March
4, 2004
GENERAL
NEWS
1.
STUDY LOOKS AT FUTURE OF THE REEF
A study exploring the possible
future scenarios for the Great Barrier Reef has
been released, examining the potential impacts
resulting from climate change.
The report, Implications of Climate Change for
Australia's Great Barrier Reef, undertaken by
economist Hans Hoegh-Guldberg and reef expert
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, director of the
Centre for Marine Studies at the University of
Queensland, reveals the best case scenario for
the Reef: recoverable loss if global temperature
increases remain below 2 degrees.
Under the worst case scenario, coral populations
will collapse by 2100 and the re-establishment
of coral reefs will be highly unlikely over the
following 200-500 years. Under that scenario,
Australia faces economic losses of $8 billion
and more than 12,000 jobs by 2020.
The report commends the implementation of the
new zoning plan of the Great Barrier Reef and
the new Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, as
well as the introduction of the Queensland fisheries
management plans, and warns that it is only with
the enforcement of these new plans that the Reef
has any hope of survival in the face of increasing
climate-induced pressures.
The report is available http://www.wwf.org.au
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2.
GREENHOUSE STANDOFF BETWEEN INDUSTRY
AND GOVERNMENT
It appears unlikely that the
Federal Government will implement a greenhouse
gas abatement policy in the near future, with
Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane taking issue
with recent calls by the Chair of the Energy Supply
Association of Australia to implement such a policy
in order to create investment confidence in the
energy sector.
Speaking at the 7th Victorian Power Conference,
esaa chairman, Greg Martin, said that it was necessary
to create investment confidence through a long
term national greenhouse abatement target, and
an end to the competing state measures.
"To remove the uncertainty about the future
of large scale, long-lived energy investments,
the esaa calls on the Federal Government to settle
on a greenhouse gas abatement target for 2050
that applies to the whole Australian economy and
ends the competing State and Federal measure and
targets," Mr Martin said.
However, Mr Macfarlane said greenhouse emissions
should not be about the government mandating targets
but about industry determining what levels could
be achieved in terms of protecting the environment
in commercially viable ways.
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3.
SA NRM ADMINISTRATION TO BE RESTRUCTURED
Natural resource management in
South Australia is poised to be completely restructured
following the introduction of the draft Natural
Resource Management Bill 2003 in December last
year.
The bill, which is to be debated early this year,
will integrate all natural resource management
agencies, including the 64 boards which currently
manage issues relating to water, pest plants,
and animal and soil conservation.
The proposed legislation will repeal the Water
Resources Act 1997, Soil Conservation and Land
Care Act 1989, and Animal and Plant Control (Agricultural
Protection and Other Purposes) Act 1986. Consideration
will be given to the incorporation of other NRM
related legislation at a later date, for example
the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage
Act 1992.
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4.
PLASTIC BAG USAGE DROPS BY 200
MILLION OVER THE YEAR
Plastic bag usage from the major
supermarkets have been reduced by more than 200
million in the past year, with Coles supermarkets
spearheading the campaign 90 per cent of supermarkets
have now joined the voluntary agreement, the Retailer's
Code of Practice since October last year.
In the past year, Coles has used 130 million
fewer plastic bags, while selling 1.6 million
reusable bags. Woolworths, which has just commenced
its campaign, has cut plastic bag usage by 88
million, and sold over 1 million reusable bags.
These figures represent a 12 per cent reduction
in total plastic bag usage, with approximately
6.9 billion plastic shopping bags formerly being
used each year.
The Federal Government is now focussing on reducing
the amount of plastic bags used by fast food stores.
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5.
AUSTRALIA LEADS ASIA-PACIFIC IN
SRI FUNDS
Australia is the leader in socially
responsible investment in the Asia-Pacific region,
with the majority of funds in the region being
invested here.
Total SRI money under management in Asia is around
$16 billion and expected to increase substantially
in the next few years. Australia is the largest
market in the Asian region with $14.3 billion
invested in funds with SRI policies as of July
2002. After Australia, Japan is Asia's most developed
and promising SRI market. Introduced in Japan
only three years ago, over $1 billion is now invested
in 11 SRI fund options.
