Thousands of fire ant nests infest Qld properties
Fire ants are having a field day in Queensland, with reports of thousands of nests on some properties. Questions are now being asked about suppression efforts.
environmental issue
Green hydrogen developer pumped as partners ink deal
A development partnership for green hydrogen production at the Port of Brisbane could be a blueprint for refuelling facilities in the eastern states.
Green fuels, food, medicine probed by $60m research hub
Can businesses turn waste into jet fuel and gases into fish food? Researchers at an Australian university plan to investigate carbon-cutting projects.
Anger over handling of major reef health report
The latest government cash splash for the Great Barrier Reef failed to mention a major report about its "very poor" prospects was about to drop.
Tourist spot camping ban proposed after dingo attacks
Families with young children could be banned from camping outside unfenced areas at a popular tourist spot after a spate of dingo attacks.
BHP’s climate transition ‘more than window dressing’
Resources giant BHP has defended the carbon footprint of its mining operations even as demand for traditional commodities and future-facing products expands.
More cash to recycle soft plastic after REDcycle fiasco
More than 43,000 tonnes of hard to recycle plastics will be diverted from Victorian dumps each year under a $15.6 million investment program.
Two regional cities may unlock Aussie renewable future
The Queensland cities of Townsville and Gladstone have been singled out as key to Australia's future in clean exports at a renewable energy event.
Indigenous rangers sharing knowledge to protect Country
First Nations people at the forefront of protecting country have gathered to share their land and sea management strategies for the first time in a decade.
What’s that name? Little-known EV brands race to market
Your next car might have a brand name you have never seen before as a host of Chinese automakers line up to launch electric vehicles in Australia.
BlueScope backs Port Kembla steelworkers amid downturn
A major steelmaker warns of tough conditions as it braces for rising electricity, gas and labour costs amid a stubbornly soft home building market.
Mixing science and culture snags win in seagrass rescue
Cultural and scientific knowledge combine as important ingredients in protecting and restoring seagrass but now the effort is in expanding the process.
New climate projections drill down to suburban level
NSW and ACT residents can now zoom in on sophisticated new projections that show how climate change will affect their own backyards.
NSW did nothing in a year to help most at-risk species
A government audit has delivered a scathing assessment of the NSW environment department's efforts to save more than 1000 species from extinction.
Truer extreme weather forecasts come rain hail or shine
Aussie researchers are helping build a global hailstone library and the result will be better forecasts for extreme weather.
Ocean health ‘at tipping point’ as climate threat grows
As climate change threatens the health of Australia's oceans, the government is developing a plan that will attempt to bolster the biome's sustainability.
Earth science satellite to track methane from space
Major sources of an environmentally damaging gas will be scrutinised from above when a group of climate experts launches a satellite with SpaceX.
Scientists make ‘miracle material’ from microplastic
Microplastics can be transformed into a "miracle" material prized by industries around the world using a technique discovered by Australian scientists.
Australia risks missing $250b green iron opportunity
Urgent reforms are being called for to allow Australia to become a world leader in the production and export of iron produced with renewable energy.
It’s a girl! Milestone in fight to save ancient fish
Scientists are celebrating the arrival of a bouncing baby girl, as they race to save an ancient species from the jaws of extinction.
‘They’re failing my people’: calls for climate trigger
A climate trigger is urgently needed to stop gas and mining projects destroying Australia's environment, activists and Indigenous people say.
Popular utes score bad marks in real-world vehicle test
Some popular utes use more petrol and produce more pollution than lab tests promise, according to a motoring body, and could cost drivers more than expected.
New report a code red on health effects of fossil fuels
Doctors say Australians must grasp the vast range of health threats fossil fuels pose and pressure politicians to dump them as quickly as possible.
Transition ‘well under way’ as AGL rejects nuclear push
Energy giant AGL has posted a stellar profit on higher power prices, taking the lead in the transition and dismissing nuclear as too costly and too late.
Conservationist fears for ancient, namesake frog
Logging continues in a small patch of NSW where a rare frog lives despite the species being listed as endangered under both federal and state laws.
Senator, insurer clash over cyclone ‘price-gouging’
A major insurer has been accused of making big profits during natural diasters at an inquiry into the impacts of climate change on the insurance sector.
Homes of endangered greater gliders face logging threat
A conservation group is urging the Queensland government to protect land with greater glider habitat after logging near a site where the species has been seen.
A bird? Plane? It’s an autonomous electric flying taxi
Catching a ride to a faraway place could involve a small aircraft with no pilot in future, experts say, as regulations race to catch up with the technology.
Timber industry battles shift to man-made power poles
The timber industry has stepped up its fight against the phase out of wooden power poles in NSW - a move designed to make the network more fire resilient.
Scientists despair as farmers clear nature hot spot
Scientists say one of Australia's most valuable biodiversity hot spots is in danger of death by a thousand cuts as pastoralists clear the landscape unchecked.
Warnings of reef at risk with centuries-first heating
Governments have welcomed the UN not listing the Great Barrier Reef as in danger, but new research shows water temperatures are at dangerously high levels.