Election Policies Spark Dissent on National Water Initiative

Water issues have taken centre stage in the current election campaign, with a move by the Coalition to use future national competition payments to the states to pay for its $2 billion Australian Water Fund.

The Australian Water Fund is a three-pronged plan including a five-year $1.6 billion `Water Smart Australia' program funded by budget money originally earmarked for future national competition payments to the states.

The states have reacted angrily to the proposal, with all premiers and chief ministers signing a two-page letter to the Prime Minister, John Howard, suspending their involvement in the National Water Initiative that was signed with the Commonwealth just three months ago.

Victorian Treasurer, John Brumby, said that the Coalition's move will place significant pressure on state government health, education and roads spending.

“To suddenly rip away $1.6 billion that the states have already earmarked for important projects and improved services smacks of arrogance and represents a massive fiscal assault on the states,” Mr Brumby said.

The NSW Premier, Bob Carr, said the policy left no basis for the NWI to go ahead.

"We need money to fund the works that are part of the national water initiative. And John Howard has taken money off us, and then expects us to find money to compensate for those losses, and more money to match dollar-for-dollar what he’s spending. And all he’s spending is money he’s taken off the states. That is no way to have a cooperative problem solving relationship."

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Labor Plans State Deals on Biodiversity

Labor has committed to stopping land clearing across Australia through bilateral agreements with the states and territories, and plans to establish an intergovernmental agreement through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on sustaining the land base and protection Australia's biodiversity.

In its election statement on protection of biodiversity, Labor committed to the objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity to “establish and maintain by 2010 for terrestrial and 2012 for marine comprehensive, effectively managed and ecologically representative national and regional systems of protected areas”.

Specific undertakings included:

• implement the Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds – Asia Pacific 2001-2005 and increase the number of sites involved in the Action Plan’s Network;
• implement and monitor the Threat Abatement Plan for Seabirds and ensure, through the Threat Abatement Plan Review, that the by-catch in nets from trawl fisheries and long-line fisheries does not threaten the existence of endangered seabird species;
• ensure threatened species and community group listings are appropriate and consider all state listed communities. This will be followed by a systematic assessment of endangered, threatened and vulnerable communities and species with an obligation to list if identified as threatened;
• list the Coolibah-Black Box Woodlands of Central NSW as an endangered ecological community under the EPBC ACT;
• list the dugong as a vulnerable threatened species under the EPBC ACT and develop a national recovery plan for it;
• commit to systematically identifying and listing key threatening processes to Australia’s biodiversity;
• initiate development of threat abatement plans for each key threatening process as a more efficient approach to biodiversity conservation than ad hoc recovery plans for individual species; and
• where a bioregion plan or threat abatement plan is impractical, develop and implement recovery plans for threatened species or communities.

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Auspine Launches Strategic Plan

Tasmania’s largest sawmilling company, Auspine, has announced a $450 million plan to reinvigorate Tasmania’s forest industry, casting doubt on the political claims of substantial job losses should old-growth forestry be phased out.

The plan will see Auspine underpin up to 4,500 jobs in the softwood timber industry, with the creation of an additional 900 positions, and is centred around value adding to Tasmania’s existing mature pine plantation resource.

The plan consists of five key elements:

• the provision of evergreen resource security contracts required to underwrite future capital investment;
• the immediate cessation of the clearance of native forest for softwood plantation development, coupled with a Land Renewal Program designed to remedy inappropriate land clearing from the past;
• the improvement of plantation management by the cessation of over cutting and the implementation of a comprehensive thinnings program;
• an immediate ban the export of whole logs; and
• implementation of a major value adding capital investment program at existing and greenfields softwood processing facilities.

The company has spoken out about the mismanagement of Tasmania’s softwood plantation estate by Forestry Tasmania, complaining that they do not receive anything nearing the security enjoyed by the old growth logging sector.

“Our industry has no security beyond 2006. As a result we cannot proceed with millions of dollars of capital investment and job creation,” Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Jakab, said.

The Plan has won support from the Wilderness Society and the Tasmanian Greens, and its implementation detail has been discussed with both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Tasmanian Premier, Paul Lennon.

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Russia to Ratify Kyoto

The Russian Cabinet has announced ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, ensuring the Protocol will come into force as an international agreement.

