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

• Featured vacancies
• Upcoming events
• Federal, state and territory round-up
• Jobs and appointments

Featured vacancies:

Upcoming events:

• Australia's new energy ecosystem An August 17 seminar in Sydney, hosted by the Institute for Sustainable Futures.
• Beyond the coal rush An August 17 seminar in Sydney, detailing the findings of a three-year investigation into new coal mines and climate change in India.
• Risky business: Dealing with legacy asbestos issues An August 17 seminar in Wagga, hosted by the Australasian Land and Groundwater Association.
• World's most liveable city: Can science help Melbourne do better An August 18 seminar hosted by EPA Victoria.
• Power grid resilience An August 22-23 conference in Melbourne, with speakers from organisations including AGL, Worley Parsons, the Australian Energy Council and the CEFC.
• Tracking Australia's greenhouse gas emissions An August 23 evening seminar hosted by the ANU Climate Change Institute.
• Australasian waste and recycling expo An August 23 to 24 event in Melbourne.
• Wastewater systems design and management workshop An August 24 workshop in Sydney hosted by the Australian Sustainable Business Group.
• Future directions for the Western Australian Environment An August 29 seminar featuring WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson, hosted by the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand.
• The changing face of the environment sector An August 29 evening seminar in Perth hosted by hosted by the Australasian Land and Groundwater Association.
• Compliance, enforcement and emerging risk in environmental law A September 1 conference in Perth, hosted by the National Environmental Law Association.
• NSW energy forum: Taking control of your energy future A September 4 conference in Sydney hosted by the Energy Users Association of Australia.
• Lights on upstairs: Address by chief scientist Alan Finkel A September 5 business briefing hosted by the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

For other events, see the Footprint what's on listings.

National:

• Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has introduced a bill that would abolish an appeal process used by electricity and gas networks to secure rights to charge higher prices (see background here).
• Frydenberg has also introduced a bill to regulate a range of emissions from products, starting with motors used in outdoor equipment such as jet-skis, leaf blowers and chainsaws (see background here).
• The Australian Energy Market Commission will report by October on the design of a Clean Energy Target (see background here).
• The House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will hold hearings for its inquiry into modernising the grid in Canberra tomorrow and in Brisbane on Friday.
• The House of Representatives yesterday passed a government bill to ensure the continuation of Great Barrier Reef management plans.
• The Senate August 14 passed the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Amendment Bill, which allows the establishment of an "innovation precinct" at Lucas Heights. The bill now goes to the Lower House.
• The Department of Environment and Energy has released two national waste studies – one focused on the generation and management of hazardous waste and the other dealing with non-hazardous waste (see background here).
• The CEFC is providing a $2 million loan to Wattwatchers to help expand production of its energy monitoring devices.
• Nominations close August 31 for the 2017 Energy Efficiency Council awards.

Queensland:

• The Palaszczuk government will launch an independent inquiry into the movement of large volumes of NSW waste into Queensland and the regulation of the waste industry (see background here).
• Expressions of interest must be lodged by August 28 for the state government's Renewables 400 reverse auction process for new renewable generation or storage.
• Comments are due by August 25 on plans by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection to overhaul classification arrangements for high-risk "regulated wastes" (see background here).
• Business Queensland has released updated versions of mining, petroleum and gas financial assurance calculators.

NSW:

• A parliamentary committee inquiry into energy from waste will conduct a new hearing tomorrow.
• Terms of reference for Parliament's energy from waste inquiry have been broadened to include interstate waste transfers and waste dumping (see background here).
• The Legislative Council has agreed to hold a new committee inquiry into energy prices and electricity planning (see background here).
• The EPA has issued an updated "immobilised contaminants" approval for waste originating from the former Pasminco Cockle Creek lead smelter, as well as an associated waste tracking exemption.
• Comment closes September 1 on nine draft guides to improve the quality of environmental impact assessments for major new developments (see related article).

ACT:

• Comment closes September 27 on the ACT's draft contaminated sites environment protection policy.
• Comment closes August 25 on the Territory's draft migratory species action plan.

Victoria:

• An environment protection bill introduced by the Andrews government – representing the first part of an overhaul of the state's EPA - has cleared the House of Representatives with the support of all parties (see background here).
• The Essential Services Commission has issued new information on the changes to the state's energy efficiency scheme.
• Sustainability Victoria is inviting applications for grants of up to $30,000 to make commercial buildings more energy efficient and is also establishing a register of service providers (see background here).
• Submissions are due by August 25 to a state parliamentary committee inquiry into the management and use of environmental water.
• The state government has released the findings of an independent review of electricity and gas retail markets.
• The state government has gazetted new Radiation Regulations.

Tasmania:

• Award opportunity: Nominations close August 23 for the 2017 EPA Sustainability Award.

South Australia:

• The state government has introduced a bill to amend provisions in the state's framework environment law that deal with financial assurances, providing false information and managing waste (see background here).
• The world's largest solar thermal power plant with storage will be built by SolarReserve near Port Augusta with the assistance of a 20-year contract to supply the state government with all its power.
• Greens MLC Mark Parnell has introduced a bill that would require the development of a State Planning Policy on biodiversity.
• Parliament has extended the reporting deadline for a Select Committee inquiry into the statewide blackout and subsequent outages to November 29.

Western Australia:

• The federal government has issued a draft revised EPBC referral guideline for three species of Western Australian black cockatoos.
• A large increase in Perth's waste levy has triggered a 42% drop in the amount sent to landfill, but that's partly because businesses are stockpiling unprocessed construction and demolition waste, according to a new report (see background here).
• The EPA has recommended environmental approval for a tyre resource recovery facility in Welshpool, proposed by Elan Energy Matrix Pty Ltd.

Northern Territory:

• Supported by an ARENA grant, Nauiyu (Daly River) will be the first remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory to reach the Territory government's 50% per cent renewable energy target – with solar PV and battery storage replacing diesel generators for the supply of daytime power.

Jobs and appointments:

• Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has appointed Dr Kerry Schott and Clare Savage to the newly established Energy Security Board that will coordinate the implementation of Finkel Review recommendations.
• The Victorian government has appointed former chief executive of Energy Networks Australia, John Bradley, as the new secretary of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
• Former Climate Institute acting chief executive and head of policy Olivia Kember has joined consultancy Energetics.
• The NT Department of Environment and Natural Resources is seeking a senior environmental officer ($111,409 - $124,576 package).
• GHD is looking for a Sydney-based principal consultant – stakeholder engagement and social sustainability.
• Lake Macquarie City Council is seeking a senior sustainability officer – climate change adaptation.
• ING is recruiting for a Sydney-based senior specialist responsible business strategy.
• Arup is seeking a Sydney-based senior sustainability consultant.
• Origin Energy is looking for an environmental advisor - technical, based in Melbourne.
• Grant Executive Search is recruiting on behalf of a large real estate services company for a Melbourne-based sustainability analyst.
• Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads is seeking a Mount Isa-based senior environmental officer.
• The ACT Environmental Defenders' Office is looking for a policy and communications director.