By Julianne Tice, Buildings Policy Advisor, Energy Efficiency Council For many of us – particularly those in Victoria – two years of stay-at-home orders has seen us spending too much time in cold, uncomfortable, and in some cases dangerously unhealthy homes, followed by bill shock at the end of winter. Concern over energy bills has only increased with Russia’s invasion […]
Construction is set to begin on $11 million worth of new infrastructure to improve water quality and reliability for communities in the Central Darling Shire. High-tech water treatment plants will soon be built in Wilcannia, Ivanhoe and White Cliffs through funding from the New South Wales Government’s $1.1 billion Safe and Secure Water program and the Water Security for the […]
A potential design of a Renewable Hydrogen Target for electricity generation on the South West Interconnected System has been released for consultation, with stakeholders encouraged to comment on the potential design. The Western Australian Government is implementing the Renewable Hydrogen Strategy to support the growth of the state’s renewable hydrogen industry. As part of the strategy, electricity retailers would be […]
The Northern Territory Government has detailed comprehensive reforms to environmental policy, including commitments to new biodiversity offsets for mitigating adverse environmental outcomes in future developments. The Government detailed a broad-range of policies and reforms in the publication of its Greenhouse Gas Offsets Policy and Technical Guidelines and the commencement of public-consultation for its draft NT Biodiversity Offsets Policy. The technical […]
A new water research hub – The Goyder Water Research Institute – is set to receive $8 million in Federal funding and is set to use First Nations and community input to investigate the impacts of climate change on the health of the waterways. The Goyder Institute is a partnership between the South Australian Department of Environment and Water, CSIRO, […]
The Federal Government has announced the commencement of consultations on the development of a Commonwealth-led National Energy Performance Strategy. Attendees at the National Energy Efficiency Summit in Sydney welcomed the announcement as an important first step to harness the power of energy efficiency in reducing emissions, lowering energy bills, and improving productivity. Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Jenny […]
The economic and energy efficiency of a Territory-first Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is being trialled in Alice Springs. The trial will provide data and learnings to: Inform how small scale generation can reliably and securely contribute energy into the electricity system to meet security and network needs Assist in meeting peak electricity demand when needed through the coordinated dispatch of […]
Queensland’s City of Townsville will trial new solutions to passive tree irrigation in support of better environmental outcomes at its Water Tree Planting Project in Heatley. The project is being delivered by Council with support from the Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Program and is a trial to help inform the development of the Bohle River Catchment Offsets Roadmap, improving […]
The Western Australian Government has invested $400,000 toward the construction of three community desalination units; built to test new desalination technologies for improved climate resilience and sustainability in community water supplies. A brackish water desalination unit will be installed in Katanning during summer 2022-23, as part of a network of demonstration sites to examine how the technology can help overcome […]
Urban Utilities will plant 1,200 native gum trees in an effort to create an additional three hectares of koala-friendly habitat in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland. The seedlings are being planted on the utility’s farmland neighbouring its Helidon Resource Recovery Centre, and will be irrigated with recycled water from the facility. Urban Utilities’ Environment Water Quality Futures Specialist, Cameron Jackson, said […]
A bold new $62 billion clean energy future has been announced for Queensland – including the largest pumped hydro scheme in the world, which will supply clean, reliable and affordable renewable energy for half of Queensland’s entire energy needs. Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the plan will make Queensland the renewable energy capital of the world. The Queensland Energy and […]
The Victorian Government has approved Barwon Water’s Water for our Future (2022) 50-year urban water strategy, comprising 25 actions for better water management including the sourcing of new water and the reuse and return of existing water. The strategy was informed by the utility’s two-year-long Water for our Future community engagement program, which sourced more than 600 ideas from over […]
In an effort to expand upon its growing leadership role in South Australia’s energy transition, SA Power Networks Group has released its first externally-audited sustainability report. With more than 300,000 homes with solar and 30,000 with batteries, the electricity distribution network managed by the regulated business, SA Power Networks, hosts the biggest source of renewable energy generation in South Australia. […]
The Federal Government will invest $47.5 million toward the development of a new 10MW hydrogen electrolyser for the proposed Yuri hydrogen plant in Karratha, Western Australia, after stakeholders reached a final investment decision in favour of progressing the project. Developed by Engie, the new plant will supply renewable hydrogen and electricity to Yara Pilbara Fertiliser’s nearby liquid ammonia facility. ENGIE […]
The New South Wales Government has released a new interactive dashboard showcasing how the state is progressing toward its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, covering transport, industry, agriculture, energy, waste, land use and forestry. The Dashboard uses data from the National Greenhouse Gas Accounts and scientifically-derived New South Wales datasets developed by the New South Wales Department of Planning […]
