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👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
As promised on Friday, a quick Port Stephens review - how bloody good, Anna Bay was big and gorgeous, it was great to get out of the city and into a coastal community, it was just a great time, but that was almost a given when you put 15 twentysomethings in a house on the coast for the weekend.
Not long after this photo was taken, a camel tour came past, something I definitely want to try.
Anyway, let’s crack on with the news 🗞️.
I mean, the idea that you would hand over the climate and energy policy to the likes of Matt Canavan and the ghost of Barnaby Joyce is like handing Dracula the keys to the blood bank
🗣️ Why did he say that?
The Nationals’ decision to abandon Net Zero will be a real test for the Liberal Party, according to Environment Minister Murray Watt, who questioned how long Sussan Ley’s party will “continue being dictated to by a junior partner in their Coalition who doesn’t believe in climate change”.
Speaking to the ABC on Sunday, Watt said, like the nuclear policy brought to the last election, this is another instance of the “tail wagging the dog in the coalition”.
For my full breakdown on what this means for opposition leader Sussan Ley check out today’s video:
Staying with the Nationals’ move to dump Net Zero, we decided to check their homework. What did we find? One of the key pieces of modelling they use to justify the decision was made “for the benefit of Coal Australia“, the coal industry’s peak lobby group.
Around the Grounds 🦘
Across the country, things are happening at a local level that have an impact nationally. Here are the stories you might not hear about in the traditional media.
☀️ Slashing the bills
Matthew Sims at the Eastern Melburnian recently found out how local businesses are cutting their power bills
In Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Cole Clark Guitars slashed its bill from $100K to $60–70K with 400 panels on its warehouse roof, while Dyne Industries covers 90% of its factory roof to generate electricity and keep buildings cooler. Both owners say going solar is “a bit of a no-brainer”.
State and federal rebates make the switch easier, and future Virtual Power Plant programs could let businesses sell excess energy back to the community.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
📰 Gas headlines vs reality
Local governments across Sydney are quietly moving to phase out gas in new homes, and North Sydney is the latest to join them.
A draft amendment before the council would see all new residential developments built without gas connections. Mayor Zoë Baker says it’s “beyond time” for the area to join others across the country moving to all-electric housing.
Huw Bradshaw reports that headlines framing this as a “gas ban” miss the bigger picture: only a small fraction of homes are affected, while the move actually helps apartment dwellers avoid expensive gas connections and could save households hundreds on energy bills.
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