In late May, the Mid North Coast of New South Wales saw floodwaters rise past living‑room ceilings as the Manning River topped historic levels. Taree recorded 412mm in 48 hours-about five months’ rain-leaving tens of thousands isolated and prompting hundreds of rescues by boat and helicopter. By 24 May, five people were confirmed dead and more than 10,000 properties were damaged, with around 50,000 people cut off at the peak. Recovery centres stayed open as crews cleared debris and restored access across swollen catchments.

On the opposite coast, Ningaloo Reef faced a different emergency. After an extreme marine heatwave, scientists logged heat stress up to 20 Degree Heating Weeks and documented mass bleaching across multiple sites. By spring, post‑heat surveys reported widespread coral death in the northern lagoon, with researchers confirming heavy losses across the reef’s shallow habitats.

NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch confirms the fourth-and biggest-global bleaching on record: since 1 January 2023, about 84.4% of the world’s reef area has experienced bleaching‑level heat stress. The agency first declared the event in April 2024 and its December 2025 update shows it is still ongoing.

Even winter swung to extremes. In August, parts of New South Wales’ New England region woke to 15–50 centimetres of snow-the heaviest in around 20 years-while heavy rain persisted elsewhere in the state. Australia’s climate baselines explain the tension. CSIRO’s State of the Climate 2024 finds short‑duration downpours are intensifying as the atmosphere warms, lifting flash‑flood risk even where average cool‑season rainfall declines.

Early warnings and local coordination reduced harm in May. World Weather Attribution notes the Bureau of Meteorology issued a flood watch three days ahead, enabling timely evacuations and supply staging. NSW reports use of its Hazards Near Me app quadrupled as warnings escalated across the Mid North Coast. Longer term, NSW’s State Disaster Mitigation Plan maps risk hotspots and sets options from community preparedness to infrastructure changes-work that will need steady funding as extremes intensify.

Beach safety also moved into focus after a fatal shark attack at Long Reef on 6 September. Authorities closed beaches between Manly and Narrabeen and deployed drones, jet skis and SMART drumlines while investigators reviewed local risk settings.

In the weeks that followed, the state sharpened its approach. Nets were removed a month early in March to reduce turtle entanglement, and on 7 December the Minns Government announced an extra A$2.5m for more shark‑spotting drones, extended patrols and additional community shark bite kits. The SharkSmart program now combines 305 SMART drumlines, 37 listening stations and drone patrols at 50 beaches, with real‑time alerts via the SharkSmart app.

At Ningaloo, researchers are testing ways to keep reef life alive through heatwaves. A Minderoo‑led study at Exmouth showed selectively bred corals survived roughly twice as well under extreme heat, offering a short‑term buffer while emissions fall. AIMS scientists are also developing heat‑evolved microalgal symbionts to boost coral resilience, though field deployment requires rigorous risk assessment. Policy is shifting too. In September, Western Australia confirmed the Exmouth Gulf Marine Park and committed A$5m for recovery of heat‑affected coastal habitats closely linked to Ningaloo’s nurseries.

Clean‑tech ambition remains a bright spot. In August, 34 teams from 18 countries raced 3,000 kilometres from Darwin to Adelaide in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge-moved to winter for the first time. Cooler air helped drivers, but lower solar input pushed teams to wring more efficiency from every watt. Organisers set 24–31 August as the official 2025 schedule, with scrutineering and hot‑laps in Darwin before the long, sun‑powered push south. The format continues to seed ideas that later show up in mainstream e‑mobility.

Taken together, 2025 shows both the cost of delay and the power of practical steps. Data‑led early warnings spared lives in NSW; risk‑based beach safety is reducing harm without blanket wildlife tolls; scientists are buying time for reefs while pressure builds for deeper emissions cuts; and students are proving what efficient electric travel can do in the real world.