Housing crisis fix should involve wood – the ‘ultimate renewable'
So, when we're building these desperately needed new homes, renovating existing ones or even furnishing our current ones, we want to do so in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way so that we can all play our part in meeting the global goal of net zero by 2050.
United Nations-backed climate science data shows that to avert the worst impacts of climate change we must ensure the global temperature does not increase by more than 1.5 degrees. The UN admits that 'transitioning to a net-zero world is one of the greatest challenges humankind has faced'.
Achieving this target means slashing the current rate of carbon emissions, while finding new ways to absorb and store remaining greenhouse gases. The maths is daunting: we need to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 to give ourselves any chance of meeting net zero by 2050.
'It calls for nothing less than a complete transformation of how we produce, consume and move about,' the UN states plainly on its website.
Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has identified several steps for decarbonising, including embracing circular economy principles, finding ways to expand zero-emission technology options and scaling up nature-based carbon sequestration.
Turns out, trees have been doing this since the beginning of time. Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) head of marketing Sarah Downey notes — with a nod to the group's campaign The Ultimate Renewable — that when done sustainably, forestry is circular.
'Responsibly sourced, certified timber comes from well-managed forests,' she says. 'This means trees are regrown, biodiversity is protected and carbon stays locked away.'
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Courier-Mail
11 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Aussie tourist shares Bingin horror: 'They started knocking our hotel down while I was in it'
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sledgehammers are piercing the air in Bingin, Uluwatu's hippie sister. This beloved beachy community, known for its boho vibes, clifftop shacks, sprawling homestays and local warungs sits just north of Uluwatu. Though it has become more busy in the last twenty years, it's still less busy than Uluwatu, which has beach clubs, luxury hotels and now plans for a great big road carved into the cliff. Bingin is also home to one of the most mesmerising waves in the world. Bingin is one of the easiest barrels on the planet, and because of this it draws thousands of surfers every year to try their luck at it. However, this week authorities started demolishing more than 45 "illegal" businesses on the cliffside. This includes a mix of Western-backed joints and locally-run places that have been passed down the generations since the 1980s - from restaurants and bars to homestays and villas. Footage has emerged of demolition crews smashing down local bars with hammers (parts of the cliff are too steep for bulldozers) as distraught employees look on. As for the tourist experience on the ground, one Aussie surfer in Bali told Escape (under the condition of anonymity for fear of deportation) he was in a hotel with his partner when demolition began. "I was in the first hotel they targeted. No warning they just started knocking down and breaking sh*t while I was in it with my fiance." See also: Incredible photos show what Bali was like in the 1980s Eviction notices were sent a month ago, but due to their strange request that business owners tear their own joints down, locals hoped it was just bluster. Turns out it wasn't. X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY After a few weeks of social media outrage, online petitions and community protest, the Badung Regency Government ignored business-owners' pleas and gave the green light to the demolition crew. Aside from devastating the local culture and economy, this has sparked outrage among surfers all over the world. 11-time world champion Kelly Slater said on Instagram that this detracts from "the culture and beauty of what attracted everyone there in the first place.' Bingin has one of the best waves in the world. Picture: iStock. Mr Slater also said: 'Awful to hear and see that the beachfront at Bingin in Bali has been bought up and all the local (eateries) and other businesses will be demolished to make room for some kind of beach club and not sure what else?' 'Bali has been completely mishandled and ruined by foreign interests in recent years." Bingin Beach is only reachable via super steep staircases plunging and weaving down through the cliffside buildings that are being demolished, so the state of future beach access is unclear, reports. There has been much social media protest, so far to no avail. Pictures via Instagram (@savebinginbeach and @niluhdjelantik) Social media account Uluwatu Community, which is protesting the demolition, also raised the question: 'Rumours are spreading: is this really about law enforcement or about clearing prime land for bigger investors with deeper pockets?' 