🔵 Why is this St Leonards plaza so empty?
Plus: Tree farms, football clubs and defibs
Huw Bradshaw
November 26, 2025
⏱️ The 62nd edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.
Click the banner to sign up
Morning all.
That time is almost here. Myer and Westfield are covering themselves in tinsel and glitter. Red coats are being pulled on. Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas album is almost done defrosting.
Out of interest, I started looking into Christmas tree farms around Sydney. I’ve never had a real tree, but wondered if they were actually grown here, or just shipped in from elsewhere. As it turns out, the upper North Shore is home to a number of pine farmers waiting for the Christmas rush to come along.
I had a good chat to a lady named Barbara, who runs a farm up in Duffy’s Forest. She says one of the biggest attractions of buying a real tree is the experience of walking around a small pine forest handpicking the one you want in your living room for the next month.
For me, I’ll stick to my old plastic Target tree. But for anyone interested in going for the real deal this December, you can read my piece on places to buy a tree here.
🗞️ Anyway, let’s get into the rest of the news.
HEARD THIS WEEK👂
🌊 70% of Australians reckon our environmental laws should take into account the impact of climate change. Will Labor make that happen?
Currently, the Parliament of Australia is debating a law reform bill that will have a massive impact on our environment. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is one of the key safeguards for our natural environment, and making it stronger was one of the main promises Labor took to the 2025 election.
However, as the reform bill stands, the impacts of climate change are not seriously accounted for. Why?
If you’re feeling a bit confused, that’s natural. This is a highly complicated topic — and that often allows our politicians to get away without explaining themselves.
If you’re interested in knowing more about this issue — and why many are accusing Labor of failing to protect our environment — watch my full explainer below.
🕸️ Have you noticed the St Leonards dead zone?
Last week, a reader wrote in to us about this little square in St Leonards, full of empty shopfronts.
I went to check it out and she was right — walking past on a Friday evening, I struggled to find another soul in sight.
Since the square’s construction in 2019 — right between the two transport hubs of St Leonards station and Crows Nest metro — it seems very few shops have kept their doors open here: Mudan Dynasty and Chambers Cellars have permanently closed, while Mandali’s and The Mayflower are both in liquidation. Organica and QE have also closed.
Local businesses, as well as many in our instagram and TikTok comment sections, put forward theories for why the area feels so empty: high rent, low foot traffic, wind tunnels, ugly playgrounds.
Watch the video below and let us know what you think.
❤️ After on-field deaths, Ku-ring-gai looks to expand defibrillator access across the LGA
In Ku-ring-gai, there are currently only three publicly accessible defibrillators in the LGA’s 85 square kilometres. A move from the local council could change that.
Lifesaver: Councillors and locals are pushing for the installation of more of the life-saving devices across the Ku-ring-gai region at sporting fields, community buildings, and public parks.
The initiative is dedicated to Lachlan Ward, a local rugby player who died during a match in 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Public health investment: While you might think these defibrillators see little use, they frequently save lives in the context of local sports. St Ives Football Club has been fundraising to supply defibrillators to local football teams for years, since one of their own, Emin Rufati, died from a heart attack while playing in 2015.
Rufati’s widow, Jen, spoke at a public forum last week advocating for the installation of defibrillators in public places.
“The ABS reported in August this year that heart-related deaths are the second highest mortality rate after cancer,” Rufati said. “Between 2014 and 2022 there were 61 sudden death cases in Australian football.”
Read the full piece below.
LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀
🎮️ Bad news for nervous Twitch fans as platform added to under-16 banned list
Livestreaming platform Twitch has been added to the list of social media platforms to be banned for Australians aged under 16.
⁉️ What’s happening? The ban - which comes into effect on December 10 - will force Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch “to take reasonable steps to prevent Australian children under the age of 16 from having accounts”.
The addition of Twitch has made headlines around the world.
💻 Why Twitch? The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said on Friday Twitch was added to the list “because it has the sole or significant purpose of online social interaction with features designed to encourage user interaction, including through livestreaming content”.
Read the full story below.
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
How did you like today’s newsletter? |
Click the banner to sign up