🔵 Don't listen to Fleetwood Mac for firefighting advice

Plus: Space age architecture, surveillance drones and the best gigs across the North Shore.

Huw Bradshaw
January 09, 2026

⏱️ The 71st edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.

Morning all,

Stevie Nicks knows absolutely nothing about meteorology or bushfire risk management.

According to the NSW Rural Fire Service, thunder does not, in fact, only happen when it is raining, but also during periods of extreme heat and dryness.

This is why local fire brigades have been flying planes, helicopters and drones across our remote regions of bush this week to search for any spot fires caused by lightning.

If you’re interested in how our local brigades are dealing with this period of extreme heat — forecast to peak on Saturday — you can read more in my piece below, where I spoke to Superintendent Gary Hansen about how fires sparked by lightning strikes are managed.

This week, we've also tried out something new. I sat down with Archie Milligan from the National Account to talk about pokie reform in New South Wales, and how it may play into the 2027 NSW state election. You can watch the full video below.

Let’s get into the rest of the news.

HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🚀 The space age tower in the heart of Chatswood

This week, we did a little retrospective on this famous Chatswood building and the architect behind it. Fleeing to Australia from Nazi Germany in 1938, Hungarian architect Hugo Stossel would come to design many houses, apartment complexes, towers and schools across Sydney.

And, as it turns out, our video was quite timely. Under a State Significant Development application being assessed currently, it is proposed that the 53-year-old tower be demolished in favour of a larger residential housing complex.

Watch the full video below.

🚁 Drones, planes and choppers on the hunt for bushfires ignited by lightning

As the temperature climbs to a predicted peak of about 40C on Saturday, local fire services are piloting planes, drones and helicopters over North Shore and Northern Beaches bushland in search of fires that may have been ignited by lightning.

In more remote areas such as the Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal national parks, lightning strikes mean bushfires can start without being noticed by locals.

“We do have thunderstorms predicted to occur over the next couple of days and we have had thunderstorms recently,” Rural Fire Service Superintendent Gary Hansen told the Lorikeet.