Female MPs say they are on high alert after the alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, five weeks before the Victorian election. International students say they fear disruption after sudden changes to student visa rules. The cost of Snowy Hydro 2.0 has risen to as much as $25bn, with completion now expected at the end of the decade. Russia carried out a major attack on Kyiv hours after Vladimir Putin said he had agreed to resume negotiations.
Almost every shallow-water coral reef on the planet, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, faces a high risk of ecosystem collapse before 2075 because of global heating, a United Nations nature assessment says. About 24 per cent of reefs across more than 80 countries are already critically endangered, rising to 96 per cent once expected heating impacts are included. Scientists say the findings are a wake-up call, as reefs could survive with rapid cuts to fossil fuel use and strong local conservation action. Dr Mishal Gudka said the risk was real and very concerning.
A proposed gold and copper mine upstream of the Great Barrier Reef is awaiting final sign-off from Queensland's Resources Minister Dale Last. Critics say the mine's environmental bond is only $18,000 and that its approval is being handled under small-scale rules. They also argue two backers should have been barred from mining after Bowen Coking Coal walked away from rehabilitation obligations. Environmental concerns include possible contamination of Kelsey Creek, which flows through the site.
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A new study is examining how weather systems affect the Great Barrier Reef. Researchers say the doldrums, areas of calm winds, reduced cloud cover and dry air, have been linked to coral bleaching. When these calm conditions stay in one place longer, cooling systems weaken and ocean temperatures stay higher. Dr Yi Huang said researchers need to understand how weather elements interact. Dr Neal Cantin said ongoing warming and an active El Niño are both raising the threat of bleaching this summer.
Woodside has paused operations at its $12.5 billion Scarborough project off Western Australia after Greenpeace activists staged a protest on a floating production unit. Two activists slept overnight on the unit, about 375 kilometres off the state's northwest coast, after the protest began on Saturday. Greenpeace says the protest is over concerns about the proposed Browse project and possible damage to Scott Reef, a coral system and feeding area for the endangered pygmy blue whale. Woodside says work has been halted following what it calls unauthorised access.
Greenpeace protesters were taken from a Woodside gas rig about 250 kilometres off the WA coast and flown back to police custody. The protest forced Woodside to halt work on the rig. Activists had hung a large banner opposing the drilling of Scott Reef and spent Saturday night on the platform. Police and Australian Border Force officers arrested protesters on Sunday. Greenpeace plans to deliver a petition with about 500,000 signatures to Woodside's Perth offices on Monday. Woodside has called the protesters' conduct dangerous, reckless and illegal.
Construction has begun on a 97-room, three-storey hotel near Bundaberg Airport, the first major short-term accommodation development in the city in 20 years. Mayor Helen Blackburn said a hotel demand study found the region was 800 beds short each night. MyState Limited is funding the project, which is expected to create about 50 ongoing jobs. Construction is due to finish by mid-2027, with the first guests expected later next year.
Fisheries Queensland has investigated coral overharvesting on the Great Barrier Reef, but declined to share the outcome. The 2025-2026 harvest of antler coral exceeded its quota by 30 per cent. Coral harvesting is permitted up to 190 tonnes annually, with much destined for the global aquarium trade. Ecologists and conservationists have expressed concerns about sustainability and compliance within the industry.
Research suggests extreme El Niño years will become more common as the world warms, driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists say the tropical Pacific could remain in an El Niño-like state for centuries, even after net zero is reached. Models show the longer the delay in reaching net zero, the more extreme El Niños are likely to occur. The findings suggest a slower route to net zero could bring more risks and higher costs for future generations.
The National Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first Environment Protection Order to Wombinoo Station in North Queensland. The order stops further land clearing on 1,600 hectares within the Great Barrier Reef catchment, south of Cairns. Hydrological evidence suggests further clearing could send more than 1,000 tonnes of fine sediment into the Reef each year. Agency compliance head Dani Yannopoulos said the order addresses the risk of further harm. The agency's investigation into the original 2025 clearing remains active.
The National Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first Environment Protection Order to Wombinoo Station in North Queensland. The order stops further land clearing that could send fine sediment into the Great Barrier Reef. It covers 1,600 hectares within the reef catchment, south of Cairns. Agency officials say more than 1,000 tonnes of sediment could reach the reef each year if clearing continues. The agency is still investigating the original clearing carried out in 2025.
The National Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first Environment Protection Order to Wombinoo Station in North Queensland. The order prevents further land clearing on the property, south of Cairns, to protect the Great Barrier Reef from sediment. The agency is investigating the original 2025 clearing, which remains active. The order aims to prevent further environmental harm and demonstrates the agency's new powers to intervene in threats to federally protected areas.
Louise Collier and Steve Sharpe have returned to Low Isles, off Port Douglas, to begin a second stint as live-in caretakers on the Great Barrier Reef. They first took the role in 2003 and stayed until December 2008. Their son Tom was born on the island in 2005 and spent his first four years there. The couple say a modern solar system and satellite internet have changed daily life on the island. They are hopeful the new stint could last four years.
Gold Coast beat Melbourne by 22 points at Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Arena, winning their sixth straight game and their first over the Demons since the Suns joined the AFLW in 2020. The Suns now sit level with Melbourne at 7-2, with three rounds left before finals. Adelaide beat Richmond by 32 points at Princes Park, moving back into the finals hunt at 4-5. Geelong took top spot with a 63-point win over GWS, though they could drop to second if North Melbourne beat Fremantle on Sunday.
Lady Elliot Island, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, was stripped of plants and seabirds after guano miners arrived in the 1860s. It stayed barren for more than a century. Aviator Don Adams and his wife Moya began replanting it in the 1960s and 70s, growing trees in a backyard nursery and hand-planting them. Their work continues under the Gash family, who run an eco-resort powered largely by solar energy. More than 20,000 trees have been planted, and about 100,000 black noddies now nest on the island each year.
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Scientists have discovered that black teatfish sea cucumbers can live for over 100 years, with some studied specimens reaching that age. The finding, made by comparing DNA samples from the Great Barrier Reef over 24 years, has significant implications for sustainable fishing practices. Professor Steven Purcell from Southern Cross University warns that overfishing threatens these long-lived creatures, which play a crucial role in marine ecosystems. The black teatfish is highly valued in Asian markets and is targeted by poachers in Australian marine parks.
Seafood shop owners in north Queensland fear they will have to close due to the looming Great Barrier Reef gillnet ban. The ban, set to take effect by June 30, 2027, will phase out the use of gillnets in the fishing zone. Commercial fishers and shop owners say the ban will significantly impact their businesses, as gillnets are crucial for catching species like barramundi. The Queensland and federal governments have provided financial assistance and temporary licenses, but no long-term solutions have been implemented yet.
