General News

Interim report of the EPBC Act review released

An interim report of the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act has been released, pulling together the key issues raised
through public submissions and consultations to date.

The aim of the interim report is to stimulate discussion about some substantial issues relating to the Act and the extent to which it is achieving its purpose. There are no conclusions or recommendations at this stage.

Key areas for further consideration include:

• the purpose of the Act; 
• the division and harmonisation of responsibilities for the environment between the Commonwealth and the states and territories; 
• the appropriateness of the current matters of National Environmental Significance as triggers under the Act and proposals for the inclusion of additional triggers;
• alternative approaches to biodiversity conservation;
• improved arrangements for performance auditing and compliance; including for Regional Forest Agreements and other bilateral agreements;
• the scope for review of decisions made under the Act; and
• opportunities for streamlining environmental regulation.

It is a statutory requirement that the Act is independently reviewed every 10 years.

The review is due for completion by the end of October 2009.

The interim report can be found at: www.environment.gov.au/epbc/review/publications/interim-report.html

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Select committee releases report into CPRS Bill inquiry

A Senate economics committee has issued the report from its inquiry into the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and related bills and a climate committee has issued the report from its inquiry into climate policy.

The committee finds that the CPRS should not be passed in its current form, and that whilst the CPRS package has been revised on two occasions, the modelling continues to fail to take into account the impact of these changed economic circumstances. The committee considers the modelling undertaken by Treasury to be inadequate and recommends that the Government direct Treasury to undertake further modelling.

The further modelling should:

• consider in detail the short-term adjustment costs;
• respond to criticisms made of Treasury's initial modelling including: taking into account the deterioration of the Australian economy; the likely effect of the CPRS upon jobs and upon the environment; the absence of any modelling of the impact of the CPRS on regional Australia; and
• model other types of schemes that have been proposed as alternatives to CPRS, including: a conventional baseline-and-credit scheme; an intensity model; a carbon tax; a consumption-based carbon tax, and the McKibbin hybrid approach. 

The report and the full list of recommendations are available here.

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Progress on NSW Regional Forest Agreements

A progress report on the implementation of the 20-year New South Wales Regional Forest Agreements shows nearly 90% of the milestones have been finalised or are underway.

The progress report finds 124 of the 138 milestones have been concluded or are being progressed.

RFAs set the framework for the management of forests in key forestry regions, balancing conservation with sustainable harvesting of public native forests. The key objectives of the agreements are to: 

• protect the environmental values;
• encourage job creation in forest-based industries, including tourism and wood production; and
• manage native forests in an ecologically sustainable way.

The NSW and Federal Governments have released a draft report covering the Eden, North East and Southern Regional Forest Agreements.

An independent reviewer will consider the draft report and public submissions, and compile a report to present to both governments. People wanting to make a submission or examine the report can click here .

Federal Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke, says the forest and wood products sector supports jobs and generates economic activity, and Canberra will continue to support a sustainable industry which is globally competitive.

“Regional Forest Agreements are the cornerstone of our national forest policy and the key mechanism for supporting jobs and industry, and protecting biodiversity and threatened species.”

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Mapping the future of coastal assets

Maps that will help protect Victoria’s coastal assets and be used to prevent inappropriate development in coastal areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change have been released by the State Government.

The high resolution land-based Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is part of the government’s $13 million Future Coasts program.

The latest DEM set completes the most detailed mapping of Victoria’s coastline and shows the elevation of the state’s coastal areas from sea level to a height of 10 metres. When combined with future CSIRO data on predicted storm events, coastal flooding and erosion, it will ensure authorities can take early action on locations that may be affected.

State Planning Minister, Justin Madden, says the new maps are an important step in preparing for climate change as outlined in the Victorian Coastal Strategy 2008.

“This information will be invaluable in helping us ensure a secure future for all Victorians. The level of detail gives us an advantage by allowing us to pinpoint where our long term adaptation and future planning work should be focussed.”

The next stage of the Future Coasts program will produce a similar sea-floor DEM which will provide information to 20 metres below sea level. This will be released in early 2010.

For more information about the Future Coasts program and how to access the DEM data, click here.

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New Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability

Environmental scientist and former magistrate, Kate Auty, has been appointed Victoria’s new Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability.

