Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: Spring 2026

Below average rainfall has increased bushfire risk potential across northeast and eastern Tasmania, as well as parts of Victoria. In contrast, above average fuel loads and dry soil conditions are contributing to elevated fire risk across parts of WA.

AFAC CEO Rob Webb said: “This outlook highlights a heightened risk of fire across several parts of the country, driven by a combination of dry conditions in the east and increased fuel loads through parts of central and northern Australia. The variety of risk factors across different regions reinforces the need for communities to understand their local conditions and prepare early."

"While some areas are facing an elevated risk of fire this spring, bushfires can still occur in regions with a normal seasonal outlook. Communities are encouraged to stay informed, monitor local conditions and follow advice from their fire and emergency services as the season unfolds."

The areas marked in red on the map represent an increased risk of fire, largely driven by below average rainfall and dry conditions.

The Seasonal Outlook is the culmination of a complex analysis by expert fire specialists across Australia, and climate prediction and fire weather experts from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Get Ready Weekend 2026

Prepare for Bush Fire Season with Get Ready Weekend 2026

As the bush fire season approaches, now is the time to understand your bush fire risk and take simple steps to prepare your home, property and family. To help you get ready, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) hosts Get Ready Weekend events across the state, providing free information, practical advice and resources to help you prepare before the fire season begins.

Use the map above to find your nearest Get Ready Weekend event or activation. With hundreds of events taking place across NSW, Get Ready Weekend is your opportunity to get practical advice from your local RFS brigade, ask questions about your property's bush fire risk and learn simple actions that could make a real difference this fire season.

Every event is different, but many include demonstrations, displays, family-friendly activities, practical advice from volunteers and resources to help you prepare for the bush fire season. You can also learn how to create a Bush Fire Survival Plan, prepare your home and property, understand the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS), and discover the steps you can take to be better prepared.

Get Ready Weekend 2026 will be held across NSW, with most events taking place on 19–20 September.

Get prepared now at myfireplan.com.au

Crossbench secures 2040 deadline for renewable energy CGT Concessions, boosting certainty for Foreign Investment 

Thursday August 20 2026

The Australian government has extended a capital gains tax (CGT) concession for foreign investors in wind, solar and battery storage assets by a further decade, pushing the deadline from 2030 to 30 June 2040.

The extension comes after pressure from the Greens and crossbench MPs during debate on the enabling legislation in federal Parliament.

The amendment lessens a broader package of CGT reforms Treasurer Jim Chalmers first proposed in the 2024-25 budget, aimed at clarifying and broadening the range of Australian assets, including renewable energy infrastructure, telecommunications, rail, ports and airports, on which foreign residents are liable for capital gains tax when they sell.

Legislation formalising those changes was introduced to Parliament in early July 2026, offering a 50% discount on the new CGT liability for renewable energy assets through to 2030 as a transition measure.

The amendment passed this week extends that 50% discount period to 2040, specifically for the renewables sector.

Crossbench MPs have welcomed news the Albanese government has responded to their concerns and will extend the CGT concession from 2030 to 2040 for foreign investment in renewable energy.

The Government’s proposed changes risked undermining investment certainty and slowing the rollout of much-needed renewable energy infrastructure.

This important extension provides investors and project developers with greater certainty and a more realistic timeframe to plan, finance and deliver renewable energy projects. It will help protect the pipeline of investment needed to secure the clean energy economy we need to meet Australia’s renewable energy goals.

The government’s initial proposal for a 2030 phase-out of CGT concessions would have created additional pressure on projects already facing long development timelines, higher costs and a need for stable and predictable investment settings.

A 2040 transition recognises the realities of financing and building renewable energy infrastructure and strikes a better balance between the government’s tax objectives and the urgent need to maintain investment in Australia’s renewable energy rollout.

Warringah MP Zali Steggall said on Thursday:

“This is a welcome step that gives investors and project developers greater certainty, but we cannot afford to slow Australia’s clean energy build-out.

“Australia needs significant new generation, storage and network investment through to 2050 – and around 70 per cent of clean energy capital comes from foreign sources.

“I will continue to push for a statutory review in 2035 to assess whether a further extension of the CGT concession is needed to keep Australia on track to meet its renewable energy goals and achieve net zero by 2050.”

Nicolette Boele, MP for Bradfield, said:

"This is a welcome result for Australia's clean energy industry and, frankly, for anyone who pays a power bill. Investors now have a runway out to 2040, long enough to finance and build the solar farms, wind projects and batteries that put downward pressure on prices.

"We were staring down a fire sale of renewable assets before 2030 and a freeze on everything after it - a self-inflicted wound on our energy economy.

"It took sustained pressure from the crossbench and from industry to get here. This is what it looks like to bring our tax laws into line with an economy fit for the 21st century."

Mackellar MP Dr. Sophie Scamps stated:

“The crossbench has been crucial in securing this important amendment, which will ensure investment in clean energy continues - something which is essential to Australia’s future energy security.

“I was pleased to see the Government accept the extension for the CGT concessions to 2040 as proposed in the amendment I circulated to better reflect realistic investment timeframes.”

Dr. Monique Ryan, MP for Kooyong, stated:

“A mature discussion about CGT reform is a conversation we had to have, and I congratulate the government for further strengthening Australia's CGT regime.

“Most importantly, the crossbench together with the clean energy sector is set to secure a significant victory today when it comes to extending the timeframe in which concessional rates of CGT are applied to investment in nation-shaping energy generation and storage assets.

“These tax reforms were needed to provide certainty to investors. I'm pleased the government has agreed to adopt this practical improvement to helps accelerate our energy transition towards net zero.”

Allegra Spender, MP for Wentworth, said:

“I’m really pleased that the government has listened to the crossbench and stakeholders and improve this legislation, speed the energy transition and avoid sovereign risk. It’s always important that changes to complex legislation are road tested before implementation and pleasing when we can work with stakeholders to improve policy settings.”

Crossbench MPs demand broad review and ambitious reform of Australia’s central climate policy

Crossbench MPs have responded to the Federal Government publishing its consultation paper into the Safeguard Mechanism, as part of the statutory 2026-27 review.

In the most recent year of data, the Safeguard Mechanism drove a 2.4% reduction in emissions at the covered facilities. This represents progress – but emissions are not reducing fast enough. All additional emissions cuts were through the use of offsets.

There are a number of significant limitations of the Safeguard Mechanism, including an over-reliance on offsets, insufficient constraints on fossil fuel expansion and ongoing conflict with the Fuel Tax Credit scheme, which completely undermines any policy signal for large miners to decarbonise.

The 2026-27 review period provides an important opportunity to identify and fix the limitations in the Safeguard Mechanism. The review must be broad and ambitious if Australia is going to achieve its emissions targets and develop thriving green export industries.

The Safeguard Mechanism is the central climate policy in the Federal Government’s toolkit, governing emissions at Australia’s largest-emitting facilities. It covers nearly a third of Australia’s total emissions.

