After the Gillard Government was leant on by the Business Council of Australia to hand environmental powers to the states, combined enviro groups commissioned the Australian Network of Environment Defenders Office to write a report assessing the adequacy of threatened species and planning laws in Australian jurisdictions. The report outlines the legal framework for managing …
The Climate Change Authority’s final report on the renewable energy target, which was released yesterday, contains a number of controversial conclusions and recommendations. A standout amongst these is the recommendation that the federal government explore whether making native forest wood waste eligible to participate in the large-scale RET (LRET) would increase the rate of harvesting …
THE federal government will tell business leaders that it is putting on hold plans to devolve to the states power to deal with environmental approvals for major projects. The decision is a major blow to business – which has claimed ”green tape” is jeopardising projects worth many billions of dollars – and a victory for …
Just two years ago, the hard-won River Red Gum Parks along the Murray River were declared. Now they’ve just been handed to loggers. As Gillard is poised to hand the states almost total control over Australia’s environmental gems, the Baillieu Government along with the NSW government, declares they will re-introduce logging into the Barmah and …
OK – it goes like this – VicForests haven’t made a cracker since they started operations in 2004. In 2008 they put $127 million through their books and the expenses were $132 million = $5M loss. But they were given a $5.7M handout to cut down ash forests in the fire areas (not all this …
DONGWHA Timbers sawmill in Bombala will lead the way in energy efficiency and reducing pollution thanks to an $8.2million Gillard Government grant announced last Friday. Part of the Gillard Government’s Clean Technology Investment Program, the grant will allow Dongwha to consolidate its operations from two sites into one facility, and invest in new equipment and …
IN LATE August 2009, a tiny, solitary bat fluttered about in the rainforest near Australia’s infamous Christmas Island detention camp. We don’t know precisely what happened to it. Perhaps it landed on a leaf at dawn after a night feeding on moths and mosquitoes and was torn to pieces by fire ants; perhaps it succumbed …
In late August 2009 a tiny, solitary bat fluttered about in the rainforest near Australia’s infamous Christmas Island detention camp. We don’t know precisely what happened to it. Perhaps it landed on a leaf at dawn after a night feeding on moths and mosquitoes, and was torn to pieces by fire ants; perhaps it succumbed …
For those who vote in the East Gippy Council elections; EEG and our sister group GEG sent 10 environment questions to the 17 wanna-be Councillors.Only two had the courtesy of replying before the deadline; Bill Gamble and Peter Giddings, with fairly good answers. Then Peter Gardiner replied late. The others obviously don’t give a stuff. …
The Auditor General is scathing in his latest report into the compliance responsibilities of DSE and the Dept Primary Industries (now responsible for logging and VicForests). But given they shamelessly break State and Federal laws and regulations themselves, how can they be expected to monitor and enforce compliance of others? These two departments have the …
