General News

Environment trends and issues report released

Australians are using less water but more energy, according to a new report released from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends presents a snapshot of environmental issues affecting Australia. The 2010 edition also includes a feature article on the issue of climate change, and what it means for Australia.

This edition highlights that water use by agriculture has fallen by almost half in two years, with the biggest reductions occurring in New South Wales and Victoria, while the proportion of households using water saving devices has doubled between 1994 and 2007.

While water consumption fell, energy use rose. Australia's heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially for power generation, has seen greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector rise by almost one-half since 1990, however emissions per head of population fell by 12% over the same period. 

The Northern Territory and Western Australia lead other states in solar hot water use (54% and 21%, respectively), but overall, less than 10% of Australian homes were using solar hot water in 2008.

In 2008, only half (53%) of homes in New South Wales had insulation, compared to the national average of just over 60% - but most people were insulating for comfort rather than to save energy.

Australians are also living in larger homes with fewer people; this is increasing greenhouse emissions from the electricity and gas used to build and run them.

Further details can be found from www.abs.gov.au

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Coalition unveils climate change policy

A $1 billion emissions reduction fund is the centerpiece of the Coalition’s new $3.2b climate change policy.

Announcing the policy, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the Coalition would use the fund to invest in direct measures to help the public, industry and farmers cut emissions.

Those measures would include planting 20 million trees, incentives to roll out 1 million solar panels, storing carbon in the soil, and purchasing cleaner power stations.

Mr Abbott says the plan would be cheaper and more effective than the Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme, and would deliver the same result of a five per cent cut in emissions by 2020. He claims that the plan would cost $3.2 billion in comparison to the ETS, which is estimated to cost $40 billion.   The Coalition's scheme does not however cap emissions.

Mr Abbott did not provide detail on how the plan would be funded.

Emissions Reduction Fund

The Coalition will establish an emissions reduction fund to provide direct incentives to industry and farmers to reduce CO2 emissions.

Businesses that reduce emissions below their baseline or ‘business as usual’ activity will be able to sell their CO2 abatement to the government. This will provide a direct financial incentive for firms to take action to reduce emissions below baseline levels.

Businesses that emit above their ‘business as usual’ levels will incur a financial penalty.

The Fund will use the existing National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS) to determine the abatement achieved by individual businesses. An expert body will be established to assess tenders and make recommendations on activities to be supported by the Fund.

The Fund will commence operation in 2011-12 with an initial allocation of $300 million, $500 million in 2012-13, $750 million in 2013-14 and growing to $1 billion in 2014-15. 

Small businesses and other entities not covered by NGERS will be able to participate on an opt-in basis.

Soil Carbon

The Coalition will use the Emissions Reduction Fund to deliver about 85 million tonnes per annum of CO2 abatement through soil carbons by 2020 with an initial purchase of 10 million tonnes of abatement through soil carbons by 2012-13.

Solar Energy

The Coalition will introduce a range of measures to support the increased uptake and use of renewable energy in homes and communities.

The Coalition will provide a $1,000 rebate for either solar panels or solar hot water systems, capped at 100,000 rebates per year, with the goal of achieving one million additional solar energy roofs on homes by 2020. This will be in addition to existing rebates, and will provide an additional CO2 emissions reduction of 2.4 – 3 million tonnes a year by 2020.

The Coalition will also allocate $100 million to a Solar Towns and Solar Schools Initiative which will provide grants for towns, non-capital cities and schools to access direct solar energy for onsite use and return to the power grid.

$50 million will be allocated to a Geothermal and Tidal Towns Initiative and $2 million will be devoted to a major study into the use of underground electricity transmission and the potential land recovery from the conversion of overhead powerline corridors to urban parklands and inner suburban housing.

Green Corridors and other measures

The Coalition commits to the planting of an additional 20 million trees by 2020 to re-establish urban forests and green corridors.

To support the development of larger scale renewable energy generation, a proportion of incentives provided through the Renewable Energy Target will be reserved for bigger projects and emerging technologies.

