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Law and policy changes from all jurisdictions, and a roundup of the latest environmental and carbon jobs, grants, seminars and conferences. A Footprint weekly snapshot for environmental and carbon professionals.

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

** Featured vacancy ** Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is seeking a director of impact assessment.

Upcoming events:

• Water stewardship training An April 4 to 6 training course in Adelaide, hosted by Water Stewardship Australia.
• 2016 Water industry operations conference and exhibition An April 6 and 7 event in Newcastle (NSW), hosted by the Water Industry Operators of Australia, with similar events scheduled for Rockhampton (June 1 and 2) and Bendigo (Vic) August 31 and September 1).
• Globally Harmonised System for Classifying and Labelling of Chemicals An April 7 briefing in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Environment Business Network.
• Energy management basics training A series of regional workshops offered by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage in Sydney (April 7) and Narrandera (April 27).
• Water for Victoria discussion paper: Forum An April 11 evening forum in Melbourne on the Victorian Government's water discussion paper, hosted by the Australian Water Association, with Environment Minister Lisa Neville.
• Validation of recycled water treatment technologies An April 13 evening technical seminar in Brisbane, hosted by the Australian Water Association.
• Environmental legislation update An April 14 seminar in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Sustainable Business Group.
• ERF safeguard mechanism seminar An April 19 seminar in Sydney hosted by Baker & McKenzie, with an April 27 seminar scheduled for Melbourne.
• Transitioning to ISO 14001:2015 An April 29 workshop in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Environment Business Network.
• Local energy and microgrids An April 28 and 29 conference in Sydney, hosted by RenewEconomy and Informa.
• Solar energy exhibition and conference A May 4 and 5 event in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Solar Council.
• Ozwater'16 A May 10 to 12 event in Melbourne, hosted by the Australian Water Association.

For other events, including an energy storage conference in Melbourne, see the extensive Footprint what's on listings.

National:

• Qualification closed last Thursday to participate in the third Emissions Reduction Fund auction, to be held on April 27 and 28. Projects that qualify to participate in this auction are required to complete auction registration by April 18.
• Comment closes on April 5 on a draft method that would allow tenants and/or owners of community buildings to earn carbon credits by making their buildings more efficient (see background).
• The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, in conjunction with NOPSEMA, has released an issues paper on the consultation and transparency provisions of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2009 and is running workshops on possible improvements. Submissions on the issues paper close on April 30.
• Two new reports from BHP Billiton present the company's case for receiving a one-off EPBC approval valid for all its future activities in the Pilbara (see background).
• Environment Minister Greg Hunt has gazetted changes to four methods for earning carbon credits (see background).
• The Federal Government will establish a $1 billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund to support emerging technologies, which will be jointly managed by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) (see background).
• The Department of Environment is seeking comment by May 9 on the merits of an EPBC listing for the Illawarra and south coast lowland grassy woodland ecological community.
• The Department of Environment is seeking comment by May 12 on the merits of an EPBC listing for the Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain ecological community
• Submissions are due by March 31 to the Senate inquiry into carbon risk disclosure.

Queensland:

• Submissions are due by April 25 to the parliamentary committee inquiry into a vegetation management bill which, if passed, would reinstate many of the controls on clearing repealed by the former Newman Government.
• Submissions are due by March 31 to the parliamentary committee inquiring into a bill that would stop companies that are in financial difficulty leaving it to the state to manage and clean up their sites, by empowering the environment department to target related businesses and executives (see background). A public hearing is also scheduled for April 5.
• Parliament's Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Committee will release its planning bills inquiry report by April 8.

NSW:

• EPA NSW has released presentations from a recent workshop on locomotive emissions.
• The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has released draft reports on pricing for Sydney Water, Hunter Water and WaterNSW.
• The NSW Parliament last Tuesday rejected a Climate Change Bill introduced by the Greens.
• Comments are due by March 31 on draft NSW guidelines for community consultative committees for major projects (see background).
• Grant opportunity: The EPA has opened round three 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.
• Grant opportunity: The Environmental Trust has opened round four of the Local Government Organics Collection Systems Grants Program that will provide grants of up to $1.3 million for councils to introduce new or enhanced kerbside organics bin collection services. Applications close on May 19.

ACT:

• The ACT Government has issued the Waste Minimisation (Landfill Fees) Determination 2016 (No 1), which specifies fees that take effect on April 4.
• Comment closes on April 3 on the ACT's draft climate change adaptation strategy.
• Grant opportunity: The Planning and Environment Division is inviting applications by April 22 for the 2016-17 round of heritage grants.

Victoria:

• The State Government has released proposed regulations under section 161 of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 to revise VCAT fee structures. Comment closes on May 2.
• The State Government has released a consultation paper on vegetation clearing regulations, with comment due by April 29.
• The State Government has also released a draft biodiversity plan, with comments due by May 15.
• Grant opportunity: Applications close on April 17 for community groups to secure grants of up to $7,500 under the latest round of the Coastcare community grants program.

Tasmania:

• Biosecurity Tasmania is seeking comment by April 29 on a position paper released as part of a review of the state's biosecurity legislation.

South Australia:

• State Parliament has passed the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) (Public Money) Amendment Bill, which would abolish an existing ban on spending public money to foster discussion about nuclear waste storage options (see background).

Western Australia:

• The Department of Environment Regulation is seeking comment by June 6 on its draft environmental standard on composting.
• Environment Minister Albert Jacob has gazetted special noise conditions for Finiston gold mine.
• The WA Government has tabled its response to a Legislative Council inquiry into unconventional gas.
• The Department of Environment Regulation, the Department of Mines and Petroleum and mining industry organisations will appear at an April 4 hearing of a Legislative Council committee inquiry into the Mining Legislation Amendment Bill that would overhaul environmental provisions of the Mining Act.
• Grant opportunity: Western Australia's Environment Minister Albert Jacob has invited funding applications to subsidise purchasing decisions that boost recycling rates for construction and demolition waste (see background).
• Grant opportunity: Councils and other coastal land managers have until April 1 to apply for Coastal adaptation and protection grants. Individual grants of up to $300,000 are available to fund up to 50% of proposed projects.
• Awards: Entries close on April 8 for the Department of Mines and Petroleum's Golden Gecko for environmental excellence.

Jobs and appointments:

• Resource and infrastructure development consultancy Fyfe Pty Ltd is seeking a senior environmental scientist based in western Queensland.
• Brickworks is seeking a Perth-based environmental manager.
• Fulton Hogan is seeking an Adelaide-based environmental manager for the Darlington upgrade project.
• Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions is seeking a Sydney-based business improvement and sustainability lead to identify, develop and implement improvements for the NSW Defence Estate. 
• Caterpillar Australia is seeking a Melbourne-based EHS Asia-Pacific regional professional.
• EPA Victoria is seeking an environmental audit coordinator and an environmental audit team leader.
• The Clean Energy Regulator is seeking regulatory officers.
• Applications close on April 10 for the Department of Environment's graduate program and its indigenous graduate program.
• Consumer organisation CHOICE is seeking an environmental journalist.
• Conservation Volunteers Australia is seeking a corporate relations and development manager.