Restoring seabird populations and native plants on low-lying tropical islands may help them cope with rising seas, a study has found. Researchers said coral reefs around seabird-rich islands grew faster. Elsewhere, a basic income trial in the Peruvian Amazon reported lower food insecurity and environmentally friendly practices among participants. A Bangladeshi rug factory in Rangpur won a global architecture award, and Norway announced plans to protect children from harmful online content.
The cost of Snowy 2.0, the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric expansion, may now reach up to $25 billion. The project was priced at $2 billion when proposed in 2017. Its completion has been pushed back to late 2029. Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the project would still provide net benefits and blames geological challenges and early design decisions. Tunnelling is now 65 per cent complete. Opposition energy spokesperson Dan Tehan has called for Mr Bowen to resign, which he has refused.
Sarah Webber, a University of Melbourne lecturer, argues that Australia does not need mega AI data centres and that the push for them is driven by a competitive race among United States tech firms. She says claimed productivity gains from large language models remain unclear, with few local jobs created after construction and benefits flowing largely overseas. Webber contends Victoria's new rules are inadequate, citing diesel pollution, fire risk and noise reaching well beyond the 150-metre buffer. She also questions whether renewable energy and water commitments will add any real capacity, and calls for smaller, appropriately sized systems instead.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
The Federal Government has introduced legislation to create the National Gas Reservation Scheme, which it describes as a landmark moment and Australia's first national gas reservation scheme. Resources Minister Madeleine King says the aim is to secure gas for domestic and business use at fair prices. The bills include a reservation figure equal to 20 per cent of export volumes, changes made after consultation, and the removal of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism.
Resources Minister Madeleine King says national gas reservation laws will not cause prices to crash, though she declined to estimate how far they would fall. The proposed bill would require producers to sell up to a fifth of export-bound gas to Australian buyers, with the energy regulator setting annual volumes at 110 per cent of domestic need. The government describes the surplus as modest and says it should ease prices for consumers. King said the modelling is commercial-in-confidence, though a separate impact assessment is planned.
Pacific nations face surging sea levels, intense cyclones, and expensive energy costs. Australia pledged $13 million to support renewable energy projects, including solar-powered schools in Fiji and renewable projects in PNG. Pacific leaders urged faster climate finance access and a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030, highlighting the region's high electricity prices and heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels.
