whitlam pressed on. In November 1974, he told The Australian Queensland was being run by “environmental vandals”. The laws were to:

protect an irreplaceable part of Australia’s natural heritage.

Prime Minister Whitlam announced oil drilling would be banned on the reef before the High Court ruled in favour of the Federal Government. This clipping is from November 26 1974. The Australian

In May 1975, the Whitlam government introduced the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Bill to parliament, where it became law. No mining or oil and gas drilling would be permitted.

On November 11, 1975, the Whitlam government was dismissed. The next month, Malcolm Fraser’s Liberal Party was elected. Not long after that, the High Court ruled in favour of federal control of submerged lands.

In the “spirit of cooperation”, Bjelke-Petersen reached out to the new prime minister to gauge his thinking on the reef.

Fraser told him the federal government would push on with its marine park laws – and that there would be no oil and gas extraction or mining in the marine park.

Hard-won protection – for a time

It’s hard not to be impressed by the scale of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: 344,000 square kilometres – larger than Victoria – 3,000 coral reefs and more than 1,000 islands. But it is the scale of life which enraptures. Above and below the churning ocean and in the blistering sun, it hums with absolute splendour and wonder.

Unfortunately, “saving” the reef doesn’t just have to be done once. All coral reefs face human threats: fishing, coastal development and declining water quality. But these pale compared to the big one – climate change. As intense marine heatwaves multiply, coral bleaches over large areas and can die.

In the 1960s, conservationists fought hard to stop oil and gas on the reef. Their campaign eventually succeeded. But the reef couldn’t escape the damage done by the oil and gas extracted and burned everywhere else. Saving the reef is going to be even harder this time round.


This account draws on the author’s book, Saving the Reef – The human story behind one of Australia’s greatest environmental treasures.The Conversation

Rohan Lloyd, Lecturer in Science and Society, James Cook University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

80 years since the end of World War II, a dangerous legacy lingers in the Pacific

Aerial view of Enewetak Atoll showing nuclear test craters. Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021
Stacey PizzinoThe University of Queensland and Bryan G. FryThe University of Queensland

On September 2, 1945, the second world war ended when Japan officially surrendered. Today, on the 80th anniversary, the physical legacy of the conflict remains etched into land and sea.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Pacific. There, fierce battles left behind sunken warships, aircraft and unexploded bombs. These remnants are not only historical artefacts but toxic time capsules.

They leak fuel, heavy metals and other hazardous substances into fragile ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and, potentially, human health.

This problem is a reminder of the enduring environmental harms of conflict. Toxic remnants of war can damage ecosystems and communities long after the fighting stops.

The Pacific as a dumping ground

World War II in the Pacific involved four years of conflict between Japan and Allied forces. The war began in the region in December 1941 when Japan attacked a United States naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

The Pacific conflict included the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway and the Guadalcanal campaign in the Solomon Islands.

Pacific islands became staging grounds for battles. Weapons were stockpiled and hazardous material discarded. Ships and aircraft were sunk. When the war ended, much of this material was simply left behind.

Among the remains are an estimated 3,800 wrecks still lying on the Pacific Ocean floor.

An environmental hazard

As remnants of war degrade, they often leach toxic pollutants into nearby waters and soils. These can build up in marine life, enter the food chain and pose serious risks to both biodiversity.

At Palau, a WWII Japanese ship sank in Koror Harbour and became known as the Helmet Wreck. It contains Japanese depth charges leaking acid into surrounding waters.

Researchers have shown the long-term environmental impacts in the Baltic Sea of unexploded WWII ordnance – bombs, shells and grenades that failed to detonate. An estimated 3000kg of dissolved ammunition chemicals have been found.

Coral reefs and mangroves, which are vital for coastal protection, are especially vulnerable to both chemical exposure and physical damage.

For example, researchers examined the effects off Puerto Rico of unexploded ordnance. They found nearby sea animals contained potentially toxic compounds leaking from the ordnance, which meant the substances had entered the food web.

Human communities on high alert

Unexploded ordnance continues to endanger communities. Just last year, for example, more than 200 bombs were found buried beneath a school in the Solomon Islands.

In places such as PalauPapua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, these dangers are unearthed regularly. They can be found by farmers working their land, children playing or fisherman working.

Buried bombs, sunken ships and downed aircraft often contain fuel and heavy metals. This includes lead and cadmium which can interfere with the body’s hormone system and cause serious health issues.

Research into the human health impacts of war remains is limited – especially in the Pacific. But existing studies suggest exposure is linked to serious consequences.

For example, parental exposure to wartime contaminants has been linked to birth defects in Gaza and Vietnam.

And a study of Britsh Army ammunition technicians released earlier this year found significantly higher rates of bladder cancer than the general population. This suggests occupational exposure to explosive compounds may pose long-term health risks.

Climate change is increasing the risk

As Earth’s climate warms, extreme weather events are worsening and seas are rising. This is exacerbating the dangers posed by wartime remnants.

