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👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
It’s been a massive couple of days of story gathering, so today’s newsletter is more of a preview of what’s to come.
So let’s crack on with the news 🗞️
🌳 The Minister
I’ve literally just gotten off a 20-minute Interview with Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt, talking about his plans to reform Australia’s environmental protection laws.
I’ll file something from this interview tomorrow, on our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and of course, include it all in Friday’s newsletter.
⛏️ Mine time
Yesterday I attended the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) at the ICC Sydney.
IMARC is Australia’s Largest mining conference; organisers say about 11,000 people attended.
Despite being in the same place, it was a big shift away from the gambling expo I attended a couple of months back. If you’re not aware of that whole drama, HERE is the rundown.
Let’s just say I was able to film freely and people were slightly more inclined to chat to a journalist.
You had companies presenting all sorts of cool solutions and technology that could help mines reduce their carbon emissions. I checked out a chunky front loader that runs on batteries (see below).
There was a lot of talk about how “critical“ and “rare earth“ minerals will help fuel Australia’s (and the world’s) shift to renewable energy.
There was a massive Castrol and BP stand in the middle of the exhibition and, as you’d expect at a mining conference, there were nice things said about coal and the wider fossil fuel industry.
Some of that love was coming from the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, in his opening host address to the conference.
Without mining, we can't transition our energy system, we can't expand renewable power, we can't drive the economy of the future
🗣️ Why did he say that?
On Tuesday morning, NSW Premier Chris Minns addressed the mining industry at the ICC Sydney, stressing that his state was “absolutely open for business right now”.
A majority of the Premier’s speech was spent boosting the state's critical minerals industry and reflecting on its crucial nature in Australia’s shift to renewable energy.
However, he also had a message for the coal industry.
“The truth is that we need you. You're the lifeblood of regional towns, and you underwrite our tax base with, obviously, those very appreciated royalty payments,” Minns said.
He said the NSW Government was “committed” to working with NSW Minerals Council on “progressing some of those really important projects for our state”.
🚜 Afterwards
I saw this pretty cool fully electric Volvo front loader (like a digger).
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 traditional media.
💨 Tehan’s turbine trouble
Western Victorian farmers say hosting wind turbines is helping them stay on the land through droughts, but Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan isn’t convinced.
When asked by Zara Cuthbertson at the West Vic Brolga if farmers should be free to profit from turbines, Tehan dodged the question, instead warning that Australia’s renewables rollout would cover “1.7 times the size of Tasmania”. But the study he cites says otherwise.
In fact only one to five percent of that land would actually host infrastructure, with farms continuing as normal.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🌡️ Too hot to handle
A patch of fake grass in one of Sydney’s busiest plazas could soon get the chop, after local councillors found it’s hotter than the concrete around it.
The North Shore Lorikeet’s Huw Bradshaw recorded temperatures above 34°C on the Chatswood Concourse’s synthetic turf, compared to 25°C on nearby natural grass.
Councillor Kristina Dodds has called for the turf to be replaced, citing heat and environmental concerns, including a Swedish study that found synthetic fields release around 550 kilograms of microplastics each year.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
👹 The Labubu Affair
Forget the stolen jewels at the Louvre - a guy in Melbourne has allegedly helped himself to $9,000 worth of Labubus.
The 40-year-old man was charged after police found 43 limited edition Labubus at a property in Melbourne’s Airport West yesterday.
For those who have been living off grid, a Labubu is a plush toy.
Police valued the Labubus at $9,000, which puts an average value of $209 per allegedly stolen Labubu.
Among the 43 Labubus were “several” limited edition products valued at about $500 each.
Police allege the dolls were stolen during four separate burglaries since July at a shopping centre on the corner of La Trobe and Swanston streets in Melbourne.
The man was charged with four counts of burglary and two counts of theft. He was granted bail to reappear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in May.
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 Friday.
Cheers, Archie