Michael Slezak

Nov 18, 2024 | abc.net.au | Michael Slezak

Last summer's extreme heat, coupled with two cyclones in far north Queensland, led to a mass coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Institute of Marine Science has quantified some of the damage in the preliminary stages of its annual survey. It points to substantial losses of coral across the Reef, mainly in northern sections.

Nov 18, 2024 | abc.net.au | Michael Slezak

Large sections of the Great Barrier Reef appear to have been smashed by climate change and cyclones this year, with one reef near Lizard Island losing nearly three quarters of its coral cover since the beginning of the year. Preliminary results from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) annual survey show more than a third of coral cover was lost from surveyed reefs across the northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef, from the tourist mecca of Cairns up to Lizard Island.

Nov 6, 2024 | abc.net.au | Michael Slezak

The federal approval process for a new coal mine in Queensland is pressing ahead, despite revelations the project is under criminal investigation for illegal land clearing. Government officials told a Senate committee this week about the criminal probe and confirmed the approval process was proceeding anyway, which sparked fury from the Greens and environmentalists.

Oct 16, 2024 | abc.net.au | Michael Slezak

Government-contracted loggers have vastly underestimated the density of endangered greater glider populations in NSW forests, before approving plans to log forests where more than 800 of the protected species were found. Surveys conducted by community conservationists documented more than 10 times the number of critical glider "den trees", and more than three times the number of gliders themselves, compared to those found by Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) in its mandated pre-logging surveys.

Oct 7, 2024 | abc.net.au | Michael Slezak

In July 2022, Tanya Plibersek gave a speech laying out her success measures for her first term as federal environment minister. Six weeks into her portfolio, she said she was optimistic about what she could achieve in three years – despite the dire news from Australia's State of the Environment Report.