'It seems the idea of an 'undeveloped' cliff no longer fits into certain visions for the future.' It also said that Bingin residents and business owners have hired lawyers hinting that a legal battle may just be getting going. Social media account Save Bingin Beach wrote: "Why doesn't the government take the side of the locals? Why are family-run warungs and small businesses being destroyed while money-hungry beach clubs are allowed to stay?" They added: "Why does Bingin's natural beauty have to be sacrificed just to make room for unnecessary developments? This isn't progress – it's greed." See also: This once-secret Bali beach is about to get a glass elevator, and tourists are furious Aussie travellers are now scuttling to find new accommodation, with one holidaymaker posting on Facebook: "If you have accommodation on the beachfront / cliff in Bingin I urge you to contact them… hotel / villa owners are dealing with a lot at the moment and some are not being proactive in contacting their guests to let them know they will not be able to stay there…" Bali surf shop @ mourned the demolition on Instagram. Others warned of similar things happening to them in the past at other locations in Bali. "Be careful" one Facebook user wrote in a Bali tourist community page. "We bought really nice accommodation to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, got to the resort and the pathway was being built on the beach at Seminyak. No access to the beach at all and the noise kept us awake all night every night!!!" Others guessed authorities were: "Making way for the next new concrete monster" like they did in Dreamland (another nearby beach). "I remember when Dreamland was really a dream in 2007," another Facebook user wrote. "Small local warungs near the shore, in front of a beautiful big wave breaking outside on a big swell and when the tide was low. I really miss so much that little piece of heart." Aussies have also been warned to let the local community do its thing and not get involved, as foreigners caught protesting in Indonesia risk two weeks in jail followed by immediate deportation and a ban from the country. Should a big development now pop up in this prime piece of real estate it could hardly be considered a coincidence. As surf magazine Stab points out, ownership of nearly all of the Bukit has emerged in an informal and at times legally-ambiguous fashion. So why single out Bingin? Stab reports: "The developers lean heavily on the thin reed that these businesses are violating spatial planning laws and building regs. In plain terms: the land families have occupied, built homes and businesses on for generations, back when Bingin was still jungle, is officially not theirs. It's always belonged to the state. The government, after decades of apparent disinterest, has decided to enforce that technicality." Bingin locals like Mega Semadhi have urged the government to involve the community in the reshaping of the land - or at least keep the land a truly protected green zone. "I realise coastal land belongs to the state," Semadhi said. "But these buildings have been standing since the 1970s, long before current laws and regulations existed." "For years, they've been trying to engage in dialogue, urging the government to regulate development to prevent excessive growth and maintain Bingin's authenticity. But this is the result: unilateral evictions, with no real protection for the local community." "If demolition must be done, I beg you: Give the Bingin community the opportunity to collaborate with the banjar/traditional village/government agency to continue managing this area, as they are the ones who have developed, maintained, and made Bingin known internationally." "Or, if not, make Bingin a truly protected green zone. Let only coconut and pandanus trees grow, not the new beach clubs that are mushrooming in Bali." "Bali is Island of the Gods not Island of Beach Club," he added. Footage of locals and tourists gathering together for one last time to watch the sunset yesterday before yet more demolition occurs provided a shred of hope for some. Lucky Fish Lounge, a Bingin bar, posted the following from @tropicamuse on Instagram: "A day after the demolitions began, I walked down to the beach. I wasn't sure what to expect. But what I found surprised me: Locals had gathered for a sacred ceremony - not to celebrate, but to pray, to hold on, to hope for the best." "Tourists, too, had come - maybe for one last time, to sit, to watch the sunset, to soak in the beauty before it's gone. Yes, some businesses are already leaving. Furniture being carried out. Doors closing. Others are staying, still hoping, still standing." "Traces of demolition are there. But so is the beauty. So is the spirit. If this place means something to you - go. Support the local businesses while they're still standing. Let the memory stay with you." The fight to reverse the decision (or at least involve the local community more in its transformation) is apparently ongoing. The petition to save Bingin from forced demolition has 18,141 signatures and counting at the time of writing, and can be signed here. The petition page claims that reports that local businesses are unwilling to pay local government taxes are inaccurate and says: "On the contrary, local businesses have demonstrated a high level of cooperation and a willingness to comply with all applicable requirements." According to the petition page, the local government has not issued the necessary permits to allow these businesses to register and fulfill their local tax obligations. "Meanwhile," the petition page alleges, "a well-known property developer and operator of one of Canggu's most famous beach clubs has begun promoting property investment opportunities using the image of Bingin Beach, despite the lack of official development approval, let alone consultation with the local community." Originally published as 'They knocked the hotel down while I was inside': Aussie tourists reeling as Bali hotspot destroyed
ABC News
16 hours ago
- ABC News
Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion halted after community legal challenge