Dr Auty replaces Dr Ian McPhail who recently completed his five year term as commissioner.

Environment and Climate Change Minister, Gavin Jennings, says her appointment will ensure that high quality environmental reporting of the Government’s activities continues for the benefit of all Victorians. “The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability has a significant role to play in environmental reporting and public education, so I am very pleased that we have someone with Dr Auty’s experience to take on the role."

Before accepting the position, Dr Auty served as Chairperson of the Ministerial Reference Council on Climate Change Adaptation and as a member of the Premier’s Reference Committee on Climate Change. Dr Auty has an extensive legal and academic background, including post-graduate qualifications in environmental science.

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Announcements

2010 Research Support - The Australian Academy of Science

2010 RESEARCH SUPPORT – THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

The Australian Academy of Science supports research through the sponsorship of conferences that focus on rapidly developing fields of research; awarding travelling fellowships for the exchange of scientific ideas; and grants to support research. The Academy invites the following:

• 2010/11 RESEARCH CONFERENCES
Expressions of Intent for the Boden Research Conference in biological sciences, and the Fenner Conference on the Environment.

• 2010 TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIPS
Applications for the Graeme Caughley Travelling Fellowship for Australian ecologists to travel overseas; nominations for the Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship in biological sciences for Australian or overseas scientists to travel in Australia, and the Selby Fellowship in all fields of science for overseas scientists to travel in Australia.

• 2010 AWARD FOR RESEARCH ON THE CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED AUSTRALIAN VERTEBRATE SPECIES
Applications for research aimed at the improvement and management of conditions necessary for a species’ recovery.

CLOSING DATES – 31 AUGUST 2009

Website for information and forms: http://www.science.org.au/awards/research.htm
Email enquiries: awards@science.org.au

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Department of Climate Change - 2010 Graduate Development Program

Department of Climate Change
Graduate Development Program
$53,469 - $62,178

Do you want to work on one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time?

The Department of Climate Change (within the Prime Minister’s portfolio) leads development of Australia’s climate change policy.

The department leads on key policies including the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, Australia’s international climate change negotiations and adapting to climate change that cannot be avoided.

Applications Open: Monday 22nd of June 2009. Full details are available on our website.

Applications Close: Monday 13th of July 2009.

Available Positions: Department of Climate Change will be recruiting up to 20 graduates for the 2010 Graduate Development Program.

Disciplines Sought: Graduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply.
www.climatechange.gov.au/about/graduates

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Further Education

UNSW Environmental Management Systems and Environmental Auditing Short Courses

UNSW Environmental Management Systems and Environmental Auditing Short Courses

The School of Risk and Safety Sciences in collaboration with the Environment Unit at UNSW designed environmental short courses to help professionals in developing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and environmental auditing (EA) skills. The EA course meets the training requirements for environmental auditor certification with the Quality Society of Australasia (RABQSA) in Competency Units RABQSA-AU (Management Systems Auditing) & RABQSA-EM (Auditing Environmental Management Systems). The short courses will help managers and environmental professionals in managing environmental issues and fulfilling their professional obligations through development and auditing environmental management systems tailored to their organizational needs.

The short courses are a must for environmental managers of both small and large businesses, public service organisations and interested professionals. Experts from academia, government and industry will present a detailed examination of environmental systems in addition to auditing processes and their applications.

The short Courses will be delivered at the University of New South Wales, Kensington Campus:

• EMS short course: 22-24 July 2009 - Cost: $2,650.00 per person (GST inclusive)
• EA workshop in e-learning mode (lectures delivered on-line from July 2009) followed by a two day practical workshop from 10-11 September 2009 - Cost: $2,650.00 per person (GST inclusive)

Website: http://www.safesci.unsw.edu.au/courses/shortcourses.html

For further information contact:

Dr. Christian Khalil,
Environmental Science Program Authority,
Phone: (02) 9385 5349/0403122258
E-mail: c.khalil@unsw.edu.au
University of New South Wales
Sydney 2052
Fax: (02) 9385 6190

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Writing Clear Science Workshops

Writing Clear Science Workshops

We help science professionals and students improve their writing skills. Our writing workshops are relevant to individuals from all science backgrounds and with different levels of academic achievement. People who attend our workshops greatly improve their ability to write high-quality science documents: - research reports, peer-reviewed papers, industry reports, fact sheets, media releases and theses.

