Browsing: Water

A Rudd Labor government would provide green loans to householders and insulation rebates to owners of rental properties, under the ALP's ‘Solar Schools – Solar Homes’ policy released today.

Queensland outlines proposed offsets policy and offsets exchange; (with video) Rudd releases YouTube climate ad; ’Solar assist’ the most promising high temperature solar thermal option; Sugar mill fined over effluent breaches.

The EIS for Queensland’s proposed 153,000ML Traveston Dam “has clearly determined that Traveston Crossing is not only an appropriate site for a dam [it] is the best site in south-east Queensland for a dam,” Premier Anna Bligh told Parliament yesterday.

Announcing November 24 as election day, PM John Howard has promised a re-elected Coalition would deliver environment policies that “tackle in a balanced way the great challenges of climate change and water security”.

Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull today gave Gunns the go-ahead for its controversial pulp mill in Tasmania, but with new conditions that would allow maximum effluent concentrations for dioxins and other substances to be altered.

South East Queensland Councils will conduct random audits of up to 15% of the region’s largest water users under proposed ‘level 6’ water restrictions that will enter into force in mid-November.

A program that will require about 280 Victorian facilities to develop plans to better manage energy, water and waste is likely to deliver a net economic benefit of about $65.4 million over 10 years, says a regulatory impact statement for the proposal.

A water efficiency labelling scheme administered by the federal government is not well enforced and about 10% of the products authorised to use the label carry a ‘zero stars’ version that means they don’t meet basic water efficiency standards.

The NSW Land and Environment Court yesterday ordered Sydney chemical company Nalco Australia to contribute $50,000 to an environmental project and pay $10,000 in costs after about 9,000 litres of ethylene glycol escaped into a waterway leading to Botany Bay.

A desalination plant to provide water for Adelaide is “inevitable”, SA Premier Mike Rann told parliament today.