Lisa Cox
@lisacox.bsky.social
Climate and Environment Correspondent at Guardian Australia. Tips: lisa.cox@theguardian.com
More than 80 dead and sick birds seen on rocks off the South Australian coast are suspected to be the first mass mortality event from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, only six weeks after the disease arrived in Australia.
First Australian mass mortality event suspected as deadly bird flu virus rapidly escalates among native birds
Helicopter surveillance finds dead and dying greater crested terns on inlets off South Australian coast as H5 virus spreads
theguardian.com
The NSW independent planning commission’s public forums are unique in Australia. I watched three days of hearings as the commission considers the state’s largest proposed coalmine extension.
Locals fear for their children’s quality of life if the biggest coalmine extension in NSW is approved
Minns government promised no new coalmines but permits expanding existing sites, despite being behind on climate targets
theguardian.com
Days after winning the 2023 NSW election, premier Chris Minns and senior state ministers visited Menindee and committed to an investigation of mass fish deaths. But the state government’s plan to improve river flows and restore the Darling-Baaka is in doubt.
Mass fish deaths feared as Minns government promise to restore Murray-Darling rivers in doubt
Grazier is worried towns will ‘run out of water’ if flows don’t improve, urging state government to take action regardless of federal funds
theguardian.com
The last continent: how deadly bird flu travelled the world before landing on a remote Australian beach
The last continent: how deadly bird flu travelled the world before landing on a remote Australian beach
The H5N1 virus has now reached every continent on the planet. What does it mean for some of the world’s unique species?
theguardian.com
“The Northern Territory is out of sight – and often out of mind – for many Australians. But for 18 months, environment, First Nations, justice and family groups have been sounding the alarm with increasing urgency.”
Is the Northern Territory a ‘mini Trump-style government’?
The CLP’s ‘tough on crime’, pro-development agenda brings sweeping changes, which advocates say cut the NT’s most vulnerable out of the conversation
theguardian.com
There's a link to the full statement on the MEAA website now: www.meaa.org/Public/Conte...
Statement condemning Pauline Hanson’s treatment of journalist Sarah Martin
meaa.org
Stephanie Convery@gingerandhoney.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe National Media Sector of @withmeaa.bsky.social put this statement together yesterday in the wake of Sarah being attacked by Hanson at the press club. We need to call out attacks on press freedom when we see them. It's journalists standing together against this stuff that is going to stop it.
MEAA condemns the continuing treatment of journalist Sarah Martin by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Journalists must be able to do their job without fear of intimidation, exclusion, or personal attack. This is a moment for us to stand together and hold the line on press freedom. meaa.io/3SbzRlK
Concerns over US company’s gas fracking plan for world’s most intact tropical savanna in WA revealed
Concerns over US company’s gas fracking plan for world’s most intact tropical savanna in WA revealed
Federal environment department says Black Mountain Energy has provided insufficient data as it seeks to drill 20 gas wells in the Kimberley region
theguardian.com
World’s biggest miner BHP backtracks on climate action with key projects put on ice, leaked documents reveal www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
The BHP files: World’s biggest miner BHP backtracks on climate action with key projects put on ice, leaked documents reveal
Exclusive: Cache of internal documents leaked to the Guardian and the ABC’s Four Corners show multinational has war-gamed ways to massively delay decarbonisation
theguardian.com
Yes, this was *always* going to be the problem. Basically, what we’ve got now is a sustainable feral horse harvest. They should be completely removed from all national parks. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... - @lisacox.bsky.social
Feral horse numbers surge in Kosciuszko national park after pause in aerial culling, survey shows
Conservationists say population rebound demands rethink of retention zones that allow thousands of the animals to remain in the park
theguardian.com
Water flows to parched New South Wales wetlands where an urgent rescue mission to save dying wildlife unfolded are a step closer to resuming after legislation passed the state parliament’s upper house.
Water flows to parched NSW wetlands could be turned back on within weeks as drought fears loom
Water minister Rose Jackson calls drying in Gwydir region ‘devastating’ as bill passes upper house
theguardian.com
Emails reveal the New South Wales government has repeatedly delayed environmental flows to critical wetlands in the state’s Gwydir region in favour of winter cereal crops despite admitting it could harm breeding cycles of frogs and endangered birds and damage local ecosystems.
‘We don’t hear the frogs, we don’t see the birds’: government repeatedly delayed water to NSW wetlands, documents reveal
Exclusive: A grazier has released emails that reveal the state’s environment and water department prioritised harvesting of winter cereal crops over wetlands
theguardian.com
Environment groups have raised concerns about the latest draft of a national environmental standard for threatened species, ecosystems and world heritage areas.
Federal government accused of watering down proposal to protect Australia’s threatened species and ecosystems
Wilderness Society says changes undermined intent of national standards intended to reverse decline of plants, animals and ecosystems
theguardian.com
Two state govts failed to deliver river improvements in the northern Murray-Darling 8 years after they were promised, an audit has found. This includes failure by the NSW govt to secure any private land access needed to improve flows in the Gwydir region, where turtles were rescued last week.
