University of Queensland

A billion-dollar exercise in looking virtuous, while watching the bush go to ruin

4 July 2025 / 12 Comments

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.

Stealing a mountain – a warning for all of us

2 June 2023 / 20 Comments

“By limiting access to a public space based on religious beliefs and a narrow definition of identity, the rights of those who do not fit these criteria are unequivocally violated. The park, funded by taxpayers and intended for the enjoyment of all, is being co-opted by a specific group, imposing their beliefs onto the general population”.

Bladensburg – a cultural experience in the Outback

5 March 2021 / 3 Comments

It is always good to get the opportunity to visit a historic site that represents the area you are visiting. In this case, I am talking not about an old building or monument in town but a sizeable pastoral station in the Outback.

Bladensburg was one of the original stations in the Winton district, grazing thousands of sheep and around one thousand cattle.… Read more

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