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Good rainfall across much of Australia in the past year has kept the vegetation green and rivers flowing. For the fifth year in a row, our national environment scorecard for Australia’s landscapes in 2025 rated them as “above average”...

But underneath the ocean waves, it was a different story. Marine heatwaves and the algal bloom in South Australia were a disaster for Australia’s underwater ecosystems and their unique animals and plants.

The annual State of the Climate report, just published by the World Meteorological Organization, suggests we’re still too reliant on fossil fuels. And that’s pushing us further from our goal to decarbonise.

So what is happening to our climate? And how should we respond?

https://npq.org.au/plants-markets/ First plant market for 2026 is in Samford in March.

There will be a huge range of native plants to suit any garden, plus many highly knowledgeable people to answer all your native plant questions.

Open to all (indoor event so no pets allowed). Details are as follows:

✅ Low prices direct from growers ✅ Tubestock to larger plants ✅ Fantastic range for all gardens (water-wise plants, bush foods, bird/bee/butterfly-attracting plants, PLUS rare and unusual plants) ✅ Food, drinks and snacks are available from the onsite cafe. ✅ Cash and EFTPOS available. Location: Samford Showgrounds, 38 Showgrounds Dr, Highvale Date: Saturday 28th March, 9am to 3pm Cost: Free entry & parking!!

All times and locations listed.

Date: 31 March (register beforehand)

Description

Solar Citizens CEO, Heidi Lee Douglas on:

• The findings of our ‘Unlock Solar for Renters’ PolIs Conversation

• Revealing the 3 top policies that renters and landlords agree on

• Why energy efficiency standards are vital for renters

• The bold new idea that would make our cities and towns energy self-sufficient and provide clean affordable rooftop solar power to renters

Multicultural Leadership Initiative CEO, Rathana Chea

Why energy equity is imperative to share cost of living savings and reduce emissions

Smart Energy Council A/CEO, David McElrea

New technology solutions to save energy costs for renters

If I’d driven to Woolworths and bought imported or industrially grown vegetables wrapped in plastic, flowers flown in from Kenya, and produce grown with synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, that would count as a positive contribution to Gross Domestic Product. The packaging counts. The freight counts. The retail transaction counts. The profit counts. Even the pollution and waste generated along the way are often folded into “growth” in the system.

But stepping outside to pick lunch and dinner from the garden, and cutting flowers for the kitchen table doesn’t. That should tell us something.

With Labor and the Coalition supporting the increased integration of our defence capabilities into the US/UK military industrial/big tech complex and no prospect of any transparent Parliamentary inquiry, a group of concerned Australians have been working to establish an open, public inquiry into the economic, environmental, social and political implications of the AUKUS agreement.>

The individuals and groups supporting a public inquiry include retired politicians and military officers, unions, community, peace and, faith groups, members of Labor against War, academics and business people.

If you’ve ever done school drop-off on a hot day, you’ve probably thought about the classrooms our kids sit in all afternoon.

Or wondered how schools and childcare centres cope as power bills keep rising?

That’s why more communities are looking to solar and batteries, helping schools and childcare centres:

• cut energy bills
• keep classrooms cooler during heatwaves
• stay powered during outages

Time and time again, educators, energy experts, and community leaders tell us the same thing: solar and batteries for schools and childcare is a no-brainer.

On April 1, Parents for Climate will hold our first ever event at Parliament House in Canberra, sharing stories from communities already making it happen. Members of Parliament and Senators from across Australia are invited - and adding your name helps show them that families in their electorate want solar and batteries, which could encourage them to attend.

For more info and to sign the petition: https://www.parentsforclimate.org/power-our-schools-now--

This guide provides details of 80 species of native plants from SEQ suitable to grow indoors, on cool or hot balconies, in courtyards or cottage gardens. There is information for each species on how easy it is to grow, light and water requirements, colours of flowers and fruit, along with characteristics including size, optimal growing conditions, where the species occurs naturally and if rare or threatened. These plants can be sourced from Native Plants Queensland or other local community groups or nurseries. When purchasing plants, we need to keep in mind that the source is sustainable and plants were obtained ethically, particularly for rarer species, and we must not collect plants or seed from the wild. Further details regarding the species are often available online, as well as from the book Mangroves to Mountains.

https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0035/1778219/Native-plants-for-pots-and-gardens-booklet-Final-low-resolution.pdf)

This is a great project that could be replicated in hundreds of places in Australia and address various challenges at once: food waste, locally made stock feed, compost and fertiliser plus create more regional employment and reduce greenhouse emissions.

Why grow a nature strip? Helps wildlife survive, brings coolness, beauty and amenity to your street and can open up conversations with locals, creating better neighbourhoods.

What to grow? Here's some ideas from Gayle Dallaston of The Shady Lanes Project: https://shadylanes.com.au/naturestrips/plants-on-my-brisbane-nature-strip/

The State Government announced yesterday, Friday, that it will no longer consider applications for new mines or allow new coal exploration, BUT, extensions to existing mines will still be considered.

To read more: https://thepoint.com.au/news/260321-nsw-bans-new-coal-mines-in-landmark-shift-towards-fossil-fuel-phase-out