In a joint submission to the Climate Change Authority’s review of the Safeguard Mechanism and Australia’s broader climate progress, crossbench MPs will make the following recommendations:

• Recommendation 1: Align Safeguard Mechanism decline rates with the upper bound of Australia’s 2035 emissions reduction target.
• Recommendation 2: Support industries of the future by applying steeper decline rates to coal and gas.
• Recommendation 3: Consider how Safeguard Mechanism reforms can support and drive a transition to a Border Carbon Adjustment to support our industrial competitiveness.
• Recommendation 4: Strengthen the mitigation hierarchy to drive greater on-site abatement and less reliance on offsets.
• Recommendation 5: Strengthen the rules around new entrants to the Safeguard Mechanism.
• Recommendation 6: Reform the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme which continues to undermine the Safeguard Mechanism.
• Recommendation 7: Consider how Safeguard Mechanism reforms can support accelerated rollout of renewable energy and storage.
• Recommendation 8: Improve measurement of methane emissions

Kate Chaney MP, Member for Curtin, said:

“The Safeguard Mechanism is such an important policy in our country’s mission to contribute to a safe climate and grow a thriving, sustainable economy. This review is a significant opportunity to improve this crucial policy; the Government must be willing to consider the whole range of issues and implement ambitious solutions.

“The Safeguard Mechanism is being completely undermined and undercut by the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme. The Fuel Tax Credit Scheme incentivises miners to continue to burn diesel and overwhelms the Safeguard Mechanism’s policy signal to decarbonise. We can’t meet our emissions targets with our foot on the accelerator and brake at the same time. There are sensible reform policies that would only impact about 18 of the largest, highly profitable companies – without touching the credits provided to farmers and small users of diesel.

“The role of the Safeguard Mechanism is not just to drive emissions reductions, it’s also to support the growth of the green export industries of the future. This review must consider how the Safeguard Mechanism can support and drive a transition to a border carbon adjustment – to support our vital industries like steel and aluminium.”

Nicolette Boele MP, Member for Bradfield, said:

“Right now, the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme gives mining companies a bigger reason to burn diesel than the Safeguard Mechanism gives them to cut emissions. The Safeguard Mechanism prices carbon at around $38 a tonne. The Fuel Tax Credit works like a carbon price of -$199. We are in an absurd situation where mining companies have five times more reason to keep burning diesel than to cut their emissions.

"The Safeguard Mechanism currently lumps all industries together into one scheme. Whilst we want an internationally competitive resources sector, the Safeguard Mechanism must recognise that pure play fossil fuel production is a sunset industry in Australia and reflect that by requiring fossil fuel industries to reduce emissions faster than the industries we want to keep."

Zali Steggall MP, Member for Warringah, stated:

“The Safeguard Mechanism only works if we can trust the data behind it. As it stands, methane emissions from coal, oil and gas facilities are too often under-estimated, creating a real risk that reported reductions aren't genuine.

"The Albanese government must strengthen the integrity of the Safeguard Mechanism by requiring better methane measurement from big polluters. Better data means better policy, genuine emissions reductions and more confidence that Australia's climate targets are being met."

Dr. Sophie Scamps MP, Member for Mackellar, said:

“Australia cannot offset its way out of the climate crisis. The Safeguard Mechanism was designed to cut pollution from our biggest emitters, yet emissions are not falling fast enough and too much of the progress is coming from offsets rather than real reductions. If we are serious about a safe climate and a strong clean economy, big polluters must cut emissions at the source.”

Allegra Spender MP, Member for Wentworth said:

“The reformed Safeguard Mechanism was a big step forward, but the job isn't finished. Right now, too much of the emissions reduction we're seeing isn't coming from companies actually cleaning up their operations. 

If we're serious about hitting our 2035 target, the Safeguard needs to require real, on-site abatement — not just cheap offsets.

“The Safeguard only covers around 30% of Australia's emissions, so however well we tune it, it can't get us to our 2035 target alone. Much more is needed, particularly across transport and agriculture. An economy-wide carbon price remains the cheapest way to get us to the top of our 2035 target.”

"The Safeguard Mechanism is being asked to do the lion's share of the climate lifting. The Government told us we didn't need a climate trigger in our national environment law because the Safeguard already had it covered. And yet, over the last three years, we've seen coal mine after coal mine expanded or extended. The scheme simply isn't adequately constraining fossil fuel expansion while only measuring scope 1 emissions. Meanwhile the far bigger climate cost of burning coal and gas goes unaccounted for."

Framework for NSW Data Centres Released

A Sydney Data Centre Map states there are 106 in Sydney - with the nearest one to our area, NEXTDC, being located at Macquarie Park among a hub of others.

Sydney Data Centre Map - screenshot showing clusters of data centre hubs

On March 27 2026 the Minns Government announced 15 data centre projects will progress through the Investment Delivery Authority (IDA), as it released its 'NSW Data Centre Consultation Paper' to steer what it called 'the sustainable development' of the sector in New South Wales.

As of July 2026, there were 19 projects in the State Significant Development (SSD) planning pipeline valued at $50.3 billion.

The government stated data centres now account for 12% of all non-residential building investments.

Once built, data centres benefit the NSW Government's finances primarily through avoided public infrastructure costs, direct and indirect state taxes, and developer-funded utility augmentations rather than direct operational subsidies.

Ongoing financial benefits are limited. Operational staffing needs are relatively small because modern facilities are heavily automated.

A consensus on community platforms notes that because most major operators are foreign-owned, the majority of net corporate profits leave the domestic market.

Senator David Pocock stated in June 2026['We Cannot let Data Centres be a repeat of the Great Gas Scam']:

''Data centre construction is sucking up our already scarce construction industry workforce, which will no doubt further hamper efforts to hit our housing targets. While they do generate employment in the construction phase, the ongoing direct employment benefits are minimal which is a huge concern given that every time I’ve questioned the responsible cabinet minister about AI job losses he has pointed to investment in data centres. AirTrunk employs just 259 people on a permanent basis, CDC Data Centres 356 people and NextDC 381 according to their own reports. 

We also need to ask the question - what is this all for? There are undoubtedly many exciting applications of AI. But it’s also a technology that has the potential to totally disrupt society, and even poses an existential risk to us as a species. 

AI job losses in Australia have already topped the tens of thousands and Jobs and Skills Australia Commissioner Barney Glover has said job losses are expected to be more than 600,000.

The AI boosters will say that these hundreds of thousands of unemployed Australians will quickly find other newly-created jobs in the new AI-powered economy. But from what I’ve heard listening to experts this may be wishful thinking as AI and robotics combine to replace human labour. 

Why are we rushing to embrace data centres and the AI future they enable without answering these questions and ensuring we will actually benefit from them?

Australia should embrace new technology that improves our lives and helps us live within the bounds of ecological limits. We should welcome investment that creates value and helps build our future economy, but we should also learn from our past.

If multinational tech giants are going to use Australian land, Australian energy, Australian water and Australian workers to build the infrastructure that powers the AI revolution, then Australians deserve a fair return.''

Australians state their concerns long-term operations will put continuous pressure on local water supplies and electricity grids, and cause higher utility costs for local communities and a reduction in available water if not properly regulated, have also not been clearly addressed.

By late 2025 data centres were using approximately 3.5 billion litres of Sydney's drinking water supply per year, which was less than 1 per cent of total demand, but still a high amount in a country known for its droughts and in a city which has experienced water restrictions during prolonged drought periods in the past. 

Residents want to know; when that scenario arises again, will the data centres have priority, or communities?

With climate change adding extra impetus for access to water during bushfire periods, which have commenced in July in NSW since the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires, and as many have witnessed the firestorms impacting Europe, the US and Canada in recent weeks, with locals and NSW equipment deployed to assist, residents of New South Wales wish to scrutinise any state or commonwealth plans for Australia's use as a data centre hub, especially in regards to water use. 

The UN stated on June 4 2026:

''Data centres, the global infrastructure powering AI, could consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity annually by 2030 – nearly triple the combined annual electricity use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, countries collectively home to more than 650 million people. 