The ratification is expected to be rubber-stamped within weeks, with the Protocol coming into force 90 days thereafter.

The Federal Coalition remains firmly opposed to ratification of the Protocol, believing it will costs jobs and disadvantage Australian industry, while the ALP has promised to ratify the Kyoto Protocol by December this year, if elected.

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Climate Change Scenarios Outlined

A report by the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research on climate change in Queensland has highlighted the urgent need to address global warming.

The report, commissioned by the Queensland government, examines potential changes in temperature and rainfall under a range of scenarios from the present to the years 2030 and 2070.

Using a scenario where global emissions had continued to grow since 1990, the report reveals that the annual mean temperature in Brisbane could increase from 20o C to 26oC. It also finds that the number of summer days in Brisbane with temperatures over 35oC could increase from the current three days to 35 days in 2070.

However, significant reductions in global emissions could result in the annual mean temperature in Brisbane increasing to just 20.8oC by 2070 and the number of summer days higher than 35oC being as low as four.

The report predicts that annual rainfall across most of Queensland will decline, accompanied by loss of soil moisture, particularly in the far interior. Tropical cyclones are expected to become more intense, with stronger winds and more rainfall, although there will be little change in the regions of cyclone formation, and there is no evidence that tropical cyclones will travel further south.

The report quotes other recent studies that have found average electricity demand in Queensland was set to grow by 1 to 4% by 2050. It also states that there would be big changes to the distribution of forest environments for small temperature changes varying from 0 to 1o C.

Wheat production will fall due to longer-term effects of loss of soil moisture and water resources will be put under more pressure due to a reduction in run-off.

The report, Climate Change in Queensland Under Enhanced Greenhouse Conditions, is part of a four-year CSIRO project undertaken on behalf of the state government.

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Environmental Postgraduate Coursework Opportunities

University of Tasmania

• Natural Environmental Management
• Environmental Planning

Study by DISTANCE EDUCATION or on-campus in HOBART

Scholarships available

• Graduate Certificate (six months fill time, up to 1½ years part time)
• Graduate Diploma (1 year full time, up to 3 years part-time)
• Masters (1½ years full time, up to 4 years part time)

Put in an application for admission at any time between now and February.

For application forms, details of course structures, units, fees and scholarships see:

http://www.geog.utas.edu.au/nem/

http://www.geog.utas.edu.au/planning/

or contact
Dr Michael Lockwood
(03) 6226 2834
Michael.Lockwood@utas.edu.au

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We All Use Water (WAUW)

An Intensive 5-Day Course in Water Use and Water Education

8-12 November 2004

Venue: Griffith University Ecocentre Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Brisbane
This course is being organized by the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University and the Australian Water Association.

WAUW Course Background
Reliable supplies of good quality water and the management of wastewater have been taken for granted by the majority of the population but we do not currently manage our water sustainably and consequently its quantity and quality are threatened. Sustainable water management is not achievable without community input and cooperation but community consultation about the way water is managed has revealed that understanding of the urban water cycle is limited. The We All Use Water education kit has been developed specifically as an educational tool for general use within the community.

Purpose of the Course
Those who have a responsibility to interact with and guide the community, at all levels, towards sustainable water management should find this course useful. The course is aimed at educators in the secondary, tertiary and community education sectors and also those involved in and responsible for developing and implementing policy.

It is expected, though not yet finalised, that successful completion of this course will result in 10 credit points towards a 40 credit point Graduate Certificate in Water Use and Education planned for introduction in Semester 2, 2004.

Topics covered in the Course
Topics covered in the course include:
An introduction to the WAUW kit; water sources and catchments, water storage, supply and use; water quality - pathogens, chemicals of concern and other unwanted substances in water; water and sewage treatment plants, effluent quality rating systems, on-site systems; risk assessment including case studies in public management. In addition there will be a field excursion to wastewater and water treatment plants. The course will conclude with a 1-hour exam, the results of which will contribute credit points to the proposed Graduate Certificate in Water Use and Education.

Fees: $1400. This includes full week attendance, lunch, morning and afternoon teas, course kit, transport to site visits.

Cancellations: Notification in writing a minimum of one week before the course - 90% refund. Registration is transferable to other staff from the same organization.

