‘Go back to drawing board’: 2032 planning laws slammed
The clock is ticking for the 2032 Olympics but critics say laws that will help ensure Brisbane Games projects are built on time will set a dangerous precedent.
environmental politics
More gas projects, less green tape call at energy event
Gas giants have called on the Australian government to approve projects faster and let them explore more mining opportunities.
Why the carbon offset ‘swear jar’ needs an overhaul
Firms relying on carbon offsets to tout their green credentials and reduce their environmental footprints are under fresh scrutiny after a court settlement.
Australia urged to spend big while green iron is hot
Australia could replace carbon-intensive coal and gas exports with green iron and quadruple earnings, a report says, but only if it makes changes.
MPs seek united front against Labor from torn coalition
Liberals and Nationals are being told to focus on applying the blowtorch to Labor rather than letting infighting take hold after their political marriage ended.
Carbon offsets set aside following greenwashing lawsuit
EnergyAustralia has pledged to back away from the use of carbon offsets to deal with emissions, in a statement following a legal settlement.
Thorny nature reforms threaten to entangle new minister
Labor's pledge to deliver a once-in-a-generation overhaul of environmental laws went unfulfilled in its first term, leaving a new minister to finish the job.
Residents to pursue class action over ‘toxic tap water’
Cancer-causing "forever chemicals" have likely been present in a tourist hotspot's drinking water for decades, a major investigation has found.
More households want to go full electric but lack spark
Millions more Australian households plan to cut gas and go all-electric but many say they need more information and guidance to do so.
Parent group challenges energy giant over carbon claims
EnergyAustralia will face the Federal Court to answer allegations some of its "carbon neutral" products were not as green as they seemed.
A glimmer of hope for nuclear dream after election bomb
Voters rejected a plan to build seven nuclear reactors, but some experts say the technology's role in cutting emissions means it can't be ruled out.
Wastewater may solve wee green hydrogen price problem
The cost of renewable hydrogen could be cut substantially if Australian researchers can scale their latest discoveries involving wastewater.
Election expected to drive confidence in electric cars
Australia's transition to low-emission vehicles could speed up after the election, experts say, fuelled by ongoing tax cuts and emission limits.
Drivers could pay more tax after electric car U-turn
Australian drivers and employers could miss out on thousands of dollars in tax savings if the coalition puts the brakes on an electric vehicle policy.
Nuclear power could take the shine off Aussie aluminium
Three out of Australia's four aluminium smelters could risk closure if Australia adopts nuclear power, reducing energy supplied to industry.
Dutton ‘believes in climate change’ despite debate call
After initially suggesting questions on the impact of climate change were best left to scientists, Peter Dutton has sought to clarify his position.
Call for workplace change to drive electric car take-up
Fewer than one-in-three electric vehicle drivers can access a charger at work and incentives could get more people to go electric and drive to the office.
Some hybrid cars thirstier than their petrol peers
On-road vehicle tests show some hybrid vehicles are not saving as much petrol as lab tests promise and a two use more than standard cars on highways.
Are cyclones worsening with climate change?
Tropical cyclones have become less frequent in Australian waters but experts say claims that they're not intensifying miss important context.
‘No more bills’: why batteries may change energy market
Helping more households capture solar power in a battery could have a market-wide impact, although some could miss out on the biggest savings.
Electric cars to rev up the energy grid, one at a time
Technology that will let drivers use their electric vehicles as giant household batteries is launching in Australia, although its reach is limited.
Towering presence, missing minister as PM visits reef
One of Labor's tallest candidates has made a splash at the prime minister's Great Barrier Reef stop, while the spectre of a missing minister haunted the event.
Liberals ‘not here to line gas giants’ pockets’: Dutton
Despite anger from the gas sector, Peter Dutton has doubled down on plans for a domestic reserve armed with modelling on how much households willsave.
Thirsty nuclear plants ‘could suck water from farmers’
Farmers and businesses may be forced to surrender gigalitres of water to fuel proposed nuclear power stations due to their inland locations, a report claims.
Car sales accelerate, with hybrids leading the charge
More drivers are getting behind the wheel of a new car but preferences are changing, with hybrids speeding up and petrol cars slowing down.
Will Tesla’s problems crash Australia’s electric dream?
The brand that has long led Australia's electric vehicle charge is falling out of favour. Can the nation's move to low-emission transport go on regardless?
Greens flag new condition in event of a hung parliament
A minority party will push for one per cent of the federal budget to be spent on "restoring" nature if the election produces a hung parliament.
U-turn on gas-guzzler fines could penalise motorists
Carmakers who fail to meet environmental standards will not be penalised under proposed changes expected during the election campaign.
Hitting the brakes: hybrid sales clouded by tax cut end
A tax concession for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles has come to the end of the road and experts say it could affect future car sales and emissions.
Call for household battery help to plug energy concerns
Cutting the price of solar batteries would lower household bills while easing pressure on the energy network, say groups pushing for a national scheme.
App to reveal how much farmers can reap from renewables
Work will be fast-tracked on software that can assess how much landowners could earn from installing renewable energy projects on their properties.