The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IBPES) released a report demonstrating that more than 40% of amphibian species are at risk of extinction caused by humans. Endangered frogs in the Illawarra have been reflected in the IBPES report which has shown the destruction caused to their habitats including wetlands, forests, marshes and swamps where there has been a decrease in frog populations. Frogs endangered in the Illawarra are the green and golden bell frog and the stuttering frog while the giant burrowing frog, the red-crowned toadlet and the littlejohn’s tree frog are vulnerable frogs. Tiffiny Holz, a…
Author: Hannah Telfer
The annual Illawarra Folk Festival will celebrate its 35th year in January next year after the NSW government declared it a ‘low risk’ festival. The future of the folk festival was thrown into doubt when the state government announced changes to festival regulations in February. There were concerns a ‘high risk’ categorisation would impose too onerous security and financial burdens on the popular festival. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/603734058″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Artistic director David De Santi welcomed the ‘low risk’ categorisation and was excited to carry on with the organisation of the 35th festival. Mr De Santi understood the state…
The Illawarra was neglected in last night’s 2019 Federal Budget, according to the Young Greens. Wollongong was mentioned once in the budget, with $40 million earmarked for rail between Sydney and Wollongong. Young Greens member Ben Arcioni dismissed budget and its personal tax cuts. “I think tax cuts usually benefit slanted towards benefiting the wealthy over anyone else,” Mr Arcioni said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg yesterday claimed the government was “back in the black” with a $7.1 billion surplus. Mr Arcioni said the government had a habit of turning temporary monetary windfalls into permanent taxation problems. “If we are going into…
The Whitlam electorate is a consistent Labor seat that is poised to remain in the Labor fold in the upcoming election. The division of Whitlam includes the Southern Illawarra and the Southern Highlands. The electorate consists of suburbs surrounding Shellharbour, Dapto, Albion Park and Lake Illawarra, and stretches up to Moss Vale, Mittagong, and Robertson. The seat stretches an area of around 1,300 square kilometres. Whitlam was formerly known as Throsby until 2016, when it was renamed after Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam who passed away in 2014. Historically the seat of Whitlam is a safe Labor seat, with a…