Tina Perinotto says Jeff Angel’s laconic style is a welcome relief. It’s optimism at its most pragmatic: stick it out long enough and you will win.

TEC has been working towards financial and social responsibility within the business community for many years. Now climate change has been recognised as a “material” risk to Australia’s financial system by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.   Business is leading where government is lagging. No amount of grandstanding, political donations from the mining industry or clean coal spin will work and the government should recognise that the Paris Climate Agreement is embedded in the investor mainstream.    "TheTurnbull government should get with the future," said Jeff Angel, Executive Director of TEC.   

What a week! People were frying eggs on car bonnets in the Central Desert, flying foxes fell cooked to death mid-air in Singleton, Casino and Richmond, a firestorm destroyed homes and livestock near Dunnydoo and Uarby, and the state was only saved from rolling blackouts by wind and solar energy in the mix. NSW was officially the hottest place on the planet over the weekend.

Written off as "Green fringe lunatics",  the Manly Vale community is pushing back with a renewed request for Education Minister Rod Stokes to reconsider the demolition of a treasured area of bushland to accomodate the expansion of the local Public School. 

Overwhelming community opposition to a controversial development proposed for South Dural in Sydney's north-west has resulted in a temporary win for endangered species and their Ironbark and Blue Gum habitat. 

Monday Drive - TEC's environment program airs every Monday from 4-6pm on 89.7fm. This week we talk shark nets, the eco-collapse that produced the current war in Syria, and what's happening with wind power since Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey stopped publicly denouncing it.

Perhaps Planning Minister Rob Stokes is starting to feel the heat over the imminent devastation of the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park? We talked to long time locals appalled by the plan to develop this irreplaceable asset.

TEC has called for protection of internationally important wetlands near Botany Bay, threatened by a new golf course.  The Cook Cove South Precinct development is also targeting public open space for private use. "This private golf course which will take over a public park wants to clear important wetland vegetation and will surround an area visited by migratory species causing ongoing pollution and disturbance.  An area of such importance should be managed by a conservation body and enhanced because so much has already been lost," said Jeff Angel, Executive Director of the Centre. TEC submission here. 

Plans by The NSW Department of Education to destroy nearly 4 hectares of bushland in order to expand the Manly Vale Public School were approved by the Sydney North Planning Panel this week despite community protests and the submission of less impactful alternative proposals. Enregistrer

Major environmental professional, community and university groups have banded together to produce an environmental vision as part of the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) planning process.

TEC must be doing something right! We have obviously annoyed some powerful people. TEC was singled out by The Daily Telegraph three times in one week in articles that claimed that environment groups have created "a tax financed barrier to progress" in NSW by protesting against recent government reforms and developments which renowned scientists, town planners and local communities all agree are a threat to the continued health of our ecosystems Enregistrer

The release of the draft District Plans by the Greater Sydney Commission marks a potentially new direction in making Sydney liveable and more environmentally sustainable, TEC said today.  “The structure and culture of the GSC are distinctly different to past agencies and they have engaged in new research and community engagement techniques, including sponsoring an independent Environment Panel to provide a detailed analysis of Sydney’s environmental problems and solutions,” said Jeff Angel, Executive Director of the Centre. “Critical issue like adequate green spaces, tree canopy, dangerous urban heat and climate change are major challenges for Sydney.”  “We can’t stop the planning and development boat so we need to improve and control its direction; and certainly not let speculation and narrow economic claims drive it. A city has to achieve liveability, sustainability and economic goals at the same time. We have encouraged people to suspend cynicism at our community meetings. The draft District Plans are an important part of this process.”  “The independent report by the Environment Panel which comprised 15 peak professional, community and academic groups will be released shortly. It will help the community and government benchmark the draft plans and provide important perspectives.”  “It’s encouraging that the GSC supported this process and we look forward to further assisting them and the government,” Mr Angel said.