Day 15 cont 
Looking back at promises for mental health due to underfunding.
“As Prime Minister #AnthonyAlbanese issues an election #pledge of $1 billion for #MentalHealth support #funding, professionals on the sector’s frontline are reserving judgement.“
#Health / #Youth / #Labor / #ProfPatrickMcgorry / #Straya <https://archive.md/5yJOK> / <https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2025/04/12/labors-faint-promise-mental-health> (paywall)
Free camping in Benalla while at the street art festival. Woke up to this view from my window. #straya
Day 14 
“Nearly 2m hectares of #forests suitable for endangered koalas have been destroyed since the iconic species was declared a #ThreatenedSpecies in 2011, according to analysis for Guardian Australia.
The scale of #habitat #destruction in #Queensland and #NewSouthWales – states in which the koala is formally recognised as being at risk of #extinction – has continued despite political promises it would be protected.
Analysis by the #AustralianConservationFoundation using state and federal government #data found 1,964,200 hectares of #koala habitat were cleared between 2012 and 2021, the latest year for which there was complete data.
The total amount of destroyed forest and bush covered an area larger than greater Sydney, taking in the #BlueMountains, the #Illawarra, the southern highlands and the #Goulburn and #Shoalhaven regions.
It is more than 10 times larger than the area the #NSW government is assessing for a possible “great koala national park”. But most of the cleared area – 81% – was in Queensland.
About three-quarters of the lost forest is estimated to have been cleared for agriculture, to create #cattle pasture and #crop fields. The analysis found 13% was removed by the #forestry industry and 5% for development of infrastructure, including #mining. Just 4% was likely due to natural causes, such as bushfire and drought.”
There’s a reason the Minister for the Environment has been kept quiet.
#Auspol / #Labor / #Straya / #ClimateExtinction <https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/12/koala-habitat-destroyed-since-2011-analysis>
Day eleven cont: 
️
“we’re watching the world being burned down by powerful men – we just didn’t know they would be such #losers”.
There are millions of us across this country right now who do not want #Australia to go down the #USA route. Who want to detach ourselves from Donald Trump 
and to look after us in this country” — #AdamBandt
#AusPol / #Greens / #economics / #Defence / #RAN / #Dolphin / #Submarine / f #AUKUS / #straya / #merica <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/apr/09/australia-election-2025-live-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-labor-coalition-greens-adam-bandt-debate-gas-prices-cost-of-living-economy-tariffsntwnfb?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-67f5e5098f08165382e331f2#block-67f5e5098f08165382e331f2>
they were all warning me about the wildlife but no one prepared me for the trees
Day Six
“Dr #SimonGrainger, a senior #climatologist at the bureau (#BOM) , said #Australia also had its joint warmest start to any year at 2.08C above average, tied with the January to March period of 2019.”
and the PM (#Labor) and opposition (#Liberal / #LNP) are having a pissing match over who can whisper into the ear a deaf, blind foreigner 
#AusPol / #Straya / #ClimateEmergency / #climate <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/03/australia-records-hottest-12-months-and-warmest-march-weather-on-record>
I had no idea they produce sugar from kangaroo here in #Australia #Straya
From the “Dept. Of Break Shit And Move Fast” 
“We need to get serious about using some of these younger generations in a different way,” Tate said.
“They are #DigitalNatives, and you will not lift productivity in your business without tapping that innate #SkillSet of these digital natives. It just won’t happen.”
“Tate said adding young, #TechSavvy workers to the company board – or setting up a parallel #technology advisory board composed of these workers – was a #LowCost way of lifting #productivity by accelerating the uptake of technology.”
Ah #Straya, where Companies are filled with Board members called Jeremy, James, Josh and Tiffany, educated, in #Law and #accounting, refined, with great oratory skills. Chums who went to school together.
Who rub the technology equivalent of two sticks together and call it “HiTech” and wonder why their being eaten alive by youngsters.
#Australian / #Conservative / #Business / #governance <https://archive.md/kkHyS> / <https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/put-tech-savvy-20-year-olds-on-asx-company-boards-hr-boss-20250331-p5lny8> (paywall)
We keep warning tourists about the dinosaurs and they never believe it ….#Straya https://social.chinwag.org/@abc_bot/114261208991934527
Hot day, stopped for a zooper dooper #straya
Vote 1., Labor,
‘cause this is who we want to vote for us,
This is our vision and what we stand for.
#AusPol / #labor / #LaborParty / #Straya <https://theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/24/labor-medicare-t-shirt-instagram-post-alleged-racist-meme-links-ntwnfb>
I think the crocs could incentivise some new world records. #Straya https://social.chinwag.org/@abc_bot/114215847453732655
“Australia’s contribution to a #MilitaryForce in #Ukraine to help deter #Russia from breaking a possible ceasefire would likely be *limited to ADF personnel helping with training and planning*, as a growing divide emerges between #AnthonyAlbanese and Peter Dutton on the proposal.
Dutton ramped up his opposition to Australia’s possible contribution to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine in a speech to the Lowy Institute on Thursday, saying “we are a middle power and we don't have an ability to have a presence in multiple theatres”.
Albanese has said his #government is open to requests to contribute to a #peacekeeping force after Britain and France both committed to sending troops in the event of a ceasefire.
The total force to be deployed by European nations and other countries like Australia could be as much as 30,000. An Australian delegation led by Australia's military representative to #NATO, Air Vice Marshal #DiTurton, will participate in planning talks in London today where options will be discussed.”
The news you don’t see, read or hear on the tele, radio or newspapers in Australia.
#AusPol / #Labor / #LaborParty / #straya <https://archive.md/Z06XQ> / <https://capitalbrief.com/article/albanese-government-mulls-ukraine-troops-options-despite-duttons-objections-d89cabe7-b83f-4bf6-ae28-a253d106941d> (paywall)
“However, it’s the remarkable impact offscreen that has transformed #Bluey into a global juggernaut, which has some declaring the pup the Taylor Swift of children’s #entertainment.
Whether it’s kids talking in Aussie slang, #tourism campaigns centered around the cute canines, live shows, merchandise, an upcoming movie or Disney welcoming Bluey into resorts and cruises, the brand — worth an estimated $2 billion — has infiltrated entertainment, #culture, #education, #parenting and #travel.”
Australian “soft power”. 
#Australia / #straya / #diplomacy / #Slang #AusSlang / #SheepDog / #BlueHeeler <https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/blueys-world-success-puppy-juggernaut-1236164905/>
♬ 