On top of the carbon footprint, every unit of electricity used by data centres also carries a “water footprint” for cooling and energy production, and a “land footprint” associated with power generation and supply chains. 

According to a new study from UN University (UNU), AI-related water consumption could equal the basic annual domestic needs of 1.3 billion people by the end of the decade, while its land footprint may exceed 14,500 square kilometres — roughly twice the size of the Jakarta metropolitan area.''

''The NSW Data Centre Policy Framework will make sure future data centre investment is matched with increased investment in renewable energy and water infrastructure.'' the government said on Monday

''It establishes clear expectations for data centre proponents, with world-class energy, water and environmental standards, meaningful community consultation and appropriate contributions towards the infrastructure needed to support growth.''

''The framework sends a clear signal that NSW supports data centre investment that creates jobs, fosters innovation, grows the economy and delivers benefits for communities.''

''Beyond powering technologies used in the home and workplace, their computing power and storage also drive many of the services that communities rely on every day, including healthcare, emergency services and banking.''

''Investment in the sector in NSW has been increasing at around 75 per cent per year on average over the three years to December 2025. This growth, combined with the transformation of NSW’s energy system, is a key reason we have avoided recession.'' the government stated

The NSW Data Centre Policy Framework states under 'Forecast energy and water demand from data centres:

'The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) forecasts that energy consumption from data centres will double from 5% of NSW’s grid-supplied energy in 2026 to 11% by 2030. This growth is forecast during the same timeframe that around 7 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generation is scheduled to retire in NSW.

Oxford Economics, which prepared AEMO’s forecast on data centres, estimates 6 in every 7 megawatts (MW) of data centre connection requests are phantom demand. 

Consultation with energy utilities suggests 20% of data centre applications in their connections pipeline are likely to proceed. While these figures differ slightly, they highlight that the share of data centre proposals likely to proceed to construction is low.

Water demand is also expected to rise in the coming decade, but the extent of this increase is uncertain. There is agreement that modelling approaches between the water and energy sectors need to be aligned, including in relation to ramp up periods and phantom demand.

Most investors in data centre development also have targets to reach net zero emissions for their operations by 2030 or 2035. This implies that there is an opportunity to collaborate with industry to increase the supply of renewable energy and lower carbon emissions.'

The government's 'NSW Data Centre Policy Framework' outlines how this growing digital investment will be used to drive the energy transition and support the state economy. The framework includes:

The NSW Data Centre Guidelines

Under the new framework, the government states data centre builders wanting access to a streamlined assessment process will need to comply with the NSW Data CentreGuidelines.

They require specific performance measures to achieve six principles:

1. Apply world-class environmental and efficiency standards
2. Impose no net cost to consumers and communities
3. Fund additional supply of water and energy
4. Enhance local community infrastructure and amenity
5. Invest in future industries across the supply chain
6. Demonstrate a commitment to training and skills to support jobs.

''Projects that meet the performance measures associated with the above principles will receive a commitment to have their proposed developments assessed within 75 days, while still meeting all planning, environmental and community consultation standards'. the government said

'This commitment is supported by concurrent changes being made to Independent Planning Commission processes to further streamline key project assessment.

The Investment Delivery Authority will also convene an industry collaboration event to connect energy and data centre investors.''

The government stated the Guidelines will be reviewed annually to ensure they remain fit for purpose and reflect advances in technology and changes in the industry.

Regulatory reform to ensure equitable cost recovery for energy infrastructure

Under the second pillar of the framework, the NSW Government will make regulatory changes to:

• ensure that data centres pay for the electricity network upgrades they require, so that extra costs aren’t shifted to households and small businesses,
• support more coordinated and efficient planning of the electricity network, and
• support implementation of the measures in the Guidelines.

The government stated ''We have introduced legislation to enable these reforms and begin consultation on the detailed implementation today.''

An IPART review to consider the full recovery of costs of water provision to data centre customers

''The NSW Government is commissioning IPART to undertake a review of the water pricing framework for data centres.'' the government said

''The review will consider how water pricing can reflect the full costs associated with servicing data centres, ensuring other water users on the network are protected and the impacts of drought and water scarcity are appropriately managed.''

Office of AI

Alongside the NSW Data Centre Policy Framework, the Government will establish the new Office of AI in The Cabinet Office to strengthen and accelerate the response to the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence.

The new Office of AI will work closely with Digital NSW, which will continue to lead coordination of government investment in the digital, cyber and data foundations needed to support AI adoption. It will also work with public sector unions to ensure AI supports workers, strengthens capability and is implemented responsibly across the public sector.

The NSW Government will continue working closely with the Australian Government and other states and territories to ensure future reforms establish a nationally coherent policy framework.

There are 19 data centre projects valued at $50.3 billion in the State Significant Development pipeline. This is in addition to more than 60 data centres that are already operating or under construction.

• Read the NSW Data Centre Policy Framework and Guidelines 
• See details of consultation on proposed energy reforms - Public consultation is open; Submissions close on 14 September at 5:00 pm AEST.
• Register for a webinar on Monday 24 August 2026 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am AEST to learn more. 

Minister for Climate Change, Energy and the Environment, Penny Sharpe said:

“As demand for data centres increases, NSW will ensure the infrastructure needed to support them grows with it.

“These reforms will make sure data centre growth drives investment in renewable energy, while holding operators to the highest air quality standards.”

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“The scale of data centre investment being considered in NSW presents a unique opportunity.

“Data centres need power and there are renewable projects seeking investment.

“Connecting the two means this booming digital industry can help pay for the new energy and water infrastructure that our economy needs.

“This world-class framework provides the certainty that both investors and – importantly – the community need.

“NSW is a premium destination, so we are setting a high bar.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Data centres are the enabling infrastructure for modern economies and communities.

“These Guidelines provide clear expectations, improving transparency and providing certainty for both communities and investors.

“We’ve struck the right balance, maintaining strong environmental standards to safeguard our water and energy future while supporting faster and more certain planning assessments for data centres which protect the interests of communities while delivering them benefits.”

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:

“Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of our everyday lives and we have a strong framework within the NSW Government to ensure it is used safely and responsibly.

“We are building on these strong foundations through a whole of government approach and Digital NSW will work closely with the new Office of AI to support NSW to safely navigate emerging AI technologies and harness new opportunities to benefit the community.”

Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“Data centres are a vital part of the digital economy and NSW must remain an attractive destination for this growth.

“These Guidelines provide greater certainty for investors while making clear that major projects need to contribute to the infrastructure and resources they rely on.

“The opportunity goes well beyond the construction of new facilities. Data centres can help grow future industries, from education and cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing, medical technology and renewable energy.”

Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

“Data centres are becoming an increasingly important part of our economy, but we need to make sure their growth is supported in a way that protects the long-term security of our water system.

“These Guidelines direct data centres to use water efficiently, prioritise recycled water where possible, and contribute to the additional water supply needed to support future growth in NSW.

“By preserving drinking water supplies for communities and ensuring the costs of servicing new demand are not placed on other customers, we can support investment while maintaining confidence in the sustainability of our water resources.”

Background: Electricity and Water Use -  Water Cooling Or Closed-loop Coolants

With the NSW Government saying it will require data centre investment to be matched with increased investment in renewable energy, the Climate Council was calling for mandatory standards so data centre proposals that fall short don’t go ahead. 

The state’s new guidelines are another step forward, in line with the Albanese Government’s commitment to legislate national standards –  despite resistance from Queensland and the Northern Territory, the Climate Council stated.

