Koalas at risk of death once seven-day temperatures rise beyond 27C
Nutritional and climate refugia for koalas

"Extreme heat is a major factor in the number of deaths and hospitalisations of Australians every year....An analysis of 11,862 koala rescue admissions to NSW animal hospitals found the marsupials were more likely to die when the seven-day average maximum temperature was greater than 27 degrees Celsius."

"Dr Mella said water stations could be left out as well as shade structures built for koalas in hot regions like north-west NSW. We do that for cattle and we do that for animals that we use for our needs, so we really should be doing it for wildlife as well."

When koalas rests low to the ground in the shade trying to beat the heat they are usually chased and injured by dogs and car. >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-05-27/koala-deaths-linked-to-a-few-extra-degrees-of-heat/106722276
#Koalas #refugia #FossilFuels #heatwaves #drought #climate #cars #sprawl #dogs #NSW #MassMortalities #widllife #extinctions #DomesticAnimals #HeatRelatedRisks #biodiversity

Crashes at Lavenders Bridge, North Bellingen

* Just a short time ago two women were killed and another seriously injured after a motorist 'lost control' near the notorious Lavender Bridge and smashed into two cars parked at the riverside swimming spot. >>
https://coffscoast.newsofthearea.com.au/a-woman-has-tragically-died-in-a-crash-at-bellingen-on-thursday-afternoon

* Today there was another serious incident involving two e-bikes. An ambulance was seen at the crash zone. An injured person was seen lying on the ground. (The ambulance is visible on the Kombu Flood Camera at 2026-05-24 11.26 ) >>
https://kombuwholefoods.com.au/floodcam/

* The long road to a bike-friendly Australia >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/116626357349183983

* In the design of the new 'Lavenders Bridge Replacement' bikes and foot traffic do not seem to be a feature. A lot of bitumen was smeared over the river banks to facilitate the convenience for cars (parking).

Image: North Bellingen, Lavender Bridge Black Spot by design

#MobilityDesign #LavendersBridge #cars #motorists #infrastructure #climate #ActiveTransport #footpaths #SharedStreet #cyclists #ProtectedBikeLanes #dehumanisation #sprawl #suburbia #traffic #aggression #RoadRage #RoadTrauma #CarDependency #FossilFuels #BellingenShire #accidents #crash #pedestrians

The long road to a bike-friendly Australia
and the dehumanisation of cyclists

* "At the rate Australian cities are building cycling networks, a cohesive system is probably decades away. What’s taking so long?

"NSW wants to double active transport trips in 20 years...But at the rate Australian cities are building cycling networks, a cohesive system is probably another 50 years away, experts speaking to The Fifth Estate warned. Progress is slow. (One bike bridge was recently installed in Melbourne after 37 years of lobbying and discussion.)"

"A 2024 report by The Australia Institute points out that less than 1 per cent of federal road funding goes to active transport infrastructure."

"Richter was one of 49 bike riders who died on Australian roads last year, up on the average of around 38 deaths per year between 2012-23. (Thousands more were hospitalised with serious injuries during that period.)." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-24/active-transport-cycling-bikes-cities-safety/106710436

* Dehumanization of cyclists predicts self-reported aggressive behaviour toward them: A pilot study >>
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847818308593?dgcid=author

#MobilityDesign #cars #motorists #infrastructure #climate #ActiveTransport #footpaths #SharedStreet #cyclists #ProtectedBikeLanes #dehumanisation #sprawl #suburbia #traffic #aggression #RoadRage #RoadTrauma #CarDependency #FossilFuels #Australia

IMAGE: Children on scooters on a 'normal' Bellingen bitumen streetscape lacking a footpath or a cycle path. Nothing is protecting the flesh and blood from metal and steel.

The state of young Australians
A crisis of social reproduction

* “Many Australian children struggle with their mental health. Recent data shows around one in seven children (13.9%) aged 4–17 experiences a diagnosable mental illness.”

“…We estimated that reducing factors such as parental psychological distress, hostile parenting and partner violence could potentially prevent up to 40% of severe and persistent mental health problems in young Australians.” >>
https://theconversation.com/to-improve-childrens-mental-health-start-by-supporting-their-parents-271944

* Young Australians kept in the dark
Australia’s social media ban preventing teenagers from accessing the news, research finds >>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/19/australias-social-media-ban-preventing-teens-from-accessing-the-news-research-finds

* Sydney mum reveals the huge cost of the school run (Young people's socialisation into (car) dependency)
"She would easily spend $170 a week on petrol, and drives between 80km and 90km often six or seven days a week, depending on what’s on. In 2024, the average household should budget between $10,000 and $25,000 a year to own car." >>
https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/scool-run-australia-cost-2024/
#SocialReproduction #StateRetreat #CareDeficit #MentalHealth #anxiety #children #parenting #carers #family #DomesticViolence #violence #suburbia #sprawl #cars #MobilityDesign #CarDependency #work #WageStagnation #inequality #housing #instability #DoubleBurden #financialisation #outsourcing #SocialMedia #MSM #independence #citizens

Sprawl, cars and climate
Transport set to be Australia’s top-emitting sector by 2030, private cars (SUVs) still dominate.

“If you’re in suburbia or regional Australia and you’re trying to make a journey, often you’ll find public transport is just not a viable option and you have no choice but to drive."

"Experts have pointed towards an Australian love for US-style SUVs as a contributing factor to the rising death toll on roads nationwide, which has climbed every year since the pandemic, with NSW the highest of any state." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/07/sprawling-city-public-transit-work-sydney-right-track
#sprawl #cars #SUVs #DeathToll #transport #climate #PublicTransport #NSW #MobilityDesign

Housing development and agricultural expansion whittled the earless dragon grassland habitat down to 0.5% of its prior extent.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/04/victorian-grassland-earless-dragon-melbourne-zoo-endangered-species-second-extinction
#biodiversity #reptiles #NativeGrasslands #wildlife #conservation #sprawl