A Hunter Valley community group has won a legal challenge to bring one of the largest coal mine expansions in New South Wales to a halt. In 2022 the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved MACH Energy's application to extend the life of its Mount Pleasant coal mine to 2048 and increase its output. The Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group (DAMSHEG) appealed the approval in the Supreme Court, arguing that the impacts of the project on the environment and climate were not properly considered by the IPC. The NSW Court of Appeal sided with the group on Thursday morning. DAMSHEG president Wendy Wales said it was a "landmark case". "We're just over the moon," she said. The group had requested a judicial review of the approval but that was denied by the Land and Environment Court. The Court of Appeal ruling has rendered the IPC's approval invalid. It will be subject to a review in the Land and Environment Court. The proposed expansion would allow the company to mine an additional 247 million tonnes of coal by 2048. In court DAMSHEG argued that the impact of scope 3 emissions — those created from the burning of exported coal — was not adequately considered. Justice JulieWard ruled there was "nothing" in the IPC's reasoning that showed it had accepted the scope 3 emissions would contribute to global climate change. "Thus, I consider that it has been established that the commission failed to consider a mandatory consideration in this regard," she said. Ms Wales said she wanted the region to move away from reliance on fossil fuels. "We would like to see that Mount Pleasant doesn't go through till 2048, doubling its rate of production," she said. The judge ordered MACH Energy to pay the costs incurred by DAMSHEG for the appeal. The ABC has contacted MACH Energy for comment. The case will now proceed to the Land and Environment Court for a decision on whether the expansion approval should be reversed. The mine employs more than 400 people in the Upper Hunter region and was previously approved to mine until the end of 2026. Ms Wales says bringing new jobs to the Muswellbrook region needs to be the priority. "We need to be working at how we do that and it takes all the collective brains to work towards that," she said. "[Muswellbrook Shire] Council has been calling for much more investment in and attention to how we're going to look after the workers and the rehab of our area."
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Outback astronomers lodge appeal against Hydrostor's $1b energy storage project
A nearly $1 billion energy storage venture has hit a roadblock after an astronomy tourism business lodged a court appeal against the New South Wales government's decision to approve the outback project. In February, the NSW government approved Canadian company Hydrostor's 200-megawatt Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) project on the outskirts of Broken Hill as a State Significant Development (SSD) application. Linda and Travis Nadge own the tourism business Outback Astronomy, approximately 1.1 kilometres from the project, and lodged an appeal in the Land and Environment Court stating the project adversely impacts its business operations. In court documents obtained by the ABC, the Nadges said there is no agreement between them and Hydrostor addressing the noise levels at its address. The pair also said the project did not sufficiently identify lighting impacts, and that the environment impact statement and lighting impact assessment do not provide "any assessment of the light disturbance conducted at night". They say the Outback Astronomy business requires, over the course of a 30-day lunar cycle, three weeks of a dark, moon-free black sky to run its sky shows. Their other events require a moonlit sky to work. The pair also claim the environmental impact statement did not have a construction environmental management plan (CEMP) and therefore the project does not comply with EPA Act or key EPA regulations. In total, the Nadges made nine contentions in their 18-page statement, which was lodged in the NSW Land and Environment Court on May 16. They also contended the project did not meet zone objectives or have adequate essential services, in addition to lacking landowners' consent and detail on the development layout. Overall, the statement said, there was insufficient material to assess the application. Hydrostor lodged a response on June 16 and the NSW government on July 3, respectively. In response to noise concerns, a lawyer acting for the minister for planning and public spaces stated that the noise impacts on the Nadges were "assessed to comply with the NSW Noise Policy for Industry". Both the minister and Hydrostor denied the Nadges' contention regarding lighting impact. Both respondents' lawyers rejected the need for a CEMP, stating the project complied with the Planning Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). "It amounts to a contention that the minister's delegate did not have the jurisdiction to determine the SSD application, which is not a matter that is appropriate to be dealt with in this court's class 1 jurisdiction and is in an event denied," the minister wrote. As part of their statements of facts, the Nadges contend a residence adjacent to the project and across the highway from the Outback Astronomy business would also have adverse noise impacts from the project. In its reply, a lawyer for the state government alleged the residence was "unlawfully occupied" on land legally owned by the NSW government, and the residence had been constructed without "development approval". A day-long conciliation conference for the parties is scheduled for August 21.
