Highlights include court decisions in three states, and a new Victorian paper on hydrogen. Jobs include posts with Wesfarmers, AGL, NSW EPA and WWF.

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• Upcoming events
• Corporate presentations and commitments
• National, state and territory round-up
• Jobs and appointments

Upcoming events:

• Climate change data for water modelling and decision making: A November 25 event in Brisbane.

• In conversation with Ross Garnaut: A November 25 event in Canberra, featuring Ross Garnaut and Frank Jotzo.

• The circular economy in the water industry: A November 27 workshop in Brisbane.

• The potential of carbon farming in Western Australia: A November 27 afternoon seminar in Perth.

• Overcoming fossil fuel resistance to action on climate change: A November 28 evening address by Dr Christian Downie, hosted by the ANU Climate Change Institute and Energy Change Institute.

• Solar and energy storage: A November 28 and 29 conference in Adelaide.

• Launch of the Responsible Steel standard and certification scheme: A December 1 to 3 forum in Wollongong.

• ANU energy update: A December 2 conference in Canberra, hosted by the ANU Energy Change Institute and featuring speakers including AEMO chief executive Audrey Zibelman and chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel.

• Solar Oration 2019: The rapid rise of wind and solar: A December 2 [oration in Canberra, featuring Fleur Yaxley.

• Councils beyond gas forum: A December 3 conference in Melbourne.

• Turning a dollar in the circular economy: A December 3 evening seminar in Sydney, with speakers including Jakob Cakarnis from Citi Research.

• Banksia sustainability awards: A December 3 event in Sydney.

• Professional short course: Climate essentials: A December 9 one-day course for professionals seeking an overview of the latest climate change developments, offered by the ANU Climate Change Institute.

Corporate achievements, commitments and presentations:

• Woodside will offset 'reservoir CO2' from all its LNG projects, equating to an initial abatement task of 600,000 tonnes a year, and has established an internal team to generate and acquire 'quality offsets'.

• Orica's decarbonisation strategy is focused on nitrous oxide, and its climate planning assumes a carbon price of up to $65, says the company's new sustainability report.

• NAB will expand the use of geocoding to assess the potential impact of extreme weather on its lending portfolio.

National:

• COAG Energy Council will meet tomorrow morning in Perth.

• An EPBC review discussion paper is due out before the end of the month.

• Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told a BCA event the federal government will partner with WA "to develop a system that will reduce approvals times, allow project proponents to submit a single application via a single online portal ... and access a database of biodiversity studies relevant to their project".

• Offshore oil and gas regulator NOPSEMA has released its response to an appraisal of the agency by Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel.

• The Department of Environment and Energy is seeking comment on an update to the FullCAM model used to estimate land sector abatement, and on possible transitional changes to crediting arrangements for vegetation projects. Comments close December 4.

• The Clean Energy Regulator won't hold a second carbon abatement auction in 2019, marking the first time it has only held one in a calendar year.

• Have your say!: Comment closes December 3 on a discussion paper on implementing export bans on key waste streams.

• A parliamentary inquiry into the management of PFAS in and around defence bases has scheduled a public hearing for Monday.

• Have your say! The deadline for making submissions to a Senate committee product stewardship inquiry has been extended from today to December 13.

• ARENA today released a guide to renewable energy for industries using process heat.

• The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will provide $50 million and ARENA will provide $8 million to Neoen Australia for a 50 MW/64.5 MWh expansion of the Tesla-built 100MW/129MWh Hornsdale storage battery in South Australia.

• ARENA will also provide $2 million to Glaciem Cooling Technologies for demonstration projects of its thermal energy storage technology coupled with solar PV at Ceravolo Orchards (SA), Pernod Ricard Winemakers (also in SA) and Reef HQ Aquarium (Townsville).

• Have your say!: The Department of Environment and Energy today released a draft guide to protected species affected by paddock tree removal. Comment closes February 14.

• Hydromet Corporation has applied for a hazardous waste permit to export up to 18,000 tonnes of lead scrap and paste to Poland for reclamation works.

• The Department of Environment and Energy has announced minor changes to regulations implementing requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

• Juwi Renewable Energy has made an EPBC referral for its proposed 100MW Chances Plain solar farm north-east of Chinchilla in Queensland.

• A Victorian auto mechanic has been fined by the Department of Environment and Energy for possessing 26 illegal disposable cylinders of the synthetic greenhouse gas, HFC-134a.

• Have your say!: Submissions to a review of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility are due by December 13.