However, Australia pales in comparison to European
ethical investment, with SRI funds in the UK alone
totalling more than $640 billion - more than 12
per cent of all managed investments in the UK.
Since 1984, SRI funds have risen from $40 billion
worldwide, to $2.18 trillion.
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6.
$300 MILLION SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS
FUND KICKS OFF
James Fielding Group's new Australian
Sustainable Investments Fund has been kicked off
with a deal to buy 20,500 hectares of land from
Timbercorp for $46.6 million.
The $300 million unlisted infrastructure fund,
which is focused mainly on forestry assets, has
bought the carbon sequestration rights for the
plantation land, located in Victoria, South Australia
and Western Australia, positioning itself to sell
carbon credits.
Timbercorp will lease back 16,000 hectares of
the land under the terms of the agreement and
will use the proceeds of sale to repay approximately
$20.6 million in debt against the land, with the
remaining $26 million to fund ongoing capital
expenditure and transaction costs.
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COURSES
7.
GROUNDWATER SHORT COURSES 2004
SEE WEB PAGE for course details:
http://www.groundwater.com.au/conf/content.asp
* Can be accredited towards Flinders University
postgraduate degrees
see website:
http://www.scieng.flinders.edu.au/courses/groundwater
9th Getting to Know Groundwater - Brisbane, Qld
Wed 7 Thurs 8 April 2004
10th Getting to Know Groundwater Townsville,
Qld
Thurs 6 - Fri 7 May 2004
ABCs of Groundwater - NT
Tue 8 May - Bullocky Point, Darwin
Tues 8 May - Bees Creek, Darwin
Wed 19 May - Katherine
Fri 21 May - Alice Springs
11th Getting to Know Groundwater - Adelaide,
SA
Wed 9 Thurs 10 June 2004
27th Australian Groundwater School - Brisbane,
Qld
Mon 14 Fri 18 June 2004
3rd NAPLs and Groundwater - Brisbane, Qld
Tues 29 June Fri 2 July 2004
4th National Aquifer Recharge Short Course Gold
Coast, Qld
Wed 6 Fri 8 Oct 2004
2nd Soil & GW Pollution: Investigation, Remediation
& Risk Assessment
- Brisbane, Qld
Tues 23 Thurs 25 Nov 2004
3rd Groundwater Modelling School:
Concepts, Applications (GW Vistas), Predictive
Uncertainty (PEST) -
Sydney, NSW
Mon 2 Thurs 6 Dec 2004
28th Australian Groundwater School - Perth, WA
Mon 13 Sat 18 Dec 2004
Swan Region WA participants ONLY
All enquires please contact:
Kate Gole Phone: 08 9374 3315
E-mail: kate.gole@environment.wa.gov.au
Swan Region - ABCs of Groundwater Sun 18 April
2004
Swan Region - Getting to Know Groundwater Wed
19 Thurs 20 May
2004
Early registration is advised, as places are limited.
For more information contact Trevor Pillar:
Ph: 61 8 8201 5632 Fax: 61 8 8201 5635
Email: cgs.training@groundwater.com.au
Web: http://www.groundwater.com.au
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CONFERENCES
8.
ONLY 7 WEEKS TO THE COAST TO COAST
2004 CONFERENCE
19 - 23 April, Hobart
"The Second Decade - Coastal Planning and
Management in Australia towards 2014"
This important conference is for all those in
Governments, research, industry and community
with a responsibility or interest in planning
and managing our coastal and marine areas. Coast
to Coast 2004 will cover the full range of coastal
zone management issues under 8 broad themes which
run through the conference program as keynote
addresses, oral presentations, poster presentations,
field tours and workshops.
