The International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) has updated its definition of microtunnelling to formally include vacuum technology for spoil handling. Vacuum technology has been used successfully in these installations for many years, but has not previously been recognised in official definitions. The change follows efforts by Edge Underground CEO, Stuart Harrison, in collaboration with the ISTT and the Japanese [...]
Powerlink has been appointed as the body to plan, deliver and operate Queensland’s approach to renewable energy zones (REZs), which will see the strategic connection of about 22GW of new grid-scale renewable energy across the state. With 12 potential REZs across the state, Powerlink will work with landholders and local government help regional communities reap the rewards of renewable energy investment, [...]
The NBN Co Board has announced the appointment of Ellie Sweeney as its new CEO, who will commence the role in December 2024. Ms Sweeney will lead the company as it builds, operates and upgrades the national broadband network. This appointment comes at a pivotal time for nbn as it continues to lift the digital capability of Australia through significant [...]
The changes to Hunter Water’s regulation have been finalised, after going on public display in early 2024. The prosed changes were backed by the community, and the New South Wales Government thank locals and stakeholders for their valuable feedback during the exhibition period. It said that their responses helped finalise the regulation, and that a report detailing public submissions can [...]
The establishment of an independent statutory authority to oversee the Australia’s renewable energy transition is one step closer, with the senate passing the Net Zero Authority Bill on 23 August 2024. The Federal Government said that Net Zero Economy Authority (NZEA) will ensure that workers and communities who have powered Australia for generations can seize the opportunities of the country’s net [...]
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, has set out a plan to deliver the state’s future energy system and reach the target of 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035. The roadmap, Cheaper, cleaner, renewable: Our plan for Victoria's Electricity Future, lays the groundwork to transition Victoria to a cheaper and more reliable renewable energy future while [...]
The Queensland Government has put forward new regulations that will allow energy customers with smart meters to return to flat tariffs. Under the proposed change, South East Queensland households moved to time of use tariffs following the installation of a smart meter, will now be able to revert to a flat tariff. This change builds on the State Government’s existing proposal [...]
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has released updated engineering roadmaps that explore how the country’s electricity systems can overcome the technical barriers of the shift to renewable energy. The power system reports for the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Western Australia’s SWIS (South West Interconnected System) examine the technical changes required as coal generators retire and are replaced [...]
A landmark agreement will see Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions Queensland and Powerlink work together to deliver nature-positive outcomes as the state transitions to renewable energy. Powerlink will work collaboratively alongside eleven regional NRM organisations on key aspects including the management of environmental offsets to ensure social and environmental benefits for communities, landscapes and future generations. The partnership recognises the [...]
The Victorian Government has released a guide to retool and upskill Gippsland’s existing and future energy workforce so they can take advantage of new opportunities in the renewable transition. The Transition Opportunities: Coal to Offshore Wind guide, shows how workers in Gippsland’s coal power industry can play a significant role in Victoria’s new offshore wind sector. It follows the release [...]
In May 2024, the Federal Government released its Future Gas Strategy, providing utilities with greater clarity on how it will approach the unfolding energy transition. Australia’s renewable transition is well underway, with solar, wind and hydro accounting for an increasing share of the nation’s energy grid. Coal-fired power stations are retiring faster than expected. Since Munmorah ceased operations in 2012, [...]
The Queensland Government has convened a high-level roundtable to examine ways to tackle the cost of providing drinking water to Mount Isa and the north-west. Hosted in Mount Isa by the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water on Wednesday 31 July, the roundtable looked at water management and the existing water supply arrangements in place between Mount Isa, Cloncurry and [...]
The Essential Services Commission has formed a partnership with key experts to develop better practice guides for energy and water utilities to support consumers who are experiencing family violence. Utility spoke with social entrepreneur and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of New South Wales School of Social Sciences, Catherine Fitzpatrick, about her role in this partnership and how utilities can help [...]
The Federal Government has appointed Josh Wilson as the next Assistant Minister for Climate and Energy, following the promotion of outgoing Assistant Minister, Jenny McAllister, to a full ministerial role as Minister for Cities and Emergency Management. Mr Wilson has been federal member for Fremantle since 2016, and said that it is an honour to have been asked by the [...]