For example Cyclone Pam, in March 2015, exposed unexploded WWII ordnance in Kiribati and Tuvalu. Further investigations revealed remnants including high explosive projectiles, mortars and 5,300 rounds of ammunition.

In 2020, a visiting fisherman found an unexploded bomb near Lord Howe Island. Then-Environment Minister Sussan Ley suggested the device may have been shifted by a cyclone or ocean currents.

Similarly, floods and landslides can move these hazards over significant distances, increasing uncertainty around their locations and complicating clearance efforts.

Rising sea levels are threatening to breach one of the Pacific’s most toxic legacies – the Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands. This concrete structure was built in the late 1970s to contain radioactive waste from US nuclear testing decades earlier.

Research shows extreme storms could increase radioactive sediments in the area to up to 84 times higher than normal. There are also concerns cracks in the dome’s surface could lead to contamination of surrounding waters.

Five people in yellow protective clothing stand near the water.
In this 1978 photo from Runit Island, military personnel in protective clothing watch as concrete and soil is used to cover up a crater left by the US after it conducted nuclear tests decades earlier. Department of Defense/US Army/FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Reflecting on war’s toxic legacy

Despite the risks to people and health in the Pacific, remediation has been slow. The 80th anniversary of WWII offers an opportunity to reflect on the toxic legacy of war – and to act.

The scale of the problem demands coordinated, well-funded action. The work should not just remove dangerous materials, but restore damaged ecosystems and monitor long-term health impacts.

Some support has been offered. It includes Operation Render Safe, a program to remove war remnants led by the Australian Defence Force. But more is needed.

Regional partners – including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States – have a chance to lead. This means investing in environmental cleanup, supporting affected communities and acknowledging historical responsibility.

It also means listening to Pacific voices, who have long called for greater attention to the war’s toxic legacy. Their knowledge, resilience and lived experience must be central to any response.


The authors acknowledge Nixon Panda for his contribution to this article.The Conversation

Stacey Pizzino, Lecturer, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland and Bryan G. Fry, Professor of Toxicology, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Pacific’s united front on climate action is splintering over deep-sea mining

DrPixel/Getty
Kolaia RaiseleLa Trobe University and Aidan CraneyLa Trobe University

In recent years, Pacific island nations have earned global credibility as champions of climate action. Pacific leaders view sea level rise as an existential threat.

But this united front is now under strain as some Pacific nations pursue a controversial new industry – deep-sea mining. Nauru, the Cook Islands, Kiribati and Tonga have gone the furthest to make it a reality, attracted by new income streams. But nations such as Fiji, Palau and Vanuatu have called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters.

Public opinion across the Pacific is often divided, pitting possible economic gains against the potential risks of an industry whose environmental impact remain uncertain but potentially significant. As this tension intensifies, it may split the Pacific and risk the region’s moral authority on climate.

school children from vanuatu holding signs about climate change.
Vanuatu and other Pacific nations have offered a broadly united front on climate change. But deep-sea mining may risk this unity. Pictured: Vanuatuan schoolchildren holding signs about climate change. Hilaire Bule/Getty

What are the concerns over deep-sea mining?

Deep-sea mining targets three types of mineral deposits – polymetallic nodules strewn across deep underwater plains, cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts, and the ore deposits around hydrothermal vents.

To extract them, mining companies can use unmanned collectors to pump ore to the surface and return the wastewater. This creates plumes of sediment which can smother marine life. Methods of minimising damage to species from mining on land are largely unworkable at depth.

Deep-sea ecosystems are poorly understood, but we know they are slow to recover. Researchers have found areas mined as a test more than 40 years ago still show physical damage and immobile corals and sponges remain scarce.

a crab walking on polymetallic nodules, deep-sea mining.
Many species live on the seabeds, seamounts and hydrothermal vents which would be targeted for mining. Pictured: a crab crawling across a field of polymetallic nodules near Gosnold Seamount. NOAACC BY-NC-ND

Why is there so much interest in deep-sea mining?

Deep-sea mining hasn’t begun anywhere in earnest, because the International Seabed Authority has yet to finalise rules governing extraction. This authority oversees the 54% of the world’s oceans beyond territorial waters.

But plans for deep-sea mining operations can still be submitted and considered without these rules in place.

Analysts have estimated seabed minerals could be worth a staggering A$30 trillion. Some of the richest deposits lie in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in international waters between Hawaii and Mexico, thousands of kilometres away from Pacific nations. Under international law, companies cannot mine in international waters on their own. They need to be officially sponsored by a national government, which has to keep effective control over its operations.

One reason deep-sea mining companies see Pacific states as such useful partners is that these countries can access reserved areas of international seabed set aside for developing countries, as well as potential resources in the very large territorial waters around many island states.

Backers in NauruTonga, the Cook Islands and Kiribati argue rising demand for manganese, cobalt, copper and nickel could deliver significant economic returns and diversify economies.

Nauru

Nauru’s enormous deposits of guano – compressed seabird excrement long sought as fertiliser – once made the country wealthy. But the guano is largely gone and the small nation has limited other resources.