Themes include:
- Climate Change
- Integrating across Catchment, Coasts and Oceans
- Information, Education & Cultural Change
- Indigenous Issues
- Coastal Tourism & Recreation
- Community Participation
- Planning & Management in our Marine Areas
- Sustainability & the Coast
Keynote Speakers - Dr Sylvia Earle, Deep Ocean
Exploration & Research Inc; Prof. Bruce Thom
former Chair of the NSW Coastal Council; Dr David
Wood, Curtin University; Mr Rodney Dillon, Tasmanian
Commissioner for ATSIC; Dr Robert Kay, Kay Consulting,
Perth; Mr Philip Burgess, National Oceans Office;
Mr Ken Latona, Architect & Planner, developer
of three award winning wilderness walking experiences.
There will be 88 oral papers, a poster exhibition,
themed half day Field Tours on Wednesday, up to
60 individual workshops convened by participants
on Thursday and Friday leading to actions and
recommendations for the future. The program will
be complemented by fun and exciting social events.
Please visit the website for details of the provisional
program, registration, travel and accommodation
- www.cdesign.com.au/coasttocoast2004
Enquiries to Penny Archer
Conference Design P/L:
e: penny@cdesign.com.au
p: 03 6224 3773
f: 03 6224 3774
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9.
INAUGURAL QLD SPATIAL INDUSTRY
CONFERENCE 2004
22 - 23 April
The inaugural conference for the burgeoning spatial
industry will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane
on 22 -23 April. The conference will empower businesses
to meet tomorrow's challenges, and reveal the
latest developments in the spatial industry in
Queensland.
For details of the program, visit the conference
website: http://www.isaqld.org.au/Vers_7index.html.
The program provides networking and development
opportunities for delegates across all industry
sectors in Queensland and will appeal to existing
industry professionals, researchers, public sector
employees, academics and young professionals.
Dynamic themes draw on and highlight the innovative
thinking and practices in the Queensland spatial
industry, currently being harnessed to empower
Queensland industry for tomorrow. Surveying, remotely
sensed information, spatially enabled information
systems, and statistical information are all featured,
providing you with an understanding of how Queensland
is being empowered by the spatial industry.
Trade displays will be featured at the 'Spatial
Information Market Place'
throughout the conference. This display is dedicated
to spatial technologies and information resources
to empower your business. It is the perfect space
for investigating industry partner solutions,
networking, and reflecting on spatially enabling
your business.
If you haven't registered yet, visit -
http://www.isaqld.org.au/Vers_7/index.html
and register today so you don't miss out on this
exciting event!
The Inaugural QLD Spatial Industry Conference
- 2004 is proudly sponsored by the Queensland
Spatial Information Infrastructure Council (QSIIC)
in association with the Spatial Sciences Institute.
For more information please contact Heather Rose
Ph: 07 3217 2566, email:
ptaylor@isaq.com.au.
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10.
IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA 2004 - "THE FUTURE OF
IRRIGATION IN AUSTRALIA"
The essential event for the irrigation industry,
IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA 2004 Exhibition & Conference,
returns to the Adelaide Convention Centre from
Tuesday 11th to Thursday 13th May 2004.
As the largest irrigation exhibition and conference
to ever be held in Adelaide, the event will bring
together industry experts from around Australia
and the rest of the world to address the issues
and challenges facing the irrigation industry.
The Conference "Irrigation: Coming of Age"
The conference will focus on the challenges and
opportunities facing the industry. Conference
sessions include:
- Irrigation and the Environment - Environmental
issues and solutions
- The Regulatory Environment - A governmental
perspective
- The Practice of 'Best Practice' - Adoption
and implementation
- Irrigation Futures - Tomorrow's best practice
comes from today's innovation
The Keynote Speakers
Tom Gohring P.E.
Assistant Deputy Director for Water Management,
California Bay-Delta Authority. The newly created
California Bay-Delta Program is a cooperative
effort involving state and federal agencies and
the public to guarantee a healthy ecosystem, reliable
water supplies and quality water throughout the
state of California. Mr Gohring will be speaking
about the challenges of water management in California
and how the collaborative effort has been implemented.
