Hybrid and electric vehicles rev up second-hand market
Australians are buying more used hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars, although sales across all states and territories are slowing down.
environmental issue
Third hottest year notched as fires, floods hit at home
The world clocked its third hottest year on record in 2025 and is on track to surpass the 1.5C Paris Agreement threshold by the end of the decade.
Bushfires spark inquiry call as funding debate rages
Underfunding has been blamed for the scale of losses from ferocious bushfires but state authorities insist conditions made containment impossible.
Alarm bells as Murray declared critically endangered
Listing the beleaguered Murray River as critically endangered must be backed with action if it is to be saved, environmentalists say.
Want a safe car? Crash tests say you should go electric
The safest new vehicles in Australia are almost all electric, with the top performers delivering consistently across the various areas of testing.
National recycling pilot to stop solar energy eclipse
A national trial will recycle solar panels at the end of their working lives to extract valuable metals and boost Australia's circular economy.
‘Bloody good’: funding tap turned on by ‘poo balls’
The strange sight of balls of sewage repeatedly washing up on iconic beaches has triggered a $3 billion plan lauded by water and tourism experts.
Family watches cars, tents, wallets wash away in floods
A camper has described watching helplessly as her family's possessions were swept away in a dramatic flood event at a popular tourist spot.
Quietly dying: few forests spared from tree losses
Australian forests are thinning in a worrying finding for a world relying on plants to help soak up excess atmospheric carbon.
Extreme hot and cold driving inland health emergencies
As Australia swelters through a heatwave, research suggests inland populations can expect hot days to become a bigger cause of health stress in the future.
Tonnes of debris removed from ‘trashed’ remote beach
It took a team of 18 people six days to remove the plastic, ghost nets and other debris from a remote Top End beach just 190 metres long.
Welcome relief arrives for overheated southern states
The worst of a fierce heatwave impacting southern Australia is finally over.
Do not fully charge: Volvo electric vehicle warning
A serious fault has been identified in more than 2800 electric vehicles and, with no immediate fix, drivers are being warned not to fully charge the cars.
Novel car brands tipped to accelerate Aussie market
From Forthing to Farizon, consumers can expect plenty of fresh brand names in the local automotive market, with growth expected to almost double in a decade.
Hybrids, SUVs and utes race away with 2025 car sales
Australian motorists are increasingly choosing fuel-efficient vehicles but that does not mean a move away from SUVs or utes.
Magpies paralysed as illness strikes swooper-stars
An unknown illness has left a wildlife hospital overwhelmed with injured magpies, while across the country a mysterious outbreak is killing the songbirds.
Charges and changes: electric car shifts coming in 2026
Twists and turns are coming to Australia's electric car market, from a potential road-user charge and tax reform to the price of models launching on our shores.
Australia makes list of 2025’s costliest climate events
From catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles to devastating floods in Asia, it's been a tough year of climate extremes and their economic burdens.
Australians fleeing south to escape climate extremes
Australians are already on the move due to climate change, with one state the number one choice for those seeking relief from heat, floods and fires.
Drivers told to paws and think of road risk to koalas
Wildlife volunteers remind drivers to keep their eyes peeled for koalas as summer road trips begin, with a spike in the number of car strikes in one region.
‘Horse has bolted’ on cheap gas, even with reservation
Businesses and households want cheaper gas but it remains unclear how effective a plan to reserve more supply for domestic use will be at lowering prices.
‘Horse has bolted’ on cheap gas, even with reservation
Businesses and households want cheaper gas but it remains unclear how effective a plan to reserve more supply for domestic use will be at lowering prices.
Nukes and carbon capture remain off future energy plan
Wind and solar systems are projected to be the cheapest energy-generating technology in 2050 while small nuclear reactors will cost the most.
Mine site emissions new battlefield in coal climate war
Coalminers and environmentalists are clashing over a climate report on the sector finding net-zero emissions targets are unlikely to be hit at the current pace.
Koala ‘misinformation’ cry as population counts soar
Fresh data reveals Australia's koala count could be much higher than previously thought, as a contentious park to protect the species is called into question.
Cheapest path to energy and climate goals locked in
Solar and wind firmed by storage and backed by gas remains the cheapest pathway to meet Australia's growing demand for electricity while reaching climate goals
Electric shock: hybrids, not EVs, pose pedestrian risk
They may be quieter and heavier than petrol cars but electric vehicles are not more likely to crash into a pedestrian or to cause serious injury.
Heatwave, disease ‘catastrophic’ combo for hardy corals
A sturdy type of coral that usually withstands bleaching has been hit hard by a combination of heat stress and a disease rarely seen in the Great Barrier Reef.
‘Claim back our waterways’: calls for crocodile culls
Claims of an "infestation" of crocodiles is prompting calls for a cull as part of a management plan of the apex predators and to protect regional communities.
The smell of native grasses reviving women’s knowledge
Indigenous women are tapping into an ancient knowledge of native grains, harvesting and cooking with them, through their sense of smell.
Faster coal decline risks catching Australia off-guard
Demand for Australian coal exports might dry up faster than first thought, underscoring the need for rapid action to help mining communities prepare.