On July 15 2026 the Prime Minister's office stated in a press release:

''The Albanese Labor Government will introduce a world-leading artificial intelligence framework to ensure Australia can capture the opportunity, share the benefits and keep Australians safe.

We will do that the Australian way – without undercutting conditions, dividing communities or damaging our environment.

The Government will introduce a set of Australian Standards for AI, building on the Data Centre Expectations, with our values as the benchmark to ensure AI works in Australia’s interests.

The new standards will set out clear rules for large data centres— including a legal obligation to underwrite their own new power supply, pay their full share of connection costs so energy bills are not impacted, reduce power when needed to strengthen the grid, and be as water efficient as possible. 

The Federal Government will also work with State and Territories to ensure large data centres are built in the most appropriate locations, and with input from local communities.

Effective today, the Office of AI will be established within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to accelerate implementation of the Australian Standards on a national level.

The Government’s approach will be considered by National Cabinet in August, with standards expected to be legislated early next year.

The implementation of these standards will deliver a simple, consistent regulatory framework for large data centres and AI training and be the first to be legislated by a government worldwide.

The Government’s approach will help further grow Australia’s economy, strengthen our sovereignty, secure benefits consistent with our national interests, and lift our standard of living.

The AI Standards will deliver greater clarity, speed up approvals and streamline the process for verifying compliance with energy, water, safety and other requirements.

The Government will also ensure the strongest possible protection for Australian artists and media.

Our approach will ensure Australian writers, artists and journalists retain ownership over their work, meaning no company should use Australian creative works to train AI without the artist’s control.

The Government will also outline its whole-of-government AI consumer safety priorities in coming weeks, building on the recent establishment of the AI Safety Institute.

The Government has every confidence that Australia can seize this moment of technological advancement and make it our own, while ensuring AI stands for Australia’s interests.''

The NSW Government's and Commonwealth standards are expected to require data centres to supply their own additional renewable power, no matter where they are built around Australia. 

Climate Council Senior Advisor Ben McLeod said:

“Australians are rightly asking: Where is the power for the data centre boom going to come from? Guidelines like these set us on the path to making sure the answer won’t push up household bills, or climate pollution. The NSW Government should be decisive in shielding its citizens and make these expectations mandatory.

“All states and territories should get on board with similar rules under the proposed national guidelines. Governments must set the bar higher, and require data centres to be powered by new wind, solar and storage, otherwise Australians will pay the price of higher power bills and more climate pollution.”

Neither the 'where possible use of recycled water' in NSW, nor the 'be as water efficient as possible' statement from the Albanese Government have allayed concerns water usage by data centres will not impact on water and electricity availability and prices. 

The inclusion of the 'extent of this increase is uncertain' statement in the policy framework, when each project would be able to determine the scale of water use required for it to operate successfully prior to being built, also perpetuates concerns over increased unsustainable water use.

Data centres must be kept cool as the thousands of packed-together servers generate intense heat and without proper thermal management, this heat causes hardware damage, permanent system crashes, data loss, and severe fire hazards. Keeping equipment cool ensures continuous, reliable operation.

Data centre cooling relies on closed-loop liquid systems or open evaporative water cycles.

Most NSW data centres, clustered in tech hubs like Macquarie Park, Artarmon, and industrial western areas like Eastern Creek, are not directly next to dedicated recycled water mains. While Sydney Water prioritises recycled water, building dedicated pipelines to distant treatment plants is difficult. For instance, a massive 612MW Eastern Creek project dropped its recycled water cooling plan because it could not secure a pipeline permit.

S7 is NEXTDC's 612MW campus at Eastern Creek in Western Sydney, developed with OpenAI under a December 2025 memorandum of understanding as part of the OpenAI for Countries program, with the first phase due in the second half of 2027.

NEXTDC switched the campus's cooling from recycled water to a waterless method after it could not secure planning permission for the pipeline needed to carry treated sewage to the site, a decision reported by Reuters on 23 July 2026.

The waterless method circulates liquid coolant around the chips and rejects the heat with fans, which data centre analysts say uses no water but more energy than the evaporative cooling recycled water would have supplied.

Since late 2025 NSW has required data centre applicants to disclose water use and meet a fixed power usage effectiveness (PUE) cap of 1.3, at the efficient end of global averages; S7 is one of six projects faced with meeting the rule, and NEXTDC has not disclosed a target PUE for it.

NEXTDC says it still favours recycled water where the infrastructure exists, and Sydney Water and coNEXA remain possible suppliers if a pipeline is approved, while Transgrid says Sydney's network is near its connection limit.

Closed Loop Coolant Systems use: Replacement of products

In a 'Closed Loop System' dielectric fluids, mineral oils, or water-glycol mixtures move across server cold plates or immersion baths, absorbing heat in a sealed circuit without direct loss. Data centre coolants rely on specific chemical and thermal properties depending on whether they are used in closed-loop water systems (like cold plates) or direct immersion baths. 

The primary fluid families are water-glycol mixtures, hydrocarbon/mineral oils, and engineered fluorochemicals, each chosen for distinct heat transfer, electrical, and safety traits.

Coolants like water, glycol, or synthetic fluids cycle continuously to absorb server heat, undergoing on-site filtration, heat exchange, or chemical treatment before ultimate disposal or repurposing via municipal recycling channels.

MassedCompute, which works to meet demand for GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) - a specialised electronic circuit designed to process data in parallel [While a standard CPU handles complex tasks one after another, a GPU uses thousands of smaller cores to run many simple calculations at the exact same time] - states Coolant replacement frequency in a data centre liquid cooling system depends on several factors, including the type of cooling architecture, the coolant chemistry, system design, and operating conditions.

Those that use fluorochemicals need replacement every 2-4 years. Their table for replacements provides:

General Replacement Intervals by System Type

Cooling System Type                                   Typical Replacement Interval Coolant Examples

Direct-to-Chip Cold Plate (Single-Phase)    Every 1 to 3 years                  Deionized water, glycol mixtures

Rear Door Heat Exchanger                            Every 2 to 4 years                  Water-based coolants

Immersion Cooling (Single-Phase)                    Every 3 to 5 years                  Mineral oil, synthetic fluids

Immersion Cooling (Two-Phase)                    Every 2 to 4 years                  Dielectric fluorocarbons

Facility Chilled Water Loops                            Every 1 to 2 years                  Treated water, glycol blends

Dielectric fluorocarbons are chemical compounds composed of carbon and fluorine that act as highly effective electrical insulators while offering extreme chemical and thermal stability. 

In the June 2026 study 'Methods for the recycling of fluoropolymers: A review' it is stated:

''Fluoropolymers (FP) are speciality polymers that have permeated into a variety of industries and uses due to their desirable properties such as high thermal stability and high chemical resistance. However, with the demand for their use ever increasing, the recycling of FP has become an area of research focus with many papers reporting recycling methodologies which limit the release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment.''

''Currently, incineration is reported to be a potential option for the complete indiscriminate degradation of FP waste and remains the most technologically ready method. Meanwhile, other methods such as mineralisation have reported the degradation of FP into high value products such as CaF2 which has the potential to bring fluorine chemistry full circle.''

The European FluoroCarbons Technical Committee, which states its main objectives are to provide up to date information about applications, safety, health and environmental effects for HFCs HFOs HCFOs and the relevant European and international legislation, says:

''Dielectric fluorocarbons can be both reused and recycled, though strict environmental regulations govern their handling due to global warming and PFAS concerns. Reusing involves filtering and drying recovered fluids for direct application, while recycling and chemical reclamation strip out impurities to restore them to original factory standards.''

