Inbox and Environment News: Issue 287

October 30 - November 5, 2016: Issue 287

Environmental Articles this Issue:

Aquatics: Artists, Scientists And Children Celebrate Restoration Of Underwater Forests by UNSW - follow up on Palm Beach Seaweed Contributes to Reef Restoration - Bald Reef Gets New Growth With Seaweed Transplant by UNSW  Ran in Issue 146 - January 2014


Moon Rock Declared An Aboriginal Place - wonderful images of by Neil Evers, Aboriginal Support Group Manly Warringah Pittwater + Garden Island dedicating a park to King Bungaree on November 26 + Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Forum on November 28 on expansion of Narrabeen Lagoon catchment parklands and Narrabeen State Park

Avalon Garden Open Day

Hosted by Avalon Community Garden
Sunday, November 6 at 10 AM - 2 PM
Tasman Road entrance to Barrenjoey High School

Please join us on Sunday 6th of November between 10am and 2pm to celebrate the Garden's 6th year and name change.

Wander through the garden and enjoy the line up of live music. Bring the kids for activities in their own garden area. Enjoy a light lunch, afternoon tea or a homemade lemonade from our cafe. Checkout the Boomerang Bag stall and, if you're lucky, win one of the great prizes being raffled. Our programme of demonstrations hold something for everyone:

- Smoking ceremony at 10am, followed by
- Bee hive split by Selina Griffith 
- Making Kombucha with Jess Brandt and Brita Benjamin
- Making Gingerbeer with Phyllis Agius
- Cooking fresh and healthy food with My Kitchen's for Disco 
- Composting and worm farms with Yvonne Nicholls
- Make your own sunscreen & mosquito repellent with Phyllis Agius 

Hope to see you there!

Big Win For Australia At The International Whaling Commission

Media release: 28 October 2016 - The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP
Minister for the Environment and Energy
Australia has recorded a big win at the International Whaling Commission in Slovenia with the adoption of two Australian-led resolutions that will put greater pressure on Japan to end its so-called ‘scientific’ whaling and reform the Commission into a more effective organisation.

The first resolution ensures so-called ‘scientific’ whaling will be subjected to greater international scrutiny. Until now, the Commission had delegated the review of scientific whaling to its Scientific Committee, with little in-depth consideration by the Commission.

In introducing this resolution, I stressed that the Commission needed to engage more robustly in discussions on scientific whaling, form its own views and provide direction.

Importantly, the resolution also ensures the Commission takes account of the landmark ruling of the International Court of Justice in the Whaling in the Antarctic case.

The second resolution, called for an independent review of the Commission to improve its transparency and accountability, and bring it into line with best practice for multilateral treaty bodies.

Given the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is in its 70th year - it was important to ensure the Commission keeps pace with the times. This resolution was co-sponsored by Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States of America, and received unanimous support with Australia providing $200,000 to support the review.

These resolutions are a notable achievement for Australia and our co-sponsors. They help the Commission continue to evolve in response to changing times and pressures, and to take another step away from whaling towards global cetacean conservation.

This year, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the global moratorium on commercial whaling. The moratorium must remain in place.

As a demonstration of Australia’s continuing leadership in cetacean conservation, I also announced that Australia has provided an additional $1.5 million to the Commission’s Southern Ocean Research Partnership. The Partnership has repeatedly demonstrated that whales do not need to be killed in order to study them.

The Government is committed to protecting whales and other cetaceans and resolutely opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling. The message is clear, you don’t need to kill whales to study them.

Australia At The International Whaling Commission

Media release: 21 October 2016 - The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, Minister for the Environment and Energy
I will travel to Slovenia from 23 to 25 October for the biennial meeting of the International Whaling Commission to advocate for the global protection of whales and other cetaceans.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and the 30th anniversary of the global moratorium on commercial whaling.

The Turnbull Coalition Government strongly supports the global moratorium and will continue to work towards a permanent end to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling.

I will deliver a statement on Australia’s behalf at this meeting, build support for two Australian-led resolutions, and hold bilateral talks with other nations to jointly champion the cause of cetacean conservation.

Australia will call on the Commission to take greater responsibility for how it deals with so-called ‘scientific’ whaling, including Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. For too long, the Commission has deferred responsibility for so-called ‘scientific’ whaling to its Scientific Committee. The Commission must be more engaged on this important and divisive issue and form its own conclusions.

As part of activities in Slovenia I will also host an event to celebrate the success of the International Whaling Commission’s Southern Ocean Research Partnership which has repeatedly demonstrated that whales do not need to be killed in order to study them.

At least 45 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises – including the humpback, minke, southern right, blue and sperm whale – are found in Australian waters. We take our obligations to protect these and all the world’s cetaceans seriously.

I look forward to working constructively with all members of the Commission at this year’s meeting.

Following the International Whaling Commission meeting, I will travel to Paris to meet with counterparts from UNESCO, the OECD and the French Government.

These meetings will provide a welcome opportunity to discuss implementation of the Paris climate change agreement and the Reef 2050 Plan. I will also have the opportunity to engage directly with French energy and technology firms investing in Australia.

Pittwater Natural Heritage Association Secures Grant To Further Works At Careel Creek

The Pittwater Natural Heritage Association (PNHA) shared some great news this week. They have secured a Grant to PNHA to control of vine weeds along Careel Creek, Avalon. 

" We've received $23867,80 from Greater Sydney Local Land Services. The project is worth $52293.80 including contributions from Northern Beaches Council and other in-kind contributions including from volunteers."

Madeira Vine is one target of this great local organisation. It smothers trees and spreads from nobbly tubers along the stems.

If you'd like to help out the Careel Creek  bushcare and regeneration happens on the 4th Saturday of each month, from 8:30 - 11:30am.

Keep up to date at on their Facebook page or at their website: pnha.org.au

Floating Landcare In The Pittwater/Hawkesbury Area 

Volunteers needed:
Where: Portugese Beach, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
When: Tuesday 8th November 2016
Time: 8:15am start and return 2:00pm
Meet at: Taylors Point Wharf, Clareville
Cost: FREE

RSVP: Essential by Friday 28th October! Please email your name and phone number to floatinglandcare@gmail.com or call Rebecca Mooy at Greater Sydney Local Land Services on 02 4724 2120. Confirmation details will be sent to all volunteers via email on 1.11.2016
8 volunteers so far, can take another 12.

Amazing progress on the Lantana on the steeper slopes at the southern end of the beach and a sweep through the dune for Aspargus Fern, Cotton Bush and litter. Looking for a few more volunteers to enjoy this trip and help with some follow up. This Beach could also be ideal for a swim in November.

Return transport on an oyster barge will be included as will morning tea, lunch, tools, gloves and bush regen knowledge from Judy Morris and Natasha Funke from NPWS.

To find out more about Floating Landcare: 

Agreement To Protect Ross Sea Reached

Media Release: Government of New Zealand
Foreign Minister Murray McCully today hailed a breakthrough agreement that will create the world’s largest Marine Protected Area in the Ross Sea region of the Antarctic.

“At its annual meeting in Hobart this week, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) unanimously agreed to a New Zealand-United States proposal to establish a marine protected area in the Ross Sea,” Mr McCully says.

“New Zealand has played a leading role in reaching this agreement which makes a significant contribution to global marine protection.

“The new Marine Protected Area will cover roughly 1.55 million square kilometres, of which 1.12 million square kilometres will be a no fishing zone.

“The proposal required some changes in order to gain the unanimous support of all 25 CCAMLR members and the final agreement balances marine protection, sustainable fishing and science interests. The boundaries of the MPA, however, remain unchanged.

“Negotiations on the MPA started in 2012 and New Zealand would like to acknowledge all parties for coming together to reach an agreement that will safeguard one of the world’s few remaining pristine natural environments,” Mr McCully says.

The Marine Protected Area will enter into force on 1 December 2017.

For more details on the Marine Protected Area in the Ross Sea region of the Antarctic please visit the MFAT website.

The Marine Protected Area features:
A ‘no take’ General Protection Zone (a fully protected area where no fishing is permitted) that includes:
  • the Ross Sea shelf and slope and the Balleny Islands - see (i) below
  • Representative protection of areas that provide good samples of special habitats - this includes a seamount (underwater mountain) range - see (ii) below
  • Scott Seamount - see (iii) below
  • A Special Research Zone which allows for limited research fishing for krill and toothfish – see SRZ below
  • A Krill Research Zone which allows for controlled research fishing for krill, in accordance with the objectives of the MPA – see KRZ below.


The duration of the MPA has been set at 35 years for the General Protection Zone, with a consensus decision by the CCAMLR membership required to continue the MPA beyond this period.

