🔵 Your local news in 5 minutes
Featuring: Home batteries, RSL developments, and fossil-fuel-sponsored education
⏱️ The 68th edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.
Morning all,
The past couple days, in the wake of the attack at Bondi Beach, have been some of the hardest for our community. The impact is particularly felt here, on the North Shore, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the country.
Together, as a community, we must stand against violence and hatred. Anti-Semitism has no place in our country.
If you are wanting to help, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is still calling for blood donations.
As always, thank you for reading and being part of this community.
Let’s get into the local news from this week.

HEARD THIS WEEK👂
North Shore representatives mourn for lives lost in Bondi terror attack
North Shore MPs have expressed grief and horror after a shooting at a Hanukkah event on Bondi beach left at least 15 dead and 40 injured.
Julian Leeser, Member for Berowra, called the terror attack a "horrifying tragedy”, saying that “our Jewish community, which is known for its courage and stoicism, is shaken tonight”.
Member for Bradfield, Nicolette Boele said that “an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on all Australians”.
“This is a moment of profound sadness for all of us as we stand with the Jewish community here in Bradfield.”
The upper North Shore region Boele and Leeser represent is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Read the full story below.
🔋 In five months, the North Shore has installed over 2,000 home batteries. The Federal Government wants us to buy even more.
The Federal Government announced on Saturday it will extend Australia’s home battery subsidy, with nearly $5 billion in additional funding. On the North Shore, more than 2,000 homes have already installed home batteries.
What is it: The Cheaper Home Batteries subsidy means Australian households and businesses can get a discount of around 30 percent on the upfront cost of installing a home battery system.
The scheme has seen rapid uptake of home battery systems, with 175,000 expected to be installed nationwide in its first six months.
North Shore uptake: Across the thirty odd postcodes that make up the North Shore, more than 2,200 home batteries have been installed in the past five months. The bulk of these installations has been in upper North Shore suburbs.
Hornsby and Asquith saw the most installations across the region with 178, followed closely by Turramurra with 176.
Full story below.
🏘️ $108 million Forestville RSL redevelopment will replace bowling greens with senior housing
A major redevelopment of Forestville RSL Club is set to go ahead, with members of the local sub-branch voting on Thursday evening in favour of a senior housing development.
What’s changing? The plan will see a housing complex constructed where the current club stands, with a new, smaller club to be constructed where the bowling greens are now. The greens have not been used for bowling for a number of years.
The project will also include the construction of a three-level basement car park. The total projected cost is $108 million.
The Forestville club first opened its doors in 1959, and has been operating for over 60 years, just down the road from Melwood Oval.
Read the full story below.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀
⛽️ How fossil fuel-sponsored education is slipping into Australian classrooms
Across Australia, fossil fuel companies are sponsoring and producing school lesson materials, so we asked education departments across the country how they track, vet or regulate what ends up in classrooms.
Some issued vague statements, others dodged the questions entirely, and two never replied at all.
The responses painted a picture of limited oversight, inconsistent scrutiny and education content where the biggest driver of global warming is often downplayed or omitted.
The National Account’s Archie Milligan has the rundown 👇

That’s all from me. The Lorikeet will return to your inbox on Friday.
If you’ve got anything you’d like to share, please email us at [email protected].
And if you get value from this newsletter and are able to contribute, please help us to keep reporting local news on the North Shore.
Cheers,
Huw


