Environment
Renovation nation: Aussies plan $85b in energy upgrades
16 September
Australian households plan to spend $85 billion on home energy upgrades over the next five years, a study has found, averaging more than $8300 per home. But renters and younger Australians could miss out on the trend, with both groups budgeting...[Read More]
Inflated charges: push to make landlords pay gas bills
2 September
Australian renters are being slugged almost $440 million a year to stay connected to gas, analysis has shown, even though landlords control whether their properties remain on the network.Rewiring Australia released the finding on Friday and called...[Read More]
Environment rules promise protection but raise concerns
26 August
Australia’s first environmental standards, designed to toughen protections and tighten offset rules, have drawn a mixed reaction from development and green groups.The four standards, announced by Environment Minister Murray Watt and published on...[Read More]
Push on to shake up ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates
19 August
As a kid, Emma Willliams’ favourite dinner was McDonalds.But now a mum-of-two with a backyard full of chickens, she’s desperate for her family to avoid packaged foods and is making it her mission to minimise food waste.“I find it really hard...[Read More]
Big polluters make small cuts under climate scheme
12 August
Some of Australia’s biggest polluters have cut emissions by less than one per cent over the past two years, a report has found, falling significantly short of their targets.But major resources and industrial companies could continue to make modest...[Read More]
Push for nationwide ban on dumping old solar panels
5 August
Used solar panels should be banned from all Australian landfill sites while the government develops a scheme to reuse and recycle the technology, an inquiry has been told. With the right scheme in place, Australia could recover billions of dollars...[Read More]
Power struggle: data centre energy rules spark concerns
29 July
Large-scale data centres will be forced to invest in additional renewable energy to fuel their operations and avoid causing power price hikes in regulations agreed to by all but two states and territories. The Energy and Climate Change Ministerial...[Read More]
The resilience of farmers
23 July
When we think of resilience, few professions embody it quite like farmers. The life of a farmer is often woven with deep roots — both in the land they work and the generations before them who have passed down their experience, stories, and...[Read More]
Energy rollercoaster: Australian bills to fall and rise
15 July
Solar panels, wind farms and cheaper batteries will help to cut Australian electricity bills in the coming years, even as the artificial intelligence boom pushes up the price of gas technology. But energy prices will rise after 2030, a study has...[Read More]
Location set for Australia’s first gas-free steel mill
8 July
Australia’s first new steel mill in three decades will be unlike any before it. Run entirely on electricity, the Greensteel Australia factory to be built in the NSW Hunter region will make steel that’s low emissions and unencumbered by fossil...[Read More]
Pacific ocean a ‘forever chemical’ hotspot for whales
1 July
Dolphins and whales in the Pacific Ocean have been contaminated by some of the highest levels of so called forever chemicals in the world. First-time global mapping of per and poly-fluoroaklyl substances, or PFAS, in toothed marine mammals suggests...[Read More]
Australian green hydrogen project gets the green light
1 July
One of the largest renewable hydrogen projects in Australia will be built in regional NSW after it secured a $432 million government investment. Mining company Orica announced its Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub had reached a final investment decision on...[Read More]
‘Missed opportunity’ to act on power plan loyalty tax
24 June
A proposal to clamp down on the loyalty tax paid by disengaged power customers does not go far enough in the view of consumer and small business groups. Australia’s electricity rule-maker initiated a review to tackle the problem of customers...[Read More]
AI’s thirst trap: tech giant taps into recycled water
24 June
More Australian data centres could cool down using recycled water after a US tech giant revealed plans to build its first local artificial intelligence hub using the resource. Amazon announced a partnership with Greater Western Water on Thursday to...[Read More]
Outback powerhouse: regions could solve Aussie AI issue
24 June
Building data centres near existing solar and wind projects in regional Australia would not only support local jobs and industry, but could reduce the amount of energy going to waste. The Electrical Trades Union released the findings on Wednesday...[Read More]