🔵 Jacarandas blooming, reform looming
Environmental regulations, writers in North Sydney, purple streets, a short stroll for NSW Health
Huw Bradshaw
November 07, 2025
⏱️ The 58th edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.
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Morning all.
We got some great footage out of NSW Health yesterday when they stormed in and issued shut down orders to two St Leonards tobacconists. The orders are the first issued under new powers made available to NSW Health as of Monday.
Here’s my story below:
@northshorelorikeet “This is just the beginning”, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said on Wednesday.
A few people in our TikTok comments pointed out something interesting about the location they decided to target: they just so happen to be sitting right across the road from NSW Health HQ at Royal North Shore.
Glad those Health Officers didn’t need to stretch their legs too much.
In other news, it’s now well and truly jacaranda season, and our streets are painted purple. Send in your best North Shore jacaranda pictures, and we’ll post the best on our instagram — with credit, of course.
🗞️ Anyway, let’s get into the rest of the news.
“It’s important to have the target because we need the certainty for investment”
HEARD THIS WEEK👂
🌏️ Why North Shore MPs are voting down Labor’s “once-in-a-generation” environmental reforms
As a long-awaited overhaul of our environmental laws face parliament on Thursday, many representatives across the North Shore plan to vote against the reform package.
Why?
Short answer: they don’t do enough.
Longer answer:
The draft bill favours business interests over environmental concerns,
Fails to consider climate change as a serious threat to our natural environment
Provides too many loopholes for regulations to be circumvented.
Independent representatives Zali Steggall, Nicolette Boele, and Sophie Scamps laid out these criticisms of the draft reforms in Parliament this week.
For the long answer… read the full piece below.
🎸 November gig guide: the best live music events on the North Shore this month
Looking to get out and about this November? Here are all the best shows on in the North Shore.
Read the full guide below.
✍️ Chatting to North Sydney’s new writer in residence
Michiyo Miyake is a Japanese-born writer based in Sydney who has been selected as North Sydney’s writer in residence this year.
Our regular reporter Mel sat down with Michiyo to chat about her inspirations, how she’s been finding the program, what she’s been writing.
@northshorelorikeet Did you know that North Sydney hosts a writer in residence each year?
LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀
A clearer picture is emerging on what the government’s under 16 social media ban - coming on December 10 - will actually look like.
Reddit and Kick have now been added to the list of platforms that will be off limits for under 16s. The ban also includes Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and X, with eSafety continuing talks with Bluesky and Yubo about compliance.
For Archie’s full breakdown, check out this video:
That’s all from me.
Got a story tip? An unsolved mystery? A notable local? Hit reply or reach out to me at [email protected].
Cheers,
Huw
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