Environment law and policy tracker

Thursday, 31 January 2019 2:34pm

Highlights include grant opportunities in four jurisdictions, a NSW EPA compliance plan, and draft bills in two states.

Jobs include positions with JLL, KPMG, CPB Contractors, Launceston City Council and NT Power & Water.

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• Upcoming events
• National, state and territory round-up
• Jobs and appointments

Upcoming events:

• Frontiers in environmental law colloquium A February 4 conference in Brisbane, hosted by QUT Faculty of Law.
• Extractive industry guideline information Victorian government information sessions on the new guideline, scheduled for February 6 (Melbourne) and 14 (Ballarat).
• Responsible business strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals A February 5 workshop in Sydney, hosted by Asha Kayla.
• National remediation framework roadshow A series of information sessions in capital cities, hosted by CRCCARE and running from February 12 to 28.
• Preparing for power station closure A February 13 seminar in Lake Macquarie, hosted by the Hunter Environment Centre.
• Australia: The renewable energy superstar A February 14 evening seminar in Canberra, hosted by the ANU.
• Local government strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals A February 19 workshop in Sydney, hosted by Asha Kayla.
• Environmental professionals management workshop A February 20 and 21 workshop in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Sustainable Business Group.
• Circular economy seminar A February 25 seminar in Melbourne, hosted by the Yarra Riverkeeper Association, with speakers including Andrew Sellic, head of environment at Australia Post.
• Stand-alone power, large-scale solar and pumped hydro Three February 25-26 joint conferences in Sydney, hosted by Informa.
• Wastewater systems design and management workshop A February 28 workshop in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Sustainable Business Group.
• Energy and climate policy: Shadow climate minister Mark Butler A February 25 address in Melbourne, hosted by CEDA.
• Capturing the value of demand response A February 28 workshop in Melbourne, hosted by the Energy Efficiency Council.
• AEBN national conference – environment, climate and energy A March 1 conference in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Environment Business Network.
• Risk to remediation A March 4 to 8 training program on site contamination and remediation in Newcastle, hosted by CRC CARE.
• Sports environment alliance summit 2019 A March 5 event in Melbourne.
• Transform: Leading a sustainable built environment A March 19 to 20 conference in Sydney, hosted by the Green Building Council.
• Wind industry forum 2019 A March 21 forum, hosted by the Clean Energy Council.

National

• Grant opportunity: Applications for Australian Research Council grants for PFAS research close on February 14.
• The ACCC is considering a new divestment offer from Bingo Industries Ltd made by the company in an attempt to resolve ACCC concerns about its proposed acquisition of Dial-a-Dump (see background here).
• Federal, state and territory environment ministers have started the process of tightening national air quality standards (see background here).
• A Senate committee inquiry into electric vehicles has issued its final report.
• The federal government has convened an independent panel to investigate the death of hundreds of thousands of fish in the lower Darling over the last two months, with Labor separately seeking expert advice from the Australian Academy of Science.
• Tougher energy efficiency standards for swimming pool pumps will apply from 2020 and requirements will also be tightened for air conditioners.
• Australia should mandate more stringent carbon controls on companies and vehicles, and strengthen policies on biodiversity, waste and chemicals, according to the OECD (see background here).
• Standards Australia today released a roadmap for grid cyber security standards.
• A Senate committee inquiry into the energy efficiency of rental properties is due to report on February 6.
• Submissions are due by February 15 to the Senate committee inquiry into 'fair dinkum power'. The committee will report on June 30.
• A Senate committee inquiry into Australia's faunal extinction crisis will hold hearings in Brisbane and Hobart over the next week.
• Comment closes February 20 on draft agvet regulations.
• RES Australia has made an EPBC referral for its 240MW Dulacca wind project, 220 kilometres north of Toowoomba.
• The Australian National Audit Office has released its report on the government's $443.3 million grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
• Applications for certification to the Energy Efficiency Council's certification scheme are due by February 13.