A lower period of duration was agreed for the management provisions in the Special Research Zone. These restrictions on fishing will expire after 30 years, at which time the Scientific Committee will consider whether other measures are required to meet agreed science and protection objectives.

The catch limit for Antarctic toothfish in the Special Research Zone is 15% of the total allowable catch for the Ross Sea fishery. The catch limit meets the scientific research and protection objectives for this area.

Should the Special Research Zone expire after 30 years, the catch limit will not exceed 20% of the total allowable catch set for this area.

A Plastic Ocean – Film Screening Avalon

Thursday, November 17 at 7 PM - 10 PM
Avalon Bowlo
1 Bowling Green Lane, Avalon.
$15.00 Tickets at HERE

A Plastic Ocean is a new feature-length adventure documentary that brings to light the consequences of our global disposable lifestyle. We thought we could use plastic once and throw it away with negligible impact to humans and animals. That turns out to be untrue.

Five Resolutions Adopted On Day Four Of The IWC Plenary

October 27, 2016: International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Day Four began with a discussion on special permit whaling, also known as scientific whaling. The different views within the IWC on this subject are well documented and complex discussions today included debate on whether lethal sampling is required to achieve the objectives of previous and current special permit whaling programmes. 

Safety at sea was also discussed, and the Commission reiterated that international and domestic maritime law should be respected by all parties, and no activities should be undertaken that pose a risk to human life or the marine environment.

An update was given on the three existing Conservation Management Plans (CMPs): for western North Pacific gray whales, south western Atlantic and south eastern Pacific southern right whales. A new CMP was instigated for the franciscana dolphin of south eastern South America, and agreement reached to continue discussions on the Arabian Sea Humpback, as another potentially good candidate for a CMP.

Discussions concluded on five Resolutions which were opened earlier in the week.  Consensus was achieved on a Resolution on Effectiveness of the IWC and a comprehensive, independent review will be conducted during the intersessional period.

Governments on all sides of the scientific whaling debate highlighted the positive and constructive spirit of negotiations on a Resolution on Improving the Review Process for Whaling under Special Permit, but ultimately agreement could not be reached and the Resolution was put to a vote which adopted the Resolution with 34 yes votes, 17 no votes and 10 abstentions.  Amongst the measures included is the establishment of a new Commission Working Group to consider Scientific Committee reports and recommendations on this issue.

A Resolution on Food Security was deferred for further intersessional discussions, aiming to bring a new Resolution to the next meeting of the IWC in 2018.

A Resolution on Cetaceans and Ecosystem Services considered the contribution made by cetaceans to the marine ecosystem.  This wasadopted by vote, with 36 governments voting yes, 16 voting no and 9 abstentions.

Also put to vote was a Resolution on the Minimata Convention on Mercury. This was adopted with 38 yes votes and 23 no votes.

Despite different views on the IWC's jurisdiction regarding small cetaceans (dolphins and porpoises) consensus was not blocked on a Resolution on the Critically Endangered Vaquita.  The vaquita is a small porpoise that lives only in the Gulf of California.  Now numbering less than 59 animals, the vaquita faces imminent extinction unless more is done to protect it from bycatch in illegal gillnets, and the Resolution calls on governments to act now.

Opposing views were expressed on the commercial whaling conducted by Iceland under an Objection to the Moratorium, and Norway under a Reservation  to it.

As part of an agenda item on the Revised Management Programme, a report was provided on the Scientific Committee's Implementation Reviewprogramme: work to assess and update information on the structure and status of individual whale populations which is now focused on North Atlantic minke and North Pacific Bryde's whales.  An Implementation Review on North Atlantic fin whales finished earlier this year.

Finally, the Commission commended a varied programme of work to extend collaboration with other organisations, acknowledging that this was the only way to tackle global problems like bycatch, marine debris and collisions between whales and ships.

Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities

November 28, 2016 7pm: Forum
This is a most important forum where the Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes, MP, and the Administrator for Northern Beaches Council, Dick Persson, will each speak about Narrabeen Lagoon State Park and its future. 

Please make the effort to be there - reply to this email: email@narrabeenlagoon.org.au giving the name/s of people wanting to attend and we will send you your ticket/s.

Enjoy the outdoors with one of these walks
Terrey Hills to Deep Creek Sunday 4/12/2016
3 hr walk starting 8am at Terrey Hills cross the Deep Creek
catchment valley and feeder creek and end in Oxford Falls.
See and identify spectacular Sydney sandstone flora. Bring a
screwdriver for 30 min weeding near the end of the walk.
Allow 4 hrs. Carpool required. Phone Conny 0432 643 295

Oxford Falls Triangle 15/1/17
3 hour bushwalk starting 4.00pm from Morgan Rd, Oxford
Falls. We identify plants in blossom and on the way home do
20 min weeding of Whisky Grass. Please bring a screwdriver
as a digging stick. Phone Conny 0432643295

SUNDAY MORNING BIRDWATCHING with PNHA

Would you like to know more about our local birds and explore our bushland reserves? Then join us on one of our bird walks:

Our last walk of the year is at 7.30am on Sunday 27 November at Warriewood Wetlands. The summer migratory species will have arrived and the Wetlands will be home to nesting birds and birds with young. there should be plenty to see.Meet at Katoa Close, North Narrabeen. 

Most walks last a couple of hours. Bring binoculars and morning tea for afterwards if you like. Contact pnhabirdwatching@gmail.com for details of each walk.

Fuel To Be Made Out Of Waste At Eastern Creek Following Department Approval

October 27, 2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and Environment
The Department of Planning and Environment has approved a modification request to allow fuel to be made out of waste at Eastern Creek Waste Management Centre, with strict conditions addressing issues raised during consultation.

“The recycling facility on the site currently takes away around 70 per cent of waste from the facility,” a spokesperson for the Department said.

By using waste to create a fuel product, this would mean that more than 90 per cent of waste is diverted away from landfill.

“This waste can then be transformed into a fuel and used as a substitute for fossil fuels.”

A spokesperson for the Department said consultation with the community is enshrined into the process for assessing applications.

“The modification request was made publicly available for community feedback towards the end of last year and was amended as a result of input from the local council,” a spokesperson said.

No public submissions were received.

Blacktown City Council made a submission on the original proposal regarding a new building being constructed to house the equipment.

Global Renewables amended their application by improving the design and processes, meaning that no new buildings were needed.

Key issues raised during submissions have been addressed by the Department during its assessment and strict conditions have been applied in response, including:
  • requiring all waste to be transferred by covered conveyor belts to reduce odour, stormwater and dust emissions
  • noise and odour monitoring
  • compliance with the Environment Protection Authority’s requirements in the NSW Energy from Waste Policy.
“The Department has thoroughly assessed the modification application under clear and consistent rules, which are the same for every applicant.”

For more information visit http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/.

Sydney Sea Eagle Fledgling Returned After Failed First Flight

Media release: 26 October 2016 - NPWS
A young White bellied Sea Eagle fledgling has been returned to its nesting site in a delicate joint operation by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), BirdLife Australia and Sydney Olympic Park Authority after falling around 20 metres from its nest last week.

NPWS Regional Manager Gary Dunnett said the young bird, whose parents have nested at Sydney Olympic Park, has been keenly watched via Birdlife Australia’s Eagle CAMs and volunteers for many weeks - but not without a fair bit of drama.

“This has not been a straight -forward operation but the news it has been located and successfully reunited with its parents will be widely celebrated by all involved, as well as the community and twitchers alike,” Mr Dunnett said.

“It’s been a long week since it first fell from the nest but this was an excellent joint operation that involved a number of key agencies and NPWS would like to thank everyone who has been behind the operation, including the community.

“This little fella didn’t stand much of a chance last week once he was on the ground due to potential predators, so this rescue mission has given him every opportunity to make it to full maturity from here.

“Sea Eagles are fantastic parents and their offspring require significant time with them to mature and become successful independent hunters.

“As a result, reuniting the fledgling with its parents was the best outcome we could hope for.  Intervention is always a last resort.”

The fledgling was originally rescued last week after it became clear it was at risk on the ground.  It was given a thorough health check by Taronga Zoo vets which confirmed it had no injuries from the fall and was in excellent health. 

The next step was to return it to its parents without delay.  However, the young bird was determined to test its flight skills again and soon found itself on the ground again, leaving authorities extremely concerned for its welfare.  After days of monitoring it has been located, with its parents nearby, and now able to fly to low branches where it is considered safe from predators.

Judy Harrington, BirdLife volunteer and EagleCAM Team Leader, said the White-bellied Sea-Eagle is the second largest raptor (bird of prey) found in Australia and young Sea-Eagles are brown as juveniles than slowly become to resemble adults in a patchwork manner, acquiring the complete adult plumage by their fourth year.

