Archived News for Green Sector Professionals - September, 2012
Future climate change is likely to wreak havoc on the country’s plants, animals and ecosystems according to a study published by the CSIRO.
Government to fund geothermal research
The Federal Government has announced a $1.25 million funding injection for a research project into geothermal energy potential.
Spanish company to build Australia's largest PV plant
Spanish Company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has been given the green light to develop the country’s largest photovoltaic solar plant in the ACT.
Two degrees too much warns Melbourne
A joint research paper published in the Nature Climate Change journal has found that the world’s corals and coral reefs face severe degredation if global-mean temperate rise two degrees or more above pre-industrial levels.
Clean ship legislation passes Parliament
The Federal Government has passed legislation that will force ships to reduce their pollution levels.
Government pledges Murray water
The Federal Government has announced Murray-Darling Basin rivers and wetlands will receive as much as 1,449 gigalitres of Commonwealth environmental water in 2013.
Chair appointed to independent NT EPA
Academic and bureaucrat Dr Bill Freeland has been appointed to chair the revamped Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.
Review of national fisheries management
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, has announced a major review of Australian fisheries policy and legislation.
$3 million allocated to WA biodiversity projects
The WA Environment Minister Bill Marmion has announced funding of $3 million as part of the recent $15.5million allocation from the State’s Natural Resource Management (NRM) program to support conservation measures to protect WA’s biodiversity.
220 jobs slashed from Queensland Environment and Heritage Protection Department
The Queensland Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell has announced an overhaul of the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP), with 220 job losses announced in the State budget.
Law introduced to stop super trawler operating in Australian waters
Legislation has been introduced in Parliament to extend the legal powers of the Environment Minister, Tony Burke, over the super trawler FV Abel Tasman, (formerly FV Margiris), to prevent the vessel from fishing in Australian waters.
NSW Strategic Regional Land Use Policy released
The NSW Government has unveiled its Strategic Regional Land Use Policy, outlining 27 new measures designed to control competing land uses, with a focus on the impacts of coal seam gas mining on land and water resources.
Research targets methane emissions from coal mine shafts
University of Newcastle researchers led by Associate Professor Michael Stockenhuber are exploring more efficient and safer methods of ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidization – a technique used to destroy methane in the exhaust air released from underground coal mine shafts.
Tasmania launches Threatened Species Link website
A new website has been launched to provide information about threatened species in Tasmania and their protection.
Tasmania plans to separate commercial and non-commercial forestry
The Tasmanian Government is proposing to establish an independent statutory body to manage commercial forests as part of the restructure of Forestry Tasmania.
Victorian Water Board appointments announced
The Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh has announced the appointment of 55 directors to Victoria's 19 water corporation boards, including Melbourne Water.
Dirty electricity compensation plan abandoned
The Australian Government has abandoned its Contract for Closure Program, announcing that it will not be offering financial support to close emissions intensive power stations under the Program and ceasing negotiations with the electricity generators involved.
Queensland engineers develop remotely piloted aircraft for bushfire surveillance
Avionics engineers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) are developing technology to enable remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) for use in detecting bushfires.
WA boosts funding for coastal management
The Western Australian Government has increased its funding for the Coastal Protection Program by $4 million for the 2013-14 round.
ACT cuts greenhouse gas emissions
Almost 3.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases have been pulled from the ACT's atmosphere according to the latest snapshot on carbon emissions in Canberra.
Carbon Farming Initiative offsets projects approved
The first offset projects under the national Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) have been approved, with four landfill sites set to reap environmental rewards by capturing harmful greenhouse gases from waste.