What we learned today, Friday 17 January
This is where we’ll leave you for today, thanks for joining us on the blog! Here’s a recap of the main stories:
A Sydney home once owned by Alex Ryvchin – the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry – was vandalised in an antisemitic attack. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, labelled it a “disgusting and dangerous act of violence” and flagged law changes to combat antisemitism.
Wild weather continued to lash parts of the country, with the NSW SES recording 1,476 incidents today, including damage to homes, cars and streets.
The NSW transport minister, Jo Haylen, said the government would continue with its legal action to end a long-running pay dispute with the unions.
Many have paid tribute to David Lynch, the maverick American director who has died at the age of 78. Lynch was best known for his works Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive.
Take care and enjoy the weekend!
Updated
Government formally rejects Pep-11 offshore gas exploration
The federal government has formally rejected the controversial Pep-11 proposal for petroleum exploration off the coast of NSW.
It follows years of community opposition to the project between Newcastle and Sydney.
The industry and science minister, Ed Husic, said in a statement that the Commonwealth-New South Wales Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority rejected the two applications from the Pep-11 joint venture operator Asset Energy after considering all relevant materials:
The Joint Authority refused the applications for reasons of public interest, concerns about the applicants’ estimate of the cost of works and their ability to raise the necessary capital to fund the proposed works.
Concerned coastal communities and environment groups have spent years campaigning against the project.
The Surfrider Foundation said the decision was a “huge win”. The Northern Beaches branch member Rowan Hanley said:
This win truly belongs to the communities of ocean people who care, and who show up because they want to protect the coastlines that they love.
This is Australia’s most populated and valuable recreational coast as well as a major whale migration super highway.
At a time when Australia should be rapidly transitioning to renewable energy systems at scale and speed, opening NSW’s first offshore fossil fuel mine was never going to fly with Sydney’s beach-loving communities.
Updated
