⏱️This edition of the National Account’s newsletter is a ten-minute read.
👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
It's been a huge year for everyone who calls Australia home. As we wrap up the year, I’ve been thinking about some of the stories we told together.
One of the things I covered over the year that really stuck out in my mind was some of the first reporting we did on the Coalition’s radioactive nuclear plan.
Those stories only exist because people like you read, share, and send tips. So thank you.
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Now, we’ve got A LOT to catch you up on today, and they’re all stories I’m excited to share, so let’s crack on with the news 🗞️
[The Greyhound racing industry is] built on corruption and gambling, with the dogs coming second
🗣️ Why did she say that?
While Tasmania moves to ban greyhound racing outright, the New South Wales Government has released a damning 700-page report outlining systemic issues in its greyhound industry.
The report details how Greyhound Racing New South Wales has poor personnel management, “high and wasteful” spending, and has failed to maintain tracks at safety standards.
In fact, not a single track in the state meets the required safety standards.
Trisha Murphy, founder of greyhound rescuing and rehoming organisation Hounds in Homes, told me the recent reforms are not the massive changes they are being portrayed as.
For my full breakdown, check out this video:
Or check out the article here 👇
🛢️ This lesson, brought to you by big oil
Given that fossil fuel companies are creating and sponsoring science education resources for Australian schools, I wanted to know how our state and territory education departments are moderating the use of this content in the classroom.
On Monday, I reported on a new paper that alleged science education resources produced by the Queensland Museum and sponsored by Shell had left out fossil fuels entirely, relied on outdated data, and pushed experimental technologies like carbon capture instead of real solutions, such as phasing out fossil fuels.
I asked every state and territory government education department some simple questions about how they monitor and vet science content like this that may make its way into our classrooms.
Their responses were less than reassuring, find out what they said below 👇
Around the Grounds 🦘
🏞️ Pollution breach near national park
On Sydney’s North Shore, Ku-ring-gai Council has copped a $30k fine after polluted runoff seeped from an old landfill beneath the North Turramurra Golf Course and into a creek.
As Huw Bradshaw reports, the EPA was alerted in July after a pump failed, allowing highly contaminated leachate to enter the waterway. The agency says maintaining infrastructure “properly” is a basic requirement.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🐱 Cat Curfew
In Victoria’s Gippsland region, a local council has approved a 24/7 cat containment order to protect native wildlife, joining other Victorian councils in cracking down on roaming felines.
Jacob Wallace reports the move from the South Gippsland Shire Council means all 1,199 registered cats must stay on their owner’s property at all times, with fines for breaches.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🦈 More Shark Bite Kits for NSW beaches
The NSW Government is funding 150 new Community Shark Bite Kits for isolated and unpatrolled beaches, boosting lifesaving resources after recent shark incidents.
The kits, which contain tourniquets, compression bandages and first aid gear, were started by a Mid North Coast surfer after a friend lost a leg in a shark attack.
The funding is part of a $2.5 million shark mitigation program, which’ll also see drone patrols and education programs along the coast.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🤖 Sounds of… copyright theft
As promised from last week, my interview with GANGgajang frontman Mark Callagan.
He warns that musicians are being exploited by tech companies as they train artificial intelligence systems on massive libraries of music without compensating the artists who created it.
The “Sounds of Then” singer told me a key solution would be a system allowing artists to opt-in for their work being used by AI: both the input (how a model is trained) and the output (when their sound is replicated).
Reddit vs Australia
Just two days into Australia’s youth social media ban, Reddit has challenged its inclusion in the new laws.
Filing Friday, Reddit argued that by restricting young people from engaging in political discussions on the website the ban encroaches on freedom of political expression laws, making it invalid.
The company is also arguing it doesn’t meet the definition of an “age restricted social media platform” so at the very least shouldn't comply with the laws, something refuted by both the communications minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
In a statement, Reddit said the ban “has the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors, isolating teens from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences”.
The company will continue to adhere to the ban while the case goes through court next year.
Thanks for catching up with me. I hope you enjoyed this issue, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just reply to this email and I’ll be on the other side 👋
I’ll be back on Monday.
Cheers, Archie