General News

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme to be delayed

The Federal Government has delayed the start date of its proposed emissions trading scheme by a year to win Senate support for its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced a series of compromise measures in an attempt to win Green support for the scheme.

The package includes a very low fixed price on carbon for the first year of the scheme’s operation and extra assistance for each of the two categories of  trade exposed industries for the duration of the recession.  Industries eligible for 60 per cent assistance will receive a 10 per cent buffer, while industries eligible for 90 per cent assistance will receive a 5 per cent buffer. Eligible businesses will also receive funding to undertake energy efficiency measures from 1 July 2009.

It also includes the concession that the government will consider a tougher emissions reduction target of 25 per cent of 2000 levels by 2020 in the event of a global agreement designed to limit the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at 450 parts per million.  If there is no such agreement, the target range of 5 to 15 per cent reduction will apply.

The government will also establish an Australian Carbon Trust to allow households to invest directly in reducing Australia’s emissions and to drive energy efficiency in buildings. 

The amendments were agreed to by a Cabinet subcommittee after the Greens wrote to Mr Rudd requiring unconditional emissions reductions of 25 per cent and that the Government should consider cuts of 40 per cent if there was a global agreement signed off in Copenhagen in December.

The Prime Minister said the changes have been made because of three sets of factors.

“The first is obviously, changes in the global economy and the impact of the global economic recession and the recession which now impacts on our shores as well,” he said.

Mr Rudd also cited the need to provide “maximum impetus for a strong outcome” at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change later this year and the need to provide “business certainty and investment certainty.”

Mr Rudd said the announcement “represents an appropriate response to the current uncertainty”.

The delay in the emissions trading scheme means that, should it pass through the Senate, it will take effect after the next Federal election.

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COAG endorses renewable energy measures

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has endorsed the design of the expanded Renewable Energy Target and agreed to the introduction of new 6 star standards for houses and strengthened energy efficiency standards for commercial buildings at its recent meeting.

Work will immediately commence on five key measures to drive growth in the number of highly energy efficient homes and commercial buildings across Australia:

• Increasing the stringency of energy efficiency requirements for all classes of commercial buildings in the Building Code of Australia from 2010;
• Phasing in the mandatory disclosure of the energy efficiency of commercial buildings and tenancies from 2010;
• Increasing energy efficiency requirements for new residential buildings to six stars, or equivalent, nationally in the 2010 update of the Building Code of Australia, as well as introducing new efficiency requirements for hot-water systems and lighting;
• Phasing in mandatory disclosure of residential building energy, greenhouse and water performance at the time of sale or lease, commencing with energy efficiency, from May 2011; and
• Reforming current building energy efficiency standard and assessment processes to achieve consistency across the nation.

These represent the first measures under the National Strategy on Energy Efficiency that will be finalised by COAG in mid-2009.

The Strategy will provide a clear complement to the Commonwealth Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme – helping households and businesses reduce energy costs, improving productivity of the economy and reducing the cost of greenhouse gas abatement.

COAG also endorsed the final design of the expanded national Renewable Energy Target which will see 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity being generated from renewable sources by 2020.

This endorsement will provide certainty for investors, driving substantial investment and employment in the renewable energy sector. 

The RET scheme will increase the renewable energy target by over four times, to reach 45,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2020. To provide renewable energy investors with even greater legislative certainty, the 45,000 GWh target will be maintained until 2030.

The expanded national RET scheme includes ‘Solar Credits’ to assist with the upfront costs of installing small-scale renewable energy systems, including household solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

COAG also agreed to provide partial exemptions to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industries. COAG recognised the impact of the RET on trade-exposed industries in the context of the CPRS and the additional pressures these firms are experiencing as a result of the global financial crisis.

Emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industries will continue to support renewable energy, as exemptions will only apply above the existing Mandatory Renewable Energy Target of 9,500 GWh.

Legislation to implement the expanded target design will be in introduced by mid-2009, with new targets due to commence in 2010.

Details of the draft National Strategy on Energy Efficiency and the RET are now available on the COAG website at http://www.coag.gov.au

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Consultation draft available for Australia's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy

A consultation draft on Australia's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010 - 2020 is available for public comment until 29 May.

