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👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
I hope wherever in the country you are, the weather was good enough over the weekend that you could get out of the house.
A confession: I’ve been in Sydney for 8 months and have certainly not done enough exploring. The pubs in the inner-west have a bit of a chokehold on me.
I did, however, manage to break free of that chokehold over the weekend on Saturday, when Sydney’s seemingly endless rain vanished overnight. I found myself in Balmain, by the harbour. Stunning.
After getting the ferry back into Circular Quay and walking through the CBD, I also took this picture of the AWA building. Sort of crazy to think folks walk past this every day without asking: just what’s going on there???
You can read up on it’s history here.
As a former radio newsreader, I can’t help but have a bit of a soft spot for stuff like this.
I mention all this because I’d love to hear your thoughts on what the iconic buildings in your city are that maybe don’t get as much of a spotlight or have a cool history.
Let me know by replying to this email.
Now, on with the news 🗞️
While the Albanese Government tries to hide the inconvenient truth that climate risks present some of the biggest dangers to Australia’s economy, my bill would put climate resilience at the core of our economic debate
🗣️ Why did she say that?
Today, Independent MP Zali Steggall introduced her Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation) Bill.
The private members’ bill aims to prepare communities, households and Australia’s economy for the impacts of climate change.
It will also increase the transparency and frequency of climate risk reporting.
The Warringah MP’s bill comes as the Albanese Government continues to delay the release of its one-off national climate risk assessment.
The Government’s risk assessment was initially set to be released to the public last year.
Detailing the potential impact of a inaction around climate change, the assessment reportedly goes into how many people will die, which suburbs will be taken over by the ocean and what will happen to our farms because of climate change.
So why do they refuse to release it?
Senator David Pocock has seen the report and told the Saturday Paper the results were “frankly terrifying.”
For my full breakdown of that story, 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.
1️⃣ Historic Victorian home with a tragic backstory
Speaking of interesting buildings. This one in Colac, in Victoria’s west, is now on the market, prompting Zara Cutherbertson at the West Vic Brolga to have a look at its history.
Built in 1907 for local GP and surgeon Major Richard Horace Gibbs, the house served as his surgery.
Major Gibbs lost both his sons in the First World War — one killed in France, the other died of tuberculosis after Gallipoli—which led him to close his Colac practice and care for wounded soldiers in Melbourne until his sudden death in 1919.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
2️⃣ The silver bullet?
An 11-storey apartment building proposed on the leafy streets of Sydney’s north shore is the latest example of Australia’s housing crisis, sparking debate over housing supply vs. overdevelopment.
As the North Shore Lorikeet’s Huw Bradshaw reports, Independent MP Nicolette Boele has found herself at the centre of this debate, branded a "NIMBY" by critics, a label she rejects as both unfair and unhelpful.
“I strongly support affordable housing”, Boele told the Lorikeet. “The single biggest lever to making homes more affordable is to increase supply.”
Boele backed medium-density housing in her election platform, but said supply alone “isn’t a silver bullet,” and argued new homes must come with proper infrastructure and community consultation.
Locals had earlier supported a five-storey plan for the Castlecrag site, but the new developer is pushing for 11 storeys and has sought State Significant Development status, which could override council and community input.
Sydney YIMBY chair Justin Simon said taller buildings are necessary in heritage suburbs like Castlecrag, where most streets remain untouched, and that future residents’ voices need to be represented at the state level.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
3️⃣ Mapping the future in Eastern Melbourne
Flash flooding across the Yarra Ranges, in eastern Melbourne, is becoming more frequent, with “significant downpours” overwhelming ageing infrastructure and leaving locals worried every time the rain sets in.
As the Eastern Melburnian’s Matthew Sims reports, Yarra Ranges Council and Melbourne Water are now updating 12 flood maps across the region to better plan for housing, infrastructure and emergency response.
“We have seen an increase in the frequency of flooding events in the last five to 10 years,” Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said, warning most of the suburb’s systems were built more than 30 years ago and “are no longer designed to cope with these events.”
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