The Coalition will also allocate up to $5 million for research into algal synthesis and retain the Greenhouse Friendly programme.

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Stormwater harvesting research program launched

Federal funding of $1.8 million has been announced to support a national research program to boost stormwater harvesting in Australia’s cities.

The Cities as Water Supply Catchments research program was launched in conjunction with the launch of Monash University’s new Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, will encourage greater uptake of stormwater harvesting systems by governments.

The research program will address technological and governance issues that limit the capture and re-use of stormwater, and will receive funding and in-kind contributions from research organisations and industry partners that total more than $13.5 million.

It will deliver a “how to” guide on managing urban stormwater and integrating technologies into urban design, planning and development.     Other key deliverables include improving the health of aquatic ecosystems and developing innovative institutional arrangements to deliver more sustainable cities.

The research consortium is led by Monash University and includes Melbourne and Queensland Universities and AECOM Planning + Design. The research program will address the scientific, technological, and governance issues that limit the efficient and effective capture and re-use of stormwater.

Eight integrated research projects will be delivered under the program, with research focusing on:

• developing new, effective and proven stormwater harvesting technologies that meet health regulation requirements
• developing robust decision tools to effectively evaluate the economic costs and benefits of the new technologies
• developing research and decision tools on the benefits of stormwater technologies in dealing with climate change and urban liveability
• research into the governance and institutional issues required to support further reform and the uptake of stormwater harvesting
• demonstration trials in partnership with industry.

 

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Environmental advertising claims practice note released

The Australian Association of National Advertisers’ (AANA) has released a Practice Note for its new AANA Environmental Claims in Advertising and Marketing Code, which came into effect on 1 January 2010.

The Practice Note further clarifies a number of terms encompassed by the Code including “Environment”, “Environmental Aspect” and “Environmental Claims”.

“Given the range of industry sectors and environmental issues to which the Environmental Claims Code applies, the Code itself provides general principles and not overly prescriptive rules,” said AANA CEO, Scott McClellan.

“This Practice Note is more detailed, providing clause by clause guidance and examples to assist advertisers and marketers to interpret and adhere to the Code. It will also guide the Advertising Standards Board in adjudicating complaints under the Code,” Mr McClellan said. 

“Marketers and Advertisers will also gain a better understanding of the regulatory and practical intent of the Code, which will help them to ensure that accurate, specific and straightforward information about the environmental characteristics and qualities of their products and services is provided to consumers.”

The note is available to view here.

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Research quantifies impact of carbon price on SMEs

A research program by the National Centre for Sustainability at the Swimburne University of Technology, to quantify the impact of a carbon price on small-medium enterprises (SME) and map the responses of different industries to the challenges of operating in and adapting to a carbon constrained economy, has found that under a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) the likely cost increase for SMEs is small and not significant enough to be a strong driver for industry to implement changes beyond business as usual.

The research found that less than one third of the surveyed businesses have quantified their annual production of greenhouse gases though a greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

It further found that organisational culture is the primary driver for businesses to quantify their carbon footprint and that 71% of businesses who developed an emissions inventory identified opportunities for cost savings.

The research report can be downloaded here.

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Australian companies in top 100 sustainable list

Nine Australian companies made the 2010 Global 100 list of the most sustainable companies: Westpac, IAG, Stockland, GPT, Bluescope, Origin, Boral, Sims and Dexus, pushing Australia into a tie for third place on the world rankings.

The top rank overall went to General Electric, owner of the ecomagination line.

GE’s score was bolstered by its industry leading ratio of sales to waste ($729,685 in sales per tonne of waste produced), and a doubling of its carbon productivity (sales/tonnes of total CO2 equivalent) from 2006 to 2008, cutting total carbon emissions from 10.8 million tonnes to 6.5 million tonnes, while increasing sales from US$150 billion to US$181 billion.