The Strategy addresses a range of issues designed to protect plants, animals and ecosystems with six priorities for change outlined as; building ecosystem resilience, mainstreaming biodiversity, knowledge for all, getting results, involving Indigenous peoples and measuring success.

Each priority for change is linked to objectives, actions and results which will guide the development of biodiversity conservation approaches for national, state, territory and local governments, and for businesses, non-government organisations and community groups. The listed results are the expected ‘onground' consequences of successful implementation of the actions.

The longer-term impacts of the strategy on conserving Australia's biodiversity will ultimately determine its effectiveness. Implementation of the strategy will include the development of a long-term monitoring and evaluation framework and the incorporation of relevant monitoring actions from the strategy into existing well-established systems.

The Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council will monitor the strategy's implementation on a yearly basis and formally review it every five years. Information on trends and condition of Australia's biodiversity will be used to track the performance of the strategy and inform these yearly and five-yearly reviews. The strategy can then be adjusted on the basis of this information.

Further information is available here.

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Report identifies potential for 25,000 green jobs in Victoria

The potential to generate 25,000 new jobs across five Victorian industries, and deliver substantial greenhouse gas emission cuts, has been outlined in a new report by a peak environmental lobby group

Environment Victoria’s report identifies through a series of case studies the potential to create the new jobs in the industries of: solar water heating; rail; energy and water efficiency in residential buildings; recycling and wind.

According to the report, increasing the percentage of the state’s households that use solar hot water heating from the present level of 3% to 30% by 2020 would treble the size of the current industry and create about 1500 new jobs in the industry. This would also result in savings of 1.8 million tonnes of emissions annually, the report says.

To facilitate the increased uptake of solar hot water systems, the report suggests implementing a mandatory phase-out of electric hot water, government rebate and investment programs, new building standards and minimum energy and water efficiency standards for properties at the time of sale or lease.

In the rail industry, the report focuses on establishing a strong manufacturing base for rail rolling stock in Victoria.

The report finds that if 50% of the $3.6 billion in new investment of rail rolling stock over the next four years that the State Government has outlined in its Victorian Transport plan is built in Victoria, 2250 direct full-time jobs would be created, and between 5400 and 6300 full-time jobs would be created in the supply chain.

The report finds there is potential for the wind industry to grow to 4000 jobs in 2010 as a result of the Federal Government’s Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. The industry presently employs about 2000 people in the state.

While Victoria’s $1.2 billion market for energy and water efficiency products presently employs about 12,000 people, the report finds potential for more jobs to be generated within the sector.

According to the report, federal and state governments have earmarked $370 million to spend on water and energy efficiency programs in Victoria over the next two and a half years, which has the potential to create 4800 jobs.

By scaling up programs to retrofit one million homes for energy and water efficiency over five years, the report estimates 6900 jobs could be created while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 3 million tonnes.

The report identifies the potential to create 2310 new jobs in the state if Victoria increased its recycling rate from the present level of 62% to 80% and introduced a recycling scheme for electronic waste. To view Environment Victoria’s report, visit here.

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CSIRO joins Water Footprint Network

CSIRO has joined a global network of private and public sector organisations which aims to promote the sustainable, fair and efficient use of the world’s fresh water.

The Water Footprint Network seeks to advance the concept of ‘water footprinting’ as a means of understanding and addressing the negative impacts on freshwater systems of the production and consumption of goods and services.

As a Network partner, CSIRO has conducted a range of water footprint case studies on various products – including food products manufactured by Mars Australia – and has been active in developing water footprint calculation methods.

CSIRO Principal Scientist, Dr Brad Ridoutt, says standardised and internationally agreed methods for product water footprinting are urgently needed.

“CSIRO will work toward agreed methods that will enable companies to start using water footprinting with confidence for reporting, priority setting and decision making,” Dr Ridoutt says.

Water Footprint Network Executive Director, Derk Kuiper, says measuring the water footprint of food products is a key development in addressing critical global water and food security issues.

“Even companies situated where water is abundant may be exposed to the impacts of water scarcity through their supply chains,” Dr Kuiper says.

“In order to adapt to increased climate variability and the pending world water crisis, companies need to understand these risks and develop appropriate management and growth strategies.”