“We are thrilled it has been successfully returned to the nest area but are watching closely as this is very risky time for an inexperienced fledgling to be out on his own,” Ms Harrington said.

“We are hoping the parents will continue to feed it and that it remains in a safe area until it has developed further life skills that allow it to survive independently.”

Mr Dunnett said it was now in the best place it can be – with its parents – and the rest was up to nature to see what happens over the next few weeks.

“It is not uncommon for fledglings to test their flight skills at this stage but if they land on the ground it takes a bit of effort to get back into a higher and safer location.  We are delighted this fella has achieved this so far,” Mr Dunnett said.

“While this young bird is still a fledgling, it is no small baby, already weighing 2.7 kilos and almost a metre long.

“‘The Australian White Bellied Sea Eagle is without doubt one of the world’s most majestic raptors with a wing-span of up to 2 metres. 

“Their success breeding in Sydney Olympic Park on Parramatta River is something all Sydney-siders should be proud of.

“The protection of their breeding site within Sydney Olympic Park and their constant monitoring by Birdlife Australia has not only delivered enormous pleasure to thousands of people around the world, but also shed light on their unique behaviours and ecology.”

Below: EagleCAM video dated October 17, 2016

Impact Of East Antarctic Glacial Melt On Sea-Level Rise

27th October 2016 - Media Release Department of the Environment and Energy: Australian Antarctic Division
The Australian Antarctic Program will study two glaciers, the Totten and Sørsdal, in East Antarctica this summer to better understand the impact ice melt is having on global sea-level rise.

The Totten Glacier, near Australia’s Casey research station, is the largest glacier in East Antarctica, and is showing signs that it is sensitive to warm ocean waters that can increase melt at the base of the ice shelf.

Australian Antarctic Division Glaciologist, Dr Ben Galton-Fenzi, said researchers want to better understand how much this glacial melt is driving sea-level rise.

“Since the 1900s the global sea-level has risen by around 20 centimetres and by the end of the century it’s projected to rise by up to one metre or more, but this is subject to high uncertainty,” Dr Galton Fenzi said.

“These estimates depend critically on understanding Antarctic glaciers, both how much and how fast they melt in a warming climate.

“We know there’s enough ice below sea level in the Totten Glacier, to raise global sea-levels by 3.5 metres, although this would likely take many centuries to occur,” he said.

This summer researchers will look at how warmer ocean water is melting glaciers and ice shelves from below.

“We will land helicopters on the Totten to deploy six GPS units to measure glacial flow speeds and surface elevation changes.

“We will also set up six Autonomous phase-sensitive Radio Echo Sounding (ApRES) instruments that can measure the glacier’s thickness up to 2km below the surface and with millimetre precision,” Dr Galton Fenzi said.

The instruments will be put out at the beginning of the summer and left on site for up to six weeks.

Other instruments will be left on the glacier over winter and collected next season, streaming a compressed form of base melt rate estimates via satellite over the winter.

At the Sørsdal Glacier, near Australia’s Davis research station, melt ponds form on the top of the glacier in the warmth of summer.

University of British Columbia Glaciologist, Dr Christian Schoof, said as the air temperature around Antarctica warms an increase in melt pond formation could have serious consequences.

“These ponds drain down through the ice until the water reaches bedrock, where it acts as a lubricant, causing the ice flow to speed up,” Dr Schoof said.

Dr Schoof and Australian colleagues’ work on Sørsdal Glacier will be the first attempt to monitor the effect of surface ponds on the flow of ice in East Antarctica.

“We will deploy cameras to take photos every 2-3 hours, put out pressure sensors to measure how the melt ponds fill and drain.

“We will also take temperature measurements on the surface of the glacier and use GPS antenna to determine if the ice flows faster in summer,” Dr Schoof said.

This year the Australian Antarctic Program will support 95 projects in Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.

More than 500 expeditioners will travel south over the summer season on the Airbus A319 and C-17A Globemaster III, and on Australia’s icebreaker Aurora Australis, which departs Hobart today.

Scientists will study the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica to better understand the impact of ice melt on sea level rise. (Photo: Esmee van Wijk)

Land And Sea Transport Consultation

October 25, 2016: Dept. of Environment & Energy - Australian Government
Land and sea transport update - consultation
The updated Land and Sea Transport method is open for public consultation from Tuesday 25 October to Monday 21 November 2016.

The existing Land and Sea Transport method enables businesses to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units by reducing the emissions intensity of vehicles in the land and sea transport sectors, including by replacing vehicles, modifying vehicles (fuel switching), and changing operational practices.

The updated Land and Sea Transport method would replace the existing method and extend its scope to mode shift activities. Eligible mode shift activities involve transporting certain freight by rail instead of road. Rail transportation is generally less emissions intensive than road transportation per unit of freight transported.

The draft updated method also includes minor amendments which clarify eligibility requirements in the original Land and Sea Transport method and adds vehicle hours as a service unit for mobile equipment (such as mine haulage trucks).

Crown Land Management Bill 2016

An Act to make provision for the ownership, use and management of the Crown land of New South Wales; to repeal certain legislation consequentially; and for other purposes.

Initially introduced in the Legislative Council
Introduced by: Blair, Niall
Notice of Motion: Tue 18 Oct 2016
Introduced: Wed 19 Oct 2016
First Reading: Wed 19 Oct 2016
2R Speech: Wed 19 Oct 2016
In Legislative Council, 2R, Debate adjourned 5 calendar days, Wed 19 Oct 2016

Reforms to be introduced by proposed Act 
the principal reforms are as follows:
(a) dedicated or reserved Crown land will no longer be vested in reserve trusts,
(b) the Minister will, instead, be able to appoint Crown land managers for dedicated or reserved Crown land (including local councils),
(c) the Minister will be able to create statutory land managers for appointment as Crown land  managers (with board members of reserve trusts being automatically appointed by the proposed Act to statutory land managers for former reserve trust lands),
(d) better governance structures and conduct requirements will be introduced for Crown land managers and their boards (where applicable),
(e) the Minister will be able to issue Crown land management rules for the management of dedicated or reserved Crown land,
(f) the Minister will be required to approve community engagement strategies for certain dealings or other action affecting Crown land (including altering or removing purposes for which Crown land is dedicated or reserved and preparing certain plans of management),
(g) the terms and conditions of certain holdings will be permitted to deal with particular matters (such as the determination and redetermination of rent and the granting of subleases and sublicences) in a way that is different from default provisions for those matters set out in
the proposed Act,
(h) the determination and redetermination of rent for holdings over Crown land will be rationalised and simplified (and applied to certain existing special tenures after a transitional period),
(i) the holder of a holding or permit will be required to pay any rent or other amount due to the Crown before the holder can transfer it to another person,
(j) a local council that is appointed as a Crown land manager of dedicated or reserved Crown land will be able to manage the land in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 applicable to community land (subject to certain exceptions and modifications),
(k) the Minister will be able to transfer Crown land to local councils if the land is of local (and not State) significance,
(l) special provisions will be introduced to protect native title rights and interests (including when Crown land is managed by or vested in local councils),
(m) the current land assessment programme established by the Crown Lands Act 1989 will be discontinued,
(n) more flexible arrangements will be introduced for the sale, use and leasing of Crown land in the Western Division (including enabling certain additional leaseholders to purchase the freehold in their leased lands),
(o) modern and robust provisions will be introduced for investigating compliance with, and enforcing, the proposed Act and holdings granted under it (including provisions based, in part, on those of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997),
(p) the Minister will be required to approve 10-year State strategic plans for Crown land based on draft plans prepared and submitted for approval by the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development (the Secretary).

Repeal of existing Crown land legislation and related legislation
The proposed Act will repeal the Crown Lands Act 1989, the Crown Lands (Continued Tenures) Act 1989, the Western Lands Act 1901 and certain other legislation.

Strong Community Response To Landcare Programme Survey

Joint media release: 25 October 2016 - The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, Minister for the Environment and Energy
The Hon. Luke Hartsuyker MP, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister
Landcare volunteers, organisations and supporters from across Australia have added their voice to the review of the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

Minister for the Environment, Josh Frydenberg and Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, Luke Hartsuyker thank all those who took the time to complete the survey. The community’s feedback is an important part of the review and will help measure how well the programme has performed, and how well it has engaged with the community, industry, the environment and agricultural sectors.

“Australians take a keen interest in the environment and that’s reflected in the level of engagement in the stakeholder survey,” Minister Frydenberg said. “Each piece of feedback will be considered as part of the review, ensuring Australians have their voice heard in shaping the future of Landcare.”