The 2010 Global 100 is based on data from the sustainability research alliance put together by Legg Mason, which identifies the top 10 per cent of companies from a universe of 3000 global stocks. These are then transparently ranked based on ten indicators, with data sourced from ASSET4, a Thomson Reuters business, and Bloomberg.

The 2010 Global 100 established and measured companies against an objective ‘sustainable path’ standard for energy, carbon, water, and waste ratios. This was set at achieving annualised resource productivity gains in excess of the 6 per cent, a threshold informed by research by Lord Nicholas Stern, the McKinsey Global Institute, and Factor Four literature. By this measure, 71 per cent of the 2010 Global 100 are on a path towards sustainable resource use.

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Further Education

PLANNING WITH COMMUNITIES: Facilitation and Conflict Resolution Skills Training: Beechworth - Mildura - Adelaide

 

When and Where:

•  Adelaide: 16 -18 March

•  Beechworth: 27 - 29 April

•  Mildura: 1- 3 June

Who should attend this course?

The course teaches high-level facilitation and conflict resolution skills that are transferable to any work place, including team management. If you work with communities to develop plans and policies in natural resource management or if you lead a team, you will find this comprehensive three-day course invaluable.

What will you learn?

The program is designed for the participants to achieve the following outcomes:

• an understanding of the different levels of community engagement
• awareness of the principles of community participation
• development of active listening skills
• ability to observe the dynamics of a group
• ability to distinguish between the content and process of a group
• development of the skills in using task and maintenance interventions
• understanding of how different types & levels of tension effect groups
• ability to carry out the role and functions of the small group facilitator
• ability to establish ground rules in a group
• ability to critique to improve group process
• ability to organise the content of a group
• understanding of the use of consensus as one form of decision making
• ability to respond assertively
• ability to analyse the different sources of conflict
• development of skills to manage conflict constructively

How will you learn?

All participants learn new skills that can be applied immediately in the work situation. As a result the three days are practical and practice based.

Accreditation (optional)
You can choose to be assessed for two units towards the Diploma of Government.

For more information and to register go to:
www.planningpartnerships.com.au and follow the link to Training Schedule.

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NCGRT Groundwater Industry Training

 

The aim of the NCGRT Groundwater Industry Training program is to improve understanding of groundwater as a key natural resource, and has contributed significantly to the national awareness of the environmental impacts of groundwater processes including recharge, discharge, contamination, remediation and management.

This program, formerly managed with outstanding success for over twenty years under the Centre for Groundwater Studies (CGS), will continue to be managed by the same staff on the same business model, but now as an activity stream under the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT).

2010 COURSES
Australian Desalination Schools
Mon 15 - Fri 19 March Sofitel Gold Coast, BROADBEACH QLD
Mon 22 - Fri 26 March Novotel, PERTH WA

Groundwater for Decision Makers Courses
Tues 30 March Novotel, PERTH WA
Wed 23 June Mercure, SYDNEY NSW
Wed 14 July Novotel on Collins, MELBOURNE VIC
Wed 4 Aug Novotel Atrium, DARWIN NT

Getting to Know Groundwater and Surfacewater Courses
Tues 13 - Thurs 15 April RSL Hall, CHARLEVILLE QLD
Wed 5 - Fri 7 May Mercure, BROOME WA
Wed 25 - Fri 27 Aug All Seasons, CHRISTCHURCH NZ
Wed 15 - Fri 17 Sept Rockford Hotel, ADELAIDE SA

Australian Groundwater Schools
Mon 24 - Fri 28 May Mercure, SYDNEY NSW
Mon 11 - Fri 15 Oct Novotel, PERTH WA

Australian Groundwater Modelling School
Tues 27 - Fri 30 July Novotel on Collins, MELBOURNE VIC

Hydrochemistry and Environmental Isotopes Workshop
Wed 29 Sept - Fri 1 Oct Stamford Grand Adelaide, GLENELG SA