Nauru sponsors Nauru Ocean Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of seabed mining company The Metals Company. In 2011, the company received an International Seabed Authority contract permitting exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, more than 8,000km from Nauru.

Nauru has since “proudly taken a leading role” in developing international legal frameworks in mining nodules in the international seabed.

In June, Nauru signalled Nauru Ocean Resources would apply for an exploitation license.

Tonga

Tonga’s government is similarly backing deep-sea mining by partnering with The Metals Company to explore mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

In August 2025, Tonga signed an updated agreement with Tonga Offshore Mining, a subsidiary of The Metals Company. The agreement was originally signed in 2021 amid large-scale criticism over the lack of public consultation.

The mining company has promised new benefits, ranging from financial benefits, scholarships and community programs. Even so, the revised deal has encountered opposition from civil society, young people and legal experts. Prominent Tongans remain unconvinced, citing environmental, legal and transparency risks.

Economic pressure is part of the picture. Tonga owes an estimated A$180 million to China’s Exim Bank – roughly a quarter of its annual GDP.

Cook Islands

The 15 Cook Islands are widely scattered, giving the government exclusive rights to almost two million square kilometres of ocean. The government has issued exploration licences inside its Exclusive Economic Zone to three companies – Cook Islands ConsortiumCIIC Seabed Resources Limited, and Moana Minerals. The Cook Islands government has established a domestic regulatory framework and is building research capacity.

Kiribati

Kiribati’s atolls and island are even more dispersed. The nation’s exclusive economic zone covers about 3.4 million km². The state-owned Marawa Research and Exploration company holds a 15-year exploration contract with the seabed authority. Kiribati has opened talks with China to explore potential collaboration.

The Pacific split

While revenues could potentially be sizeable for the Pacific, costs, technologies and environmental liabilities are highly uncertain.

The experience of Papua New Guinea is a cautionary tale. In 2019, the PNG deep-sea mining venture Solwara-1 went into administration following intense community pushback. The fallout cost the government an estimated $184 million. The PNG government now opposes deep-sea mining in its territorial waters.

seabed mining vessels on land, large mining vehicles.
Nautilus Mineral’s Solwara-1 deep-sea mining project in Papua New Guinea wound up in 2019. Pictured: the company’s three seabed mining vehicles. Nautilus Minerals

While deep-sea mining now has clear backers, other nations are far more wary.

In 2022, Palau launched an alliance calling for a moratorium on mining in international waters. Early signatories included FijiAmerican Samoa and the Federated States of Micronesia. Since then, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands have joined, as well as dozens of other countries. PNG has not yet joined.

Opposition from these Pacific states is based on the precautionary principle, which favours caution when knowledge is limited and damage is possible.

Pacific youth are among the most prominent opponents of deep-sea mining. The regional Pacific Blue Line coalition uniting civil society, faith groups, women’s organisations and youth networks has consistently called for a complete ban in the region. Young people have spoke out publicly in nations such as Tonga, where youth advocates criticised limited consultation and rallied against the plans, as well as the Cook Islands, where young people have demanded transparency.

Reputation under a cloud?

Pacific leaders have built a worldwide reputation for their principled climate diplomacy, from championing the 1.5°C goal to the major new advisory opinion on climate change issued by the world’s top court in response to a case instigated by students from the University of the South Pacific.

If some Pacific leaders open the door fully to deep-sea mining, it risks undermining the region’s united front on environmental issues and threatens its credibility.

The way this plays out will shape how the world hears the Pacific on climate and the oceans in the years ahead.The Conversation

Kolaia Raisele, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, La Trobe University and Aidan Craney, Research Fellow, Anthropology and Development Studies, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Pittwater Reserves: histories + Notes + Pictorial Walks