Queensland:

• The Department of Environment and Science has issued a bulletin on waste tracking obligations for PFAS.
• Gladstone Ports Corporation is invited expressions of interest for compliance water quality monitoring during dredging activities.
• Grant opportunity: Applications close February 12 for innovation grants of up to $1 million to support natural resource improvements, including reduced nutrient and sediment loads into the Great Barrier Reef.
• Comment closes tomorrow on discussion paper proposals that would require resource companies to make extra payments before surrendering environmental licences for mines that are closing (see background here).
• Comment closes tomorrow on a discussion paper reform of the Biodiscovery Act.

NSW:

• The EPA has released its compliance plan for FY19.
• The administrator of the energy savings scheme has fined a company director $80,000 over invalid scheme certificates (see background here).
• The EPA has launched an investigation into breaches of heavy metal limits in coal ash sold by AGL for off-site use.
• The Department of Primary Industries has released a report into the death of hundreds of thousands of fish in the Darling River at Menindee.
• Comment closes February 21 on a draft revised bilateral agreement with the NSW government on environmental assessments (see background here).
• Comments are due by February 15 on the state's draft floodplain harvesting monitoring and auditing strategy.
• Comments are due by February 28 on the Greater Hunter regional water strategy, which looks at water security and drought risks.

Victoria:

• An environment group is challenging the works approval issued to Australian Paper for a proposed waste-to-energy facility at its Maryvale mill (see background here).
• The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has rejected a challenge from local residents to the construction of a new solar farm (see background here).
• The EPA has released the report of a community meeting on a works approval application for a major new onshore abalone aquaculture operation near Portland.
• The EPA has issued a works approval to Midfield Meat Processing for a new protein recovery plant at its Warrnambool abattoir.
• Comment closes March 1 on draft planning guidelines for solar farms, which include a suggested best practice approach for developing a solar energy facility (see background here).
• Grant opportunity: The state government is offering community climate change adaptation grants of between $25,000 and $75,000, with applications closing March 31.

Tasmania:

• A new biodiversity bill would establish a general biosecurity duty of care for businesses and individuals dealing with biological material that might pose a biosecurity risk, which would apply to companies in the state and exporting to it (see background here).

South Australia:

• The state government has launched a fresh attempt to overhaul a state radiation protection law (see background here).
• Comment closes February 22 on a discussion paper that floats the possibility of new legislation to limit single-use plastics.
• Comment closes March 1 on rdraft development assessment regulations.
• The state government says 101 households have had batteries installed under its home battery grant scheme, with hundreds more still to be installed.
• Grant opportunity: Applications close February 7 for grants to install energy storage technology, available through the state government's $50 million Grid-Scale Storage Fund (see background here).
• Grant opportunity: Applications close February 28 for circular economy market development grants of up to $100,000.

Western Australia:

• Perdaman has made an EPBC referral for a proposed urea plant on the Burrup Peninsula.
• The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has invited expressions of interest to join a new Mining Rehabilitation Advisory Panel for a three-year term starting in March (see background here).

Northern Territory:

• Comments are due by February 22 on the EPA's draft guidance on stakeholder engagement (see background here).
• Comments are due by March 31 on a directions paper on reforms to the Water Act.

Jobs and appointments:

• The federal Department of Environment and Energy is seeking a risk and governance manager ($105,817 - $113,814).
• NT Power and Water is hiring a manager, environment, (package up to $180,992).
• Victoria's Major Transport Infrastructure Authority is seeking an environmental management systems advisor for its rail projects ($84,019 - $95,329).
• Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is recruiting a senior policy officer, energy efficiency ($96,942 - $117,293).
• Sustainability Victoria is hiring a campaign coordinator, e-waste ($96,942 - $107,117).
• Tradition's Renewable Energy Hub is seeking a Melbourne-based corporate executive, energy strategy and business development ($130,000 to $170,000 plus performance bonus).
• KPMG is hiring a Perth-based senior sustainability consultant.
• Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia is recruiting a sustainability case manager and a infrastructure sustainability coordinator.
• Property company JLL is hiring a sustainability manager for its NSW portfolio.
• The City of Launceston is recruiting a sustainability officer.
• CPB Contractors is seeking a Melbourne-based sustainability manager for Metro Tunnel works.
• McConnell Dowell is hiring a Sydney-based senior environmental advisor.
• Kelly Scientific Resources is recruiting a Perth-based contaminated sites environmental scientist.