National Surfacewater-Groundwater Field Methods School
Mon 8 - Fri 12 Nov UNSW Farm, WELLINGTON NSW

Soil and Groundwater Pollution Courses
Mon 15 - Thur 18 Nov Novotel, PERTH WA
Tues 23 - Fri 26 Nov Novotel on Collins, MELBOURNE VIC

For further information:
Phone: +61 8 8201 5632
Fax: +61 8 8201 5635
Email: industrytraining@groundwater.com.au
Web: www.groundwater.com.au

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Conferences & Events

Environmental procurement, marketing and supply chain training: Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane

 

Green purchasing is a proven way to reduce your organisation’s environmental impact, deliver cost savings and drive efficiency improvements. What’s more, it also shows your commitment to ‘walking the talk’ on sustainability, demonstrating leadership to staff and stakeholders, and encouraging your supply chain to operate more sustainably.

ECO-Buy, a not-for-profit Centre of Excellence and Australia’s leading practitioner in the environmental purchasing field, is holding a range of workshops in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Workshops include:

• Introduction to green purchasing
• What is a green product?
• Developing and implementing a green purchasing policy
• Behaviour change techniques for green purchasing
• Green spend assessment and prioritisation
• Green contracts and tenders
• Tracking and reporting green spend
• Marketing green products and services
• Greening your supply chain

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE: CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND TO REGISTER

For more information contact ECO-Buy:
(03) 9349 0444
training@ecobuy.org.au
www.ecobuy.org.au

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ACCSR’s 4th Annual Conference “Meeting the Standard: The Post-GFC World of Responsible Business Practice”

Places are limited and filling fast and bookings will close in two weeks, so book your seat now to avoid disappointment!

•  Where: RACV Club, 501 Bourke St, Melbourne
• When: Friday, 19th February, 2010, 9:00am-5:30pm.

This year’s conference program features 25 speakers from Australia, Europe, the UK and South Africa. Five experts central to the development of the new global standard on social responsibility, ISO 26000 and a choice of six round-table discussions will bring you thought-provoking insights into how the standard could shape the CSR landscape and your organisation’s strategy and practice.

Our special closing key note speaker is the Parliamentary Secretary for Employment, The Hon. Jason Clare MP. Once a CSR manager himself in a top-listed company, Jason is a rising star in the Rudd Government and will provide fascinating insights into how his experiences have shaped his approach to driving policy outcomes in Government.

ACCSR will also release the results of the State of CSR in Australia Annual Review, including the CSR Top 25 list – the companies with the best-integrated CSR capabilities based on our ongoing research program. Is your organisation listed? Attend the conference and find out.

The State of CSR in Australia Annual Review also provides new insights into how CSR was affected by the Global Financial Crisis and which CSR frameworks are likely to be the most-used to guide CSR practice in 2010.

Join delegates from leading companies, government agencies and NGOs in this must-attend event that will shape your agenda for 2010. Delegates booked so far are from the Commonwealth Bank, CSL Ltd, Lion Nathan, Visy, Port of Melbourne Corporation, Integral Energy, Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism, Arup, Department of Innovation, Science, Industry & Research, UniSuper and many more.

To see more background about the speakers and program and book your place, click here.

For more information, please email workshop@accsr.com.au or phone 03 9826 1767.

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GRI Sustainability Reporting Process Workshop: Melbourne – 28-29 January & 4-5 March

 

 

January 28 and 29 – early bird rate extended
March 4 and 5

ZOOiD is the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) first Certified Training Partner in Australia/New Zealand. '

This two day (16 hour) workshop will take you through the GRI’s five phase sustainability reporting process:

Prepare: plan your GRI sustainability reporting process
Connect: talk and listen
Define: focus your efforts
Monitor: build your report
Report: check and communicate

You will learn:

• About the Global Reporting Initiative
• How to develop an action plan
• Innovative ways to engage stakeholders
• How to select and prioritise material issues
• About environmental, economic and social performance indicators
• How to manage the sustainability reporting process 
• Tips and techniques to develop a comprehensive sustainability report
• How to plan for your sustainable future

Who should attend?

