Environment law and policy tracker

Wednesday, 14 December 2016 12:00pm

Law and policy changes in all jurisdictions, and a round-up of jobs, grants, awards and seminars.

Upcoming events
Jurisdictional round-up (national, states and territories)
Jobs and appointments

Featured vacancy: Bega Cheese is seeking a Wollongong-based environmental manager.

Upcoming events:

National Electricity Market Review – preliminary report A seminar in Melbourne this evening, hosted by the Grattan Institute, featuring Alan Finkel, Chloe Munro and Tennant Reed.
Webinar: Consultation on carbon neutral building certification A December 16 webinar hosted by the Green Building Council of Australia.
World Renewable Energy Congress A February 5 to 9 conference in Perth.
Pollution Incident Response Management Plans (PIRMP) and emergency response A February 16 conference in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Sustainable Business Group.
Improving residential energy efficiency A February 16 to 17 conference on Wollongong.
Energy storage leadership: Market assessment and opportunities A February 23 seminar in Melbourne, hosted by the Clean Energy Council.
Environment and carbon laws and funding A February 24 seminar in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Environment Business Network.
Community energy congress A February 27 to 28 conference in Melbourne.

For other events, including a groundwater conference in Sydney, see the Footprint what's on listings.

National:

COAG's Energy Council is meeting in Melbourne today.
The government will next year develop a National Cities Performance Framework and has released submissions on its proposed Smart Cities plan.
The Australian Energy Market Commission today released a report on 2016 residential electricity price trends.
The Australian Energy Market Operator has released its latest national transmission development plan for the National Electricity Market.
Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has called for nominations by February 17 for the National Heritage List.
The Clean Energy Regulator has issued its first safeguard mechanism "calculated baselines", allowing a Glencore coal mine and a Jemena gas pipeline to emit greenhouse gas at levels far above previous years, without risk of penalty (related article for subscribers only).
Signatories to the packaging covenant will spend $34 million over five years on sustainability initiatives and will aim to cut B2B packaging by 30%, under a new strategy (related article for subscribers only).
The ACCC has issued draft approval for several north-east Victorian councils to tender jointly for waste services.
Comment closes February 10 on draft carbon neutral standards for buildings and precincts (related article for subscribers only).
Comment closes January 9 on a plan to allow pulpwood, timber and biomass plantation forests to earn carbon credits (related article for subscribers only).
Comment closes December 19 on proposed changes to ERF rules for earning carbon credits by reducing wildfire risk in savanna lands will be replaced, under changes proposed by the Federal Government (related article for subscribers only).
Comment closes December 16 on a Department of Health background paper on a proposed ban on the cosmetic testing on animals.
The Green Building Council of Australia is inviting public comment on updates to its green star ratings tools.
Comment closes March 3 on a new draft standard to consistently manage the environmental risks of industrial chemicals (related article for subscribers only).
Submissions close on December 19 to a Senate committee inquiry into carbon risk disclosure.
Grant opportunity: The federal government is offering citizen science grants of between $50,000 and $500,000, with applications closing on February 17.
Submissions to the Senate Environment Committee inquiry into the Greens' Great Australian Bight Environment Protection Bill 2016 are due by January 13.

Queensland:

North Queensland natural resource management groups will coordinate the delivery of $33 million in new funds to improve water quality flowing into the Great Barrier Reef, the state government announced today.
Comment closes December 19 on a state government draft plan to improve community confidence in the upstream gas sector (related article for subscribers only).
Comments are due by January 16 to an inquiry into invasive plants and their control by Parliament's Agriculture and Environment Committee.

NSW:

The EPA says preliminary site investigation results for PFAS contamination at Tamworth airport show elevated levels onsite, but the risk for potential exposure to the surrounding area appears low.
A company that used seriously flawed environmental and health risk documentation to seek approval for a $557 million energy-from-waste plant has applied for consent once again (related article for subscribers only).
Comment closes Friday on the state government's draft energy productivity plan and its draft Climate Fund strategic plan (related article for subscribers only).
Comment closes December 23 on a draft rule change for the Energy Savings Scheme.
The state government is reviewing the findings of an EY study on the management of coal-fired generation (related article for subscribers only).
The Office of Environment and Heritage has released an addendum to its biodiversity offsets policy for major projects that deals with upland swamps impacted by longwall mining.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has released a series of fact sheets on the closure of the Solar Bonus scheme.
Comment closes Friday on a review of the State Environmental Planning Policy on koala habitat.
The deadline to comment on the draft Coastal Management State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) and draft maps of the areas that make up the coastal zone has been extended from December 23 to January 20.
Comment closes December 23 on an EPA paper on changes to the state's load-based licensing system (related article for subscribers only).
Comment closes March 3 on a proposal for a whole-of-government koala strategy.

Victoria:

Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D'Ambrosio has called for nominations to join the Sustainability Victoria Board.
The Opposition will attempt to block the government's Climate Change Bill in the Upper House (related article for subscribers only).
The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability has released a report on the state of the bays.
The EPA has issued a report on air emissions from non-hazardous landfills.
The state government has approved a $662 million, 116-turbine windfarm near Horsham – the fourth windfarm approved in Victoria this year.
The EPA and Citipower are trialing street lamps that have air quality sensors attached to them.
The EPA is seeking new comments by January 8 on Cleanaway's works approval application to extend its Ravenhall landfill.
The state government has released a discussion paper on a potential return to subsidising the installation of ceiling insulation in homes (related article for subscribers only).
The state government has pushed back the release of its coal policy until 2017 (related article for subscribers only).
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is seeking comment by February 10 on a draft Port Phillip Bay environmental management plan.
Grant opportunity: The state government has invited round-two applications from community groups and industry for funding under its New Energy Jobs Fund, with applications closing March 1.

Tasmania:

Comment closes December 23 on the state government's future directions statement for a new biosecurity legislative framework.

South Australia:

The state government has announced a $31 million two-year program to assist businesses using more than 160MWh of electricity a year, providing subsidies for energy audits and grants to implement audit recommendations.
The EPA has released a new guideline on site closure and post-closure plans.

Western Australia:

The Department of Environment Regulation is seeking comment by January 31 on a draft guideline on preparing revegetation plans, if they are required under the terms of a clearing permit.

Jobs and appointments:

Landcare Australia has announced that Doug Humann AM, who previously led Bush Heritage Australia for 14 years, will succeed Campbell Anderson as its new chair, taking up the post from the start of next year.
John Holland is seeking a Melbourne-based sustainability manager.
Victoria's Country Fire Authority has a 12-month vacancy for a Melbourne-based project manager, environmental civil works.
Hydro Tasmania is seeking a Hobart-based environmental scientist.
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff is seeking a Brisbane-based environmental planner.
Consultancy Peter J Ramsay is seeking a Melbourne-based graduate environmental consultant.
East Gippsland Shire Council is seeking a sustainability project planner.
Environmental Justice Australia is seeking a Melbourne-based part-time communications director.
Environment Victoria is seeking a Melbourne-based safe climate campaigner.
WWF is seeking a Sydney-based sustainable business manager.