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👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
Apologies for my absence on Wednesday, I was out sick, but I’m back in full health! While I was out crook, though, I watched Blue Lights, an Irish cop drama on SBS, which was pretty good.
I’ve now also been put onto the British political satire The Thick of It and its spinoff film In the Loop. I would describe them as a more edgy British version of Working Dog’s Utopia.
Yesterday, I was back on the tools and filed a story on the background of how Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price found herself in the naughty corner this week, and was demoted by her boss. That story here.
I also filed this yarn on how Australia’s communications “watchdog” (ACMA), is considering penalties against Triple M after the comments about the Matildas made by former announcer Marty Sheargold. ACMA is not known for its sharp teeth, so we’ll see.
Sheargold’s comments at the start of the year caused the show bearing his name to be cancelled and led him to “part ways“ with the network. That story here.
Let’s crack on with the news 🗞️
I think it's crazy that the National Party is not behind this. It's ridiculous. It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to boost regional Australia
🗣️ Why did he say that?
Last week I went to Luke Osborne’s farm near Bungendore in NSW, just outside of the ACT.
Luke has about 1,000 head of cattle and, since 2008, has had 27 wind turbines on his farm.
Luke told me the turbines on his farm had provided a steady source of extra income that helped drought-proof his land and provide long-term security.
He said he couldn’t believe the Nationals weren’t backing the shift to renewable energy, as it’s a “massive wealth transfer from cities to rural Australia”.
Also, look at that view!
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 are the stories you might not hear about in the legacy media.
🦈 Fear or fact?
After a fatal shark attack on Sydney’s Northern Beaches last weekend, the NSW Government has scrapped a trial that would’ve seen shark nets removed from three beaches along the coast.
Huw Bradshaw at the North Shore Lorikeet spoke with marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck from animal rights group Humane World for Animals Australia.
Chlebeck said, “We understand the need for time and space [to be] given to a grieving community … however, we stand by our indication that shark nets do not provide public safety.”
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🐮 Can genetics cut the burps?
Every cow in western Victoria belches about 1,000 times a day — and each burp releases methane, a greenhouse gas more than 100 times as potent as CO₂ in the short term. Agriculture is responsible for half of Australia’s methane, most of it from cattle.
As Zara Cuthbertson reports, researchers say selective breeding could slash those emissions. By choosing sires and dams with low-methane genetics, farmers can breed herds that are better for the environment and more profitable.
Black Angus farmer Robert “Macka” McKenzie says his herd is now 40kg heavier at weaning and costs less to feed, thanks to DNA-driven breeding. “We purchased a bull in Scotland that’s number one in the world for feed efficiency,” he said.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
🖼️ Victorian council’s art vault
Whitehorse Council in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs owns more than 2,100 artworks — plus another 850 in its civic collection.
This makes it “one of the most significant municipal collections outside an Aussie capital city”, according to the council’s Deputy Mayor Prue Cutts.
As Matthew Sims reports for the Eastern Melburnian, at this week’s council meeting, Councillor Daniel Griffiths called for more transparency around the collection.
Griffiths wants a pause on new purchases until mid-2026; for images of artworks purchased since 2022 to be published; and for details on how much ratepayers spent on art in that period to be released.
Council has $77,000 set aside this year for acquisitions and conservation.
Council staff will revise the policy before it comes back for approval.
Read that story by clicking below 👇
The “spare bedroom tax“ 🛏️
@thenationalaccount There’s no such thing as a “spare bed tax” ##aus##news##auspol##tax##bedtax
The other night, my mum sent me a video talking about how federal Labor is proposing a “spare bedroom tax“. As someone who likes to think he’s in the know on these things, this caught me by surprise.
Well, it turns out this isn’t the case. There is no spare bedroom tax.
So how did these creators get it all so wrong?
Watch the full breakdown above👆
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