The sustainability reporting process embraces a multi-disciplinary approach. Organisations and individuals that are involved in Corporate Social Responsibility, environmental reporting and auditing, annual report compilation, business strategy, communications, marketing, public affairs, compliance and assurance will find the ‘GRI Sustainability Reporting Process’ beneficial.

Venue

Mercure Hotel Melbourne
13 Spring Street, Melbourne

Investment

Standard: $1600 (incl. GST)
Local Council/Educational Institution: $1400 (incl. GST)
Not for profit: $1200 (incl. GST)
$100 discount for early bird registration (register and pay one month prior to workshop)

For more information, or to register, email connect@zooid.com.au or phone 03 9381 0610
www.zooid.com.au

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2nd Annual Sustainable Supply Chain Forum + Workshop: Melbourne 4 - 5 March 2010

Is sustainable supply chain management an emerging priority for your organisation?

The 3 Pillars Network is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Sustainable Supply Chain Forum. This is a must-attend for anyone involved in supply chain, logistics and procurement for Australian organisations.

Download the full agenda here.

We have brought together leading Australian and International companies to share their knowledge and experiences including Marks & Spencer (UK), Cadbury, Toyota, Woolworths, NAB, VISY, Corporate Express, Fuji Xerox.

PLUS: - Special Keynote presentation by Michael Byrne, CEO, Linfox.

This year’s forum is designed to be practical and interactive for delegates. Find out ‘how to’:

• drive down costs and carbon in your supply chain
• apply best practice to your sustainable sourcing strategy
• manage your downstream supply chain
• apply frameworks and standards to drive sustainable procurement outcomes.

We are also pleased to offer an exclusive carbon life cycle assessment and labelling working, facilitated by Net Balance Management Group. Please CLICK HERE for further details.

Places are strictly limited. REGISTER NOW AND SAVE WITH THE EARLY BIRD RATE! 

For more details, please contact Cheryl Samarasinghe
Email: cheryl@3pillarsnetwork.com.au
Phone: 02 9555 2358
Web: www.3pillarsnetwork.com.au

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EcoMapping™ and EMAS Easy Consultant Training

Increasingly environmental consultants are being requested by their clients for assistance in development of simple environmental management systems. Consultants training in the use of the EcoMapping™ and EMAS Easy tools will learn how to implement a simple environmental action plan and build on this to develop an ISO14001 compatible EMS.

The tools have been designed to be a simple, graphical and low documentation process. EcoMapping™ is becoming more widely recognised in a number of sectors, including wine, food, manufacturing and printing industries – small or large. Taylors Wines recently achieved ISO14001 certification using this tool.

Presented by internationally renowned environmental counsellor and developer of the tool Heinz-Werner Engel, the three day course will train participants in the use of the EcoMapping™ and EMAS Easy tools.

When and Where
Location: Adelaide or Melbourne (venue TBA)
When: 24-26 March

This may be the last chance for training until 2011.

Who Should Attend
Consultants who want to assist business to improve their environmental performance. Knowledge of ISO14001 is recommended. Maximum 12 participants.

Cost
The course will cost $1,900 (ex GST) but includes a once off $400 licence fee for use of the tool for commercial purposes.

The course fee includes training materials, a CD of templates, a certificate of attendance, lunch and refreshments, transportation to the field site and a one off fee to cover IP and future use. Accommodation, breakfast and dinner excluded.

Further information and registrations contact Richard Furler on 0437 385 884 or richard.furler@greenochre.com.au 

www.ecap.com.au

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The 5th Annual Water Symposium

Create. Invest. Distribute. Recycle. Save.

The 5th Annual Water Symposium to be held in Sydney on Friday, 26 February, 2010 will bring together Australia’s most prominent water industry leaders and government policy shapers.

