Archived News for Green Sector Professionals
A new agreement has been finalised between Main Roads WA and the WA Waste Authority that could see more than one million tonnes of recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste diverted from landfill and used to build roads.
WA Environment Minister Bill Marmion said C&D waste was presently responsible for 50 per cent of all waste disposed to landfill in Western Australia.
“Western Australia has been the worst performer in the country even though C&D waste is relatively homogenous and material such as concrete is comparatively simple to reprocess,” Mr Marmion said.
Proposed Margaret River coal mine knocked back
“In making my determination, I’ve decided it’s likely there would be significant impacts or risks from the proposed mine on the Leederville and Sue aquifers and on significant environmental values which these aquifers support,” Mr Marmion said.
In May, the EPA reported the proposal would be environmentally unacceptable, due to serious risks to important environmental values in the Margaret River region. Five appeals were received in objection to the EPA’s report, including one from the proponent.
After considering the appeals and a report from an independent Appeals Committee, the Minister formed a view that the conclusions of the EPA were justified, particularly noting the uncertainty of risks to surface and groundwater in the Margaret River area.
In coming to his decision, Mr Marmion concluded that further assessment was unlikely to significantly alter the level of uncertainty.
“Margaret River is a unique region with important environmental values which should be protected. From an environmental perspective, this project is too risky,” he said.
Having formed the view that the project is environmentally unacceptable, the Minister is required under section 45(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 to now consult with relevant decision making authorities on whether or not the proposal may be implemented based on broader social and economic factors. This process will commence as soon as possible to provide the proponent and local community with certainty regarding the proposal.
Victorian BushTender funding awarded
Sixty landholders across four target areas in Victoria have been awarded a total of $4 million to improve their properties through the 2011 round of BushTender funding from the Victorian Coalition Government.
The successful landholders will manage vegetation on their land in central Victoria, north-east Victoria, sections of the Murray River and an area stretching between the Wimmera and Mallee.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said there had been a good response from community members and another BushTender was now open for expressions of interest in the Avoca Plains region and to the north of Epping.
The Bushtender program is run as a competitive process in which tenders are awarded to bids which offer the best value for money. Successful landholders are paid for managing and conserving the native vegetation on their properties through work such as weed and pest control.
More information is at www.dse.vic.gov.au/bushtender.
Government launches $200 million renewable energy venture fund
The Federal Government announced that Southern Cross Venture Partners has been appointed fund manager of the country’s largest renewable energy venture capital fund, making available a total of $200 million to support renewable energy companies from early next year.
Draft Energy White Paper Released
The Australian Government has released a draft Energy White Paper for public consultation, alongside the release of the 2011 National Energy Security Assessment and the Strategic Framework for Alternative Transport Fuels.
SOE report calls for federal leadership
The fourth Australia State of the Environment has been released, providing an overview of the current condition of the environment and its outlook, and calling for a strong leadership role from the Federal Government.
Queensland releases Greenspace Strategy
The Queensland Government has releaseds its Greenspace Strategy 2011-2020, aiming to assist the State Government in reaching its target of 50 per cent increase in land protected for conservation and recreation.
Queensland announces wild river declarations
The Queensland Government has announced its intentions to make three Wild River declarations to enforce strict environmental protection measures in the state’s west.
Commercial wind power forecasting system developed
Roam Consulting, a Brisbane-based firm that specialises in energy market modelling, has used UNSW research to develop the Wind Insight software.
By extracting key information from numerical weather prediction systems, the program can alert power system operators in advance of potential rapid changes in wind power output. This allows operators to more effectively manage the grid and set up power reserves as needed, which will help maintain power system security.
Engineer Nicholas Cutler, who works at Roam Consulting, originally developed the technology as a PhD student with his supervisors at UNSW in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications.
The arrangement with Roam Consulting is the first Australian deal forged under the University of New South Wales' Easy Access IP framework, which was adopted\in November to turn more university-bred research into practical, real-world solutions.
“The deal went extremely well,” said Kevin Cullen, CEO of NewSouth Innovations, the commercialisation company of UNSW. “Easy Access did exactly what it was designed to do and that was to make the technology easily available.”
Durban agrees to reach deal on CO2 emissions by 2015
International climate talks in Durban have seen India, China and US commit to a legally binding limitation on fossil fuel emissions after all participating countries have agreed to produce the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to negotiate a new legal agreement by 2015, taking effect by 2020.
Review of impacts of climate change on biodiversity published
A major new scientific review, involving more than 30 scientists from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands sets out our current knowledge of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the latest special edition of the scientific journal Pacific Conservation Biology.
Carbon Farming Initiative administrator opens
The Federal Government has officially opened the Carbon Farming Initiative Administrator, forming part of the Federal Government’s Clean Energy Future plan.
Audit finds Victorian contaminated sites mismanaged
The Victorian Auditor-General has released a damming report of the managing of contaminated sites by the Department of Planning and Community Development, the Environment Protection Authority and local councils.
Sustainable Melbourne Fund promotes $6.4m investment program
Sustainable Melbourne Fund has launched a web-based animation and case study video providing information on the availability of loans of up to $500,000 through its $6.4 million investment program for sustainability projects throughout Victoria.
Australian Sustainability Award winners announced
Amcor, PanAust, Wesfarmers, Hepburn Community Wind Park Co-op and Bantix Worldwide have been announced as winners of the Australian Sustainability Awards.
Queensland solar farm gets green light
The Queensland Government has nominated Ingenero its preferred bidder in the tender for the $6.76 million Cloncurry Solar Farm.
Musselroe wind farm construction to start
The Tasmanian Government has announced that construction on the $400 million Musselroe wind farm has been authorized to continue into its construction phase.
Sydney announces low-carbon energy network
The City of Sydney has announced it will begin final negotiations with energy provider Cogent Energy to build and operate the country's first low-carbon energy network tasked with powering central Sydney.
CEC publishes sustainable energy report
A report published by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) shows that solar panels installed in Australian homes has grown 35-fold over the last three years. The report found that over 1 million Australians now live in homes powered by solar panels.
ACT releases carbon pathways for public consultation
The ACT Government has released five possible pathways for achieving its carbon reduction goals for public consultation. Comprising of five separate possible plans, the common goal sees the Territory Government reduce its carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2020, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
MDBA releases more environmental flows
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced the release of a further 20GL for the Living Murray plan as part of a larger environmental watering currently underway in the Barmah–Millewa Forest icon site.