''In regions with extreme weather conditions (hot climate, water scarcity), weather fluctuations or where seismic events are regular occurrences, the immersion cooling is the solution of choice for data centers as traditional air cooling cannot maintain performance and reliability.

The composition of the dielectric liquid depends on the cooling technology (single-phase, two-phase or direct-to-chip cooling). Single-phase and two-phase technologies use dielectric liquids which are based on fluorocarbons (HFOs/ HCFOs) blended with other technical fluids. Direct-to-chip cooling is not an immersion cooling per se (even though it is promoted as such) and it can use non-dielectric fluids (e.g. glycols) because the coolant never comes in contact with the component. However, the use of glycols poses major risks in case of leaks and direct contact with the system components, thus dielectric fluids are sometimes used with this technology.''

In a 16 July 2026 article 'What AI data centres really mean for Australia's water supply' by Dr M. Reza Hosseini, University of Melbourne, he points out that 'Farming alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of the water Australia uses each year'.

Under past state and federal governments, rural irrigators water extraction licences have seen water for these prioritised before communities and even river systems themselves, leading to residents of Pittwater, in an initiative led by the Aboriginal Support Group Manly Warringah Pittwater, running water water to them for drinking and for health reasons from late 2018-2019, and campaign for change from 2019-2020 and onwards.

See: 

2019: Yamma Ngunna Baaka - From the Northern Beaches to Bre: Our Sister City Shares its Water Woes 

2020: Narrabeen Bridge protest demands water for rivers

Residents are wondering what guarantees there will be in licences granted to data centres that don't prioritise their profits before people as well.  

Regarding data centres, he states, vis-à-vis Sydney Water:

''...has fielded applications from data centre developers wanting connections of up to 40 million litres a day for a single facility. That's roughly 16 Olympic swimming pools, every day.

But that's a worst-case number. It’s the maximum a connection could supply, not what any centre actually uses today.

Developers often apply for more than they end up building or operating; utilities call this ‘phantom demand’. Even so, it explains why water companies along Australia's east coast are paying close attention.

But if we pull back to look at the national picture, the story shifts.

Industry-commissioned analysis puts direct on-site water use by Australia's data centres, mostly for cooling, at about 5.5 gigalitres (or 5.5 billion litres) a year.

....In Sydney, data centres currently account for about 0.7 per cent of local water supply; in Melbourne, about 0.2 per cent.

Industry forecasts suggest that could rise to about 1.9 per cent in Sydney and 0.9 per cent in Melbourne by 2030. Nationally, direct demand could more than triple from 5.5 gigalitres a year to around 17.

Those are forecasts, not guarantees – and they're contested.

The industry's own modelling can make the numbers look modest. The utilities, with connection applications piling up, see something starker.''

''Sydney Water has told a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into data centres that if proposed facilities go ahead with water-intensive cooling, cumulative demand could hit 250 megalitres – that’s 250 million litres – a day by 2035.

That's a high-growth scenario, but it's the one utility companies must plan for.

The utilities are upfront that these scenarios are built on the number of connection applications, not confirmed demand that translates into actual consumption.

But what worries them is the shape of it: large customers drawing water continuously in growth corridors already stressed by drought.''

A credible proposal should have to answer five questions before it gets approved:

1. Where is the water coming from? Drinking supply, recycled water or something else because the source matters as much as the volume.
2. What happens in a drought? When restrictions hit households, what does the facility do?
3. What's the peak daily demand? Annual averages hide the days that actually stress the network.
4. Who pays for the upgrades? New pipes and connections cost money. Is it the developer or everyone else's water bills?
5. Will the numbers be public? Water use, energy use and above all how much drinking water is being consumed

E-Waste Generated

Data centres generate massive electronic waste (e-waste) as high-density servers, GPUs, and storage drives are replaced every 3 to 5 years. Accelerated upgrades driven by generative AI push this fast-growing waste stream upward, risking millions of metric tonnes of toxic heavy metals and hardware debris globally by 2030.

Human-I-T states:

'Traditional recycling can’t keep pace with data centre e-waste — only 22.3% of global e-waste is properly collected and recycled, and recycling itself perpetuates the production cycle by turning old equipment into new products destined for eventual disposal. Data centre operators should prioritise refurbishment and reuse over recycling to reduce costs, protect the environment, and move toward a genuine circular economy. Contact a certified ITAD provider like Human-I-T that prioritises giving equipment a second life.'

Upper House Inquiry Into Data Centres in NSW

On 4 February 2026 an Upper House inquiry has been established to inquire into and report on data centres in New South Wales. The Public Accountability and Works committee will scrutinise whether New South Wales is adequately equipped for the scale and pace of data centre development occurring now and into the future.

The Committee Chair, Ms Abigail Boyd MLC, said: 'Data centres over the last few years have expanded significantly, bringing with them an increased demand for energy and water, as well as concern about their environmental, social and economic impacts.'

'The NSW Government is encouraging more and more new data centre developments, and offering them fast-tracked planning assessments, without any plan for the social and environmental impacts', the Chair added.

'This inquiry is about ensuring plans for data centre growth in New South Wales are guided by a coherent and integrated NSW Government strategy that takes into consideration the immediate and long-term impacts of data centres on energy systems, water resources, climate targets and communities', the Chair concluded. 

The Committee Report is due by November 3 2026. 

The Terms of References are:

(1) That the Public Accountability and Works Committee inquire into and report on data centres in New South Wales including:

(a) the scale and trajectory of data centre development in New South Wales, including:

(i) the current and proposed scale of data centre development in New South Wales, including geographic clustering

(ii) the extent to which New South Wales planning, infrastructure and resources are prepared for projected growth

(iii) the interaction between data centre development and other state economic, digital and industrial strategies.

(b) the planning framework enabling data centre developments, including:

(i) the classification of data centres as State Significant Development (SSD) and the use of power-consumption thresholds as a trigger for SSD assessment

(ii) the role of fast-track and facilitation mechanisms, including the Investment Delivery Authority and other whole-of-government  coordination processes

(iii) whether current planning arrangements adequately address cumulative and precinct-level impacts.

(c) electricity demand, grid impacts and implications on emissions reduction targets, including:

(i) impacts on electricity networks, generation planning, transmission and distribution investment and cost recovery

(ii) the role of on-site backup generation, including diesel and gas, and associated emissions and health impacts

(iii) alignment of data centre development with New South Wales emissions reduction targets and climate commitments

(iv) the electricity demand profile of data centres, including continuous load, peak demand and firming requirements

(v) the extent to which strategic colocation of data centres within Renewable Energy Zones may assist the renewables roadmap.

(d) water usage and cooling, including:

(i) current and projected water use by data centres in New South Wales, including reliance on potable water

(ii) risks to water security under drought and climate change scenarios

(iii) the availability, feasibility and uptake of non-potable water, recycled water, or alternative cooling systems

(iv) water pricing, cost recovery and the allocation of water-related infrastructure costs

(v) oversight, monitoring and transparency of water use commitments.

(e) local environmental and community impacts, including:

(i) impacts on surrounding communities, including noise, air quality and heat, traffic and construction impacts, land-use conflicts and amenity

(ii) the distribution of impacts across regions, in particular Western Sydney and other growth corridors.

(f) land use and housing, including:

(i) the opportunity cost of allocating industrial and services land to data centres

(ii) interactions with housing supply, employment-intensive industries and other strategic land uses

(iii) whether current planning frameworks appropriately balance data centres against competing social, environmental and economic needs

(iv) the extent to which the resource demands of data centres impinge on the development of new housing supply.

