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 vacancies:

• Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is seeking a manager, environmental reform policy ($109,567 - $146,622).
• The Carbon Market Institute is seeking a Melbourne-based general manager.

Upcoming events:

• The future of reporting: Where to next? A December 12 conference in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Energy auditing to the Australian Standard A December 13 workshop in Sydney, hosted by the Energy Efficiency Council.
• 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.
• 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:

• Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has ruled out an emissions intensity trading scheme for the electricity industry (related article for subscribers only).
• Frydenberg ruled out a trading scheme in the same week that he released wide-ranging terms of reference for a review of climate policy (related article for subscribers only).
• Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce has introduced the Agriculture and Water Resources Legislation Amendment Bill 2016, which amends and repeals various laws.
• The Department of Environment and Energy has released draft carbon neutral standards for buildings and precincts (related article for subscribers only). 
• Australia can achieve a 40% cut in power industry emissions by 2030 and completely decarbonise it by 2050, according to new research from CSIRO and Energy Networks Australia (related article for subscribers only).
• The Department of Environment and Energy has released a progress report on implementing its threatened species strategy.
• The Department of Health is offering free blood tests to people who have worked or lived near two Defence bases, as lawyers prepare class actions over a firefighting chemical used at the sites (related article for subscribers only).
• The Finkel Review of the National Electricity Market will present its preliminary report to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) leaders meeting on Friday.
• The federal government and four states have intervened in a High Court dispute between EPA Victoria and ResourceCo over the interstate transport of waste (related article for subscribers only). 
• Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg plans to allow pulpwood, timber and biomass plantation forests to earn carbon credits (related article for subscribers only).
• The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will take a $110 million equity stake in an Investa property fund after the company set itself a tough emissions target and agreed to share information with the wider property industry (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).
• Federal and state environment ministers have released a damning review of the nation's biodiversity conservation strategy (related article for subscribers only). 
• More than 20% of EPBC Act projects monitored by the Department of Environment and Energy in FY16 were in breach of their conditions, according to a new report (related article for subscribers only). 
• The Federal and Queensland governments have submitted a progress report to the World Heritage Centre on efforts to implement the Reef 2050 Plan (related article for subscribers only). 
• The organisation operating Australia's used tyre recovery scheme says under 6% go to an environmentally-sound local use and has commissioned a review that will be submitted to the ACCC (related article for subscribers only). 
• Comment closes March 3 on a new draft standard to consistently manage the environmental risks of industrial chemicals (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.
• Submissions close on December 19 to a Senate committee inquiry into carbon risk disclosure.
• Grant opportunity: The Reef Trust is inviting applications by December 15 for round-four funding to combat erosion in Great Barrier Reef catchments, with about $3.2 million likely to be on offer out of a $19 million six-year budget.
• 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 next year.

Queensland:

• The state government has purchased 10 grazing properties for about $23 million, allowing to add more than 366,000 hectares to Queensland's protected area estate.
• Comment closes December 14 on the state government's climate adaptation directions statement.
• Comment closes December 19 on a state government draft plan that lists "reform ideas" 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.
• Grant opportunity: Applications close on December 14 for community action sustainability grants of up to $25,000.

NSW:

• The state government has released new details on its container deposit scheme, including procedures for dealing with kerbside-collected items (related article for subscribers only). 
• The NSW Audit Office has issued a review of the financial statement audits of the state government's planning and environment cluster.
• Comment closes on December 23 on the draft Coastal Management State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) and draft maps of the areas that make up the coastal zone.
• Comment closes December 16 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 an EPA paper on changes to the state's load-based licensing system that proposes increased fees for power plants, mining companies and manufacturers that emit large quantities of harmful pollutants (related article for subscribers only).
• Comment closes December 16 on a review of the State Environmental Planning Policy on koala habitat.
• Comment closes March 3 on a proposal for a whole-of-government koala strategy.

Victoria:

• The VEET energy efficiency scheme administrator has issued new administrative requirements for lighting upgrades in tunnels and underpasses and on sports fields.
• 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.
• EPA director Wes Ford has written to salmon lease holders in Macquarie Harbour advising them of his intention to reduce biomass limits.

South Australia:

• Comment closes December 2 on draft Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act regulations.
• Greens MLC Mark Parnell has introduced a bill to ban underground coal gasification.

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.

Northern Territory:

• The NT government has appointed a NSW Land and Environment Court judge to chair its inquiry into fracking (related article for subscribers only).

Jobs and appointments:

• ANZ has appointed Katharine Tapley as Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions, Loans & Specialised Finance. Tapley is also a board member of the Carbon Market Institute.
• The federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is seeking a general manager/senior project manager for the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility Project (SES Band 1).
• Defence is seeking an ACT-based estate environmental officer ($76,023 - $86,844) and a Darwin-based assistant director, environment and sustainability ($96,084 - $108,382).
• The Forest Stewardship Council Australia is seeking a Melbourne-based chief executive.
• The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage is seeking a senior team leader , commercial buildings ($147,541 p.a. package).
• NSW OEH is also seeking a senior team leader environmental monitoring, evaluation and reporting ($154,715 package).
• The WA Department of Environment Regulation is seeking a licensing officer ($65,165 - $89,345pa + super).
• Queensland's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection is seeking a senior environmental officer, located in the central west ($76,827 - $83,903).
• The Queensland environment department is also seeking a principal policy officer ($100,639 - $107,915).
• Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is seeking a senior advisor for its energy policy and programs division ($109,567 - $146,622).
• Victoria's Department of Premier and Cabinet has a six-month vacancy for a policy advisor ($77,418 - $87,838).
• GHD is seeking a Melbourne-based environmental management and sustainability team leader.
• ALRA is recruiting for an environmental scientist/engineer on behalf of a Sydney-based consultancy.
• SMEC is seeking a Brisbane-based environmental scientist.
• Stellar is recruiting for a Tamworth-based environmental coordinator to work on an open-cut coal project.
• The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is seeking a environmental sustainability officer.
• WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff is seeking a Brisbane-based senior sustainability consultant.
• A council in Melbourne's eastern suburbs has a temporary vacancy for a sustainability project officer (three days a week for seven months).
• The City of Fremantle is seeking a sustainability (technical) officer ($72,184 - $85,358).
• Healthy Futures is seeking a part-time, Melbourne-based divestment campaign coordinator to work on its campaigns targeting HESTA and First State Super (8 hours a week, $13,104pa).