Learn about recent policy, regulatory and legislative changes in the water industry to assist with managing your investment and playing your part in working toward a sustainable future for water in Australia. Topics include:

• The National Landscape: Achieving Water Sustainability
• Commercialisation of Water and the Rural Water Cycle
• Challenges for the Urban Water Cycle

Hear from an eminent panel of water industry experts, to assist you in reducing your risks and optimising your opportunity to grow with the industry. Their extensive experience will be evident throughout this interactive program. Speakers include:

• James Horne, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
• Professor Mike Young, Member, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists
• Michael Bullen, Chief Executive, Sydney Catchment Authority
• Chris Davis, Sustainability Business Development Manager, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney

This is a unique opportunity for you to gain essential insight into the issues affecting our most precious natural resource.

View the full program as a PDF and to register click here or register online

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3rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference

The 3rd Victorian Sustainable Development Conference is to be held on May 25-26, 2010, at Zinc, Federation Square, Melbourne.

The Conference will be solution-oriented, bringing together key decision-makers from the private and public sectors, industry leaders, local government, scientists, conservationists and others to discuss ways in which to achieve real and lasting change in areas such as:

• Water
• Waste and resource recovery
• Energy efficiency
• Climate change response
• Planning and urban design
• Land remediation
• Air quality
• Human health
• Sustainable workplaces

Invited speakers include:

• Dr Kate Auty, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
• Richard Bolt, Secretary, Department of Primary Industries
• Kevin Love, Deputy Secretary, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Prue Digby, Deputy Secretary, Planning and Local Government, Department of Sustainability and Environment
• Rob Freeman, Chief Executive, Murray-Darling Basin Authority
• Professor Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• Dr Kathy Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, City of Melbourne
• Carl McCamish, Executive General Manager, Origin Energy
• Brendan Sydes, Principal Solicitor, Environmental Defender's Office
• Louise Hicks, Partner, DLA Phillips Fox
• Dave Appels, Economist, Frontier Economics
• Erin Simpson, Sustainability Services Manager, Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Professor John Fien, Innovation in Leadership Programme, RMIT
• Les Mathieson, Managing Director, East Gippsland Water
• Dan Atkins, Managing Director, Shaper Group
• Phil Hughes, Principal Consultant: Sustainability and Water Management, Halcrow
• Mike Lloyd, IP Management Consultant, Griffith Hack Patent and Trademark Attorneys

The Conference will also feature best practice case studies in the above areas, as well as addressing challenges of sustainability, and provide advice on how state and local government and business can truly achieve social, environmental and economic sustainability.

The price for registering to attend the two-day Conference is just $695.

Registration information is available at www.halledit.com.au/vsd2010 or contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

Platinum Sponsor    

Gold Sponsor

 

Supporting Partner

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Australian Road Engineering & Maintenance Conference

• March 16-17, 2010
  
• The Sebel & Citigate Albert Park, Melbourne

The 5th Australian Road Engineering & Maintenance Conference has been designed to alert road engineers from local government, councillors, managers, as well as consultants, contractors and suppliers, about the most important new developments and issues in roads and their environs.

This two-day event will bring together councils, state government road managers, and the private sector. Speakers have been drawn from South Africa, The Netherlands, New Zealand and from throughout Australia and include speakers from Local Government, State Road Authorities, Consultants and Contractors. Over two hundred delegates are expected.

Ian van Wijk, Technical Executive, Aurecon, South Africa, will present on Road Maintenance Management in South Africa - Experiences from Provincial and Local Road Authorities. For a full list of the speakers and their presentations please see www.halledit.com.au/roads10.

Sustainable Practices and the Environment will feature strongly on the program and in many presentations. It includes major roads, local roads, traffic areas, residential streets, rural roads, footpaths and road reserves. All speakers are asked to present very practical presentations.

Key conference topics include achieving Sustainability on Road Infrastructure Projects, Road Delivery Models & Contracts, Road Maintenance Practices & Management, Good Paving & Sealing Practices, Landscape Design and Cracks: Treatment & Prevention.