• Have your say!: Comments are due by December 23 to an independent review of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

Queensland:

• Court ruling: A court has denied a waste company approval to significantly overfill a mining void, rejecting its arguments that the towering post-closure mound would have scenic value.

• After a "compliance audit of social media", the Parks and Wildlife Service has prosecuted a man for entering a restricted access area containing king ferns that are sensitive to the impacts of pedestrians.

NSW:

• Court ruling: Tweed Shire Council and the EPA were in the wrong when they tried to reduce the amount of rock that could be extracted from a quarry, the Land and Environment Court has found.

• Clearing of a woodland ecosystem supposedly long-protected under NSW and federal biodiversity laws has skyrocketed and it now faces extinction, new advice from a NSW government advisory panel shows.

• The state government has issued an immobilised contaminants approval to regulate disposal of heavily contaminated slag from the former Pasminco Cockle Creek smelter.

• Community and health groups convened an air pollution "crisis meeting" in the Hunter Valley on Monday, ahead of a meeting of the mining industry-led Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue on Tuesday.

ACT:

• Tribunal ruling: The Civil and Administrative Tribunal has issued its decision on a dispute between the owner of a contaminated site and the Commissioner for Revenue over the value of the land.

Victoria:

• The state government today released a discussion paper for its proposed Victorian Hydrogen Investment Program. Comment closes on February 5.

• Barwon Water is seeking a project team or joint venture to deliver a suite of energy efficiency initiatives across its portfolio of infrastructure.

• Tribunal ruling: A tribunal has issued an enforcement order demanding that a waste company stop accepting waste at its site near Geelong, and pay a financial assurance of at least $1.1 million.

• Court ruling: The operator of the Hazelwood brown coal mine has been convicted under environmental and health and safety legislation over a mine fire lasting 45 days.

• The state government has invited comments by December 31 on planning for Melbourne's industrial and commercial land.

• Have your say – last chance!: Comments are due by November 30 on a draft long-term water assessment for southern Victoria that will underpin the development of a new sustainable water strategy.

South Australia:

• The state government has boosted funding for its heritage agreements scheme, which funds conservation on private land, and will now provide $3 million over FY21 and FY22.

Western Australia:

• A new Pilbara offset fund will raise about $90 million over the next 40 years for biodiversity protection measures, according to Environment Minister Stephen Dawson.

• The Waste Authority has awarded a total of $1.17 million to 13 organisations for waste projects, including a $250,000 grant to Cleanaway for a food organics/garden organics decontamination line.

• Have your say!: Comments are due by January 28 on a Department of Water and Environmental Regulation discussion paper on proposed changes to the Environmental Protection Act.

• Have your say!: Comment closes January 3 on draft guidance that describes the type of information on air emissions that should accompany applications for a works approval or environmental licence.

• Have your say!: Comment closes December 6 on a revised statutory guideline and guidance package on mining proposals and mine closure plans.

• Have your say – last chance!: Comment closes November 29 on a discussion paper about the state's proposed climate policy.

Northern Territory:

• NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner has welcomed news that two private investment firms, one linked to Mike and Annie Cannon-Brookes and the other to Twiggy Forrest, are backing the Sun Cable project, a 10GW solar farm and storage facility that would supply Darwin and export power to Singapore.

• The EPA has released draft terms of reference for an environmental impact statement for the Darwin Ship Lift project.

Jobs and appointments:

• Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers is recruiting an environmental advisor.

• AGL is hiring an environment advisor, based in Newcastle.

• Mott MacDonald is recruiting a Sydney-based sustainability leader for its built environment team.

• St Vincent De Paul is seeking a Sydney-based manager, recycling and sustainability.

• NSW Planning, Industry and Environment is recruiting a team leader – environmental assessment($166,992 package).

• New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries is hiring a principal analyst, climate change operations.

• JLL is recruiting an ACT-based energy and sustainability professional.

• The NSW EPA is seeking a unit head, waste levy compliance and a [unit head illegal dumping}( https://iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/unit-head-illegal-dumping-184026)(both $130,601 - $143,335 plus super).

• The WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is hiring an environmental officer – contaminated sites( $68,165 - $92,345) and a policy officer – waste levy($88,047 - $96,994).

• Energy Networks Australia is seeking a head of electricity networks – distribution.

• NRM Regions Queensland is recruiting a chief executive.

• The City of Monash is seeking a zero waste champion ( $85,945 - $93,675 plus super).

• WWF is recruiting for the new position of head of policy and horizon scanning(Canberra-based).