Over 900 responses were received from across the nation between 15 September and 14 October, with nearly a third of responses coming from local groups working to improve natural resource management in their local area.

Minister Hartsuyker said the National Landcare Programme has helped land managers to deliver more sustainable agriculture while protecting Australia's natural environment.

“The level of interest in this survey demonstrates that you share this government’s recognition of the importance of sustainable and effective land management and how it continues to underpin our valuable and world-class agriculture industries,” Minister Hartsuyker said.

Findings from the review are expected to be presented next year and will help guide decisions about future investment in natural resource management.

The Coalition is investing $1 billion over four years to support better natural resource management across Australia through the National Landcare Programme.

More information on the programme is available at www.nrm.gov.au/national-landcare-programme.

Kangaroo Valley Public School Helping Save Local Threatened Species

Media release: 26 October 2016 - NPWS
Students from Kangaroo Valley Public School have been learning how to protect local threatened species as part of a unique National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) program that uses puppet shows and rap songs.

The recent workshop covered the Spotted-tailed Quoll, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Broad-headed Snake, Long-nosed Potoroo, and the iconic Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby.

NPWS Technical Officer Juliet Dingle said older students presented their diverse and creative plans on how to help these species to the school, after taking part in the workshop where they also learnt about the Shoalhaven Rock-wallaby recovery program.

“The children and teachers learnt all about local wildlife and the importance of a healthy ecosystem for oxygen, clean water, food, medicine, shelter, fibres and stable climate,” said Ms Dingle.

“We talked about making educated decisions as consumers and about how to be responsible pet owners. Children who own cats were inspired to go home and create enclosed playgrounds for their feline friends, knowing that is one of the simplest ways they can save hundreds of native animals every year.

“The students were also given the opportunity to take home motion-detecting fauna monitoring cameras to see what other species live near them. 

“Most kids know it’s bad for the environment to litter, but I love seeing the look in their eyes when they find out how many other ways they can help look after the amazing variety of local wildlife,” Ms Dingle said.

The curriculum-based biodiversity workshop, including the Shoalhaven Rock-wallaby recovery program, has been delivered to over 1,000 students across 20 schools by Ms Dingle on behalf of the Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby and with assistance from the NSW Environment Trust. 

Kangaroo Valley Public School Principal Andrew Smee said NPWS conservation work with the local population of threatened Rock-wallabies has provided the students with an understanding that they can all make a difference and be champions for their local and greater environments.

NPWS has also partnered with the multi-award winning local conservation group, Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby and the community for over twenty years to rescue the iconic Rock-wallaby, which resides locally as NSW’s most southerly remnant population.

The Shoalhaven Rock-wallaby recovery work is part of the NSW Government’s Saving our Species (SoS) program which aims to protect almost a thousand animals and plants, at risk of extinction, for the next 100 years. The SoS program recently received a funding boost of $100 million to help preserve NSW’s most endangered species.

To learn more about the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby visit: www.environment.nsw.gov.au
Year 6 Students Kangaroo Valley Public School 
Students from Kangaroo Valley Public School have been learning how to protect local threatened species as part of a unique National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) program that uses puppet shows and rap songs to create awareness of biodiversity.
 
The recent half day workshop covered the Spotted-tailed Quoll, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Broad-headed Snake, Long-nosed Potoroo, and the iconic Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby. Photo courtesy of and copyright Office of Environment and Heritage.

Thousands Of Waterbirds Return To Macquarie Marshes

Pink eared Ducks and their young - Photo courtesy of and copyright Office of Environment and Heritage.

Thousands Of Waterbirds Return To Macquarie Marshes

Media release: 24 October 2016 - NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Birdlife is booming at the Macquarie Marshes northwest of Dubbo as waterbirds flock to the area following recent rains.

Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) Senior Wetlands and Rivers Conservation Officer Tim Hosking said the soaking rains over winter had ‘primed’ the system well and with high inflows from the Macquarie River in recent weeks there is now a major bird breeding event in the Marshes.

“The Marshes were inundated by early Spring rainfall across the catchment and a number of waterbird colonies have started up, primarily Straw-necked Ibis which have built an estimated 30,000 nests across a few sites,” Mr Hosking said.

“The skies are also filled with ducks, cormorants, magpie geese, egrets and herons.  Recent monitoring indicates there are thousands of nests and newly hatched broods throughout the thriving wetland areas.

“We’ve not seen birdlife at the Marshes quite like this since 2012, so it is fantastic to see the birds return in such good numbers.

“Adding to the cacophony are native frogs such as the Barking Marsh Frog and wetland vegetation is flourishing, creating a sea all shades of green.

“The Marshes response to the water this year is that much better thanks to the Macquarie-Castlereagh Environmental Flows Reference Group’s careful planning and involvement throughout the preceding three-year dry spell,” Mr Hosking said.

Using environmental water allocations carried over from 2012, the advisory group targeted strategic areas within the Marshes that would prime the overall system making it ready to bounce back when more water became available.

“The Advisory Group is a community-government partnership and has a long history helping to shape decisions around environmental water,” Mr Hosking added.

“We often have to make hard choices as the seasons tighten, but informed by rapidly evolving scientific information, together we do the best we can.

“OEH and Commonwealth Environmental Water Office will be looking at the water flows in the Marshes over the next few months in case we need to intervene to extend the duration of inundation at key waterbird breeding and foraging sites.

Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder David Papps said current conditions provided an opportunity to provide natural flow variation in response to rainfall events.

“By working together we can create the right conditions to improve the health of native plants, fish, waterbirds and other wildlife and restore the river, floodplains and wetlands of the Macquarie catchment,” Mr Papps said.

For more info about the Macquarie Marshes, visit the OEH website.

Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve
Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve was created in January 1971. It covers an area of 21,927ha. 
Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve is in central northern New South Wales, around 100 km north of Warren and 30 km west of Quambone. It was listed as a Ramsar Wetlands site in 1986.

Find out more about visiting Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve webpage on the National Parks and Wildlife website
Great Crested Grebes - Photo courtesy of and copyright Office of Environment and Heritage.

Researchers Heading South For Antarctic Summer


The Aurora Australis departs Hobart for Davis research station today. (Photo: Frederique Olivier)

Thursday, 27th October 2016 - Media Release Department of the Environment and Energy: Australian Antarctic Division
The Australian Antarctic Program will study two glaciers, the Totten and Sørsdal, in East Antarctica this summer to better understand the impact ice melt is having on global sea-level rise.

The Totten Glacier, near Australia’s Casey research station, is the largest glacier in East Antarctica, and is showing signs that it is sensitive to warm ocean waters that can increase melt at the base of the ice shelf.

Australian Antarctic Division Glaciologist, Dr Ben Galton-Fenzi, said researchers want to better understand how much this glacial melt is driving sea-level rise.

“Since the 1900s the global sea-level has risen by around 20 centimetres and by the end of the century it’s projected to rise by up to one metre or more, but this is subject to high uncertainty,” Dr Galton Fenzi said.

“These estimates depend critically on understanding Antarctic glaciers, both how much and how fast they melt in a warming climate.

“We know there’s enough ice below sea level in the Totten Glacier, to raise global sea-levels by 3.5 metres, although this would likely take many centuries to occur,” he said.

This summer researchers will look at how warmer ocean water is melting glaciers and ice shelves from below.

“We will land helicopters on the Totten to deploy six GPS units to measure glacial flow speeds and surface elevation changes.

“We will also set up six Autonomous phase-sensitive Radio Echo Sounding (ApRES) instruments that can measure the glacier’s thickness up to 2km below the surface and with millimetre precision,” Dr Galton Fenzi said.

The instruments will be put out at the beginning of the summer and left on site for up to six weeks.

Other instruments will be left on the glacier over winter and collected next season, streaming a compressed form of base melt rate estimates via satellite over the winter.

At the Sørsdal Glacier, near Australia’s Davis research station, melt ponds form on the top of the glacier in the warmth of summer.

University of British Columbia Glaciologist, Dr Christian Schoof, said as the air temperature around Antarctica warms an increase in melt pond formation could have serious consequences.

“These ponds drain down through the ice until the water reaches bedrock, where it acts as a lubricant, causing the ice flow to speed up,” Dr Schoof said.

Dr Schoof and Australian colleagues’ work on Sørsdal Glacier will be the first attempt to monitor the effect of surface ponds on the flow of ice in East Antarctica.

“We will deploy cameras to take photos every 2-3 hours, put out pressure sensors to measure how the melt ponds fill and drain.

“We will also take temperature measurements on the surface of the glacier and use GPS antenna to determine if the ice flows faster in summer,” Dr Schoof said.