Enquiries:
Glenda Donovan, Executive Support Officer, Griffith Centre for Coastal Management
Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus.
Telephone: (07) 5552 8506 Fax: (07) 5552 8067.
Email: g.donovan@griffith.edu.au

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Professional Indemnity and Certification in Environmental Practice Forum

A special one-day forum, convened by the EIANZ and Hallmark Conferences, in Melbourne to find practical solutions to the professional indemnity crisis affecting environmental practitioners

Date: Thursday, October 21, 2004

Venue: Melbourne - Rydges Riverwalk Hotel, Richmond (Melway Ref 44 J10)

Programme: For a copy of the latest conference programme and information, please click here - requires Acrobat Reader

Australian environmental consultants have faced massive increases in the cost of professional indemnity insurance since 2001. Policy exclusions have widened, insurers have refused to cover specific categories of practice, and there have been large increases in excess amounts. All this has been accompanied by very rapid rises in premium costs to the extent that a number of environmental professionals have closed their businesses.

An outstanding panel of experts will gather at this one day forum in Melbourne to examine in detail the problems confronting the professional, and outline how the profession can effectively respond to what has become a crippling impost.

Initiatives such as the Professional Standards legislation, and the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) Certification scheme will be outlined. A number of industry associations, including the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia,s will explain how they have responded to the problem.

Resolution of this issue is of vital concern to environmental practitioners. There will be ample opportunity for delegates to question the experts in the insurance field. The EIANZ is planning to use the occasion to establish an Insurance Special Interest body to begin the process of representing environmental practitioners in a dialogue with the insurance sector with a view to resolving these problems.

The Chair of the EIANZ Certification Board, Nigel Murphy, will speak on how the Certified Environmental Professional (CEnvP) Scheme will help drive environmental practice to new levels and play an important role in setting new standards that will reduce risk for the profession and for the in insurance industry.

The President of the EIANZ, Simon Molesworth, AM, QC, commented: "Your attendance at this Forum is of vital importance to you as an environmental practitioner and to all of us as a young developing profession."

We look forward to your attendance at the forum which will be followed by the EIANZ Annual General Meeting and a dinner.

For further details, please contact Olivia Trussell at (03) 9530 8900 or email: registration@halledit.com.au

or go to our website http://www.halledit.com.au/conferences/env.htm

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Business Energy and Water Efficiency Best Practice Seminar

Thursday October 14, 2004 9am – 3:00pm

State Library, Metcalfe Auditorium, Macquarie St, Sydney.

Can you learn from industry leaders in water and energy management?
This seminar is the final in the 2004 series developed by the NSW Department of Energy, Utilities & Sustainability (formerly SEDA) and Sydney Water. The seminar will showcase leading examples in energy and water efficiency from the Energy Smart Business and every drop counts business programs.

Seminar features:

• Commercial property case study from Investa Property Group;
• Best practice opportunities for water management in the food processing industry; followed by case study from National Foods;
• Tracking trends across top performers in the Energy Smart Business program;
• Education service case industry: University of Wollongong;
• Local government water efficiency best practice from an auditor’s perspective.

Cost: $275 or $ 220 incl GST.

For program: www.energysmart.com.au/wes/images/pdf/Best_practice_seminar.pdf

or

contact Sonya Williams ph 02 8281 7312, email seminars@deus.nsw.gov.au

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Biodiesel Forum 2004: On the Journey to a Viable Biodiesel Industry

Thursday October 14, 2004, NSW Country Embassy, Level 44 Grosvenor Place, 225 George St Sydney

This Second National Biodiesel Forum, developed by the NSW Department of Energy, Utilities & Sustainability, continues the work in industry development and in building consumer knowledge and confidence for biodiesel in Australia.

Topics to be covered include:

• Current overview of market potential and industry development status
• Making, Monitoring & Marketing biodiesel
• Biodiesel and regional development
• NSW Council Trials: Camden Council and NSW Roads & Traffic Authority
• Compatibility and effects of biodiesel on modern diesel engines, practical issues for fleet conversions to biodiesel

Cost: $275 incl GST. Post forum site visits Friday October 15

For further information www.seda.nsw.gov.au/events02.asp

Contact Andrew Burnard on 02 8281 7307 or email seminars@deus.nsw.gov.au.

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Efficient Energy Management Conference - Melbourne

The efficient management of energy makes good economic and organisational sense and aids in lowering greenhouse emissions, which is good for your organisation and the environment.