Further information about the network is available at www.waterfootprint.org

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New Murray-Darling Basin water availability website launched

A new website that will provide weekly updates about the availability of water in public water storages across the Murray-Darling Basin has been launched by the Federal Government.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has developed the new website, which includes data collated from water management sources in the four Murray-Darling Basin states.

The site allows visitors to check the current volume of water in each storage facility expressed as a figure and a percentage, and compare current River Murray storage levels against historical figures.

Visitors to the website will also be able to access information on the latest seasonal water allocations via links to each relevant state water agency.

Also available for download from the website is a quarterly basin-wide water resource spreadsheet, which includes estimates of water held in private storages in the northern basin, and commitments in each river system.

The water volume and level of South Australia’s Lower Lakes can be viewed on the website and will also be updated weekly. The new ‘Water in Storages’ website is available here.

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Further Education

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in NRM Policy and Planning

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in NRM Policy and Planning (Fully online study).

The University of Western Australia offers full online courses in NRM policy and planning. The courses use online learning (with no need to attend campus) and are highly suited to people in metropolitan areas as well as those in rural and regional areas from all over Australia.

The courses examine the problems, institutions, policies and planning processes for NRM in Australia and enable students to explore issues from an Australia wide perspective and in their own local context.

UWA also offers fully online courses in Regional Development with an emphasis on sustainable development.

For further information see the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences website at UWA:

http://www.fnas.uwa.edu.au/for/postgraduates/coursework

or contact the course coordinator on ird@fnas.uwa.edu.au or phone: (08) 9842 0842

Applications for first semester 2010 close on 31 December 2009 but later applications will be considered.

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Upcoming courses from Clear Horizon

Program logic for NRM
Two days: 9th and 10th June
Cost: $1000
Program logic aims to clarify the cause and effect relationships between activities, intermediate outcomes, and longer term outcomes. Program logic is now widely promoted and mandated within the NRM sector. This workshop will introduce program logic and step you through the process for creating a model and articulating assumptions. We will outline the use of logic for planning, target setting, monitoring, and evaluation, reporting and improvement.

Report on outcomes together!
One and a half days: 11th and 12th June
Cost: $800
The Participatory Performance Story Reporting (PPSR) technique is a practical tool for reporting on how your program has contributed to outcomes. The report is short and integrates multiple lines of data against a five part structure. This workshop takes you through both the participatory process and the report structure.

Learning and improvement: How to close the loop?
One day: 24th June
Cost: $600
One of the biggest failures in monitoring and evaluation is that teams do not analyse and reflect on the information that is generated. In this training we explore some key tools and processes for mainstreaming reflection into the program cycle. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how to close the loop and use evaluative information to improve not only the program but also the evaluation framework itself.

To register:
Download our registration form from www.clearhorizon.com.au

For queries:
email: admin@clearhorizon.com.au
Tel: + 61 3 9773 2299
Concession rates and multiple course/participant discounts available!
Contact: tracey@clearhorizon.com.au to inquire.

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Practical WET workshop on ‘Recent approaches and techniques in managing wetlands’

It’s time to do something different but useful!

Sydney Olympic Park Authority is in its eighth year of successfully running hands-on workshops in wetlands ecology, restoration and management. The workshops are different from the traditional conference format; they involve lots of practical learning!

The 4-5 June 2009 workshop on ‘Recent approaches and techniques in managing wetlands’ is a must for anyone involved in managing Australian wetlands. Participants will gain a hands-on learning experience in the likely impacts of climate change and sea level rise, as well as issues arising from habitat and tidal restoration, weed and algae control, hydrology management, wetland construction and maintenance. Emphasis is placed on practical experiences in successful rehabilitation of wetlands in Sydney Olympic Park and elsewhere. Top experts will be delivering these high quality tutorials.

Who should attend?
Wetlands and catchment technicians, managers, planners, consultants, ecologists, volunteers, coast and river carers, engineers, students, scientists, rangers and conservationists.

For further information and bookings please contact our Bookings Coordinator on:

e-mail: wetworkshop@sopa.nsw.gov.au
Ph: +61 2 9714 7888 or Fax to +61 2 9714 7822 or

To find out more about Sydney Olympic Park visit:
www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au

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Conferences & Events

The WasteQ 2009 Conference and Exhibition

The WasteQ 2009 Conference and Exhibition provides an invaluable opportunity for all resource recovery and climate change stakeholders to find out about the latest issues facing Queensland’s waste management industry.