The Northern Territory Government has unveiled the Northern Territory Gas Plan – which outlines a pathway to 2030. The plan focuses on three key areas – economic growth (work), energy security (keeping the lights on) and environmental sustainability (emissions reduction). The Territory Government said that reliable, affordable and cleaner energy is the key focus for the plan, which can [...]
Gippsland Water has renewed its Climate Change Strategy, building on the knowledge it has gained since the strategy was originally launched in 2017. This renewal sets ambitious new targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 – two decades earlier than first planned. Gippsland Water’s Managing Director, Sarah Cumming, said that as an essential services provider delivering drinking water and [...]
Yarra Valley Water has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2024 Australian Service Excellence Awards (ASEAs), which celebrate outstanding customer service across all industries in Australia. Yarra Valley Water was nominated in the Customer Service Team of the Year category in the prestigious awards, which are run by the Customer Service Institute of Australia. Yarra Valley Water Managing [...]
The Federal Government has signed a landmark $250 million deal with the Northern Territory Government as part of the Rewiring the Nation Program. Through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the investment is expected to create hundreds of new jobs and see the power grid upgraded and expanded across the Territory, supporting major transmission projects and bolstering grid strength. The Rewiring [...]
The Economic Regulation Authority (ERA) has released its draft decision on the proposed five-year plan for APA Group’s Goldfields Gas Pipeline (GGP). The ERA's draft decision reduces the proposed increase in tariffs from 54 per cent down to 34 per cent in 2025, rising at the rate of inflation for the remaining four years. The GGP is a 1,378km transmission [...]
Australia’s Energy Ministers have published the National Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Roadmap, which sets out an overarching vision and plan to unlock CER at scale across the country. Announced at the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council’s meeting, the roadmap's implementation plan outlines priority reforms through four workstreams: consumers, technology, markets and power system operations. The roadmap aims [...]
Gender equity is widely recognised as a meaningful way to foster better outcomes for workers, customers, and the community. While targets and quotas play an important role in keeping diversity on the agenda, many organisations are left wondering what they can do to attract and retain more women. Leading pipeline infrastructure company, Interflow, may have a solution. By shifting the [...]
Power and Water has released its Drinking Water Quality Report 2023, which includes a quality assessment for each of the 91 water supply schemes throughout the territory. The utility said that it is committed to embracing a sustainable future through innovation, focusing on water security solutions that support economic and community growth opportunities. Power and Water Executive General Manager Water Services, [...]
Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has released three priority recommendations for further development of renewable gas as a solution to decarbonise Australia by 2050. ENA’s paper, Renewable Gas for a Future Made in Australia, outlines its support for the Australian Government’s Future Gas Strategy and provides three expanded recommendations to policy makers, aimed at further supporting a renewable gas market and [...]
The Federal Government has released the market brief for the first Western Australian tender under the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) for renewables and energy storage. Tender 2 is expected to open in mid-July 2024 and will seek bids for clean dispatchable capacity projects in the Western Australian Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM). The tender is expected to target 500MW of [...]
The New South Wales Government has declared six renewable energy projects Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI), in an effort to help maintain energy security as coal-fired sources close. A CSSI declaration means a project is deemed essential to New South Wales for economic, social and environmental reasons, with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces being the consent authority. A [...]
The Queensland Government has named the seven members of its newly established technical advisory Board. The Queensland Energy System Advisory Board (QESAB) will provide advice to the State Government and the Energy Minister. It will be led by Leeanne Bond, a Queensland professional engineer who has helped shape a number of the nation’s green energy projects. Ms Bond is an [...]
A new final rule has been published by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) that is set to improve the process for creating new grid connections for renewable projects. The R1 assessment requires generators and large-scale storage providers to demonstrate they can meet performance standards before being registered in the national electricity market. A lack of clear obligations and timeframes [...]
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has released its Integrated System Plan (ISP), a 25-year roadmap to transition the National Electricity Market (NEM) to net zero by 2050. The ISP is the result of two years of consultation, analysis and review involving 2,100 stakeholders, 85 presentations and reports, and the consideration of 220 formal submissions. The ISP confirms that renewable [...]
Western Australian households are set to receive a $700 Household Electricity Credit aimed at relieving cost of living pressures as part of a partnership between the Federal and Western Australian Governments. The rollout will begin in July 2024. The Western Australia Government's 2024–25 Budget included $492 million to deliver a $400 electricity credit to all households and more [...]
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