This year the Australian Antarctic Program will support 95 projects in Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.

More than 500 expeditioners will travel south over the summer season on the Airbus A319 and C-17A Globemaster III, and on Australia’s icebreaker Aurora Australis, which departs Hobart today.

Scientists will study the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica to better understand the impact of ice melt on sea level rise. (Photo: Esmee van Wijk)

Minister Joyce Appoints ‘The Carpinator’

26 October 2016: Media Release - The Hon. Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister, National Party Leader and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
The war to rid our waterways of one of Australia's most devastating pests, the common carp, has received a boost today with the appointment of a national coordinator to develop the Coalition Government's $15 million National Carp Control Plan.

In making today's announcement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, said the extensively qualified Mr Matt Barwick, dubbed 'the Carpinator', will head up the plan's development, in conjunction with the Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC), to be finalised by the end of 2018. 

"Trained in environmental science with years of experience and extensive networks in fisheries research and management in both the government and non-government sectors, Matt is perfectly placed to take on the role as 'Carpinator' to coordinate and develop this important program," Minister Joyce said.

"Matt will work with a range of state and federal government departments, as well as non-government stakeholders including researchers, industry and environmental organisations, recreational fishers, Indigenous and community groups, tourism operators and landholders to develop the plan.

"CSIRO, NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Invasive Animals CRC have put in years of work to assess this biological control measure, the carp herpes virus, to put a stop to the pest.

"Carp can cause damage of up to $500 million per year by lowering water quality of domestic and irrigation water supplies, damaging wetlands, impacting upon agriculture, commercial and recreational fisheries, regional tourism industries, and harming native fish populations and river health.

"The Coalition Government's National Carp Control Plan is a visionary initiative.  The next step is to carefully look at what we know and evaluate whether the biological control of carp through use of the carp herpes virus will deliver the expected benefits.

"In particular we are assessing whether the virus will effectively deliver a significant reduction in carp impacts to achieve our goal of a 95% reduction in carp by 2045 at an acceptable cost.

"I look forward to working closely with Matt and the FRDC as they embark on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to manage one of the country's worst pests that costs our national economy up to $500 million per year, for the good of our precious waterways and natural resources."

​Fast facts
  • Carp are present in all states and territories except the Northern Territory and are estimated to comprise 80-90 per cent of the total fish biomass in the Murray Darling Basin (Environmental Protection Authority 2015).
  • The annual cost of carp in Australia is estimated at up to $500 million per year (report to the Murray Darling Basin Authority, 2010).
  • The government is investing $15 million over 2.5 years in the National Carp Control Plan.
  • The $15 million National Carp Control Plan is funded by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, the Department of Environment and Energy and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
  • The earliest possible release date for carp herpesvirus, pending approvals, is late 2018.
  • The total biomass of carp in our waterways is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million tonnes.

Best And Brightest Shine At Green Globe Awards 

Thursday, 27 October 2016: Media Release - Hon. Mark Speakman, NSW Minister for the Envirnment & Heritage
The state’s biggest movers and shakers in environmental excellence, leadership and innovation were recognised last night at the 2016 Green Globe Awards at the Art Gallery of NSW.

NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman said the awards recognised the 15 winners’ extraordinary talent and passion for the environment.

“This year’s prestigious Premier’s Award went to the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre, a non-profit reuse and repair centre which has collaborated with local councils to provide a rehoming service for furniture and other goods,” Mr Speakman said.

“In 2015/16 this service diverted 139 tonnes of material from entering landfill.”

Mr Speakman said the Get Grubby Project by Mememe Productions , creators of dirtgirlworld, won the 2016 Resource Efficiency Award.
“This interactive website targets our pre-schools and empowers children to do little things that have a big impact,” he said.

“Through the powerful tool of storytelling children learn how to maintain worm farms, grow their own vegetables and be energy and water wise.”
Charles Sturt University and Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance were joint winners of this year’s Regional Sustainability Award.

“Charles Sturt University is the first university in Australia to achieve carbon neutral status – a 32 per cent reduction in emissions from 2011 to 2015. Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance is a network of organisations working to establish wildlife corridors in the Bellinger River catchment,” Mr Speakman said.

An independent panel of environmental experts helped select this year’s winners. The awards have been running for 17 years. For a full list of winners and entry forms for next year, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/greenglobes

Watch Out For Baby Whales 

Saturday 22 October 2016: Hon. Mark Speakman, Minister for the Environment
With a record number of whales migrating along the NSW coast this year,
Environment Minister Mark Speakman is urging whale watchers to keep a safe distance, particularly from mothers with calves.

“The ‘humpback highway’ is playing host to thousands of whales and calves migrating south which has been a delight for spectators right along the coast,” Mr Speakman said.

“But while it is tempting to motor, swim or paddle close to these incredible animals it is important that people behave in a safe manner and give them space.”

Mr Speakman said vessels including kayaks, surf skis and surfboards were required to remain 100m from a whale, or 300m if a calf was present.
Unmanned aerial drones were required to stay more than 300m away from marine mammals.

“These regulations are in place to protect both the wellbeing of the animals and the safety of whale watchers,” he said.

“There are plenty of safe ways to view the whale migration. NSW’s headlands have some of the best land-based whale watching spots in the world.”

Top NSW whale watching sites include:
  • Cape Byron Lighthouse
  • Tomaree Head Summit, Tomaree National Park
  • Cape Solander, Kamay Botany Bay National Park
  • Jervis Bay National Park
  • Ben Boyd National Park near Eden
For up to date whale sightings near you, download the free Wild About Whales app or visit wildaboutwhales.com.au

Whale Watching Season runs May-November.

Patrols Stepped Up As Illegal Entry Causes Damage To Livingstone National Park

Media release: 24 October 2016 - NPWS
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is stepping up patrols of Livingstone National Park, near Wagga Wagga after illegal entry saw severe damage caused to trails, requiring extensive repairs.

NPWS Regional Manager Mick Pettitt said trails throughout the Park were inspected after early spring rain and the park was closed to all vehicles from 4 September.

“We took the decision to close the park for the safety of visitors and to prevent further damage to the tracks and trails,” Mr Pettitt said.

“Despite clear signage marking closed trails, we have evidence that several vehicles entered restricted areas and caused even more damage.

“This behaviour is potentially dangerous to those in the vehicle as getting bogged or stranded is a real possibility.

“The damage these vehicles have caused also means that NPWS is faced with costly repairs and will need to close the trails for a longer period while these repairs are undertaken.

“The northern end of Livingstone National Park, has been particularly impacted by drenching rains with above average rain causing extreme surface and groundwater volumes.

“The Link and Range Trails have now been completed eroded and washed away.

“Even when these important fire trails dry out they will be impassable, compromising potential access into these areas of the park,” Mr Pettitt said.

NPWS will be stepping up patrols to prevent people from entering the area as it dries out and causing further damage.

NPWS’ investigation into incidents of illegal park entry is continuing.

Up to date information on closures in NSW National Parks can be found at the NPWS website.

Drone Survey Of Cliff Failure At North Head

19 October 2016: Water Research Laboratory (WRL)
While Sydney’s coastline is a spectacular natural asset that we can all enjoy, a catastrophic failure of the cliff line at North Head recently demonstrated that it can also be unpredictably dangerous.  

WRL’s CASA certified UAS pilot, Chris Drummond, recently assisted JK Geotechnics with a drone inspection of North Head following a large collapse of the cliff in August.  The innovative use of drones on the project provided a safe and a cost effective method of surveying the entire cliff area as well as identifying areas requiring closer inspection via rope access.  

A 3D point cloud of the cliff area developed using the drone provided the engineering geologists with an interactive method of assessing unstable features in the cliff faces including blocks, wedges and undercuts to assist in their assessment of cliff face stability.

Draft National Strategy For Mitigating Vessel Strike Of Marine Mega-Fauna

October 27, 2016: Dept. of Environment & Energy - Australian Government

Public consultation — submissions close 5.00pm AEST Friday 9 December 2016

The Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy is releasing the draft ‘National Strategy for Mitigating Vessel Strike of Marine Mega-fauna’ for public comment.


How to make a submission
If you would like to provide comment or input in response to the draft national stategy:

1. Complete a submission cover sheet
You must provide a completed cover sheet with your comments:
Submission cover sheet (DOCX - 77.49 KB) ​

2. Send your submission
Comments can be provided in email, word document or PDF Format. Please include the Reference ‘Draft National Strategy for Mitigating Vessel Strike of Marine Mega-fauna’ as a subject heading. You can submit your comments by:

Email to:

Mail to:
Migratory Species Section
Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601

Please note submissions are due by 5.00pm AEST on Friday 9 December 2016

Official Launch Of The First Trial Installation Of Oyster Bags At Sugarloaf Point

28 October 2016: Water Research Laboratory (WRL) - UNSW
Over the past 18 months, engineers at WRL led by A/Professor Will Glamore and Dr Stefan Felder have worked with OceanWatch Australia to research the behaviour of oyster shell filled bags exposed to attack from wind waves and boat waves. 

