It's a bit rich for the West to give Tasmania advice

Andrew Darby It's a telling sign of our Commonwealth that, after giving Tasmania free money, the Western Australian premier Colin Barnett went on to clip it under the economic ear.

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CSIRO should proceed with caution before drilling begins in Bight

Andrew Darby A careful study of the ecosystem in the Australian Bight is essential before BP begins drilling for oil.

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Taking stock on a conflicted whaling season

Andrew Darby As Japan's most tumultuous Antarctic whaling season yet draws to a close, it seems everybody dodged, if not a harpoon, then a bullet.

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Andrew Darby

Less industry please Mr Burke

Andrew Darby When Tony Burke went to the Environment portfolio there was always a question about how much of his old job in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry would go with him.

Andrew Darby

Pontville Chronicles - where do the children stay?

Andrew Darby Be careful what you wish for. In the case of Tasmanians who have set out to help asylum seekers, it's perhaps the most challenging group possible: lone boys.

Andrew Darby

Bushfire tweets rival traditional warnings

Andrew Darby Tweets by ordinary Tasmanians provided some of the best graphic early warnings. So what does that mean for emergency warning systems?

Britain stamps its boot on Antarctica while Australia sits on its hands

Andrew Darby It might be funny if it wasn't serious. Britain has stamped oversize boots on Antarctica, to the fury of others.

Andrew Darby

Forestry peace: Tasmania's not out of the woods yet

Andrew Darby If a peace deal is lost, it's hard to see how anyone could try again, and easy to imagine the damage done to the state.

Andrew Darby

Epic fail on forest talks

Andrew Darby All parties have failed in Tasmania's forest conflict.

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Coal port decision a case-in-point for federal check on state powers

Andrew Darby A good environment-versus-development stoush seems so much part of Australian politics, it's hard to imagine life without it.

Andrew Darby

The milk of China's financial kindness

Andrew Darby Memory lane. It always has more twists and turns than we might think. Take the latest Australian investment cherry to be tasted by China.

Andrew Darby

Fish wars on the high seas

Andrew Darby When Michael Egan quit his job as New South Wales' longest-serving Treasurer in 2005, he declared a retiring ambition to learn to fish.

Andrew Darby

Tasmania's 'North Korea' more pink than red

Andrew Darby Given the Legislative Council's reputation for hardline unpredictability, one local commentator recently likened it to the North Korea of the state's bicameral parliament.

Andrew Darby

MONA's most fascinating exhibit - its owner

Andrew Darby Of all the surprises that inhabit the Museum of Old and New Art, perhaps the most unexpected and fascinating is turning out to be the owner himself.

Andrew Darby

The coming of the drones, for good

Andrew Darby Whoever said eternal vigilance is the price of liberty clearly didn't foresee drones.

Andrew Darby

Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go

Andrew Darby Excuse me for being a killjoy, but it's time to have a hard look at letting go of the party balloon.

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Andrew Darby

Whaling's knockout throw for Japan

Andrew Darby It takes a lot of grunt to throw a sumo wrestler, but in the end what counts is that extra ounce.

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Andrew Darby

Counting the cost of a piece of flake

Andrew Darby It's always hard to truly measure what happens out there, at sea. No more so than in the case of that fisherman's foe, the seal.

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Andrew Darby

In the dark over the white continent

Andrew Darby Picture a continent governed by unelected officials from a select group of countries whose decisions are all made behind closed doors.

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