Case Studies are a feature of this conference including Local Government Case Studies.

A series of Workshops will be conducted parallel to the speaking stream and there will be an exhibition for opportunities to update on services, equipment and road materials.

For more information, including registration, please see the website www.halledit.com.au/roads10 or contact Denise McQueen, Ph: (03) 8534 5021 (direct) or (03) 8534 5000 (switch), Fax: (03) 8534 5121, denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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Think outside the square at EcoForum, Sydney, 23 & 24 February

The third annual EcoForum Conference & Exhibition will be held on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 February at the Australian Technology Park, Sydney.

EcoForum is a multi-disciplinary industry event designed for people involved in environmental management who like to think outside the square of their own disciplines and expand their knowledge into other areas. It will give participants the knowledge and networks they need to solve environmental problems and find out the latest trends and developments in the four areas of:

• climate change strategies
• water and wastewater technologies
• waste and resource recovery
• contaminated site remediation.

The conference is supported by an exhibition showcasing environmental management solutions in these same four areas.

If you would like to visit the exhibition as a trade visitor you can do so for free. It is a good idea to register before the event so that you can avoid having to fill out forms when you arrive or you can just turn up on the day.

Alternatively, you can attend as a conference delegate for only $990 for the two days. EcoForum can also help you book your accommodation.

Don't miss Australia's leading ecoforum! Register now online at www.ecoforum.net.au/2010

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Services & Products

Do you have an interest in research and development issues?

Then subscribe to R&D Info for a regular update on important news and information related to research and development in Australia.

Produced by the publishers of EnviroInfo, R&D Info is a free fortnightly information service for people with a professional interest in R&D, science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurialism and investment.

To subscribe to R&D Info and to view past editions, please go here.

If you are looking for employment opportunities in the research and development sector, you can also subscribe free to ResearchJobs.  For further information and to view the latest employment listings, go to www.researchjobs.net.au

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Positions Vacant

Senior Environmental Consultant - EIA

Molino Stewart is a well established and highly respected environment and natural hazards consultancy based in Parramatta. We enjoy a relaxed, friendly and professional work environment where people are valued and listened to and get to work on a wide variety of interesting projects.

We are looking for a senior level environmental professional with a background in EIA to join our expanding team. This role will involve running major EIA projects, marketing and business development together with leadership responsibilities.

We would like to hear from degree qualified individuals with relevant experience, preferably within a consulting environment. The successful applicant will have excellent communication, interpersonal and project management skills with established networks and contacts preferably within the New South Wales market. Experience in environmental auditing and environmental management systems will be highly regarded. 

Further information is available here.

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Senior Environmental Consultant - Vegetation and Land Assessment

AXM is an expanding consulting firm determined to become an industry leader in land and vegetation assessment and management. Based in Emerald, AXM also delivers a range of general Environmental and Natural Resource Management services to clients in mining, agriculture, gas, urban development and rail including blast, dust and water monitoring, ERMPs, EM Plans, development permits and a range of mapping and GIS services.

We are seeking a motivated professional to join our Environmental Consulting team.

In this role you will:

• Independently manage your workload to meet KPIs.
• Develop new business opportunities for the company.
• Project-manage and undertake projects including field work for clients.
• Contribute to strategic planning.
• Implement systems to improve productivity, safety and consistency between projects and staff.
• Develop budgets and control expenditure for a group of four consultants.
• Manage relationships with existing clients and build long-term relationships with new clients.

The following skills will be required to perform the role:

• A thorough understanding of Environmental legislation.
• Strong contacts and networks in the Queensland mining industry.
• Exceptional technical skills in ecology, botany, soil science or a complementary field.
• The ability to analyse trends in the mining and agricultural industries to identify future work opportunities for the business.
• Sound knowledge of budgeting, business planning, performance management and staff management.
• Demonstrated leadership and organisational skills and the ability to coordinate and work as part of a team.

Further information is available here.

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