Environment law and policy tracker
Tuesday, 21 June 2016 2:09pm
Law and policy changes in all jurisdictions, and a roundup of jobs, grants, awards and seminars. Includes election commitments by the Coalition, Labor, the Greens and the Nick Xenophon team.
** Featured vacancies ** Sustainability Victoria is seeking a project advisor, product stewardship (three-year position).
Upcoming events:
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Contaminated land seminar
A June 22 conference in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Sustainable Business Group.
- ACT water matters
A June 22 conference in the ACT, hosted by the Australian Water Association.
- How to prepare a best-practice sustainability report
A June 22 and 23 seminar in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Climate policy: Has Labor got it right this time around?
A June 27 evening seminar in Melbourne, hosted by the Grattan Institute, and featuring Labor's Mark Butler, Peter Castellas of the Carbon Markets Institute and Elisa de Wit of Norton Rose Fulbright.
- Statistics for contaminated land practitioners
A June 27 workshop in Sydney, hosted by CRC CARE.
- Climate policy: Has Labor got it right this time?
A June 27 evening discussion in Melbourne, hosted by the Grattan Institute, featuring Shadow Climate Minister Mark Butler, Norton Rose Fulbright's Elisa de Wit and the Carbon Market Institute's Peter Castellas.
- Decarbonisation: How much, where, and when?
A June 27 evening seminar in Sydney, featuring the Climate Institute's Olivia Kember and Peter Holt of Energetics.
Sustainable brands
A June 27 to 29 conference in Sydney.
- Climate adaptation 2016
A July 5 to 7 conference in Adelaide, hosted by NCCARF and CSIRO.
For other events, including a contaminated land forum in Canberra, see the extensive Footprint what's on listings.
National:
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The ACCC has issued a draft determination proposing to authorise Melbourne City Council and 13 other entities to establish a joint renewable energy purchasing group (related article for subscribers only).
- The Australian Energy Market Operator has released its 2016 national electricity forecasting report.
- The zero-debt policies adopted by some councils can make it harder for them to replace inefficient infrastructure, according to a new report from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
- NOPSEMA, the regulator of the offshore oil and gas industry, has released new guidance on well integrity, designed to take account of the Montara oil blowout and the BP Gulf of Mexico blowout.
- Comment closes on June 24 on the Federal Government's smart cities plan.
Queensland:
NSW:
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The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has released an issues paper for its inquiry into the wholesale price of ethanol.
- The EPA has declared the Viva Energy Clyde terminal in the Sydney suburb of Camellia to be significantly contaminated.
- The State Government has asked ERM Power, the supplier of electricity to all its buildings and institutions, to commit to purchasing up to 92 gigawatt hours of energy from solar farms that are seeking funding from ARENA.
There are eight NSW projects seeking funding under ARENA's $100 million competitive round for large-scale solar developments.
- Comments on the draft Biodiversity Conservation Bill are due by June 28.
- Grant opportunity: The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage has invited tenders from organisations and networks in the NSW Central West to implement energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives, with a total of $120,000 on offer.
- Grant opportunity: The NSW Government is inviting grant applications under round four of the organic waste infrastructure program, with individual grants of up to $5 million on offer for infrastructure and equipment that reduces the amount of food and garden organic waste going to landfill. Applications close July 13.
- Grant opportunity: The NSW Government is inviting grant applications for new rounds under two waste schemes, with applications closing on June 27.
The resource recovery facility expansion and enhancement program offers grants of between $100,000 and $1 million, while the innovation in priority problem wastes program offers grants of up to $1 million for infrastructure projects and up to $200,000 for R&D projects.
- Award nominations invited: Applications close on July 11 for the NSW Green Globe awards.
ACT:
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The ACT Planning and Environment Directorate has released air quality reports for 2013 and 2012.
- The ACT Government has released a draft water resources plan.
- Grant opportunity: Environment and Climate Change Minister Simon Corbell has invited applications by June 27 for ACT environment grants, with funding of up to $50,000 available.
Up to $2million in grants will be provided to five successful companies to install solar storage in Canberra houses and businesses.
- Grant opportunity: Applications close on July 6 for grants totalling up to $2 million that will be distributed to companies installing energy storage batteries in the ACT.
Victoria:
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Victoria will use reverse-auctions to generate 40% of its electricity from renewables by 2025, including from large-scale solar, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced (related article for subscribers only).
- Proposed changes to Victoria's VEET scheme would allow businesses to subsidise complex energy efficiency projects and would also reward building upgrades (related article for subscribers only).
- The federal renewables agency ARENA has announced it will provide $425,000 to the Sustainable Melbourne Fund so it can equip 15 regional Victorian councils to offer environmental upgrade agreements (related article for subscribers only).
- The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has invited tenders to provide an economic analysis of the costs and benefits of an e-waste landfill ban in Victoria.
- Attorney- General Martin Pakula has gazetted a decision on revised fees for Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) matters.
- The Essential Services Commission released its final decision on Melbourne Water's prices for the period July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2021.
- Grant opportunity: Sustainability Victoria is offering resource assessment grants to cover 50% of the cost of a resource assessment of their operations. Grants are capped at $10,000 for a combined materials and energy assessment, with a $3,000 implementation bonus also available. Applications must be submitted by August 5.
- Award nominations invited: Nominations close on June 27 for the Premier's sustainability awards.
Tasmania:
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The State Government has introduced proposed amendments to the Marine Farming Planning Act to Parliament.