The conference will focus on:

• the challenges and opportunities generated by council amalgamations
• the implications for the waste sector under the CPRS
• the interaction and similarity between resource recovery and carbon avoidance
• the legal and regulatory ramifications for the waste sector under the CPRS

The conference will provide a forum for businesses, consumers and regulatory authorities to examine future directions and best practice for waste management affecting Queensland and, in particular, newly amalgamated councils. Topics covered will include organics management, sustainable consumption and procurement and resource education. A wide range of speakers from local and federal government sectors; regulatory bodies and business will be delivering key insights, with Professor Jim Frederickson from the UK will discuss the relationship of organics to carbon emissions.

The program features an in-house exhibition showcasing some of Australia’s leading waste recovery projects and industry suppliers. Pre-conference tours include Mulgowie Farm, one of the country’s largest vegetable growing enterprises, which for the past four years has been making its own compost using residues from its packaging operations, Steelplas Recycling, the only company in Queensland to receive and reprocess high grade plastics, TiTree Bioenergy, Australia’s first purpose built bioreactor landfill and Visy Packaging.

Further information is available from www.wasteq.com.au or contact Kylie Hood at the Waste Management Association of Australia. T 02 8746 5044 E kylie@wmaa.asn.au

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The 10th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL)

The 10th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL)
Brisbane, Australia
16 – 21 August 2009

Early-Bird Registration – closes 16 May 2009 (register early and save!)
http://www.intecol10.org/rego.asp

The 10th INTECOL Congress, hosted by the Ecological Society of Australia, jointly with the New Zealand Ecological Society, is drawing near! This will be the first time that INTECOL is held in the southern hemisphere and will be the major forum for the global community of ecological scientists and practitioners.

Themed ‘Ecology in a Changing Climate, Two Hemispheres, One Globe’, ecologists from around the world will explore how global climate change has impacted, and will further impact, ecosystems and their vital services to human communities.

The spoken program is now full; however POSTER ABSTRACTS are still BEING ACCEPTED.
Submissions via the online form at http://www.intecol10.org/abstract.asp

Scientific Program & Plenary Speakers
The scientific program consists of 8 concurrent sessions for the duration of 5 days with 10 high profile plenary speakers that represent different fields of ecology, including: Peter Vitousek, Kevin Gaston, Richard Duncan, Bob Holt, Margaret Palmer and Priyanga Amarasekare.
Visit the Congress website for more details: http://www.intecol10.org/program.asp

Field Trips & Day Tours
A range of exciting field trips and day tours provide the perfect opportunity to visit some of Australia and New Zealand’s diverse ecosystems.
Find out more: http://www.intecol10.org/trips.asp

Workshops Professional development workshops will be offered as part of the INTECOL Congress. Register for these during the congress registration process at an additional cost. See: http://www.intecol10.org/workshops.asp

Special Invitation to Students
INTECOL 10 is a fantastic opportunity for students to be exposed to an International Congress with over 51 countries represented. Special student rates are included in our registration package.

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Pathfinders: The Innovator’s Conference

Federal Budget, global financial crisis thrashed out at conference

How will the Federal Budget affect innovation and education? And how can investment in R&D proof companies and governments against global financial downturns?

These are among questions to be considered at the Pathfinders: The Innovator’s Conference, which gets under way at the National Convention Centre in Canberra on May 26.

Innovation, Industry Science and Research Minister Senator Kim Carr will be among speakers at the meeting, which will come just two weeks after a Federal Budget that will be tight as the global financial crisis deepens.

Scientists, politicians, senior government officials and business leaders who have registered for the three-day conference will also discuss how the budget reflects recommendations of the review of the national innovation system, conducted last year.
Among other speakers, the new CSIRO chief executive officer Dr Megan Clark will reveal the premier science agency’s strategy to help transform key segments of the Australian manufacturing sector. And the new Chief Scientist, Professor Penny Sackett, will cover R&D collaboration. Chris Richardson, of Access Economics, is also among the line-up of speakers.

The prestigious Awards for Excellence in Innovation will be presented at a dinner in the Great Hall at Parliament House on Tuesday, May 26. Earlier on Tuesday, eight young scientists working in fields ranging from biosecurity to health, will present their research findings.

