⏱️ You’re reading the National Account’s newsletter, sent on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe here.
👋 G’day everyone, Archie here.
I'm back from Canberra — with more content from my trip on its way. It was certainly an interesting city.
One observation: the amount of merchandise at the airport.
I’m slightly ashamed to say I now have a Canberra sticker on the back of my laptop.
But now, I’m back in Sydney and ready to bring you the news.
🍒 Yesterday I met a cherry farmer from my homeland of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Mike Casey isn’t your average cherry farmer - actually, he's not like any kind of farmer in the world. He runs what's believed to be the world’s first fully electric farm. And he reckons other farmers can do it as well. That story here.
I also got a minute of one-on-one time with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who confirmed the national climate risk assessment will be released this month, before the government’s 2035 emissions reduction target. That story here.
But today, we’re focusing on gambling. Or, more specifically, how much money Australians are losing to it.
These are not just statistics. It is rent money, grocery money and school fees being drained down the greedy mouths of machines ruthlessly designed to addict and cynically operated to maximise profits.
🗣️ Why did he say that?
$2.3 billion — or $1 million an hour — is lost to pokie machines in New South Wales.
That startling figure comes from the Wesley mission, a community service provider and church that analysed NSW government data to highlight just how severe this problem has become.
Western Sydney is the epicentre of pokie losses in the state. Canterbury-Bankstown lost $192 million in the three months to the end of June.
Wesley Mission CEO Rev Stu Cameron said losses are up, machine numbers are up and gambling harm is up.
“Community frustration is off the charts,” he said.
“If the government continues to do nothing in the face of such damning numbers, NSW looks to be on track to approach a record breaking, and community breaking, $9 billion in poker machine losses for the year.”
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.
1️⃣ Fuelling the fire risk
A heightened risk of bushfires is predicted in Victoria’s western district in the coming months, as the region continues to deal with record low rainfall and long-term drought conditions.
The dry conditions have left a dangerous build-up of fuel, including dead vegetation and fast-curing pasture, according to the Australian and New Zealand National Council for fire and emergency services 2025 spring outlook.
As the West Vic Brolga’s Zara Cuthbertson reports, emergency services are urging residents to prepare now, with the Country Fire Association warning “the more fuel available, the hotter and more intense a bushfire can become and the faster it can spread.”
Read that story by clicking below 👇
2️⃣ How long is it?
Last week I brought you Mathew Sims’ reports on what caused a local council and the Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) to pull their support of the Victorian Government’s carded play pokie trial.
Their reasons? Unclear timelines and the absence of mandatory pre-commitment.
Government documents seen by the Eastern Melburnian show September will be spent preparing the 43 trial venues in Monash, Greater Dandenong and Ballarat — meaning carded play itself won’t begin until October.
By then, the technology will only be in place for two months, not the three often touted.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s Rebecca Paterson said the government’s approach “significantly reduces the time this trial will be properly tested.”
A government spokesperson insists the “phased rollout” is necessary to bring venues and gamblers along.
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 Friday.
Cheers, Archie