Aug 27, 2024 4 min read Politics/Activism

Koalas vs Olympic stadiums, environmentally destructive renewable energy projects, saving cheap old flats, a new revolutionary poem + more

Hi friends,

I hope August has been treating you well! For those who didn’t see the news yet, my friend Remah has recently put her hand up to run for the Greens for the federal seat of Moreton in next year’s election. It’s incredibly exciting to have such a prominent and experienced activist stepping up in this way. You can follow her on social media via this page or subscribe to her email updates here.

This month I have five topical articles to let you know about, as well as a new poem I’m very proud to share with you...

My partner Anna and I have just left Eungella, home to numerous platypus, several endangered species, and possibly soon the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro renewable energy storage scheme – one of the largest public infrastructure projects in the entire country. I think it’s actually kinda wild how little (well-informed) critical commentary you can find about this project in the public realm. If you don't know much about this important proposal, it's worth getting your head around it. I finally hit 'publish' on this article today...

With New South Wales local government elections just around the corner, the following two pieces relating to housing and planning issues south of the border offer some important lessons and ideas for those of us in Queensland – particularly in terms of how the Greens navigate the corrupting influence of power at the local government level. Happily, the Save Wallum campaign recently had another win in court – stop work orders now remain in place until the matter is heard in October (you can read part 1 of my Save Wallum coverage at this link).

And here’s a shorter rant that probably gives you a feel for how I’ve been spending a lot of my time lately…

Given ongoing debates about various options for Brisbane 2032 Olympic stadium locations, this article critiquing the proposal for Olympic venues in Barrambin/Victoria Park feels particularly relevant. You can find a current petition about preserving this important green space at this link.

As always, if you really enjoy any of my articles, please help me spread them around by forwarding them to friends or sharing them via social media.

I really appreciate everyone who takes an interest in what I’m writing and thinking about. I've been ruminating on what the best way is to get my work out into the world, so if you can spare twenty seconds, please flick me a quick email reply to let me know whether you prefer to continue receiving monthly newsletters like this one (listing all the articles I’ve published in recent weeks) or whether you’d rather receive a dedicated email every time I publish something new (so that you hear about it as soon as possible).

For those who are wondering, I’m still campervanning up in North Queensland while plugging away on a few other written pieces, including a deep-dive article exploring the practicalities of cleaning up the Brisbane River. I should be back in Brissie by mid-October. If you hear of any other particularly important issues or radical political campaigns that no-one else seems to be talking about, please do let me know.

See ya when I see ya!

Warm regards,
Jonno

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