Writing Clear Science workshops are regularly held throughout Australia as:

• Open Workshops: We visit most capital cities. Individual and group bookings are welcome.
• In-House Workshops: 1-to-3 day workshops tailored to your needs and held at your institution.

Open Workshop Course

• Day 1: The Nuts & Bolts: Writing Clearly & Succinctly
• Day 2: Writing Reports, Articles & Papers
• Day 3: Writing Your Thesis

Enrolments are available for Day 1, Day 1-2 or Day 1-3.

Open Workshop Calendar

MELBOURNE: Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria. Tue. 21st – Thurs. 23rd July.
BRISBANE: DFI&F Conference Centre, 80 Anne Street Brisbane. Mon. 7th – Wed. 9th September.
SYDNEY: UNILINC Meeting Room, Level 9, 210 Clarence Street, Sydney. Tue. 6th – Thurs. 8th October.
ADELAIDE: Venue to be confirmed. Wed. 4th – Fri. 6th November.

To download registration form and for further information on both Open and In-House Workshops go to www.writingclearscience.com.au, or please contact Dr Marina Hurley on 0416-097979 or info@writingclearscience.com.au.

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National Short Courses in Environmental Health 2009

PROVIDING EDUCATION IN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT SINCE 1991

South Australian Centre for Public Health

Course 1: Principles of Risk Assessment and Management. 23-27 Nov 2009

Course
Offered each year since 1991, this course provides a general introduction to the concepts of risk assessment and management. Updated annually to include examples of current relevance to all those interested in environmental health including: water quality, food safety, air quality and contaminated sites. Sessions will also include real-life scenarios and a step-wise approach to issues involved in carrying out real risk assessments from experts.

Speakers
Interstate speakers Dr Andrew Langley (Queensland Health) Dr Peter Di-Marco (Toxicologist, Golder Associates, Perth) will be joined by a team of expert locals including the editors of the OUP text 'Environmental Health in Australia and New Zealand' Dr Nancy Cromar (Flinders University) and Assoc. Prof Scott Cameron (Adelaide University and ANU).

Course 2: Risk Communication: Engaging the Public. 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

Course
This is a practical and thought-provoking 3-day workshop providing key insights and tools for organisations and individuals who are working on controversial issues involving the public or other concerned stakeholders.

This workshop is not-to-be-missed if your job includes investigating disease outbreaks, regulating toxic chemicals or food products, cleaning up contaminated sites or other problems where public opinion or news media attention are high and your organisation's trust or readiness may be low.

Speakers
Alvin Chun (USEPA) world leading authority on communicating risk to the general public will be joined by a local team who will provide Australian relevant materials and insight.

Want to know more?
Checkout the website: www.nsceh.com

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Conferences & Events

Green Building & Design Conference 2009 - Green Materials

9-10 September 2009 Melbourne Convention Centre

Attendance in-person or online

The RMIT Centre for Design has put together a comprehensive and informative program on the topic of building materials and their environmental impact.

For the first time attendance of the conference can be extended into a single course with credits towards a postgraduate subject. Moreover an online participation mode has been established for those participants, who are unable to make it to Melbourne.

Early Bird (until 31 July 2009) $770.

For more information on the conference or single course please go to the website or contact nicola.willand@rmit.edu.au.

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Local Government Sustainable Development Conference

 

Tuesday 18th - Wednesday 19th August
The Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne

The peak national local sustainable development conference designed to assist local government practitioners to identify, plan and implement best practice sustainable development solutions, particularly related to reducing the carbon footprint. It will showcase leading edge examples of outstanding environmental initiatives by Australian local governments. 

