New seminars, law and policy changes, jobs and grants: A Footprint weekly snapshot for environmental and carbon professionals.

• Upcoming events
• Jurisdictional round-up (national, states and territories)
• Jobs and appointments

** Featured vacancy ** The Tasmanian Climate Change Office (situated within Premier and Cabinet) is seeking a senior policy analyst.

Upcoming events:

• Sustainable land development, civil design and recycled materials seminar A February 17 seminar in Melbourne, presented by Swinburne University of Technology and Geotesta, on incorporating recycled materials into infrastructure projects.
• The rise of battery storage and the future of renewables A February 18 EIANZ evening seminar in Sydney, featuring Dan Sturrock (investment director at ARENA), Dean Stehling (executive director, AllGrid) and Nigel Morris (CEO, RoofJuice Australia).
• A rights-based approach to climate change A February 18 and 19 workshop in Brisbane, hosted by the Queensland University of Technology.
• Young water professionals conference A February 18 and 19 conference in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Water Association and the International Water Association.
• BP energy outlook A February 19 Sydney breakfast forum hosted by the Australian Institute of Energy.
• 2016 summer study on energy productivity A February 24 to 26 conference in Sydney, hosted by the Institute for Sustainable Futures and the Australian Alliance To Save Energy.
• Environmental funding and obligations for business A February 26 seminar in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Environment Business Network.
• Emissions Reduction Fund workshops A series of half-day workshops, hosted by the Carbon Market Institute, in Townsville (February 29), Brisbane (March 1), Adelaide (March 3) and Perth (March 4).

For other events, including a forum in Hobart on stormwater, see the extensive Footprint what's on listings.

National:

• Ahead of the June commencement of the new Biosecurity Act, the Department of Agriculture has released a raft of draft regulations, declarations and determinations for public comment.
• The Clean Energy Regulator has issued revised guidance on eligibility, additionality and newness, for projects seeking approval to earn carbon credits.
• The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has issued a new report on financing energy-efficient community housing.
• The Federal Government has introduced a bill to retrospectively validate offshore oil and gas exploration and development titles that for several years have been extended without the necessary EPBC Act consent (see background).
• Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has gazetted a new ERF method for earning carbon credits by diverting source-separated organic waste from landfills (see background).
• The Department of Environment is consulting on changes to NGER regulatory provisions that deal with issues including auditor registration and deregistration (see background).
• Submissions are now available on proposals to reform Australia's assessment scheme for industrial chemicals.
• The Senate Environment Committee inquiry into marine plastic pollution has scheduled hearings in Sydney (February 18), Canberra (February 26) and Brisbane (March 10).
• Submissions are due by February 25 to a Senate Committee inquiry into the Water Amendment (Review Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2015. The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee will release its report on March 10.
• Submissions are due by March 14 to the inquiry of the Senate Select Committee on Unconventional Gas Mining. The committee will report by June 30 on the adequacy of Australia's legislative, regulatory and policy framework for coal seam gas and shale gas mining.
• Submissions are due by February 19 to the Climate Change Authority's draft report on Australia's climate policy options.

Queensland:

• Comments are due by March 14 on draft guidelines for master planning in priority ports released by the Department of State Development.
• A new water plan covering south-west Queensland is the first to be prepared in line with Murray Darling Basin Plan requirements.

NSW:

