Bird flu in marine mammals: Australia has confirmed its first H5N1 death in an endangered sea lion on Kangaroo Island, with another case under investigation—raising alarms for breeding colonies as the virus spreads beyond birds. Citizen science meets wildlife health: In South Australia, dolphin-watchers and citizen scientists are collecting data during a harmful algal bloom while also monitoring for bird flu after local dolphin and sea lion cases. Gas and public health pushback: Doctors for the Environment Australia are urging the government to rule out new gas projects and phase out gas appliances, citing links to asthma and other health harms for children and hospitality workers. Climate risk and food shocks: El Niño-linked extremes are hitting the Pacific—Papua New Guinea reports crop-destroying frost and drought, with fears of wider food and water shortages. Digital duty of care: Australia’s proposed online safety law is framed as a way to force platforms to manage foreseeable harms, shifting responsibility toward tech companies. NSW conservation dispute: The state defends ending firewood collection in key national parks, saying threatened species like squirrel gliders depend on fallen timber. Energy transition delivery gap: NSW’s renewable energy zones rollout is running behind plan, with EnergyCo spending less than budget and critics warning it’s not moving fast enough for energy consumers.