Lmst

Manly Blog

Observations about culture and use of 'Country'. A morphing meme cloud from Manly Beach, Eora Nation.

Sydney's drinking water catchment:
Record $2.9m penalty for mine's unlicensed water take to fund rehab of heritage-listed swamp.
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-01/wingecarribee-swamp-rehabilitation-dendrobium-mine-payout/105237696
#water #Sydney #biodiversity #mining #coal #rehabilitation #Wingecarribee #Swamp

Killing (trees) for a view in Sydney's leafy suburbs

Fines for a multi-million dollar property with views is "just the cost of doing business". >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-01/nsw-government-illegal-tree-poison-cut-council-fines-jail-sydney/105205004
#Sydney #views #trees #TreeVandalism #UrbanHeatIsland #biodiversity #crime #governance #BusinessAsUsual

“Bike riding is largely viewed as a recreational activity – I think that’s the principal philosophy here.” (in Australia) >>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/13/sudden-closure-of-iconic-bridge-to-cyclists-shows-car-is-still-king-in-brisbane
#MobilityDesign #cars #Australia #mindsets #FossilFuel #climate #Automobility #cyclists #pedestrians

One-third of Australia’s coastal terrestrial aquaculture at risk from sea level rise

"We found by 2100, sea level rise threatens to flood 98% of the state’s approved prawn areas."
https://theconversation.com/98-of-queensland-prawn-areas-at-risk-of-inundation-by-rising-seas-this-century-253330
#FossilFuels #coast #inundation #SeaLevelRise #aquaculture #food

Environment watchdog confirms Sydney’s mystery beach balls likely came from sewage treatment plants >>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/04/sydney-sewage-treatment-plants-debris-balls-epa-investigation

From sewage and scum to swimming in ‘blue gold’: how Switzerland transformed its rivers >>>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/17/from-sewage-and-scum-to-swimming-in-blue-gold-how-switzerland-transformed-its-waterways-aoe
#sewage #pollution #NSW #beaches #swimming #civilisation

From Riding On The Sheep's Back to
Riding On The Dogs's Back

"A border collie bought at auction for a record-breaking $40,000 has produced a litter of nine puppies.Liz was bred with half-brother Sid, in a common practice known as line breeding, which involves mating dogs within the same family bloodline."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-23/border-collie-muster-dog-liz-gives-birth-to-nine-puppies-monto/105072562
#dogs #inbreeding #Australia #OnTheSheepsBack

Stressed Norfolk pines at beach car parks
to be woodchipped

"Norfolk pines were planted after much of the Gold Coast region was cleared of its original tree cover and many were now in difficult growth areas like car parks and other paved areas. Have a look the trees that are next to car parks; they look worse than those that are in stands [groups]...Maybe the best way is to completely avoid roads and car parks." >>
“https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-21/norfolk-pines-damaged-by-alfred-gold-coast-destroyed/105077320
#trees #cars #carparks #harm #ImperviousSurfaces

Chlamydia detected in Sydney’s only disease-free koala population

"The koalas were tested after they were found in Appin in south-western Sydney in September with injuries suggesting they had both been hit by cars." >>

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/20/chlamydia-detected-in-sydneys-only-disease-free-koala-population
#Koalas #roads #cars #Sydney #AppinRoad #roadtrauma

Little penguins trapped in rubbish and starving

"The penguin likely starved to death because it couldn’t break free."

"March has been a bad month for Victoria's little penguins, with large numbers discovered dead on beaches in and around Warrnambool and west of Phillip Island. Those deaths have been linked to rising sea temperatures and overfishing of the penguin's natural prey."
>>
https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussies-asked-to-think-twice-after-devastating-find-in-25kg-of-rubbish-collected-at-new-pier-011501039.html
#birds #penguins #rubbish #entanglement #starvation #plastic #packaging #overfishing #NSW #wildlife

From pouch to pouch - a way of life
Slurping and slumping from toddler food pouch to smoothies to elderly food pouches

“Something you never saw 20 years ago that has become entirely normal is the sight of a young child in a pushchair slurping his or her lunch from the nozzle of a pouch. - a way of life that continues long after babyhood. Sucking smooth, sweet puree direct from a pouch is also a recipe for tooth decay.”
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/15/ultra-processed-babies-are-toddler-snacks-one-of-the-great-food-scandals-of-our-time
#food #packaging #foodpouch

Time for No Go Zones

More floods due to climate breakdown, but new developments are still being built in flood zones...
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/15/brisbane-flood-proof-housing-developments
#FossilFuels #floods #flooding #climate #NoGoZones #NSW #rivers

On Sydney's leafy north shore, developers are circling.

"All the magnificent trees that are really vital habitat will go. The birds will go. It's a really special place."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-25/nsw-developers-sydney-suburbs-rezoning-train-metro-housing/104949442
#sydney #kuringgai #biodiversity

Ocean dumping - Sydney’s archaic sewerage system

"It is not just human waste that is being pumped into the ocean off Sydney’s popular beaches due to the city’s unusual and archaic sewerage system – government scientists have confirmed billions of microplastics are also polluting the water."

"Khan, who heads the school of engineering at the University of Sydney, said it was “not sustainable” to continue discharging “80% of the sewage produced by 5 million people into the ocean after only primary treatment”.
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/16/sydney-sewerage-system-a-significant-source-of-microplastic-pollution-csiro-finds
#ocean #dumping #plastic #microplastic #pollution #MarineLife #harm #wildlife #Sydney #sewage #beaches #Manly #NorthHead

In the basement...

"Elder Greg Bulingha Griffiths says he was aware of many more missing, culturally significant and sacred Gamilaraay objects stored in the basements of Australian collecting institutions, including the Melbourne Museum and Australian Museum in Sydney.Those basements are absolutely littered with Aboriginal relics."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-14/act-gamilaraay-dhulu-returned-australia-from-swiss-museum/104934608
#museum #IndigenousCulture #heritage #IndigenousPeoples #NSW #repatriation

Wage theft

"Both of Street’s parents were never paid a wage for their labour in their lifetimes; Street was only paid for his work for the first time when he was in his 30s".
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/feb/12/stolen-wages-fremantle-arts-centre-exhibition-feature
#work #WageTheft #Australia #IR #pastoralism

Australian beach culture

"It is not just sea level rise and erosion – the Griffith report lists a litany of threats to Australian beach culture in the age of climate crisis, from algal blooms to dirt and sewage washed into the oceans by increased floods and megastorms, to simple changes in swell direction."

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/12/endangered-waves-why-australias-iconic-surf-spots-could-soon-reach-a-breaking-point
#FossilFuels #beaches #surf #climate #surfing

An industrial fire in a chemical waste facility in suburbia
"An extremely dangerous situation. Firefighters battle large fire in Sydney's St Marys with local residents evacuated and paramedics on the scene.
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-04/st-marys-fire-western-sydney-cleanaway-factory-site/104896326
#pollution #fire #smoke #Sydney

Pumping sewage into the sea has long been a Sydney thing
– and even $32bn won’t change that.

"Sydney Water plans to spend $32bn to improve the city’s sewerage system over the next 15 years but waste will continue to be pumped into the ocean off its famous eastern suburbs beaches."

"Some experts believe Sydney’s unusual sewerage system – which heavily relies on the coastal plants – is to blame for thousands of debris balls or “fatbergs”washing ashore over the past six months. What we’re currently doing now is not sustainable."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/01/pumping-sewage-into-the-sea-has-long-been-a-sydney-thing-and-even-32bn-wont-change-that
#ocean #sewage #dumping #Sydney #Manly #NorthHead #beaches #NSW #balls