🔵 Why so much heritage?

HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🌊 Why is there so much heritage?

The North Shore, like much of Sydney, is dotted with thousands of structures protected by heritage orders.

How did that happen?

Watch the full video below.

🏫 Northern suburbs kids have some advice for the government

Is there a better alternative to a social media ban? Should period products be free? Is the government letting AI and data centres spin out of control?

These are questions occupying the minds of some young locals, who last week gathered for a “Youth Voices” event at Mosman High School, discussing their views on national issues with the local Federal MP Zali Steggall.

Instead of knocking all kids under 16 off social media, one student argued, the government should be working to improve the standards of social media and the internet as a whole: “We implore the government to … enforce higher standards of moral principles, transparency and verified information to create a safer environment online.”

Read the story below.

🏡 What does entry-level housing on the North Shore look like?

We’ve all heard the shocking figures of prices first home buyers face on the North Shore. But beyond the price guide on a real estate website, what does buying your first home in Sydney actually cost?

Watch the full video below.

🚰 No long showers: North Shore water supply limited after major mains break

Sydney Water is urging North Shore residents to reduce non-essential water usage, following an incident at West Ryde Pumping Station on Wednesday night.

With critical pumping equipment flooded at the station, Sydney Water’s ability to transfer water across the North Shore has been reduced.

“This has limited the amount of drinking water that can be transferred to local reservoirs to meet current demand,” it said.

While the taps haven’t run dry yet, Sydney Water has asked residents to conserve water as crews work to restore supply. This includes avoiding activities such as:

• hosing driveways

• extensive garden watering

• washing cars

• long showers

Sydney Water has stated that the quality of drinking water remains unaffected.

Read the full story below.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

🎰The yanks think we’re not okay

In 2018, the US Supreme Court removed a national ban on sports betting, although states including Nevada had previously been given dispensation. As a result, Americans went from betting around $5 billion a year on sports to nearly $150 billion.

Despite being such a divided country, I managed to find a consensus of think pieces on both the left and right sides of politics, pointing to the harm sports betting is having on American society.

Meanwhile, back home, it’s been 1,000 days since the Federal Government received the review into gambling reform, chaired by the late MP Peta Murphy, and it’s still sitting on the shelf.

The key recommendation? Scrapping gambling advertising.

The responsibility comes to Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wells, who has mostly been focused on the under-16s social media ban rather than gambling reform.

Aussies remain the biggest gamblers in the world per capita.