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👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
Hope you’re weekend was as good as mine, the beaches were warm, my friends were great and the beers were cold.
Let’s crack on with the news 🗞️
We let the fossil fuel entities come into schools and give them license to spread whatever information they've deem to be appropriate and it's somehow loosely linked to the curriculum
🗣️ Why did he say that?
A couple of weeks ago, I filed my first story on how fossil fuel companies are creating educational materials for Australian schools.
That story 👇
I’ve since spoken with Geoff Holt, a recently retired teacher from WA, who explained how these industry-funded lesson plans, school visits, and even camps are being used in classrooms, and why he believes it’s a serious problem.
For my full breakdown check out today’s video:
Around the Grounds 🦘
Across the country, things are happening at a local level that have an impact nationally. Here’s the stories you might not hear about in the mainstream media.
🥛 Drought hits dairy
Dairy farm profits across south west Victoria have collapsed by 48 percent — the worst result since 2018/19 — as drought and high feed costs forced farmers to dip into savings and borrow to stay afloat.
The West Vic Brolga’s Zara Cuthbertson reports the 2024/25 Dairy Farm Monitor Project found average profit dropped from $2.40 to $1.26 per kilogram of milk solids, with farmers relying on purchased fodder to keep production going.
Brad Collins, a local dairy farmer, says communities will feel the flow-on effects for the next 18 months.
Rainfall over the coming months will be crucial for recovery.
The story doesn’t get much better for the state’s east, either. Jacob Wallace from the Gippsland Monitor reports similar damning falls in profits, with Gippsland dairy farms seeing their numbers fall by 57 percent.
There are are 917 dairy farm businesses in Gippsland that produced almost 2 billion litres of milk in 2024/25. That’s almost a quarter of the country’s milk production.
Neerim South dairy farmer Dave Johnson said he didn’t have a “massive amount of confidence in the industry at the moment.”
Read those stories by clicking below 👇
🏘️ Spending $500,000 to block new homes
In the affluent suburb of Mosman, on Sydney’s North Shore, local property investor Judith Pearson has become the face of community opposition to NSW’s new low and mid-rise housing reforms, launching a $500,000 court challenge against the state government.
Last week, residents packed the Mosman council chambers, urging the Council to join the fight. But councillors said no, opting instead to take part only as an amicus curiae (a kind of legal observer).
Read that story by clicking below 👇
👞 Meet the man behind Clog Barn
The Mid North Coaster’s Ellie Chamberlain visited 93-year-old Thomas Hartsuyker, the owner of The Clog Barn, in Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, and his niece Alison Brooks to hear how the Dutch-themed tourist attraction came to life 40 years ago.
Ellie also toured Hartsuyker’s workshop, where he still crafts and maintains the detailed miniature village, and asked how the new bypass might affect the attraction.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
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 Wednesday.
Cheers, Archie