A History Of The Campaign For Preservation Of The Warriewood Escarpment by David Palmer OAM and Angus Gordon OAM
A Saturday Morning Stroll around Bongin Bongin - Mona Vale's Basin, Mona Vale Beach October 2024 by Kevin Murray
A Stroll Along The Centre Track At Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park: June 2024 - by Kevin Murray
A Stroll Around Manly Dam: Spring 2023 by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
A Stroll Through Warriewood Wetlands by Joe Mills February 2023
A Walk Around The Cromer Side Of Narrabeen Lake by Joe Mills
A Walk on the Duffy's Wharf Track October 2024 by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
America Bay Track Walk - photos by Joe Mills
An Aquatic June: North Narrabeen - Turimetta - Collaroy photos by Joe Mills 
Angophora Reserve  Angophora Reserve Flowers Grand Old Tree Of Angophora Reserve Falls Back To The Earth - History page
Annie Wyatt Reserve - A  Pictorial
Annie Wyatt Reserve, Palm Beach: Pittwater Fields of Dreams II - The Tree Lovers League 
Aquatic Reflections seen this week (May 2023): Narrabeen + Turimetta by Joe Mills 
Avalon Beach Reserve- Bequeathed By John Therry  
Avalon Beach This Week: A Place Of A Bursting Main, Flooding Drains + Falling Boulders Council Announces Intention To Progress One LEP For Whole LGA + Transport Oriented Development Begins
Avalon's Village Green: Avalon Park Becomes Dunbar Park - Some History + Toongari Reserve and Catalpa Reserve
Bairne Walking Track Ku-Ring-Gai Chase NP by Kevin Murray
Bangalley Headland  Bangalley Mid Winter
Bangalley Headland Walk: Spring 2023 by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
Banksias of Pittwater
Barrenjoey Boathouse In Governor Phillip Park  Part Of Our Community For 75 Years: Photos From The Collection Of Russell Walton, Son Of Victor Walton
Barrenjoey Headland: Spring flowers 
Barrenjoey Headland after fire
Bayview Baths
Bayview Pollution runoff persists: Resident states raw sewerage is being washed into the estuary
Bayview Public Wharf and Baths: Some History
Bayview Public Wharf Gone; Bayview Public Baths still not netted - Salt Pan Public Wharf Going
Bayview's new walkway, current state of the Bayview public Wharf & Baths + Maybanke Cove
Bayview Sea Scouts Hall: Some History
Bayview Wetlands
Beeby Park
Bilgola Beach
Bilgola Plateau Parks For The People: Gifted By A. J. Small, N. A. K. Wallis + The Green Pathways To Keep People Connected To The Trees, Birds, Bees - For Children To Play 
Botham Beach by Barbara Davies
Brown's Bay Public Wharf, on McCarrs Creek, Church Point: Some History
Bungan Beach Bush Care
Careel Bay Saltmarsh plants 
Careel Bay Birds  
Careel Bay Clean Up day
Careel Bay Marina Environs November 2024 - Spring Celebrations
Careel Bay Playing Fields History and Current
Careel Bay Steamer Wharf + Boatshed: some history 
Careel Creek 
Careel Creek - If you rebuild it they will come
Centre trail in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Chiltern Track- Ingleside by Marita Macrae
Clareville Beach
Clareville/Long Beach Reserve + some History
Clareville Public Wharf: 1885 to 1935 - Some History 
Coastal Stability Series: Cabbage Tree Bay To Barrenjoey To Observation Point by John Illingsworth, Pittwater Pathways, and Dr. Peter Mitchell OAM
Community Concerned Over the Increase of Plastic Products Being Used by the Northern Beaches Council for Installations in Pittwater's Environment
Cowan Track by Kevin Murray
Crown Reserves Improvement Fund Allocations 2021
Crown Reserves Improvement Fund 2022-23: $378,072 Allocated To Council For Weed Control - Governor Phillip Park Gets a Grant This Time: full details of all 11 sites
Crown Reserves Improvement Fund Allocations 2023-2024
Crown Reserves Grants 2025 Announced: Local focus on Weeds + Repairs to Long Reef Boardwalk + some pictures of council's recent works at Hitchcock Park - Careel Bay playing fields - CRIF 2025
Curl Curl To Freshwater Walk: October 2021 by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
Currawong and Palm Beach Views - Winter 2018
Currawong-Mackerel-The Basin A Stroll In Early November 2021 - photos by Selena Griffith
Currawong State Park Currawong Beach +  Currawong Creek
Deep Creek To Warriewood Walk photos by Joe Mills
Drone Gives A New View On Coastal Stability; Bungan: Bungan Headland To Newport Beach + Bilgola: North Newport Beach To Avalon + Bangalley: Avalon Headland To Palm Beach
Duck Holes: McCarrs Creek by Joe Mills
Dunbar Park - Some History + Toongari Reserve and Catalpa Reserve
Dundundra Falls Reserve: August 2020 photos by Selena Griffith - Listed in 1935
Elsie Track, Scotland Island
Elvina Track in Late Winter 2019 by Penny Gleen
Elvina Bay Walking Track: Spring 2020 photos by Joe Mills 
Elvina Bay-Lovett Bay Loop Spring 2020 by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
Fern Creek - Ingleside Escarpment To Warriewood Walk + Some History photos by Joe Mills
Hordern Park, Palm Beach: Some History + 2024 Photos of park from top to beach
Iluka Park, Woorak Park, Pittwater Park, Sand Point Reserve, Snapperman Beach Reserve - Palm Beach: Some History
Ingleside
Ingleside Wildflowers August 2013
Irrawong Falls Walk May 2025 by Joe Mills
Irrawong - Ingleside Escarpment Trail Walk Spring 2020 photos by Joe Mills
Irrawong - Mullet Creek Restoration
Katandra Bushland Sanctuary - Ingleside
Killing of Ruskin Rowe Heritage Listed Tree 'authoritarian'
Long Reef Sunrise Headland Walk by Joe Mills
Lucinda Park, Palm Beach: Some History + 2022 Pictures
McCarrs Creek
McCarrs Creek Public Jetty, Brown's Bay Public Jetty, Rostrevor Reserve, Cargo Wharf, Church Point Public Wharf: a few pictures from the Site Investigations for Pittwater Public Wharves History series 2025
McCarr's Creek to Church Point to Bayview Waterfront Path
McKay Reserve
Milton Family Property History - Palm Beach By William (Bill) James Goddard II with photos courtesy of the Milton Family   - Snapperman to Sandy Point, Pittwater
Mona Vale Beach - A Stroll Along, Spring 2021 by Kevin Murray