(g) economic and distributional outcomes of data centre developments, including:

(i) the economic benefits of data centre development, including employment, investment and local economic activity

(ii) the distribution of costs and benefits

(iii) the extent of public subsidies, concessions or state directed facilitation provided to the sector.

(h) governance, transparency and accountability

(i) the adequacy of public reporting on data centre resource use, emissions and environmental performance

(ii) the transparency of approval processes, conditions and negotiated outcomes

(iii) potential conflicts of interest or governance risks arising from accelerated approval frameworks like the Investment Delivery Authority

(iv) the impact of lobbying and donations on government policy settings surrounding data centre developments.

(i) workforce considerations, including:

(i) employment conditions across construction, operations and contracted services

(ii) workforce development, skills and training pathways

(iii) the role of labour standards, procurement and compliance in large-scale data centre projects.

(j) lessons from other jurisdictions:

(i) approaches adopted internationally and interstate to managing data centre growth

(ii) applicability of alternative models to New South Wales, and

(k) any other related matters.

(2) That the committee report by 3 November 2026.

The terms of reference for the inquiry were self-referred by the committee on 29 January 2026.

There have also been discussions about the use of desalinated water, although costs associated with this would impact profits, whil an insight out of the US discussion this past week may see them placed in the ocean - leading residents to ask 'is that a discussion locals need to include as well?' - and if so, where would they be placed?

• 'Estimating Data Centre ‘Phantom Demand’ - Oxford Economics, 21 November 2025. Key findings:

• On the back of rapid growth in cloud services and surging ambitions for artificial intelligence, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) received 44 GW of data centre connection requests from Network Service Providers (NSPs) as part of the 2025 Inputs, Assumptions and Scenarios Report (IASR). In response, AEMO commissioned Oxford Economics to develop independent forecasts of electricity consumption by data centres in Australia. Since collecting this data over the first 6 months of 2025, the volume of enquiries made to NSPs has continued to grow.
• 6 in every 7 MWs of connection requests are estimated to be ‘phantom demand’. That is, they are not expected to materialise on the grid under AEMO’s Step Change scenario. Of the 44 GW of connection requests received in the 2025 IASR, only 6 GW of prospective project capacity is required to meet demand under AEMO’s Step Change scenario.
• Furthermore, data centres typically operate materially below requested capacity; the 6 GW of prospective projects likely to go ahead are expected to draw 2.8 GW from the grid at maturity.

• Ben R.P. Chapman, Paul A. Anderson, Sandra E. Kentish, Gary A. Leeke.'Methods for the recycling of fluoropolymers: A review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Volume 232, 10 June 2026, 108970. doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108970
•  'What AI data centres really mean for Australia's water supply' by Dr M. Reza Hosseini, University of Melbourne, July 16 2026
• NSW Government backs data centre investment, sets course for sustainable development. NSW Government Press Release. Published: 27 March 2026
• Nation-leading framework to harness NSW data centre investment. NSW Government Press Release. Published: 17 August 2026

Additional H5 positive birds confirmed in Narooma and Merimbula

Announced: Thursday 20 August 2026

H5 avian influenza (bird flu) has been confirmed in seven birds in Narooma and Merimbula, across six different bird flu events on the NSW South Coast.

Given the spread of bird flu across Australia, NSW is now moving to the nationally consistent reporting system of events rather than individual cases. An event is a single investigation that may involve one or more birds. It considers factors such as location, timing, species and other investigation findings, the state government has said

To date, eleven H5 bird flu events have been reported in NSW, including eight on the Far South Coast.

Bird flu events so far in NSW are as follows:

• Event one: Giant Petrel near Hawks Nest
• Event two: Giant Petrel near Hawks Nest
• Event three: Greater Crested Tern near Narooma
• Event four: Greater Crested Tern near Wentworth
• Event five: Greater Crested Tern near Eden

New events announced today:

• Event six: Greater Crested Terns near Narooma
• Event seven: Greater Crested Terns near Narooma
• Event eight: Giant Petrel near Narooma
• Event nine: Two Greater Crested Terns near Merimbula
• Event ten: Greater Crested Terns near Merimbula
• Event eleven: Greater Crested Terns near Merimbula

The NSW Government is progressing plans to vaccinate priority captive native species as part of efforts to protect vulnerable wildlife populations from H5 bird flu.

Species identified as priorities for potential vaccination include little penguins and regent honeyeaters.  

Decisions on vaccinating other species will be made on a case-by-case basis, guided by the latest science and evidence, and considering factors such as disease risk, conservation significance and the practicalities of vaccine delivery.

While vaccination is an important tool, it is not a standalone solution and forms just one part of the broader response to H5 bird flu.

Since June, a national surveillance program has strengthened Australia's ability to detect H5 bird flu early and respond quickly, with the latest detection triggering enhanced surveillance in the surrounding area, including monitoring by ground crews, drones and on waterways.

Public reporting is a critical part of the response, with calls to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline helping to support detection efforts.

Bird flu has not been detected in commercial poultry flocks or captive birds anywhere in Australia and the risk to human health remains low.

If you encounter a suspected sick bird or marine mammal, avoid contact, record what you see and report it immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said:

“These new events are very disturbing but we’re continuing to prepare for further impacts of bird flu.  

“We are undertaking surveillance and we are working closely with wildlife groups to share as much information as possible.  

“NSW is also progressing plans for vaccinations and how we could expand the program.”

Minister for Agriculture, Regional and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“As H5 bird flu is detected in wild birds, our focus is on early detection, rapid response and protecting vulnerable wildlife.

“We will use every tool available, including surveillance, preparedness planning and targeted vaccination programs, to strengthen our response.

“While there have been no detections of H5 bird flu in commercial poultry flocks anywhere in Australia, producers and industry are prepared and the NSW Government continues to undertake surveillance activities.” 

Sydney Spring Garden Competition

The Sydney Spring Garden Competition is one of Australia’s most prestigious and historic awards programs, recognising horticultural excellence and community pride throughout Sydney’s neighbourhoods. Inspired by the 1933 bequest of Lt. Col. Charles Ronald Christian, the competition celebrates outstanding front gardens visible from the road or footpath, with classes open to all types – from apartment balconies and terrace pots to heritage landscapes. 

Entries are judged by panels of horticulturists, landscape designers, retailers, community leaders and educators, offering participants detailed feedback on creativity, design and impact. Open to first-time gardeners and seasoned horticulturalists alike, the competition benchmarks individual achievement and neighbourhood contribution, helping to create more beautiful, cohesive communities across the city.

Entries are now open for the 2026 edition and close September 21, 2026

Enter here: www.rasnsw.com.au/competitions/flower-and-garden/sydney-spring-garden-competition

Connecting with Country and Culture through bush foods

Stony Range Spring Festival 2026: September 13

PNHA Activities 2026

Our walks for 2026 are listed below. 

You are very welcome to bring friends and older children on these outings. Please book by emailing pnhainfo@gmail.com and include  your PHONE NUMBER so we can contact you in case of changes because of weather etc. 

Looking forward to getting out and about in our lovely area! 

Your PNHA Committee

Pittwater Natural Heritage Association

The Pittwater Natural Heritage Association has been formed to act to protect and preserve the Pittwater areas major and most valuable asset - its natural heritage.

PNHA is an incorporated association seeking broad based community membership and support to enable it to have an effective and authoritative voice speaking out for the preservation of Pittwater's natural heritage.