An energy efficient cost effective facility can best be achieved and maintained through building a business plan for energy efficiency. When implemented successfully, an energy management plan will help your facility to achieve consistent energy savings, cost savings and compliance, and guard against the adverse effects of market and infrastructure variables. Sustainable energy efficiency planning makes good business sense.

Achieving Energy Efficiency (11th & 12th October 2004, Melbourne) will assist in your business continuity planning for energy efficiency, offer an excellent opportunity to benchmark your operations against leading organisations and better manage and understand the political and economic drivers of energy efficiency.

This event will equip you with practical ideas and techniques for optimising savings for your facility.

EnviroInfo subscribers receive 10% discount.

Please call Chris Low at marcus evans on tel: 02 9223 2137 or see http://www.marcusevans.com.au/pdf/398.pdf

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Sustainable Waste Management Conference & Expo

While the waste management industry is focused on its processes at the treatment end, we all need to turn our attention to the core of the problem – waste generation.

Trends in waste generation rates across the developed world show little inroads into the production/consumption treadmill, which is fuelled by consumerism. This event proposes to explore and debate this issue.

If we can’t be more innovative in this area how can we expect developing countries with potentially much larger waste generation problems, to deal with the issue when consumerism takes hold?

Highlights Include:

• The session “How Do We Achieve Zero Waste”, involves an interesting panel, each with a different perspective.
• Education case studies will outline how some communities have moved towards sustainable waste management.
• Keynote Speaker: Kit Strange (Editor, Warmer Bulletin). Kit will present a wealth of international experience and lateral thinking to the event.
• Keynote Speaker: Susan Thorneloe (Senior Environmental Engineer, US EPA). Another international perspective from Susan with her experience in education for larger communities and knowledge of current technologies.

Full conference program: www.sustainablewm.com.au

Telephone: 1300 651 026

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NSW Coastal Conference 2004

Lake Macquarie, 9-12 November!

The 13th Annual NSW Coastal Conference is coming up soon!

The Conference Program has been finalised, featuring high profile keynote speakers, a huge range of issues, informative and interesting field trips, and concurrently streamed presentations and workshops so you can choose your preferred style!

The theme this year is “Seachange? the delicate balancing act…”, which highlights the importance of understanding and managing the changing demands and pressures on our coastal zone.

This event offers a great opportunity for all those involved in the management of coasts and estuaries to share their experiences and learn about all the latest strategies and techniques, pressures, trials and solutions.

Additional features in this years event are:

• a new structure featuring two full days at the venue, with the Formal Conference Dinner on Thursday night and optional Field Trips on Friday;
• a Panel Discussion with Chairs of the new Coastal CMA’s; and
• an open-space workshop format in some optional sessions so you can have input into workshop topics.

For more information or to Register, visit the Conference Website at www.lakemac.com.au/coastalconference,

email nswcoastalconference@impactenviro.com.au

or

phone the Conference Organisers on 02 6586 4266.

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International Conference on Water Sensitive Urban Design

CITIES AS CATCHMENTS

21-24 November 2004
Adelaide Hilton
South Australia

Cities as Catchments - the third Australian conference on Water Sensitive Urban Design will focus on challenging the way we look at water in the context of urban environments.

LEADING INVITED SPEAKERS

• Professor Herbert Girardet - Urban Water Sustainability - leading urban ecologist and specialist in making cities sustainable.
• Associate Professor Tony Wong - Water Sensitive Urban Design ~ The Journey thus Far
• Professor Ian White - Island Water Supplies and Sanitation as the Epitome of Sustainability
• Dr Rebekah Brown - Corporate Sustainability and Organisational Development
• Kathryn Bellette - South Australian Planning Initiatives

UNESCO International Hydrological Programme ~ Special Focus Sessions

Technical Tour to WSUD sites around Adelaide with dinner in McLaren Vale wine district.

Workshops on: Aquifer Storage and Recovery; Permeable Paving; Climate Variability and Climate Change; WSUD Codes of Practice and Regulatory Approaches; Establishing the Australian Chapter of the International Working Group on WSUD for the JCUD Programme.