Mona Vale Headland, Basin and Beach Restoration
Mona Vale Woolworths Front Entrance Gets Garden Upgrade: A Few Notes On The Site's History 
Mother Brushtail Killed On Barrenjoey Road: Baby Cried All Night - Powerful Owl Struck At Same Time At Careel Bay During Owlet Fledgling Season: calls for mitigation measures - The List of what you can do for those who ask 'What You I Do' as requested
Mount Murray Anderson Walking Track by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
Mullet Creek
Muogamarra Nature Reserve in Cowan celebrates 90 years: a few insights into The Vision of John Duncan Tipper, Founder 
Muogamarra by Dr Peter Mitchell OAM and John Illingsworth
Narrabeen Creek
Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment: Past Notes Present Photos by Margaret Woods
Narrabeen Lagoon Entrance Clearing Works: September To October 2023  pictures by Joe Mills
Narrabeen Lagoon State Park
Narrabeen Lagoon State Park Expansion
Narrabeen Rockshelf Aquatic Reserve
Nerang Track, Terrey Hills by Bea Pierce
Newport Bushlink - the Crown of the Hill Linked Reserves
Newport Community Garden - Woolcott Reserve
Newport to Bilgola Bushlink 'From The Crown To The Sea' Paths:  Founded In 1956 - A Tip and Quarry Becomes Green Space For People and Wildlife 
Northern Beaches Council recommends allowing dogs offleash on Mona Vale Beach
Out and About July 2020 - Storm swell
Out & About: July 2024 - Barrenjoey To Paradise Beach To Bayview To Narrabeen + Middle Creek - by John Illingsworth, Adriaan van der Wallen, Joe Mills, Suzanne Daly, Jacqui Marlowe and AJG
Palm Beach Headland Becomes Australia’s First Urban Night Sky Place: Barrenjoey High School Alumni Marnie Ogg's Hard Work
Palm Beach Public Wharf: Some History 
Paradise Beach Baths renewal Complete - Taylor's Point Public Wharf Rebuild Underway
Realises Long-Held Dream For Everyone
Paradise Beach Wharf + Taylor's Wharf renewal projects: October 2024 pictorial update - update pics of Paradise Wharf and Pool renewal, pre-renewal Taylors Point wharf + a few others of Pittwater on a Spring Saturday afternoon
Pictures From The Past: Views Of Early Narrabeen Bridges - 1860 To 1966
Pittwater Beach Reserves Have Been Dedicated For Public Use Since 1887 - No 1.: Avalon Beach Reserve- Bequeathed By John Therry 
Pittwater Reserves: The Green Ways; Bungan Beach and Bungan Head Reserves:  A Headland Garden 
Pittwater Reserves, The Green Ways: Clareville Wharf and Taylor's Point Jetty
Pittwater Reserves: The Green Ways; Hordern, Wilshire Parks, McKay Reserve: From Beach to Estuary 
Pittwater Reserves - The Green Ways: Mona Vale's Village Greens a Map of the Historic Crown Lands Ethos Realised in The Village, Kitchener and Beeby Parks 
Pittwater Reserves: The Green Ways Bilgola Beach - The Cabbage Tree Gardens and Camping Grounds - Includes Bilgola - The Story Of A Politician, A Pilot and An Epicure by Tony Dawson and Anne Spencer  
Pittwater spring: waterbirds return to Wetlands
Pittwater's Lone Rangers - 120 Years of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase and the Men of Flowers Inspired by Eccleston Du Faur 
Pittwater's Great Outdoors: Spotted To The North, South, East + West- June 2023:  Palm Beach Boat House rebuild going well - First day of Winter Rainbow over Turimetta - what's Blooming in the bush? + more by Joe Mills, Selena Griffith and Pittwater Online
Pittwater's Parallel Estuary - The Cowan 'Creek
Pittwater Pathways To Public Lands & Reserves
Plastic grass announced For Kamilaroi Park Bayview + Lakeside Park
Project Penguin 2017 - Taronga Zoo Expo day
Project Penguin 2025 + Surfing with a Penguin in South Africa + Pittwater's Penguins
Resolute Track at West Head by Kevin Murray
Resolute Track Stroll by Joe Mills
Riddle Reserve, Bayview
Salt Pan Cove Public Wharf on Regatta Reserve + Florence Park + Salt Pan Reserve + Refuge Cove Reserve: Some History
Salt Pan Public Wharf, Regatta Reserve, Florence Park, Salt Pan Cove Reserve, Refuge Cove Reserve Pictorial and Information
Salvation Loop Trail, Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park- Spring 2020 - by Selena Griffith
Scotland Island Dieback Accelerating: November 2024
Seagull Pair At Turimetta Beach: Spring Is In The Air!
Some late November Insects (2023)
Stapleton Reserve
Stapleton Park Reserve In Spring 2020: An Urban Ark Of Plants Found Nowhere Else
Stealing The Bush: Pittwater's Trees Changes - Some History 
Stokes Point To Taylor's Point: An Ideal Picnic, Camping & Bathing Place 
Stony Range Regional Botanical Garden: Some History On How A Reserve Became An Australian Plant Park
Taylor's Point Public Wharf 2013-2020 History
The Chiltern Track
The Chiltern Trail On The Verge Of Spring 2023 by Kevin Murray and Joe Mills
The 'Newport Loop': Some History 
The Resolute Beach Loop Track At West Head In Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park by Kevin Murray
The Top Predator by A Dad from A Pittwater Family of Dog Owners & Dog Lovers
$378,072 Allocated To Council For Weed Control: Governor Phillip Park Gets a Grant This Time: full details of all 11 sites - CRIF March 2023
Topham Track Ku-Ring-Gai Chase NP,  August 2022 by Joe Mills and Kevin Murray
Towlers Bay Walking Track by Joe Mills
Trafalgar Square, Newport: A 'Commons' Park Dedicated By Private Landholders - The Green Heart Of This Community
Tranquil Turimetta Beach, April 2022 by Joe Mills
Tree Management Policy Passed
Trial to remove shark nets - NBC - Central Coast - Waverly approached to nominate a beach each
Turimetta Beach Reserve by Joe Mills, Bea Pierce and Lesley
Turimetta Beach Reserve: Old & New Images (by Kevin Murray) + Some History
Turimetta Headland
Turimetta Moods by Joe Mills: June 2023
Turimetta Moods (Week Ending June 23 2023) by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: June To July 2023 Pictures by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: July Becomes August 2023 by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: August Becomes September 2023 ; North Narrabeen - Turimetta - Warriewood - Mona Vale photographs by Joe Mills