Governments failed to deliver $160m of river improvements including for now-parched NSW wetlands, report finds
NSW and Queensland governments ‘severely underdelivered’ on promised infrastructure to improve water flows, independent review finds
theguardian.com
A leading scientist has criticised an “appalling” New South Wales government agency decision to stop water flowing to wetlands in the state’s north-west, saying it was “absolutely crazy” that researchers had to scramble to save animals buried in drying mud.
WaterNSW criticised for ‘appalling’ decision after hundreds of turtles left to die in wetlands
River ecologist says ‘classic bureaucratic tangle’ led to government agency stopping flows to Gwydir wetlands region in March
theguardian.com
An “incomprehensible” disaster is unfolding at wetlands in New South Wales after the state water agency abruptly stopped environmental flows in the state’s north-west, leading to the deaths of turtles, waterbirds, frogs and sheep.
‘Incomprehensible’: birds flee and hundreds of turtles left to die after government cuts water to NSW wetlands
Frogs and sheep in the Gwydir wetlands near Moree have also been bogged after WaterNSW stopped environmental flows, researchers say
theguardian.com
Worth some attention and further questions amid everything else, imo www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Albanese government rejected advice on Tasmanian salmon farming impact before passing pro-industry laws
FoI documents show ministers ignored recommendation for fresh inquiry that could have reduced or paused farming
theguardian.com
The environment minister, Murray Watt, has given the green light for the bulldozing of nearly 3,000 hectares of tropical savanna in the Northern Territory without an assessment under Australia’s nature laws.
NT environmentalists ‘gobsmacked’ at federal green light to bulldoze nearly 3,000 hectares of tropical savanna
Daly River region is home to threatened species such as the ghost bat, Gouldian finch, pig-nosed turtle and red goshawk
theguardian.com
The Australia government’s decision to allow Alcoa to continue clearing WA forest was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year. A document also shows the environment dept had told Alcoa since 2011 its clearing required approval.
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow Alcoa to keep clearing WA forest, document reveals
Document also shows US miner had been unlawfully clearing land for 15 years despite warnings from department
theguardian.com
The Aus govt’s decision to allow Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of WA jarrah forest despite its illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows. By @lisacox.bsky.social
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow Alcoa to keep clearing WA forest, document reveals
Document also shows US miner had been unlawfully clearing land for 15 years despite warnings from department
theguardian.com
Extreme heat lab: Enduring the climate of the future with @readfearn.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Extreme heat lab: enduring the climate of the future
Graham Readfearn enters a simulation to investigate how heatwaves affect the human body
theguardian.com
Property developers in Perth plan to bulldoze an endangered banksia ecosystem used by threatened black cockatoo species, and conservationists have warned the damage cannot be mitigated by proposed offsets. The developers want to replant the ecosystem within a different type of protected woodland.
Property developers spark anger over plan to clear woodland home to Baudin’s and Carnaby’s black cockatoos
Proposal to replant inside a different type of protected woodland would not replicate diversity of cleared sites used by threatened cockatoo species, conservationists say
theguardian.com
Environment minister hands “unprecedented” penalty to Alcoa but grants national interest exemption for further clearing of WA forest.
US mining company Alcoa hit with ‘unprecedented’ $55m penalty for illegal clearing of WA jarrah forests
Environment minister says Alcoa cleared known habitat of protected species to enable bauxite mining
theguardian.com
Australia projected to miss 2035 emissions reduction target ‘by a country mile’ unless it ramps up climate policies
Australia projected to miss 2035 emissions reduction target ‘by a country mile’ unless it ramps up climate policies
Climate change minister Chris Bowen acknowledges ‘additional work’ needed to meet 2035 goal
theguardian.com
The rewriting of Australia’s nature laws comes as a relief, yet I can’t help feel a sense of foreboding. By Georgina Woods
The rewriting of Australia’s nature laws comes as a relief, yet I can’t help feel a sense of foreboding | Georgina Woods
The minister says quick approvals can happen while protecting the environment, but my experience tells me that haste brings unintended consequences
theguardian.com
First take on EPBC amendments in the compromise deal struck to get it passed Justine Bell-James, @euanritchie.bsky.social, @drphilmccormack.bsky.social & me in @aunz.theconversation.com #NativeForestLogging #MinisterialDiscretion #UnacceptableImpacts #PayToDestroy #NationalEnvironmentalStandards
Long-sought environmental law reform is finally here. But will the compromise deal actually protect nature?
After years of failed attempts, Australia’s environmental laws are finally getting an overhaul. But will they stop the damage done to nature?
theconversation.com
Quick explainer on some of the main features of the new nature laws, noting some details remain to be seen
Seven ways Australia’s nature laws are changing after Labor’s deal with the Greens
Legislation to reform the EPBC Act runs to hundreds of pages – here are the main changes
theguardian.com
With Lisa Cox's years of detailed investigations & reporting, there's ZERO excuse to NOT KNOW the many & varied failures of NSW's biodiversity offset scheme Choosing to repeat these mistakes is contempt of public interest biodiversity policy #EPBC #BiodiversityOffsets #PayToDestroy
Lisa Cox@lisacox.bsky.social · 9mo agoThe Albanese government’s nature reforms would change biodiversity offsets policy, including by setting up a “restoration contributions” fund. Guardian Australia reporting exposed major failures with a similar scheme in NSW. Experts are warning the federal plan could repeat those mistakes