• The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage is conducting an online survey on the design of a new online portal for environmental data.
• Planning Minister Rob Stokes has named four district commissioners who will represent local communities on the Greater Sydney Commission, working with Chief Commissioner Lucy Turnbull. The new district commissioners, Deborah Dearing, Edward Blakely, Maria Atkinson and Sean O'Toole were selected by local councils to represent them on the commission, with two more commissioners yet to be appointed. The Commission has three other commissioners who are specialists in environmental, economic and social matters.
• AGL has pleaded guilty in the Land and Environment Court to charges of failing to disclose political donations when making 11 planning applications, in breach of s147 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. A sentencing hearing will take place in June, with AGL facing a maximum penalty of $22,000 on each charge.
• The NSW Government has signed four conservation agreements with a North West Slopes landholder to protect critically endangered and vulnerable bird species habitats. The agreements Environment Minister Mark Speakman will permanently protect 1,892 hectares of threatened Box Gum Woodland to provide secure nesting and breeding sites for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater and vulnerable Diamond Firetails and Little Lorikeets.
• Comment closes February 29 on a draft coastal management bill that includes a mechanism to classify areas as vulnerable to climate change and other hazards (see background).
• The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage has issued a draft guidance for councils on Using cost–benefit analysis to assess coastal management options.
• Grant opportunity: Research organisations have until March 11 to lodge an expression of interest for the Environmental Trust's latest environmental research grant funding round, which will provide grants of up to $150,000.
• Grant opportunity: The EPA has opened round 3 of the Council Litter Prevention Grants Program with $1.5 million of funding available to individual NSW councils as part of the five-year $465.7 million Waste Less, Recycle More initiative. Applications close on April 8.

Victoria:

• The State Government has released the findings of an independent review of the Climate Change Act which concludes that EPA Victoria needs explicit powers to deliver emissions cuts and all major departments should have climate plans that guide decision-making (see background).
• Energy company Powercor and a community group have signed a memorandum of understanding intended to help make Newstead the first 100% renewable town in Victoria. Under the MOU, Powercor will support the Newstead 2021 group with assistance in understanding the town's energy load profile, assessing the impact of local generation on grid stability and reliability, financial modelling, and other technical issues. The project last year received a $200,000 grant from the Victorian Government.
• The Victorian Government has released a Guide to Community-Owned renewable energy.
• Grant opportunity: Applications close on March 16 for funding under round one of the State Government's New Energy Fund, which will disburse up to $5 million out of the total fund allocation of $20 million.

Tasmania:

• Comment closes on March 26 on Tasmania's draft climate action plan for 2016 to 2021.

South Australia:

• The Royal Commission into the nuclear fuel cycle has issued tentative findings backing the importation and storage of used nuclear fuel (see background).
• The EPA has issued its first environmental licence for an aerodrome, imposing flight restrictions on Aldinga Aviation Pty Ltd to deal with noise complaints, after winning a court case in which the company challenged the agency's right to issue it with a licence (see background).

Western Australia:

• Grant opportunity: Community groups must apply by March 11 for Waste Authority grants of up to $20,000 for innovative waste management and recycling projects.

Northern Territory:

• The Australian Conservation Foundation has criticised the Territory mine regulator's decision not to prosecute Energy Resources of Australia for a 2013 spill of radioactive slurry at its Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu, describing it as "derelict, deficient and deeply disappointing". "For more than two years the NT regulator has avoided public comment on ERA's failed operation arguing commentary could compromise future prosecution options," said ACF uranium campaigner Dave Sweeney. The decision "demonstrates the only thing that has been compromised is the Department of Mines & Energy's ability to act in the public interest," he said.
• The EPA has released guidelines for the operation of gas guns used to scare birds.

Jobs and appointments:

• Queensland's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) is seeking a Brisbane-based principal environmental assessment officer.
• DEHP is also seeking a environmental officer based in Cairns and a senior environmental officer based in Townsville.
• Lendlease is seeking a sustainability manager for its Sydney NorthConnex project.
• Boeing Defence Australia is seeking a Brisbane-based EHS advisor.
• Property company JLL is seeking a Sydney-based director of energy and sustainability.
• Asia Pulp and Paper's Solaris Paper is seeking a Sydney-based sustainability and communications advisor.
• EPA Victoria has two vacancies for project managers to work within its Operations Strategy Unit.
• Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads is seeking an environmental officer.
• Tasmania's EPA is seeking a Hobart-based senior compliance officer.