Turimetta Moods August 2025 by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: Mid-September To Mid-October 2023 by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: Late Spring Becomes Summer 2023-2024 by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: Warriewood Wetlands Perimeter Walk October 2024 by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: November 2024 by Joe Mills
Turimetta Moods: mid-February to Mid- March 2025 by Joe Mills
Turimetta to Avalon Dunes Being Trashed
Warriewood Wetlands - Creeks Deteriorating: How To Report Construction Site Breaches, Weed Infestations + The Long Campaign To Save The Warriewood Wetlands & Ingleside Escarpment March 2023
Warriewood Wetlands and Irrawong Reserve
Whale Beach Ocean Reserve: 'The Strand' - Some History On Another Great Protected Pittwater Reserve
Whale Migration Season: Grab A Seaside Pew For The Annual Whalesong But Keep Them Safe If Going Out On The Water
Wilshire Park Palm Beach: Some History + Photos From May 2022
Winji Jimmi - Water Maze

Pittwater's Birds

Attracting Insectivore Birds to Your Garden: DIY Natural Tick Control small bird insectivores, species like the Silvereye, Spotted Pardalote, Gerygone, Fairywren and Thornbill, feed on ticks. Attracting these birds back into your garden will provide not only a residence for tick eaters but also the delightful moments watching these tiny birds provides.
Aussie Backyard Bird Count 2017: Take part from 23 - 29 October - how many birds live here?
Aussie Backyard Bird Count 2018 - Our Annual 'What Bird Is That?' Week Is Here! This week the annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count runs from 22-28 October 2018. Pittwater is one of those places fortunate to have birds that thrive because of an Aquatic environment, a tall treed Bush environment and areas set aside for those that dwell closer to the ground, in a sand, scrub or earth environment. To take part all you need is 20 minutes and your favourite outdoor space. Head to the website and register as a Counter today! And if you're a teacher, check out BirdLife Australia's Bird Count curriculum-based lesson plans to get your students (or the whole school!) involved

Australian Predators of the Sky by Penny Olsen - published by National Library of Australia

Australian Raven  Australian Wood Duck Family at Newport

A Week In Pittwater Issue 128   A Week In Pittwater - June 2014 Issue 168

Baby Birds Spring 2015 - Rainbow Lorikeets in our Yard - for Children Baby Birds by Lynleigh Greig, Southern Cross Wildlife Care - what do if being chased by a nesting magpie or if you find a baby bird on the ground

Baby Kookaburras in our Backyard: Aussie Bird Count 2016 - October

Balloons Are The Number 1 Marine Debris Risk Of Mortality For Our Seabirds - Feb 2019 Study

Bangalley Mid-Winter   Barrenjoey Birds Bird Antics This Week: December 2016

Bird of the Month February 2019 by Michael Mannington

Birdland Above the Estuary - October 2012  Birds At Our Window   Birds at our Window - Winter 2014  Birdland June 2016

Birdsong Is a Lovesong at This time of The Year - Brown Falcon, Little Wattle Bird, Australian Pied cormorant, Mangrove or Striated Heron, Great Egret, Grey Butcherbird, White-faced Heron 