This novel coastal erosion solution involves the use of seeded oyster shells in coir (coconut fibre) bags. As well as reducing foreshore erosion, these units are intended to create fish habitat by promoting the restoration of living oyster reefs. Initial physical modelling tests in the 3 m wave flume were published by the WRL Projects Team in January 2016. 

On Wednesday of this week, Senior Coastal Engineer Ian Coghlan participated in the official launch of the first trial installation of oyster bags at Sugarloaf Point in Sydney’s Lane Cove National Park. Stay in touch for the imminent release of follow-up oyster bag research by an undergraduate student supervised by Dr Felder.

Photo: 3 m wave flume testing of oyster shell filled bags

Tasmanian Government Sets New Greenwash Record As More Forests Doomed


October 26, 2016: Media Release - The Bob Brown Foundation
The Tasmanian government has today set a new greenwash record by announcing plans to fast-track legislation to log high conservation value forests that missed out on secure conservation in the failed ‘forest agreement process’, to log inside reserves set aside for endangered species, to log stream-side reserves, and to continue taxpayer prop-ups for an industry which has already sucked more than $1 billion out of the public purse, and yet change the name of Forestry Tasmania to Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

“Premier Hodgman has today adopted the old dictum, ‘if you are going to tell a lie, tell a whoppa!’” Bob Brown said, after Tasmania’s government  announced it would change Forestry Tasmania’s name to Sustainable Timber Tasmania. ‘Premier Hodgman will clearfell and incinerate high-conservation value forests like Wielangta, Bruny Island and the Tarkine and call it 'sustainable'!'

‘Clearfelling and steep-slope logging continues in Tasmania today at a multi-million-dollar loss to the taxpayer and is pushing unique species to extinction. Rainforests in Tasmania’s Tarkine and the habitat of endangered species like Tasmania's giant Wedge-tailed eagles, Freshwater Crayfish, Swift Parrots and Masked Owl are already being logged. Now Hodgman has plans to increase logging zones and fast-track access to allow logging in high conservation value forests that have been protected under a moratorium since 2011,’ Jenny Weber said.

“Adding insult to today’s injury to the forests, the Government will allow rainforest logging in areas previously set aside, suggesting that logging in ‘informal reserves’ is on the drawing board,” Jenny Weber said.

“Tasmania’s public will pay dearly in both dollars and jobs for Forestry Tasmania’s intensive logging, clear-felling and smashing roads into vast swathes of forest. Hodgman has committed to making the public pay for some of the 14 000 km of roads that were ploughed into ancient forests by Forestry Tasmania in the past decades while citizens protested because intact forests were being lost and taxpayers funds were being squandered,” Jenny Weber said.

Photograph: Threatened Ancient Forests in Tasmania's Tarkine by Al Long

Applications Open For Illegal Dumping Clean-Up And Prevention Grants

Media release: EPA
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has today opened Round Four of the Illegal Dumping Clean-up and Prevention grants to applications from councils, public land managers and community groups across NSW to share in $500,000 in grants.

Under the NSW EPA’s Waste Less Recycle More initiative funding is made available for projects to clean-up and prevent illegal dumping of a wide range of waste, including asbestos and other building materials, as well as household junk commonly found dumped, like broken furniture, old mattresses and white goods.

The grants will also help to establish illegal dumping baseline data, which can be used to identify dumping trends and target hot spot problem areas like vacant residential lots and bush areas.

EPA Executive Director Waste and Resource Recovery Steve Beaman said the grants played an important role in enabling local communities to tackle illegal dumping.

“Illegal dumping is a serious problem in our state – it not only harms the environment, it can put human health at risk,” Mr Beaman said.

“The clean-up of illegal dumped waste is an expensive and time-consuming process. These grants can help councils and public land managers not only tackle existing problem areas, but also enable them to put in place preventative programs.”

In the three previous rounds of the program, a total of $4.36 million has been awarded to fund 71 projects.

To date, these projects have resulted in:
  • Over 5,000 tonnes of waste cleaned up, including over 200 tonnes of asbestos;
  • 136 hotspots protected from further dumping; 
  • A range of preventative measures installed to deter dumping including 49 gates, 2554 meters of fencing, 23 earth mounds, 164 signs, 148 barriers and bollards, 862 tonnes of rock barrier and 111 surveillance devices;
  • Increased regulatory action against illegal dumpers including 117 penalty notices, 44 clean-up notices, $100,848 in fines and $59,000 in court penalties. 
In Round Four, a total of $500,000 will be awarded under three streams:
  1. Illegal dumping clean-up and prevention projects: $50,000 - $150,000 for councils and public land managers to carry out such programs
  2. Establish illegal dumping baseline data: up to $20,000 for councils and public land managers 
  3. Illegal dumping clean-up and prevention community partnerships: up to $50,000 
Expressions of interest are open until 4pm, 8 November 2016.

More information about the Illegal Dumping Clean-up and Prevention grants is available at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/wastegrants/combat-illegal-dump.htm

Improvements To Planning Assessment

16.10.2016: Ministerial Media Release - The Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Planning
The NSW Government will promote earlier and better engagement with the community in the assessment of large scale or complex projects, often classified as state significant development or state significant infrastructure.
 
Environmental Impact Assessment is typically used in the assessments of mining developments, renewable energy projects, chemical and manufacturing industries, port facilities, electricity generating works, waste management facilities and major public transport projects. 
 
Planning Minister Rob Stokes today released a discussion paper with ideas on how to improve planning assessments, focused on building confidence in the assessment process.
 
“Public confidence in the project assessment process is particularly important for state significant projects, where the impacts can be large and experienced over many years,” Mr Stokes said. 
 
“We need to ensure the community is involved in the assessment at the earliest practicable stage to improve the quality of engagement between all participants.
 
“Better engagement results in better planning outcomes and builds confidence and trust in the assessment process.”
 
Suggested changes put forward for discussion include:
• Driving earlier and better engagement with affected communities
• Improving the quality and consistency of EIA documents
• Developing a standard approach for applying conditions to projects
• Providing greater certainty and efficiency around decision-making, including assessment timeframes
• Strengthening monitoring and reporting on project compliance
• Improving accountability of EIA professionals.

To provide feedback and please visitwww.planning.nsw.gov.au/improvingeia

NSW EPA Proposes Minimum Recycling Standards For Construction And Demolition Waste

Media release: 21 October 2016
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has today released for public consultation draft amendments to improve the quality and quantity of reusable construction and demolition waste material in NSW.

The proposed reforms introduce new targets for the sorting, recycling and disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste at waste facilities that receive more than 6,000 tonnes per year and that deal with majority of C&D waste in NSW.

Construction and demolition waste includes excavated material such as rock and soil, waste asphalt, concrete, plasterboard, and timber.

Proposals also include enhanced requirements around asbestos transport and disposal to reduce potential harm, improved practices at landfills including addressing waste exhumation, and clarifications around the administration and application of the waste levy.

NSW EPA Executive Director of Waste and Resource Recovery Steve Beaman said the proposed changes will help to protect the NSW environment and human heath, and to achieve the state’s recycling target of 80 per cent for C&D waste by 2021.

“By improving the quality of recycled construction and demolition product before it leaves the waste facility we can reduce the potential for load contamination and increase the amount of material that can be recycled back into productive re-use opportunities,” Mr Beaman said.

“We are also helping to protect the health of our environment by ensuring that contaminated waste is identified, separated and appropriately disposed of before it leaves the recycling yard and is not mixed in with recycled waste purposed for reuse in our communities.

“To help set the bar for improved recycling, the reforms also include minimum annual resource recovery targets of 75 per cent for a facility that receives more than 30,000 tonnes of C&D waste per year, and 50 per cent for facilities that receive between 6,000 and 30,000 tonnes per year.  

“These facilities are processing the majority of construction and demolition waste in NSW.

“In a modern waste environment such as ours these standards are both expected and achievable.

“This public consultation period is an important time for the waste industry, stakeholders and interested members of the public to have their say on the proposed changes and I encourage them to provide their comments.”

The proposed changes are outlined in the paper New minimum standards for managing construction and demolition waste in NSW, available on the EPA website. Consultation will be open for public comment from 21 October until 17 November. The EPA will also be holding industry forums in the coming weeks.

