WA exempts aquaculture industry from environmental legislation
Gladstone dredging project receives green light
Coalition to suspend marine sanctuaries planning processes
Greens propose tougher vehicle emission standards
South Hobart council to buy energy use monitors in bulk for residents
WA exempts aquaculture industry from environmental legislation
The Western Australian government has exempted the State's aquaculture industry from works approval and licensing provisions of the Environmental Protection Act and will instead leave it to the Department of Fisheries to monitor the industry's environmental performance.
Environment Minister Donna Faragher and Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said the changes are expected would reduce administrative "red tape" and deliver significant licence fee savings.
The changes also removed "duplication" in the administration of aquaculture activities, which are already subject to regulation under the Fish Resources Management Act, Faragher said.
Moore said the two departments had endorsed a memorandum of understanding and three codes of practice covering all aspects of the aquaculture industry that would ensure environmental outcomes would be "maintained and improved".
Gladstone dredging project receives green light
Queensland's Co-ordinator General has recommended that a proposal to dredge up to 42.3 million m3 from the Port of Gladstone and reclaim about 235 hectares of land can proceed.
The Port of Gladstone Western Basin dredging and disposal project is intended largely to meet the needs of the State's coal seam gas-based LNG industries.
The project must also obtain Federal approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Coalition to suspend marine sanctuaries planning processes
A Coalition government would immediately "put on hold" the planning process used to identify future Marine Protected Areas.
"We will then restructure this process, in consultation with the community and industry, within the first year of government," Coalition Leader Tony Abbott said today.
"The Rudd-Gillard Government has not adopted a balanced approach to Marine Protected Areas, nor has it engaged in appropriate consultation with the community and the fishing industry," Abbott said.
"This has led to unnecessary anxiety and uncertainty in the fishing industry," he said.
The Coalition would require future decisions on Marine Protected Areas to consider peer-reviewed scientific evidence of threats to marine biodiversity, with this evidence to be made available to affected industries and communities, he said.
Greens propose tougher vehicle emission standards
Mandatory vehicle CO2 emission standards proposed by Labor (see related article) are too weak and the Greens will push for tougher EU-style limits, Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne announced today.
The Greens are proposing fleet average standards for 2015 of 160g CO2/km, with equivalence to the European standard (expected to be 95g CO2/km) to be achieved by 2020.
The ALP on the weekend proposed mandatory targets of 190g CO2/km by 2015 and 155g CO2/km by 2024.
South Hobart council to buy energy use monitors in bulk for residents
South Hobart Council has instigated a scheme to buy energy use monitors in bulk and sell them at a discount to householders.
The meters provide a real-time display of power use, with the council anticipating that the data will trigger actions by householders that reduce their energy bills by between 10% and 30%.
Residents will be able to buy the monitors for $115, which the average household would recoup in less than a year if it reduced energy use by 10%.
The pilot scheme, involving the purchase of 50 monitors, is supported by Tasmania's Office of Climate Change.