Bird Songs – poems about our birds by youngsters from yesterdays - for children Bird Week 2015: 19-25 October

Bird Songs For Spring 2016 For Children by Joanne Seve

Birds at Careel Creek this Week - November 2017: includes Bird Count 2017 for Local Birds - BirdLife Australia by postcode

Black Cockatoo photographed in the Narrabeen Catchment Reserves this week by Margaret G Woods - July 2019

Black-Necked Stork, Mycteria Australis, Now Endangered In NSW, Once Visited Pittwater: Breeding Pair shot in 1855

Black Swans on Narrabeen Lagoon - April 2013   Black Swans Pictorial

Brush Turkeys In Suburbia: There's An App For That - Citizen Scientists Called On To Spot Brush Turkeys In Their Backyards
Buff-banded Rail spotted at Careel Creek 22.12.2012: a breeding pair and a fluffy black chick

Cayley & Son - The life and Art of Neville Henry Cayley & Neville William Cayley by Penny Olsen - great new book on the art works on birds of these Australian gentlemen and a few insights from the author herself
Crimson Rosella - + Historical Articles on

Death By 775 Cuts: How Conservation Law Is Failing The Black-Throated Finch - new study 'How to Send a Finch Extinct' now published

Eastern Rosella - and a little more about our progression to protecting our birds instead of exporting them or decimating them.

Endangered Little Tern Fishing at Mona Vale Beach

‘Feather Map of Australia’: Citizen scientists can support the future of Australia's wetland birds: for Birdwatchers, school students and everyone who loves our estuarine and lagoon and wetland birds

First Week of Spring 2014

Fledgling Common Koel Adopted by Red Wattlebird -Summer Bird fest 2013  Flegdlings of Summer - January 2012

Flocks of Colour by Penny Olsen - beautiful new Bird Book Celebrates the 'Land of the Parrots'

Friendly Goose at Palm Beach Wharf - Pittwater's Own Mother Goose

Front Page Issue 177  Front Page Issue 185 Front Page Issue 193 - Discarded Fishing Tackle killing shorebirds Front Page Issue 203 - Juvenile Brush Turkey  Front Page Issue 208 - Lyrebird by Marita Macrae Front Page Issue 219  Superb Fairy Wren Female  Front Page Issue 234National Bird Week October 19-25  and the 2015 the Aussie Back Yard Bird Count: Australia's First Bird Counts - a 115 Year Legacy - with a small insight into our first zoos Front Page Issue 236: Bird Week 2015 Front Page Issue 244: watebirds Front Page Issue 260: White-face Heron at Careel Creek Front Page Issue 283: Pittwater + more birds for Bird Week/Aussie Bird Count  Front Page Issue 284: Pittwater + more birds for Bird Week/Aussie Bird Count Front Page Issue 285: Bird Week 2016  Front Page Issue 331: Spring Visitor Birds Return

G . E. Archer Russell (1881-1960) and His Passion For Avifauna From Narrabeen To Newport 

Glossy Black-Cockatoo Returns To Pittwater by Paul Wheeler Glossy Cockatoos - 6 spotted at Careel Bay February 2018

Grey Butcher Birds of Pittwater

Harry Wolstenholme (June 21, 1868 - October 14, 1930) Ornithologist Of Palm Beach, Bird Man Of Wahroonga 

INGLESIDE LAND RELEASE ON AGAIN BUT MANY CHALLENGES  AHEAD by David Palmer

Issue 60 May 2012 Birdland - Smiles- Beamings -Early -Winter - Blooms

Jayden Walsh’s Northern Beaches Big Year - courtesy Pittwater Natural Heritage Association

John Gould's Extinct and Endangered Mammals of Australia  by Dr. Fred Ford - Between 1850 and 1950 as many mammals disappeared from the Australian continent as had disappeared from the rest of the world between 1600 and 2000! Zoologist Fred Ford provides fascinating, and often poignant, stories of European attitudes and behaviour towards Australia's native fauna and connects these to the animal's fate today in this beautiful new book - our interview with the author

July 2012 Pittwater Environment Snippets; Birds, Sea and Flowerings

Juvenile Sea Eagle at Church Point - for children

King Parrots in Our Front Yard  

Kookaburra Turf Kookaburra Fledglings Summer 2013  Kookaburra Nesting Season by Ray Chappelow  Kookaburra Nest – Babies at 1.5 and 2.5 weeks old by Ray Chappelow  Kookaburra Nest – Babies at 3 and 4 weeks old by Ray Chappelow  Kookaburra Nest – Babies at 5 weeks old by Ray Chappelow Kookaburra and Pittwater Fledglings February 2020 to April 2020

Lion Island's Little Penguins (Fairy Penguins) Get Fireproof Homes - thanks to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Fix it Sisters Shed

Lorikeet - Summer 2015 Nectar

Lyre Bird Sings in Local National Park - Flock of Black Cockatoos spotted - June 2019

Magpie's Melodic Melodies - For Children (includes 'The Magpie's Song' by F S Williamson)

Masked Lapwing (Plover) - Reflected

May 2012 Birdland Smiles Beamings Early Winter Blooms 

Mistletoebird At Bayview

Musk Lorikeets In Pittwater: Pittwater Spotted Gum Flower Feast - May 2020

Nankeen Kestrel Feasting at Newport: May 2016

National Bird Week 2014 - Get Involved in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count: National Bird Week 2014 will take place between Monday 20 October and Sunday 26 October, 2014. BirdLife Australia and the Birds in Backyards team have come together to launch this year’s national Bird Week event the Aussie Backyard Bird Count! This is one the whole family can do together and become citizen scientists...