Our Aims

• To raise public awareness of the conservation value of the natural heritage of the Pittwater area: its landforms, watercourses, soils and local native vegetation and fauna.
• To raise public awareness of the threats to the long-term sustainability of Pittwater's natural heritage.
• To foster individual and community responsibility for caring for this natural heritage.
• To encourage Pittwater Council and the NSW Government to adopt and implement policies and works which will conserve, sustain and enhance the natural heritage of Pittwater.

Some of our interests and concerns include:

• Native Tree Canopy
• "Wildlife Friendly" Gardens
• Weed Infestation
• Keeping our Waterways Healthy
• Beaches and Dunes

Act to Preserve and Protect!

If you would like to join us, please fill out the Membership Form. Visit: https://pnha.org.au

Sunday April 26 Fauna: Underpass below Mona Vale Rd East, Ingleside.

If you missed this walk last year, here’s your chance to see how fauna can move between areas of bushland, so important for finding territory, mates and food. 

Meet 9am at corner of Ingleside Rd and Laurel Rd East. Walk ends about 11am.

Saturday May 23: PNHA stall at Avalon Car Boot Sale, Dunbar Park Avalon.

From 8am to 2pm, we’ll offer Information on identifying and controlling weeds. See our posters about invertebrates in local gardens. Our famous $2 local flora, fauna and scenery cards will be for sale. Come and have a chat. 

Sunday May 24: Walk in Red Hill Bushland Reserve, Beacon Hill

Meet 9am on Lady Penrhyn Drive opposite no. 41A, close to the open gate. Flora, birds, views. Walk ends about 11.30. 

Sunday June 28: Crown to the Sea Walk, Newport

Meet 9am please note that the meeting point is on Burke Rd next to Porter Reserve. Walk ends about 12 noon. This walk goes through several very different bushland reserves with coastal heath and littoral rainforest.

Wildflowers, ferns and coastal views. Moderate fitness needed for some steep tracks and many steps. Limit: 15 people so please book early. We will provide the Crown to the Sea map to participants on booking.

Sunday July 26: Ingleside Chase Reserve

Meet 9am at end of Irrawong Rd North Narrabeen, walk ends about 11am. Birds and swamp forest along Mullet Creek. Swamp Mahoganies will be flowering attracting birds. Binoculars a must for this walk.

Saturday August 22. Spring in the Bush: The Chiltern Track, Ku-ring-gai N.P.

Meet 9am at track entrance with barred gate on Chiltern Rd Ingleside. Walk ends about 11am. One of our favourite walks to see Sydney sandstone flora in spring. Native plant species list available. Birds too, often a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater here. The track is mostly level but very rough in places.

Sunday September 27. Spring in the Bush: Terrey Hills

Meet 9am at corner of Mallawa Rd and Bulara St, Terrey Hills. Walk ends about 11am. With a focus on botany, we’ll see flowering plants in the Proteaceae plant family, waratahs, endangered Grevillea caleyi , and others in the major Australian Proteaceae plant family. You can choose to lengthen this walk which connects to the Perimeter Track. Birds, too.

Sunday October 25: Katandra by Night

Meet 6.45pm at Katandra Bushland Sanctuary on Lane Cove Rd Ingleside. Walk ends about 8.45pm. Sunset is about 7.15. The bush by night is wonderful. We hope to see fireflies again as on previous walks here in October. Bring a torch, or headtorch, preferably with a red light option so as not to dazzle possums. Moderate fitness needed for the bush track and steps. Limit: 15 people, so please book early. 

Sunday November 22: Deep Creek Reserve

Meet 9am in Deep Creek reserve, off Wakehurst Parkway. Walk ends about 11am. Birds and bushland. From the bridge across the creek we may see Dollarbirds, summer breeding migrants that nest in hollows, with their youngsters. Black Bitterns have been observed along the creek margins, so bring binoculars. 

National Parks protect Southern Right Whales with new ‘stay away’ distance of up to 500 metres

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has issued a Special Order for all vessels to stay at least 500 metres, and swimmers 100m, away from all Southern Right Whales in NSW waters.

The Order will be in place until 30 November 2026, when the breeding and calving season ends in NSW.

Southern Right Whales attract a lot of attention as they stay close to beaches and move slowly on the surface. Although incredibly rare, they are easily spotted when they visit.

The Order comes after a mother and calf were recently spotted off Sydney, with curious boaters and locals venturing close to the pair.

The NPWS citizen science project ‘Right Whale ID’ has tracked individual whales through their unique white facial callosities for the past 6 years. Research has found that even a single swimmer approaching too enthusiastically can trigger a significant negative behavioural response in the whale.

Identifying one of the handful or so Southern Right Whales off the NSW Coast each whale season, as opposed to one of the 40,000 humpback whales, is fairly simple.

Any slow-moving, 14-16 metre long whale which is 500m or less off an ocean beach could be a Southern Right Whale.

Identifying features include:

• a distinctive V-shaped blow when they exhale
• large broad body size, absence of a dorsal fin
• white markings (skin growths) on their faces and heads known as ‘callosities’
• the tail/fluke is geometrically angular and usually black on both top and bottom sides.

Two distinctive colouration patterns. Photo courtesy: Leonardo Lanza 

Southern Right Whale tail fluke. Photo courtesy Michael Cantanzariti

Southern Right Whales have a distinctive V-shaped blow when they exhale

Unlike Humpbacks, mother and calf Southern Right Whales spend more than 90 per cent of their time in waters shallower than 20m, and often less than 500m from shore. While nursing , they move very slowly, engaging in a still, energy-saving behaviour called ‘logging’, which is floating at the surface for long periods.

These behaviours make them highly susceptible to disturbance from overly curious people swimming, paddling or boating too close for the mum’s comfort.

Disturbances can cost the animals precious energy budget as their responses often include significant increases in swim distances as they try to evade them. The disturbance effect is seen in tracking data over subsequent days.

NPWS asks people to comply with the keep-away distances to help protect these mammals.

Members of the public, partner organisations and NPWS staff will collect witness accounts when people venture too close to Southern Right Whales and proceed with investigations where warranted. Non-compliance could result in fines or court appearances.

If anyone spots a Southern Right Whale, please report to NPWS or ORRCA hotlines on 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) or (02) 9415 3333 immediately, which allows the Right Whale ID team to get on site as soon as possible.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Marine Wildlife Project Officer Andy Marshall said:

“Doing the right thing by Southern Right Whales means the southeast Australian population has a better chance of recovering.

“I would like to think that future generations will be able to see these incredible animals and be awed by them, in the same way we are today.”

Distances prescribed under the Special Protection Approach Distance Order

Vessels, aircraft, swimmers - Special Protection Approach Distance

• For vessels including jet skis, surfboards- Stay away 500 metres
• Operating a crewed aircraft- Stay 610m away – either above or to the side of the whale
• When swimming including snorkelling and diving- Stay away 100 metres

Mother and calf in Hermanus. Photo courtesy Martin Etsebeth

Solar for apartment residents: Co-funding

Less than 2% of apartment buildings in NSW have solar installed, but the NSW Department of Climate Chnage, Energy, the Environment and Water are on a mission to change this.

Their Solar for Apartment Residents grant is co-funding shared solar panel installations on eligible apartment buildings and multi-unit dwellings and has already helped thousands of households.

They’ve extended the program to help more homeowners and renters reduce their energy bills and have also allocated extra funds through a separate Boost grant to help priority communities too.

Application closes: 4 December 2026, 5:00 pm

Share this with your Owners Corporation or Stata Manager and check your building's eligibility at: www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/solar-for-apartment-residents-soar-grant-program

Dedicated alpine weather page part of latest BOM website improvements

The Bureau of Meteorology has delivered its latest website update.