And on Wednesday, May 27, ambassadors, high ranking diplomats, scientists, business leaders and financiers, and senior public servants will gather at the International Collaboration Expo, a reception designed to stimulate national and international collaboration.

This year’s conference, organised by the CRC Association, will be held in conjunction with the Australian Science Festival.

See the program and register at http://www.crca.asn.au/conference/

Michael Hartmann
Chief Executive Officer
CRC Association

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NSW Sustainable Development Conference

The NSW Sustainable Development Conference is being held on May 12 & 13, 2009 at Dockside Convention Centre in Sydney.

The NSW Sustainable Development Conference 2009 will bring together decision-makers from the private and public sectors, industry leaders, local government, scientists, conservationists and others to discuss the current and future directions and frameworks for sustainability in NSW, and how it will affect NSW state and local government, business and the community.

The Conference, featuring over 30 speakers, will provide an opportunity to examine progress towards sustainable objectives in a range of key areas such as: NSW policy and progress, water, waste and resource recovery, energy efficiency, climate change response and planning and urban design.

The Conference will also feature best practice case studies in sustainable development, including supporting workplaces to become more sustainable, addressing challenges of sustainability in the current economic conditions, and provide advice on how state and local government and business can achieve their sustainable development goals in a cost-effective manner.

Speakers include:

• Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• Dr Fraser MacLeod, Executive Director, Natural Resource Management Division, Murray-Darling Basin Authority
• Kelly Pearce, Assistant Secretary, Waste Policy Branch, Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
• Tim Rogers, Acting Deputy Director General, Climate Change, Policy and Programs Group, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
• Ben Taylor, Acting Director, Metropolitan Water, NSW Department of Water and Energy
• John Hudson, Director, Sustainable Systems, NSW Department of Planning
• Brett Whitworth, Director, Regional Coordination, Rural & Regional Planning, NSW Department of Planning
• Bernard Carlon, Director, Sustainability Programs, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
• David Trewin, Manager, Business Partnerships, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
• Lee Rhiannon, MLC, The Greens
• Mike Ritchie, NSW President, Waste Management Association of Australia
• Professor Stuart White, Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney
• Professor Andy Pitman, Co-Director, Climate Change Research Centre, University of NSW
• Andrew De Montemas, Principal Advisor, Environment and Energy, Australian Industry Group
• Cate Faehrmann, Executive Director, Nature Conservation Council of NSW
• Kirsty Ruddock, Principal Solicitor, Environmental Defenders Office NSW
• Peter Broschofsky, Head of Environment and Fuel Conservation, Qantas Airways Ltd
• Emma Herd, Director, Emissions and Environment, Westpac
• Justine De Torres, Practice Leader, Optim Legal
• Ken Kanofski, Managing Director, WSN Environmental Solutions
• Phil Harrington, Principal Consultant, Climate Change & Sustainable Development, Pitt & Sherry
• Rob Hogarth, Partner, KPMG
• Rick Walters, Australian Green Infrastructure Council
• Lee McDougall, Landcare Australia

To view the Conference agenda and to register for the Conference, please go to www.halledit.com.au/nswsdc or contact Denise McQueen on (03) 8534 5021 or email denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au.

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Services & Products

Photography Made Easy - Walking Tours of Melbourne

Photography Made Easy workshops and walking tours are a friendly easy going 3 hour ‘hands on’ experience that showcase the city of Melbourne in an informative discovery walk whilst learning techniques and skill sets that allow for the advancement of an enjoyable hobby or to gain better skills for professional and business use.

We spend up to an hour in discussing the fundamentals of photography, and then ‘hit the streets’ to discover and photograph Melbourne’s public and hidden beauties. Working together in a fun, hands-on experience, there is a lot to learn about photography and the great cultural city of Melbourne.

Topics is the workshop will include:

• Planning
• Exposure
• ASA/ISO - What is it and how does it work?
• Composition
• Smart shooting
• Wildlife
• Travel
• Sport 
• Portraits
• Light 

For further information, go to www.photographymadeeasy.com.au  or contact Martin Bonnici on 0411 041 948 or email martin.bonnici@bigpond.com  

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