National Bird Week October 19-25  and the 2015 the Aussie Back Yard Bird Count: Australia's First Bird Counts - a 115 Year Legacy - with a small insight into our first zoos

Native Duck Hunting Season Opens in Tasmania and Victoria March 2018: hundreds of thousands of endangered birds being killed - 'legally'!

Nature 2015 Review Earth Air Water Stone

New Family of Barking Owls Seen in Bayview - Church Point by Pittwater Council

Noisy Visitors by Marita Macrae of PNHA 

Odes to Australia's Fairy-wrens by Douglas Brooke Wheelton Sladen and Constance Le Plastrier 1884 and 1926

Oystercatcher and Dollarbird Families - Summer visitors

Pacific Black Duck Bath

Painted Button-Quail Rescued By Locals - Elanora-Ingleside escarpment-Warriewood wetlands birds

Palm Beach Protection Group Launch, Supporters InvitedSaturday Feb.16th - Residents Are Saying 'NO' To Off-Leash Dogs In Station Beach Eco-System - reports over 50 dogs a day on Station Beach throughout December-January (a No Dogs Beach) small children being jumped on, Native birds chased, dog faeces being left, families with toddlers leaving beach to get away from uncontrolled dogs and 'Failure of Process' in council 'consultation' open to February 28th 

Pardalote, Scrub Wren and a Thornbill of Pittwater

Pecking Order by Robyn McWilliam

Pelican Lamps at Narrabeen  Pelican Dreamsong - A Legend of the Great Flood - dreamtime legend for children

Pittwater Becalmed  Pittwater Birds in Careel Creek Spring 2018   Pittwater Waterbirds Spring 2011  Pittwater Waterbirds - A Celebration for World Oceans Day 2015

Pittwater's Little Penguin Colony: The Saving of the Fairies of Lion Island Commenced 65 Years Ago this Year - 2019

Pittwater's Mother Nature for Mother's Day 2019

Pittwater's Waterhens: Some Notes - Narrabeen Creek Bird Gathering: Curious Juvenile Swamp Hen On Warriewood Boardwalk + Dusky Moorhens + Buff Banded Rails In Careel Creek

Plastic in 99 percent of seabirds by 2050 by CSIRO

Plover Appreciation Day September 16th 2015

Powerful and Precious by Lynleigh Grieg

Red Wattlebird Song - November 2012

Restoring The Diamond: every single drop. A Reason to Keep Dogs and Cats in at Night. 

Return Of Australasian Figbird Pair: A Reason To Keep The Trees - Aussie Bird Count 2023 (16–22 October) You can get involved here: aussiebirdcount.org.au

Salt Air Creatures Feb.2013

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

Sea Birds off the Pittwater Coast: Albatross, Gannet, Skau + Australian Poets 1849, 1898 and 1930, 1932

Sea Eagle Juvenile at Church Point

Seagulls at Narrabeen Lagoon

Seen but Not Heard: Lilian Medland's Birds - Christobel Mattingley - one of Australia's premier Ornithological illustrators was a Queenscliff lady - 53 of her previously unpublished works have now been made available through the auspices of the National Library of Australia in a beautiful new book

7 Little Ducklings: Just Keep Paddling - Australian Wood Duck family take over local pool by Peta Wise 

Shag on a North Avalon Rock -  Seabirds for World Oceans Day 2012

Short-tailed Shearwaters Spring Migration 2013 

South-West North-East Issue 176 Pictorial

Spring 2012 - Birds are Splashing - Bees are Buzzing

Spring Becomes Summer 2014- Royal Spoonbill Pair at Careel Creek

Spring Notes 2018 - Royal Spoonbill in Careel Creek

Station Beach Off Leash Dog Area Proposal Ignores Current Uses Of Area, Environment, Long-Term Fauna Residents, Lack Of Safe Parking and Clearly Stated Intentions Of Proponents have your say until February 28, 2019

Summer 2013 BirdFest - Brown Thornbill  Summer 2013 BirdFest- Canoodlers and getting Wet to Cool off  Summer 2013 Bird Fest - Little Black Cormorant   Summer 2013 BirdFest - Magpie Lark

The Mopoke or Tawny Frogmouth – For Children - A little bit about these birds, an Australian Mopoke Fairy Story from 91 years ago, some poems and more - photo by Adrian Boddy
Winter Bird Party by Joanne Seve