Topics will include:

• Expert analysis of Local Government’s emissions trading obligations
• Climate change and energy efficiency
• Integrating sustainability into economic imperatives
• Future directions for asset management
• Practical approaches to water management
• Sustainable planning and urban design
• Waste management and resource recovery
• Community engagement in environmental initiatives
• Green purchasing and procurement

Invited speakers include:

• Geoff Lake, President, Australian Local Government Association
• Cr Colin Hampton, Mayor, City of Frankston
• Cr Geoff Ablett, Mayor, City of Casey
• Cr Peter Young, Gold Coast City Council
• Stephen Sawtell, General Manager, Coffs Harbour City Council
• Louise Hicks, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox
• Nick Bailey, Manager, Local Government, Sustainability Victoria
• Chris Newman, Manager, Councils Reforming Business, Local Government Victoria, Department of Planning and Community Development
• Peter Kinrade, Senior Consultant, Marsden Jacob Associates
• Gareth Williamson, Senior Waste Management Consultant, Meinhardt Infrastructure and Environment Pty Ltd
• Jack Holden, Senior Manager, KPMG
• John Gertsakis, Executive Officer, Product Stewardship Australia
• Steve Harrison, Director, Business & Economic Development, City of Prospect
• Geoff Withycombe, Executive Officer, Sydney Coastal Councils Group
• Peter Maganov, Manager Sustainability, Randwick City Council
• Michael Top, Group Manager, Sustainability, Bayside City Council
• David Lemcke, Senior Planner – Planning, Policy & Legal, Wyong Shire Council
• Rosemary Dillon, Manager, Corporate Planning and Community Outcomes, Blue Mountains City Council
• Matthew Trigg, Sustainable Design Officer, City of Port Phillip
• Robyn Evans, Research Director, RMIT Centre for Design
• Faye Adams, ESD Officer, Manningham City Council
• Simone Dilkara, Project Manager, Goulburn Mulwaree Council.

For further information, or to register for the Conference, go to www.halledit.com.au/lgsd09 or contact Denise McQueen on 03 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

 

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2009 AELERT Conference

   

Wrest Point, Hobart
15–17 September 2009

The Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators Network (AELERT) is a network of environmental regulatory agencies that are responsible for the management of natural resources or the protection of the environment.

The 6th Annual AELERT Conference will include material of interest to organisations with environmental, planning, cultural heritage, or natural resource related responsibilities.

The Tasmanian Government will host the 6th Annual AELERT Conference in Hobart on the 15th, 16th and 17th of September 2009 at the Wrest Point Conference Centre in Hobart.

The Conference theme is “Regulation in a Dynamic Future - Driving Changing Attitudes.”

Confirmed speakers include Professor Tim Flannery, Professor Malcolm Sparrow, author of “The Regulatory Craft”, M C Mehta from the M C Mehta Environmental Foundation in India, Professor Rob White of the University of Tasmania, and Mr Joe Woodward from the Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW).

Workshops and Breakout Sessions relating to regulatory practice, heritage, water, wildlife and other related fields will include material of interest at the practitioner, management and strategic levels.

For further information contact the AELERT Secretariat on (02) 6275 9051 or Phil Shelverton on (03) 6233 2788.

To learn more about AELERT visit www.aelert.com.au or to register for the Conference go to www.conlog.com.au/aelert2009/.

 

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Services & Products

EnviroJobs

EnviroJobs is your source for employment positions available within environmental fields across Australia.

EnviroJobs is a weekly email and online service which lists employment positions available in the environment management, natural resource, environmental engineering, environmental health and environmental science fields.

This service is provided by Hallmark Editions (publishers of Environment Business, Land & Water News, CO2 News and EnviroInfo) to help practitioners in these disciplines to locate middle and senior level positions.

This weekly email, distributed each Monday, is free to receive, but there is a small cost to advertise.

All jobs listed in the service are available to view on the website www.envirojobs.com.au and you can subscribe to the weekly bulletin via the website.

For advertising queries, please call 03 8534 5000 or email enquiries@envirojobs.com.au

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Australian Heritage

Australian Heritage magazine brings alive the stories and the people of Australia's past and explores our relationship with our environment.

Written by leading historians and authors, each issue of Australian Heritage magazine profiles explorers and pioneers, artists and inventors, engineers and builders, and leaders in many fields.

It explores the achievements that have contributed to our nation, and tells the stories of the people and places that are part of our heritage and our culture.

To subscribe to Australian Heritage, or to give a gift subscription, contact 1800 201 983 or visit www.heritageaustralia.com.au where you can subscribe online.

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