More information, including the Consultation Paper, how to comment and details of the forums can be found on the EPA website here:www.epa.nsw.gov.au/wasteregulation/managing-construction-demolition-waste-minimum-standards.htm

Public Consultation On The Revised Contaminated Land Management – Guidelines For The NSW Site Auditor Scheme

What's this about?
The Contaminated Land Management – Guidelines for the NSW Site Auditor Scheme describe the obligations of site auditors in conducting a site audit, and the administrative framework supporting the scheme. The guidelines apply to individuals accredited as site auditors in NSW and those seeking accreditation.

The guidelines have been revised to account for the amendment of the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999, and to bring improvements to the NSW Site Auditor Scheme.

When finalised, these guidelines will be ‘made’ under s. 105 of the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997. Before the guidelines are finalised, the EPA is interested in receiving comment on this draft.

Have your say
The draft guidelines can be viewed on the EPA website, butcomments should be made by:

post at –
Director Contaminated Land Management
Environment Protection Authority
PO Box A290
Sydney South NSW 1232

Online Consultation
Date: Oct. 12 - Nov. 9, 2016
Time: 10:00am — 5:00pm

Indirect Effects Of Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels On Ecosystems More Important Than Previously Thought

October 26, 2016
The indirect effects of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, such as changes in soil moisture and plant structure, can have a bigger impact on ecosystems than previously thought.

Understanding the importance of these indirect effects, in comparison to the direct effects, will improve our understanding of how ecosystems respond to climate change.

A study, involving researchers from the University of Southampton, found that water-limited ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions, such as The Great Plains and South-West United States and some in Australia and Mediterranean Europe, were particularly impacted by these indirect effects. For those ecosystems, the importance of the indirect effects was as much as or in some cases, greater than, the direct effects.

Co-author Dr Athanasios Paschalis, a New Frontiers Fellow in the Water and Environmental Engineering group at the University of Southampton, said: "These results have major implications for our understanding of the CO2 response of ecosystems, the future of water resources and for global projections of CO2 fertilisation. This is because, although direct effects are typically understood and easily reproducible in models, simulations of indirect effects are far more challenging and difficult to quantify."

Rising CO2 levels affect a lot of plants directly by stimulating photosynthesis and reducing the loss of water (plant transpiration) by reducing the opening of the small pores in the leaves, known as 'stomata'. This triggers several more subtle, indirect effects. For example, when plants close their stomata, they use less soil water, changing the amount of soil water available to other plants. At the same time, altered water availability and enhanced photosynthesis can change the amount of leaf, root and below ground microbial biomass, resulting in changes to ecosystem functioning.

In the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers found that these indirect effects explain, on average, 28 per cent of the total plant productivity response, and are almost equal to the size of direct effects on evapotranspiration (ET) -- the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the land to the atmosphere..

Using computer simulation, the researchers investigated the effects of elevated CO2 across a variety of ecosystems. They were able to specifically determine for which ecosystems and climatic conditions the indirect effects of elevated CO2 are of crucial importance.

The simulations suggested that the indirect effects of increased CO2 on net primary productivity (how much carbon dioxide vegetation takes in during photosynthesis minus how much carbon dioxide the plants release during respiration) are large and variable, ranging from less than 10 per cent to more than 100 per cent of the size of direct effects. For ET, indirect effects were, on average, 65 per cent of the size of direct effects. Indirect effects tended to be considerably larger in water-limited ecosystems.

Dr Paschalis added: "Understanding the responses of plants to elevated concentrations of CO2 is of major importance with potential implications on the global economy and water and food security under a changing climate."

The study was led by Dr Simone Fatichi (ETH Zurich -Switzerland), and involved researchers from Aukland University of Technology (NZ), the University of Southampton (UK), Duke University (US), Villanova University (US) and the University of Tasmania (AUS).

Simone Fatichi, Sebastian Leuzinger, Athanasios Paschalis, J. Adam Langley, Alicia Donnellan Barraclough, Mark J. Hovenden. Partitioning direct and indirect effects reveals the response of water-limited ecosystems to elevated CO 2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016; 201605036 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605036113

Come To The Harvest Festival On Liverpool Plains

Join the people of the Liverpool Plains and their supporters for a fun family-friendly weekend, bringing people together from far and wide to protect our food bowl and cultural heritage from Shenhua’s mega coal mine.
 
Harvest Festival against Shenhua, Friday 6th Nov – Sunday 8th Nov, at Breeza on the Liverpool Plains. 
 
There will be live music, tours, kids activities, food, plus workshops on local farming, Gomeroi culture and heritage, the risks posed by the Shenhua mine, the skills to defend the Liverpool Plains against the mine… and more!
 
IMPORTANT: REGISTRATION!
To ensure you have the most up to date information about Harvest Festival, and to help organisers with numbers, it is important register to attend. Registering is quick and easy, simply click the "register here" link and fill out the form.
 
WHEN AND WHERE
Harvest Festival against Shenhua is taking place at “West Garawan” (next to the proposed Shenhua mine site) at Breeza on the Liverpool Plains. The program kicks off at 7pm Friday 6 November, and runs through to 4pm Sunday 8 November. Gates open 12pm Friday for camping set-up.
 
WHAT TO BRING
Toilets and adequate showers will be provided, otherwise come self-sufficient to camp on a hot open plain (eg. bring your tent, sleeping bag, torch, water bottle, and personal items). There are a range of alternative accommodation options in the nearby towns and villages of Quirindi, Gunnedah, Werris Creek or Spring Ridge. All of these options are roughly 20-30 minute drive from the event site. Food will be available on-site either to purchase or via suggested donation to cover costs.
 
PROGRAM
A full program detailing speakers, workshops, and other activities will be posted here once it is available.
Each day there will be workshops, talks, tours, and fun for the kids throughout. It will be an inspiring and memorable weekend of good times, learning, and the chance to meet new people. On Friday and Saturday evenings there will be quality country music and the option to relax over dinner and a drink on your picnic rug.
 
The workshop program will:
  • Offer education by locals and key experts in: local farming practices, water impacts and other threats of the mine, and local ecology – including koalas.
  • Provide Gomeroi culture and heritage education by Gomeroi traditional owners.
  • Sightseeing and photography tours of the beautiful and iconic Liverpool Plains.
  • Focus on building capacity, preparedness and next steps to take action against Shenhua.
  • Provide skills sharing in peaceful direct action.
DISTANCE TO HARVEST FESTIVAL:
From Sydney: 4 ½ hours, via Pacific Motorway and New England Hwy
From Newcastle: 3 hours 15 minutes, via New England Hwy
From Tamworth: 50 minutes, via Werris Crk Rd
From Armidale: 2 hours, 10 minutes, via New England Hwy
From Lismore: 6 hours, via New England Hwy
From Brisbane: 7 1/2 hours, via New England Hwy
From Melbourne: 12 hours, via Newell Hwy
From Canberra: 7 hours, via Pacific Motorway and New England Hwy
 
There is also a daily train service available from Sydney to Gunnedah.

Have Your Say On The Springvale Mine Water Treatment Project

26.09.2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and Environment
A proposal by Springvale Coal Pty Limited for a water treatment project will be on exhibition from today for community consultation.

The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on the proposal, which seeks to:

• construct a pipeline to transfer mine water to Mount Piper Power Station
• treat this water at a new desalination plant at the power station
• use treated water in the power station’s cooling water system
• discharge any excess treated water through the Springvale Coal Services site
• place remaining by-products from the treatment process at the Springvale Coal Services site.
 
The Planning Assessment Commission granted Springvale coal mine a 13-year extension of its operations last September.
 
As part of its approval, the Commission required the mine to reduce the salinity of its discharges into the water catchment over the long term.

This proposal would allow the mine to achieve these water quality improvements while also supplying the power station with most of the water it needs to operate.

A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.

“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.

“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment.

“It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”

To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.  

Submissions can be made from Tuesday 27 September until Tuesday 8 November 2016.

Written submissions can also be made to:

Department of Planning and Environment
Attn: Director – Resource Assessments
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001

The application and EIS are also available to view in person at:
• Department of Planning and Environment: Information Centre, Level 22, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney
• Lithgow City Council: 180 Mort Street, Lithgow
• Nature Conservation Council: Level 14, 338 Pitt Street, Sydney.
________________________

Have Your Say Invincible Coal Mine - Southern Extension Modification

Exhibition Start 27/09/2016
Exhibition End 08/11/2016


"Castlereagh Coal are seeking approval for the extension of mining to occur over a period of up to 8 years to provide for flexibility in the supply of nut coal through: 
• providing an option for Manildra to source all required nut coal directly from Invincible 
• continuing to source nut coal from a range of other existing sources supplemented by supply from Invincible where necessary or cost effective to do so 
• utilising a blended product using coal from the other seams within the Southern Extension Area where this can be used at the Shoalhaven Starches Plant. 

