Net zero ticker: Despair as Coalition fails climate test
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February 11, 2021 12.05am
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Credit:Fairfax Media
I now feel a total sense of hopelessness and despair (“Net zero action: Cabinet shuns climate laws”, February 10). All sense of urgency to ensure the safety of future generations and biodiversity on this planet is being completely ignored and used as
a political plaything. What can we possibly do, as citizens of this country, to convey this utter despair to our supposed leaders? Anything?
Judy Hungerford, North Curl Curl
Just about every institution – including state governments, business, unions and farming groups – want net zero emissions by 2050 to be legislated. But the Coalition federal government still demurs. Scott Morrison is fearful that the same fate is in store for him that was meted out to Turnbull.
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Most Sydney houses are pulling in record numbers, with the median house price hitting $1.2million and prices climbing by an annual pace of 6.7 per cent.
Domain senior research analyst, Nicola Powell, said an interest rate cut in November, taking the cash rate to a new record-low of 0.1 per cent, boosted demand in most markets at the end of a difficult year. Record-low interest rates have spurred buyer activity with cheaper credit easing the affordability of mortgage repayments, Dr Powell said.
Sydney s median unit price of $729,840 fell by 0.3 per cent last year, with apartment living in Australia s biggest city still far more expensive than living in a house in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart of Darwin.
How Sydney s northern beaches COVID-19 outbreak in Avalon unfolded
By Jonathan Hair
FriFriday 22
Annie Hawke came into close contact with a positive case at Avalon RSL.
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Annie Hawke doesn t like to be called the matriarch of Avalon Beach, but she is one of its oldest residents.
The 91-year-old former teacher is happy to be called the area s mother having lived in the suburb on Sydney s northern beaches for more than half a century.
Over that time, from the wooden deck of her tree-encircled home, she has seen the area change from a little hippy village to the affluent suburb it is now.
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More than 70,000 residents on Sydney s Northern Beaches have celebrated their first taste of freedom in three weeks as the region s draconian Covid lockdown was finally lifted at midnight.
Suburbs north of Narrabeen Bridge, known as the northern zone, have been under stay-at-home orders since December 19.
They have not been allowed to leave the zone and were only given permission to leave their homes for essential shopping, healthcare reasons or exercise.
Mona Vale Beach was packed with families and groups of young people on Sunday, with locals making the most of the 28C weather.
Further north at Avalon Beach, hundreds of beachgoers were seen sprawled out on the sand and in the water.
Australians flocked to the beach this weekend to soak up the sun after weeks of miserable weather.
Beaches across Australia s east coast were packed as the temperature nudged 30C in Sydney and Brisbane with highs of 37C in Adelaide.
The weather is set to take a turn for the worse from Monday, with extreme heatwaves set to sweep across Melbourne, Adelaide and parts of Western Australia for at least three days, with severe fire dangers also expected for Tasmania and Victoria.
Forecasters at the Bureau of Meteorology predict temperatures will hit the high 30s across Victoria on Monday, rising as high as the low 40s in the state s northwest.