The winners of the 2022 Energy Networks Australia Industry Awards have been announced at the Energy Networks Australia Annual Dinner in Melbourne. The Awards’ three major categories recognised exceptional contributions to the network sector, leadership in the development of new innovations and outstanding initiatives in consumer engagement. Industry Contribution Award The 2022 Industry Contribution Award was won by Laurie Curro […]
A scoping report has been released for New South Wales’ Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), providing a preliminary analysis of key environmental factors and proposed infrastructure for the project. The scoping report proposes a refined 1km transmission network study corridor following further design work and consultation with landowners. This has been reduced from the 5km wide study corridor initially […]
The Climate Council has unveiled ten major actions the Federal Government could implement to potentially fast-track emissions reductions, tackle the energy and cost-of-living crises, and create tens of thousands of new jobs. The Power Up: 10 Climate Gamechangers report provides a practical roadmap for the Federal Government to speed up its climate action in the 2020s, to ensure Australia exceeds […]
Urban Utilities is calling on South East Queenslanders to learn more about the future of water in their region by joining its new online community hub, WaterTalk. The utility, which supplies water to more than 1.6 million people in South East Queensland, launched the online forum for customers to have their say and stay updated on important topics, projects, plans […]
The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has released its new draft Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, which involves working with industry, experts and the community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support climate resilience. New South Wales EPA Chief Executive Officer, Tony Chappel, said the EPA has proposed a set of robust actions to achieve a 50 […]
WaterGroup has signed a reseller agreement with global integrated energy and resource management solutions provider, Landis+Gyr. Under the agreement, WaterGroup will sell the Landis+Gyr W350, a network-enabled, ultrasonic, fully integrated smart water meter. Managing Director of WaterGroup, Guenter Hauber-Davidson, said, “This smart water meter is an essential component in the journey Australian water utilities are taking to become digital. “The […]
Australia’s largest electricity grid project, EnergyConnect, is set to invest millions of dollars in local suppliers as it is currently awarding local procurement packages along its alignment in New South Wales following the start of construction on its $1.8 billion interconnector. Transgrid CEO, Brett Redman, said more investment is planned as the 700km New South Wales section of the interconnector […]
The New South Wales Government’s Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) has attracted $43 billion worth of potential investments in response to a call for expressions of interest for large-scale energy and green manufacturing projects. New South Wales Minister for Energy, Matt Kean, said 44 projects were registered – including offshore and onshore wind, solar, energy storage, pumped hydro, green hydrogen […]
The New South Wales Government has launched the Greater Sydney Water Strategy (GSWS), which is set to deliver a secure, sustainable and resilient water supply to communities across Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra. New South Wales Minister for Lands and Water, Kevin Anderson, said the GSWS is a new approach to water security planning, that will support economic […]
AGL has announced that Queensland’s largest operational commercial-scale battery has commenced full operation near Wandoan. The Wandoan South Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which is owned by Vena Energy Australia, will deliver 100MW of capacity to Queensland’s grid and store 150MWh of renewable energy. Construction of the battery began in 2020, and after successful testing and commissioning over the past […]
Sydney Water has begun installing a new water recycling system in local homes as part of an Australian-first pilot program aimed at reducing water use. The Hydraloop greywater recycling system aims to save households’ water and money, by collecting and treating water from showers, baths and the laundry, and re-using it for toilet flushing, washing machines and gardens. Roughly the […]
Water Corporation will oversee a $320 million expansion to its Groundwater Replenishment Scheme (GRS) promising to double capacity for a total output of 28 billion litres per year. Construction of the second stage began in late 2017 and has since been fully commissioned by the Western Australian State Government, following additional testing of the off-site bores. New infrastructure constructed as […]
Victoria’s largest water retailer has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2022 Australian Service Excellence Awards (ASEAs). Yarra Valley Water was nominated in the Customer Service Team of the Year (Large) category in the coveted awards, which are run by the Customer Service Institute of Australia. Yarra Valley Water Managing Director, Pat McCafferty, said it was a great achievement […]
Transgrid has published its Transmission Annual Planning Report 2022 (TAPR) which supports calls for major transmission projects to be delivered faster and cheaper for consumers. Transgrid Chief Executive Officer, Brett Redman, said, “We believe urgent action is needed to accelerate the timeline for when renewables can deliver affordable, low-cost reliable energy to homes and businesses. “We are leaning into the […]
The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) will host over 7500 attendees from over 100 countries at Sydney’s International Convention Centre from 2-4 November. The conference, the largest of its kind in Australia, will provide the premier opportunity for domestic and international industry leaders to engage, learn, network, and most importantly, do business, while addressing the energy transition, rising costs, […]
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