Peter Cosier
Deputy General, NSW Department of Infrastructure
Planning & Natural Resources. Peter is also
the convenor of the Wentworth Group of Concerned
Scientists, an advocacy group for radical and
fundamental reform to halt further degradation
of Australia's landscapes. He is also former Director
of Conservation at the World Wide Fund for Nature
and will be sharing his experience and knowledge
about water management, infrastructure needs and
environmental considerations to conference delegates.
The full conference program and registration
details are now available from http://www.irrigation.org.au.
Delegates can save $100 by registering online
before Monday 5th of April.
For further details on any aspect of IRRIGATION
AUSTRALIA 2004, go to http://www.irrigation.org.au,
or contact ETF, organisers of the conference and
exhibition: tel 02 8268 4444, fax 02 8268 4445
or email irrigation@etf.com.au
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11.
COASTAL ZONE ASIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE
Brisbane, September 2004
Australia will host the second international
Coastal Zone Asia Pacific conference in Brisbane
from 5-9 September 2004.
The conference theme 'Improving the quality of
life in coastal areas' will explore issues in
various session including: poverty and sustainable
livelihoods; ecosystem management; community participation;
resource economics; integrated coastal management;
and coastal communities and cultures. More than
200 participants are expected to attend, with
many delegates from south-east Asia, Australasia,
Pacific islands and the west coast of North America.
Researchers, natural resource managers, educators,
policy makers, conservation leaders, urban planners,
marine park managers and tourism operators from
more than 20 countries have registered interest.
Australia's Coastal Cooperative Research Centre
and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems are major sponsors
and hosts.
To submit abstracts (due by March 2004), register
interest and participate visit: http://www.coastal.crc.org.au/czap04
There are opportunities for specialist workshops,
keynote speakers, presenting papers, poster sessions,
trade exhibits, coastal study tours and information
sharing. Details about how to become involved,
including a sponsors package, are available on
the conference website. A web-based database of
'Coastal Management Resources in Asia-Pacific'
resources will be developed to exchange resources,
case studies and solutions for integrated coastal
research and management initiatives.
Proceedings and action plans will be published
on CD Rom, and selected papers will be published
in an international, peer reviewed coastal management
journal.
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AWARDS
12.
2004 BANKSIA ENVIRONMENTAL
AWARDS - NOMINATIONS CLOSING SOON!
The Search is on for Australia's
Leading Environmental Achievers
Nominations will be closing on the 19th March
for Australia's most prestigious environmental
awards.
Large corporations, small businesses, community
groups, government organisations and individuals
who demonstrate excellence in environmental practice
are encouraged to enter the 2004 Banksia Environmental
Awards, now in their sixteenth year.
According to Graz van Egmond, General Manager
of the Banksia Environmental Foundation, the awards
are an ideal platform to recognise and reward
those who raise the bar with innovative environmental
practices.
"The Banksia Awards celebrate the outstanding
effort that both individuals and organisations
in Australia are making to preserve the environment.
We can all learn from the examples set by Banksia
Award winners," Graz said.
Sustainability affects every aspect of our lives,
from the workplace to recreational activities
and in the home.
Encouragingly, sustainability and the environment
are now seen as mainstream issues.
Innovation in the Year of the Built Environment
This year's awards will be themed around "Innovation
and the Built Environment" in line with the
agreement made by both state and federal governments
that 2004 will be the "Year of the Built
Environment."
PM's Environmentalist of the Year 2004
The Prime Minister's Award for Environmentalist
of the Year, hosted by Banksia, is Australia's
most prestigious environmental award.
Past winners have included the prominent scientist,
Professor Peter Cullen; NSW farmer, Bill Sloane;
and conservationist, Dr. John Wamsley.
International Banksia Award
Banksia will also be awarding the International
Banksia Award, sponsored by Dupont, to an individual
or organisation who has made, or is making, a
significant contribution to the environment on
a global level. The recipient is chosen by the
Board of the Banksia Environmental Foundation.
For further information about previous winners,
awards sponsors or to obtain an entry form visit
http://www.banksiafdn.com/
Entries close March 19.
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