5
December 2008 - Environment Minister Peter
Garrett and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese
today announced streamlined licensing requirements
for marine engineers working on refrigeration
and air conditioning equipment.
From 1 March 2009, marine
engineers who hold an Engineer Class 1,
Engineer Class 2 or Watchkeeper (Engineer)
certificate issued by the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority (AMSA) will no longer be
required to hold a separate refrigerant
handling licence from the Australian Refrigeration
Council (ARC).
The Ministers said the
removal of the duplicate licence requirement
was possible because of the compatibility
of the training and assessment provided
to Marine Engineers with the requirements
for the full refrigeration and air conditioning
licence issued by the ARC, which issues
licences under the Ozone Protection and
Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations
1995.
Minister Albanese said
the change was a positive outcome for marine
engineers.
"This is another
concrete example of the Rudd Government’s
commitment to removing unnecessary regulation.
AMSA's training and assessment program is
sufficiently comprehensive that qualified
marine engineers will only be required to
hold one certificate to satisfy their obligations
under the relevant Acts.
"Since coming to
government we have taken the opportunity
to remove excessive regulation in order
to aid business productivity. This is one
further step in helping enhance the competitiveness
of the Australian maritime sector while
at the same time ensuring the environment
is not compromised".
Minister Garrett said
the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage
and the Arts and AMSA were currently finalising
details of the revised scheme.
"The Government's
licensing scheme for handling and trading
in refrigerant has been successfully administered
by the ARC for three years. While it is
essential that no refrigerant is emitted
to the atmosphere, it is also important
to consider the burden of regulation for
businesses.
"The revised licensing
scheme for AMSA-certified marine engineers
will ensure that the industry is able to
operate in the most efficient, effective
and environmentally-friendly way".
Industry will be advised
as further details are finalised.
+ More
Green light for Central
Victoria Solar City
10 December 2008 - A
further achievement in Australia’s comprehensive
response to combat climate change was realised
today with the sealing of Australia’s fifth
Solar City agreement, Environment Minister
Peter Garrett, said.
Supported by $14.9 million
from the Australian Government, the Central
Victoria Solar City is a $41 million project
jointly driven by Bendigo Bank, Origin Energy,
PowerCor, a number of local municipalities
and the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance
and its commercial arm, ZCO2e.
"The agreement
is the latest milestone in the Australian
Government's $94 million Solar Cities initiative
which is integrating solar technologies,
energy efficiency and large-scale community
engagement to tackle climate change,"
Mr Garrett said.
"The Central Victoria
Solar City covers one fifth of Victoria
and involves 14 municipalities, industry,
businesses and local communities working
together to rethink the way energy is produced
and used.
"Together with
the Australian Government, the consortium
is aiming to discover local energy solutions
to help achieve reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions of more than 13,000 tonnes
per year.
"It's encouraging
to see different communities in central
Victoria working so well together to find
better ways of generating and using energy
to protect the environment and save money,"
he said.
Led by ZCO2e, the Central
Victoria Solar City will include a unique
community-investment model to test the viability
of a community-owned renewable energy business.
Two large solar parks,
each generating 300kW, will be built in
Ballarat and Bendigo, with locals able to
support solar power without having a photovoltaic
system on their roof.
Mr Garrett said other
elements of the Central Victoria Solar City
project include energy audits and connecting
solar hot water systems and photovoltaic
systems to smart meters with in-home displays
to trial the community's response to innovative
electricity pricing.
"The data provided
by the Central Victoria Solar City will
contribute to our national knowledge base
and help inform how we manage energy into
the future," he said.
"National benefits
will emerge over the longer-term from the
knowledge, innovation and vision that this,
and Australia’s other Solar Cities, will
generate."
Australia’s other Solar
Cities are Adelaide, Alice Springs, Blacktown,
Moreland, Perth and Townsville.
For more information
about the Australian Government's popular
Solar Cities program visit www.environment.gov.au/solarcities
+ More
Rudd Government provides
$3.2 million for New South Wales water projects
5 December 2008 - The
Rudd Government today announced $3.2 million
in funding towards a range of projects in
New South Wales to reduce community and
agricultural reliance on groundwater.
"These projects
will help secure the future of local communities
in the face of increasing water shortages
due to drought and climate change,"
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator
Penny Wong, said.
"This investment
is part of the Rudd Government's $12.9 billion
Water for the Future plan, which aims to
secure our water supplies, use water wisely,
tackle climate change, and support healthy
rivers."
Under a joint funding
arrangement with the New South Wales Government,
projects to be funded include:
$2.1 million for the
Liverpool Plains Shire to find alternative
water supplies for the town of Quirindi
and reduce reliance on overdrawn groundwater
systems
$1.3 million for the Namoi Catchment Management
Authority for two projects; a water use
efficiency program for groundwater irrigators,
and a hydrological investigation of Gins
Leaps Gap
$615,000 for the Gwydir Valley Irrigators
Association to investigate and invest in
horticultural alternatives for cotton growers
$150,000 for the Murray Regional Development
Board for farmer-driven irrigation research
and extension
$200,000 for a stormwater and effluent re-use
system to reduce the Tocumwal Golf Club's
demand on river and groundwater resources.
The projects have been funded through the
community development component of the New
South Wales Achieving Sustainable Groundwater
Entitlements project. New South Wales will
provide $1.2 million to support these projects.
The previous Federal
government, which entered into an agreement
with the New South Wales Government for
this fund, did not approve any funding applications
during its term of office. Proposals inconsistent
with the aims of Water for the Future funding
have not been approved.
The Rudd Government
is providing up to $80 million to the Achieving
Sustainable Groundwater Entitlements project.
The majority of the funding is for financial
assistance provided directly to irrigators
affected by reductions in groundwater entitlements.
"These projects
are in addition to Rudd Government funding
commitments of up to $1.35 billion to New
South Wales for new priority water projects
in the Murray-Darling Basin. This is a substantial
injection of funds to support more efficient
and sustainable irrigation, and assist irrigation
communities to adjust to a future with less
water," Senator Wong said.
