What has happened in the last few days is the consequence of years of neglect of the bushfire threat in the national park, which in this area is tantamount to malpractice by fire agencies and the land manager.
– Denis O’Bryan on the Mallacoota fire.
On New Year’s Eve 2019, Mallacoota was engulfed in a strange, frightening darkness.
A case study in folly #6 – the day the sun never rose at Mallacoota Read More »
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The place becomes a circus.”
Old Turkish Proverb
By the 1830s, white settlers from the Monaro, Canberra, and Goulburn districts were driving cattle into the Snowy Mountains each summer.
Kosciuszko’s managed decline: how politics and bad science burned the high country Read More »
For centuries, timber has been the backbone of human progress, building homes, fuelling fires, and shaping cities. Few of its many applications are as overlooked yet profound as the humble wooden paver. These blocks of timber, placed beneath the wheels of horse-drawn carriages and later automobiles, not only quieted the clamorous streets of bustling cities but also symbolised a harmonious partnership between nature’s bounty and human ingenuity.
The Swan River mahogany paves an empire Read More »
Timber is one of nature’s most versatile and enduring materials, offering numerous applications unmatched by any other construction substance. From structural beams and posts to decorative wall cladding, ceiling linings, furniture, joinery, and expansive decking, timber’s indoor and outdoor possibilities are endless. Beyond its structural strength, timber transforms living spaces with its warmth, texture, and depth, creating a natural sensory connection that manufactured materials cannot replicate.
This is not just a story of a fire that got out of control — it’s a story of a system that was never in control to begin with.
On 9 August 2018, a landholder on Yankees Gap Road near Bemboka, on the south coast of New South Wales, did what many had done before him.
Conservation in Australia is largely a matter of pious intentions.
Germaine Greer
When Anthony Albanese’s Labor government came to power in May 2022, environmental groups quickly pressed their wishlist onto the incoming ministers. Near the top was a global conservation commitment to protect 30 per cent of Australia’s land and oceans by 2030, part of a United Nations-endorsed pledge to halt biodiversity decline.
A billion-dollar exercise in looking virtuous, while watching the bush go to ruin Read More »
The prosperity of the Hastings Valley was shaped by the hard work of timber workers and the power of sawmills. It is a valley of vast forests, where towering blackbutts (Eucalyptus pilularis), tallowwoods (E.microcorys), Sydney blue gums (E.saligna), brushboxes (Lophostomen confertus) and flooded gums (E.
A valley forged in timber Read More »
Australia has been actively closing its major coal power plants despite their clear advantages in terms of low operating costs and the ability to provide continuous baseload power, regardless of weather conditions. This reckless policy experiment has led to soaring energy prices and jeopardised reliability.
Despite clear warnings, governments and regulators have doubled down on forcing coal out of the market, despite its ability to provide dependable, dispatchable power in favour of intermittent renewables that cannot.
Hello darkness, my old friend – Australia’s reckless closure of coal-fired power plants Read More »
Queensland’s national parks are a testament to the foresight and dedication of its early foresters. What set forest management apart in Queensland from the other states was the role of foresters in managing national parks. While their counterparts in other states focused primarily on timber and the sustainable utilisation of the timber resource, Queensland’s foresters were pioneers in balancing conservation with economic interests.
Forester’s unique legacy in Queensland Read More »
The day started rather innocuously on 18 March 2018 at Tathra, a serene coastal town nestled amidst the forested hills of southern New South Wales, renowned for its natural beauty near the sea. Yet, by 5 pm, this picturesque setting became the backdrop for a disaster that laid bare systemic failures in firefighting coordination, urban planning and bushfire preparedness.
A case study in folly #4: The price of ignoring fire risks Read More »
