Editor's note

Just weeks into spring and already bushfires on the east coast are dominating headlines. As of late Wednesday, up to 30 homes were feared lost in northern NSW. Thousands of hectares of land have been razed.

Such scenes are, unfortunately, an inevitable part of the Australian summer. But a start to the bushfire season as early as October, or even September, is a fairly recent phenomenon.

Today, Bureau of Meteorology researchers explain exactly why this is happening. They painstakingly analysed more than 40 years of weather station data from across Australia and found that, while climate change is part of the answer, there’s a lot more to it.

Meanwhile, as Coalition leaders have embarked on much-publicised drought tours of New South Wales and Queensland in recent weeks, questions have been raised about the federal government’s drought relief efforts and the lack of a national drought policy driving its response.

As Linda Botterill explains, Australia’s initial attempt at a national drought policy was plagued with problems and gutted in 2009. Since then, successive governments have reacted to droughts with ad hoc and knee-jerk responses, highlighting the need for a new comprehensive approach.

Botterill provides several recommendations for developing a new drought policy that is fair, forward-looking and effective. In some regards, this should be an easy fix – drought policy is something all political parties can agree is important.

Nicole Hasham

Section Editor: Energy + Environment

Top stories

Firefighters battle bushfires in Angourie, northern New South Wales, on September 10 this year, marking another early start to the season. Jason O'Brien/AAP

It’s only October, so what’s with all these bushfires? New research explains it

Chris Lucas, Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Sarah Harris

Bureau of Meteorology researchers painstakingly analysed more than 40 years of data to work out exactly what is causing Australia's spring bushfire phenomenon.

The Coalition has been promoting its $7 billion drought relief package, but critics say what’s needed is a more effective national drought policy. Dan Peled/AAP

A national drought policy should be an easy, bipartisan fix. So why has it taken so long to enact a new one?

Linda Botterill, University of Canberra

Australia's initial drought policy was plagued with problems and gutted in 2009. Since then, there has been no further attempt at developing a comprehensive national approach to the problem.

The most unionised occupation is teaching, the next most unionised is health care. Shutterstock

‘Louts, thugs, bullies’: the myth that’s driving Morrison’s anti-union push

Anthony Forsyth, RMIT University

The Ensuring Integrity Bill would restrict the activities of the unions who represent teachers and nurses as well as the construction workers who are its real target.

It can be difficult to work out whether you should believe a study’s reported findings. GaudiLab/Shutterstock

Is this study legit? 5 questions to ask when reading news stories of medical research

Hassan Vally, La Trobe University

Wondering if that latest study finding is too good to be true, or whether it's as bad as we're told? Here are five questions to ask to help you assess the evidence.

Politics + Society

Health + Medicine

Science + Technology

Cities

  • Why we need ‘crazy’ ideas for new city parks

    Wendy Walls, University of Melbourne

    Some might scoff at the free-ranging ideas sparked by a competition to design future parks for Melbourne. But the legacy of a radical idea to green a CBD street in 1985 shows why we need such thinking.

Environment + Energy

Arts + Culture

 

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