The Marine Farming Planning Amendment Bill would make the EPA responsible for regulating the environmental performance of the aquaculture industry from July 1.
It would also strengthen penalty and enforcement provisions and allow penalties to be proportionate to any financial advantage obtained as a result of a legislative breach.
- Nominations close on August 10 for the EPA Tasmania sustainability award.
South Australia:
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The Department for Communities and Social Inclusion has issued a call for tenders to provide a state-wide Extreme Heat Event Teleservice for heat vulnerable clients.
Western Australia:
Northern Territory:
Jobs and appointments:
Resources:
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The Climate Council has released Renewable energy: Future jobs and growth, a report written by consultancy EY on the benefits of aiming to generate 50% of Australia's energy from renewables by 2030.
- The Australia Institute has released a report assessing the detrimental economic impact of severe coral bleaching on tourism.
ELECTION COMMITMENTS:
Coalition:
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The Coalition has confirmed its intention to expand the reach of the Commercial Building Disclosure scheme, which requires building owners to disclose energy efficiency information at point of sale, lease or sub-lease (related article for subscribers only).
- The Coalition's smart cities policy commits it to directing up to $100 million a year from the budget of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to projects that deploy renewables and energy efficiency technologies in cities.
- The Coalition would allocate up to $1 billion from the budget of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation over 10 years for "clean energy projects" that have the co-benefit of improving water quality in the Great Barrier Reef.
- The Coalition would ban the sale of cosmetic products tested on animals either in Australia or overseas.
- The Coalition would establish a $5 million threatened species recovery fund to support community projects to protect endangered species, and has nominated nine initial projects for funding.
- The Coalition would amend the Fisheries Management Act 1991 to ensure the Australian Fisheries Management Authority "takes into account the interests of all fisheries users – commercial, recreational and indigenous fishers".
- The Coalition would amend legislation to increase the size of a number of management advisory committees for specific fisheries to enable the appointment of a recreational fishing sector representative, and move to have recreational fishing sector representatives appointed to Resource Assessment Groups.
- The Coalition would establish a $30 million parks and environment funding package, comprising $24 million for projects to improve local parks, $5 million for a solar communities program and $1 million to provide surf clubs with cleaner outboard motors.
- The Coalition would allocate $6 million for a second crown-of-thorns control vessel on the Great Barrier Reef, as part of its $210 million Reef Trust.
- The Coalition would invest $150 million to fast-track the assessment and construction of water infrastructure across Queensland.
- Existing Coalition Government environment and climate initiatives are outlined in a Plan for a cleaner environment publication issued just before the election was called.
Labor:
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Labor would provide $98.7 million over four years to establish up to 10 community power hubs to kick-start clean energy projects, including more than $16 million annually for grants.
- Labor would provide new funding of $377 million in addition to the Coalition's $123 million, creating a $500 million five-year fund for the Great Barrier Reef that will direct up to $300 million for "direct environmental investment", with the remainder going to research and reef management.
- Labor would invest $4 million to fund a water infrastructure feasibility study for Townsville, examining options including raising the wall of the existing Burdekin Dam.
- Labor released its climate change action plan ahead of the election being called, with commitments on renewable energy, emissions trading and energy efficiency.
Greens:
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The Greens have announced a forests policy that includes commitments to immediately stop logging of all high conservation value forests and implement a "rapid planned transition" out of native forest logging.
- The Greens have released a renewing community housing policy that would retrofit all public and community housing with solar panels and energy-efficient appliances.
- The Greens would containerise nuclear waste at Sydney's Lucas Heights waste facility pending an independent inquiry into radioactive waste production and management and would maintain existing bans on importing and storing international nuclear waste.
- The Greens have issued an environment policy that commits to establishing a national EPA, introducing a new federal Environment Act and creating a national certification scheme for environmental consultants.
- The Greens have issued new solar commitments including a $192 million sustainable schools program and an overhaul of electricity market legislation.
- The Greens have launched a wildlife policy, with commitments that include re-establishing a $2 billion biodiversity fund, with funding allocated over six years.
- The Greens have proposed a public transport fund, involving the allocation of $10 billion over four years to projects in various capital cities.
- The Greens have backed Climate Council calls for a doubling of the number of trained firefighters by 2030, and have proposed a $120 million allocation over four years.
- The Greens' Renew Australia plan makes commitments including the generation of 90% of the nation's electricity from renewables by 2030 (announced before the election was called).
- The Greens have also released a supplementary Renew Queensland plan.
- The Greens have released a plan to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles.
- The Greens have released a Powering up battery storage plan.
- The Greens have released a Living reefs, dying coal package, which includes commitments to restrictions on coal mining and gas production and a coal export levy.
- The Greens have released a Caring for coal workers plan, which would audit the gap between secured rehabilitation bonds provided by coal mining companies and actual rehabilitation costs and the establishment of a Federal Trust Fund to hold money from mining companies to pay for clean-ups.
- The Greens have proposed the establishment of an Australian infrastructure bank.
Nick Xenophon Team:
The NXT's environmental commitments include:
- Supporting a renewable energy target of 50% by 2030.
- Calling on state governments to preserve prime agricultural land;
- Considering adopting California's vehicle emissions standards in Australia;
- Protecting groundwater from any adverse impacts of mining and coal seam gas exploration;
- Having "an efficient emissions trading scheme based on the Frontier Economics scheme";
- Having "federal legislation to protect key environmental assets", rather than dealing with them on a state-by-state basis;
- Maintaining the right of environmental and community groups to pursue legal action under environmental legislation.