Stormwater Industry Association Annual Awards Dinner

Register on line at www.plevin.com.au/WSUD2004

Conference Secretariat
Plevin & Associates Pty Ltd
PO Box 54, Burnside, South Australia 5066
Tel (08) 8379 8222; Fax (08) 8379 8177
events@plevin.com.au

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Bioenergy Australia  2004 :  Building the Australian Bioenergy Industry 

Register before  29  October to obtain the Early Bird discount registration fee!
 
Australia's premier bioenergy conference, Bioenergy Australia 2004,  will be held at the  Hilton Adelaide, South Australia from  29 - 30 November with a conference tour on 1 December.

The theme of this year’s Bioenergy Australia conference is ‘Building the Australian Bioenergy Industry’ and focuses on both the regulatory framework for bioenergy, and the response of industry to the challenge of developing bioenergy projects and businesses for power, heat, transportation fuels and other value added products.

The conference will bring together biomass feedstock producers and suppliers, waste management organisations, project developers, energy companies, equipment suppliers, investors, government agencies, research and research funding bodies, and environmental groups to address factors crucial to the development of bioenergy in Australia.

The program will have over 45 presentations, covering policies and programs,  projects and project development case studies, and emerging opportunities. 

The conference will consider many other facets of bioenergy including anaerobic digestion, ethanol and biodiesel, heat and power and co-products.  Professor Tony Bridgwater from the UK will provide the keynote address and Professor Syd Shea, Chairman of the Oil Mallee Company is lined up to be the conference dinner speaker. 
 
The Conference will also have two extended panel discussions and forums on the :

• Framework for Bioenergy in Australia 
• Advancing Bioenergy - Making Bioenergy Mainstream.

We invite you to attend this conference which has a reputation for excellent programs and networking opportunities at a most reasonable cost. 
 
Program, contact details for inquiries and registration form are available at :  

http://www.conferenceaction.com.au/current/Bio04regdoc.pdf   and  through   http://www.bioenergyaustralia.org.  
 
Contact person for registrations is Emma Waygood of Conference Action, 
tel (02) 9437 9333  fax: (02) 9901 4586  email: emma@conferenceaction.com.au

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Smart Approved Watermark Scheme - Third Round of Applications

The Smart Approved WaterMark is the nationally endorsed water conservation labelling scheme that recognises products, services and organisations which are assisting all Australians to help save our most precious resource - water!

The Smart Approved WaterMark Scheme is managed by Australia's peak water agencies: the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA); the Nursery and Garden Industry of Australia (NGIA); the Irrigation Association of Australia (IAA); and the Australian Water Association (AWA).

The key objectives of the Smart Approved WaterMark scheme are to assist in the reduction of per capita water consumption – especially in the areas of outdoor water-use via the labelling of appropriate water using/saving products and water related services and organisations.

Products that may be included under the scheme include: trigger hoses; tap timers; rainfall sensors; mulch and weep hoses. Services that may be included under the scheme include: retrofit services; water efficient design services; education and training programs; and information advisory services. Organisations that may be included under the scheme include: schools; local government; new urban developers; and retail outlets.

The Smart Approved WaterMark scheme is not-for-profit, voluntary and applications are assessed by an independent expert panel. The thirdround of applications closes on November 12, 2004.

For further information on the scheme go to www.smartapprovedwatermark.info

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Department of Sustainability and Environment

Notice of Decision

Transfer of Land (Fees) Regulations 2004
Instruments (Fees) Regulations 2004
Property Law (Fees) Regulations 2004
Subdivision (Registrar’s Fees) Regulations 2004

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I, Mary Delahunty, Minister for Planning and Minister responsible for administering the Transfer of Land Act 1958, Instruments Act 1958, Property Law Act 1958 and the Subdivision Act 1988 give notice under section 12 of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 as follows:

A Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) has been prepared in relation to the following Regulations:

Transfer of Land (Fees) Regulations 2004

Instruments (Fees) Regulations 2004

Property Law (Fees) Regulations 2004

Subdivision (Registrar’s Fees) Regulations 2004

The proposed Regulations prescribe various fees in relation to land registration and transfer fees.

The Regulatory Impact Statement was advertised seeking public comment and four submissions were received.

After considering the submissions received, I have decided that the proposed Regulations should be made without amendment.

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Mary Delahunty, MP
Minister for Planning
Date: Tuesday, 14 September 2004

www.dse.vic.gov.au

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