In this release navigation has improved, there’s a new dedicated alpine weather page in time for the ski season, and the weather map has more place names.

Bureau of Meteorology CEO Dr Stuart Minchin said the update was a direct response to community feedback.

“Since launch, we've had requests for more locations to be added to the weather map,” Dr Minchin said.

“Our website is there to serve all Australians. We've now added more than 100 place names, primarily in the Northern Territory and Queensland.

“We'll be adding hundreds more in the months ahead.”

The weather map will now remember users’ most recent pan and zoom position, keeping the settings the same for the next time the page is viewed.

For example, if your last visit was a maximum zoomed-in view of Mount Isa, Queensland, this is the view you'll see next time you visit the rain radar.

“Changes like these will make it easier for everyone to find what they need,” Dr Minchin said.

Other changes include the UV Index being restored to the hourly forecast and updating the presentation of flood warnings.

A new alpine weather page provides weather map layers for snow, wind and temperature, and forecasts for snow resorts, towns, and remote areas in Australia's alpine regions in one page.

The updated Alpine regions page provides weather maps and forecasts for snow resorts, towns, and remote areas in Australia's alpine regions.

Alpine regions offers information across 2 tabs:

• Forecasts – alpine districts and locations
• Map – 3 hourly snow, wind and temperature forecasts.

Navigating the website has become easier with changes to tabs and page layouts on a number of key pages such as Forecasts and observations, Coasts and Oceans and state, territory and district pages.

“People have told us that navigating to forecasts and observations for districts and states was hard,” Dr Minchin said.

“We’ve paid close attention to this feedback.

“Combined with last month's search improvements, this will make it easier for regional web users to find out if their district is expecting rain or sunshine.”

Updates will continue to be made to the website in response to the feedback received from the community.

Information about recent changes is available at bom.gov.au/website-help/website-updates

The ski season starts on the June long weekend and runs until October's long weekend in NSW. 

The Kiandra Alpine Club's Snow Carnival, 1900. Photo: Kerry

Birdwood Park Bushcare Group Narrabeen

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  sydneywildliferescueline@gmail.com

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

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

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 to 31 July 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

Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed

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 

Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs

Stay Safe From Mosquitoes 

Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey

Report fox sightings

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

• Ph: 0478 439 965
• Email: marinewildlifecc@gmail.com
• Instagram: marinewildliferescuecc

Watch out - shorebirds about

Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing

Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed

Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026 Dates

What’s Happening? Mona Vale Dunes Bushcare group catch-up. 

In 2026 our usual work mornings will be the second Saturday and third Thursday of each month. You can come to either or both. 

We are maintaining an area south of Golf Avenue. This was cleared of dense lantana, green cestrum and ground Asparagus in 2019-2020. 600 tubestock were planted in June 2021, and natural regeneration is ongoing. 

Photos: The site In November 2019, chainsaws at the ready. In July 2025, look at the difference - coastal dune vegetation instead of dense weeds. But maintenance continues and bushcarers are on the job. Can you join us?

(access to this southern of MV Dunes  - parking near Mona Vale Headland reserve, or walk from Golf Ave.) 

For comparison, see this image of MV dunes in 1969!, taken from atop the home units at the end of Golf Avenue. 

2026 Dates

Bangalley Headland WPA Bushcare 2026

Watch out for PNHA signs telling you about bush regeneration and our local environment. This is one of many coming up.

Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when

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

November 2024

• A Turtle-y Awesome Rescue by Whale Beach SLSC + Shell us what you see this Summer: TurtleWatch needs your help!

January 2025

• Are Turtles not Safe in the Estuary? Green Turtle Killed in Pittwater Prompts Renewed Calls for Boaters to slow down, adhere to the speed limit

Pittwater's Birds

New Shorebirds WingThing  For Youngsters Available To Download

A Shorebirds WingThing educational brochure for kids (A5) helps children learn about shorebirds, their life and journey. The 2021 revised brochure version was published in February 2021 and is available now. You can download a file copy here.

If you would like a free print copy of this brochure, please send a self-addressed envelope with A$1.10 postage (or larger if you would like it unfolded) affixed to: BirdLife Australia, Shorebird WingThing Request, 2-05Shorebird WingThing/60 Leicester St, Carlton VIC 3053.

Shorebird Identification Booklet

The Migratory Shorebird Program has just released the third edition of its hugely popular Shorebird Identification Booklet. The team has thoroughly revised and updated this pocket-sized companion for all shorebird counters and interested birders, with lots of useful information on our most common shorebirds, key identification features, sighting distribution maps and short articles on some of BirdLife’s shorebird activities. 

The booklet can be downloaded here in PDF file format: http://www.birdlife.org.au/documents/Shorebird_ID_Booklet_V3.pdf

Paper copies can be ordered as well, see http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/shorebirds-2020/counter-resources for details.

Download BirdLife Australia's children’s education kit to help them learn more about our wading birdlife

Shorebirds are a group of wading birds that can be found feeding on swamps, tidal mudflats, estuaries, beaches and open country. For many people, shorebirds are just those brown birds feeding a long way out on the mud but they are actually a remarkably diverse collection of birds including stilts, sandpipers, snipe, curlews, godwits, plovers and oystercatchers. Each species is superbly adapted to suit its preferred habitat.  The Red-necked Stint is as small as a sparrow, with relatively short legs and bill that it pecks food from the surface of the mud with, whereas the Eastern Curlew is over two feet long with a exceptionally long legs and a massively curved beak that it thrusts deep down into the mud to pull out crabs, worms and other creatures hidden below the surface.

Some shorebirds are fairly drab in plumage, especially when they are visiting Australia in their non-breeding season, but when they migrate to their Arctic nesting grounds, they develop a vibrant flush of bright colours to attract a mate. We have 37 types of shorebirds that annually migrate to Australia on some of the most lengthy and arduous journeys in the animal kingdom, but there are also 18 shorebirds that call Australia home all year round.

What all our shorebirds have in common—be they large or small, seasoned traveller or homebody, brightly coloured or in muted tones—is that each species needs adequate safe areas where they can successfully feed and breed.

The National Shorebird Monitoring Program is managed and supported by BirdLife Australia. 

This project is supported by Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority and Hunter Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. Funding from Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Port Phillip Bay Fund is acknowledged. 

The National Shorebird Monitoring Program is made possible with the help of over 1,600 volunteers working in coastal and inland habitats all over Australia. 

The National Shorebird Monitoring program (started as the Shorebirds 2020 project initiated to re-invigorate monitoring around Australia) is raising awareness of how incredible shorebirds are, and actively engaging the community to participate in gathering information needed to conserve shorebirds. 

In the short term, the destruction of tidal ecosystems will need to be stopped, and our program is designed to strengthen the case for protecting these important habitats. 

In the long term, there will be a need to mitigate against the likely effects of climate change on a species that travels across the entire range of latitudes where impacts are likely. 

The identification and protection of critical areas for shorebirds will need to continue in order to guard against the potential threats associated with habitats in close proximity to nearly half the human population. 

Here in Australia, the place where these birds grow up and spend most of their lives, continued monitoring is necessary to inform the best management practice to maintain shorebird populations. 

BirdLife Australia believe that we can help secure a brighter future for these remarkable birds by educating stakeholders, gathering information on how and why shorebird populations are changing, and working to grow the community of people who care about shorebirds.

To find out more visit: http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/shorebirds-2020/shorebirds-2020-program