The mining of coal in the target Lithgow Seam will necessarily involve the extraction of coal from the Lidsdale and Irondale Seams which are located above the Lithgow Seam. In total, there is an estimated 2.7 Million tonnes (Mt) of run-of-mine (ROM) coal in all seams down to, and including, the Lithgow Seam. 

Investigations are currently being undertaken to assess whether coal from the Lidsdale or Irondale Seams can be used at the Shoalhaven Starches Plant when washed and blended with coal from the Lithgow Seam. Surplus coal from the Lidsdale and Irondale Seams which is unable to be used in the Shoalhaven Starches Plant will be sold to Mt Piper Power Station for energy production consistent with the previous mining operations at Invincible."

Have Your Say On The Extension Of Martins Creek Quarry

13.10.2016: Departmental Media Release-Department of Planning and Environment
A proposal by Buttai Gravel Pty Ltd to extend the Martins Creek Quarry near Maitland will be on exhibition from today for community consultation.

The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on the proposal, which seeks to:
  • clear 37.8 hectares of vegetation to expand the existing extraction area
  • rehabilitate the quarry site progressively, and after extraction is completed
  • extract up to 1.5 million tonnes of hard rock material per year
  • increase the hours of operation
  • transport processed material to market by road trucks and trains
  • construct a new access driveway and bridge.
The project at Station Street in Martins Creek would create approximately 36 jobs when the quarry is fully operational (an increase from the current 24) and provide a substantial number of additional short-term construction jobs.

A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.

“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.

“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment.

“It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”

To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.

Submissions can be made from Thursday 13 October until Thursday 24 November 2016.

Written submissions can also be made to:
Department of Planning and Environment
Attn: Director – Resource Assessments
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001

The application and EIS are also available to view in person at:
  • Department of Planning and Environment: Information Centre, Level 22, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney
  • Dungog Shire Council: Council Administration Office,198 Dowling St, Dungog
  • Maitland City Council: 285-287 High Street, Maitland
  • Nature Conservation Council: 14/338 Pitt Street, Sydney.

Report illegal dumping

NSW Government

The RIDonline website lets you report the types of waste being dumped and its GPS location. Photos of the waste can also be added to the report.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA), councils and Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) squads will use this information to investigate and, if appropriate, issue a fine or clean-up notice.

Penalties for illegal dumping can be up to $15,000 and potential jail time for anybody caught illegally dumping within five years of a prior illegal dumping conviction.

This is the first time RIDonline has been opened to the public. Since September last year, the EPA, councils, RID squads and public land managers have used it to report more than 20,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste across more than 70 local government areas.

The NSW Government has allocated $58 million over five years to tackle illegal dumping as part of its $465.7 million Waste Less Recycle More initiative. NSW Premier Mike Baird has also committed to reducing the volume of litter by 40%, by 2020 to help keep NSW's environment clean.

NSW Launches Mental Health Strategy For First Responders

October 24, 2016: NSW Government
NSW is the first state in Australia to work with first responder agencies to develop a shared mental health and wellbeing strategy.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for First Responder Organisations in NSW:
  • sets out the commitment of NSW first responder agencies to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of their staff and members
  • combines promotion, prevention and intervention strategies
  • looks at different ways to help across someone’s career, from recruitment to transition to retirement
  • is a collaboration between the NSW Mental Health Commission, UNSW and the Black Dog Institute, Fire and Rescue NSW, the NSW Ambulance, NSW Police Force, NSW State Emergency Service and the NSW Rural Fire Service. 
NSW Minister for Mental Health Pru Goward said that our first responders helped us when we were in need and it was our responsibility to help them when they were in need.

“The men and women who work and volunteer as first responders in NSW do so with dedication, professionalism and great courage on the frontline in disasters, accidents and a crisis. They are frequently exposed to traumatic events and this can take its toll,” Ms Goward said. 

“The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for First Responder Organisations sets out the commitment of NSW first responder agencies to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of their staff and members. It represents a consensus among the agencies about what is required to meet this obligation.

“The strategy adopts an integrated approach to mental health, with different interventions aimed at mental health promotion, protection and intervention,” Ms Goward said.

In addition to the strategy, the NSW Government is supporting and expanding the UNSW/Black Dog Institute Workplace Mental Health Research Program with a further commitment of $1.5 million over three years. 

ACCC Releases Discussion Paper On Domestic Mobile Roaming

26 October 2016
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has today released a discussion paper as part of its inquiry into whether to declare a wholesale domestic mobile roaming service.

Domestic mobile roaming would allow consumers to access mobile services through another operator’s network when outside of the coverage area of their service provider.

“Mobile coverage and choice of service provider are important issues for Australians, particularly those living in regional, rural and remote areas. This inquiry will explore the extent to which domestic mobile roaming would promote competition among providers and its effect on investment in mobile infrastructure,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said. 

“This inquiry provides an opportunity to reconsider this issue considering the present state of the market, the development of mobile networks since the last inquiry over 10 years ago, and current and future consumer needs for connectivity.”

The discussion paper seeks views on a number of issues relevant to determining whether to declare a mobile roaming service, including:

the current state of competition for mobile services and whether there are barriers to extending mobile networks in regional Australia
the effect that declaring a mobile roaming service may have upon competition
the extent and nature of investment which has taken place in mobile networks since the last declaration inquiry
the effect a declaration may have on  mobile network operators’ incentives to invest in extending and improving their networks
the importance of geographic coverage for consumers and mobile service providers’ ability to compete.
“The ACCC invites industry, consumer and other interest groups, and consumers themselves to contribute to this important discussion about mobile services in Australia. What we will consider is whether a declaration of mobile services will benefit competition and consumers in the long term,” Mr Sims said.

The ACCC invites submissions in response to the discussion paper until 25 November 2016.

The ACCC expects to release a draft decision in early 2017 and a final decision in the first half of 2017.

Further information on the mobile roaming declaration inquiry and the discussion paper is available at: Domestic Mobile Roaming Declaration Inquiry 2016.

The ACCC has set up an online consultation hub where the discussion paper and a factsheet on the discussion paper for consumers and businesses can be accessed. The ACCC will examine information collected from submissions and through further targeted consultation including specific information requests.

Background
The ACCC announced the commencement of a public inquiry into whether to declare a wholesale domestic roaming service on 5 September 2016.

The ACCC is undertaking this inquiry in order to determine whether the difference in geographic coverage provided by the three mobile networks is having a detrimental effect on competition in the market for mobile services, and whether regulated mobile roaming would be in the long-term interests of consumers.

Consultation On Making Employee Share Schemes More User-Friendly

26 October 2016: Media Release - The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services
The Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, today released the ‘National Innovation and Science Agenda – Employee Share Schemes’ paper for consultation.

The consultation fulfils part of the Government's commitments under the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA).

The NISA measures will drive prosperity by putting innovation and science at the centre of the Government’s economic narrative. Innovation and entrepreneurship is central to economic growth, job creation and future prosperity.

As part of the NISA, the Government is taking steps to make it easier for employers to provide incentives to their employees through Employee Share Schemes (ESS).  In particular, the Government has committed to:

  • Limit the requirement for disclosure documents given to employees under an eligible ESS, and lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), to be made available to the public; and
  • Consult on options to amend the disclosure requirements to make ESS more user-friendly.

The draft legislation amends the Corporations Act to fulfil the first of these commitments. The draft legislation has been published on the Treasurywebsite and will be open for comment until 2 November 2016.

A consultation paper on options to make ESS more user friendly  is also available at the Treasury website. Stakeholders are invited to comment on the consultation paper by lodging a submission online. Submissions for this consultation will close on 7 December 2016.

'Big Ideas' Bring Students From Across The Country To Sydney

October 26, 2016: ANSTO
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has today announced 22 lucky Year 10 students who will have an all-expenses-paid trip to Australia’s home of applied nuclear science.

Students posed wonderful questions for a chance partake in the inaugural ANSTO Big Ideas Forum, with topics as diverse as dementia prevention, organ printing and harnessing human kinetic energy for power.

The inaugural ANSTO Big Ideas Forum will gather the best of these budding STEM students and their teachers from 14-18 November for a week of unforgettable learning, alongside some of our country’s best scientific minds.

The 11 pairs of students won the chance after submitting 40-second videos where they outlined the problem they hoped science would solve in the future. 

“The students asked really perceptive questions about the challenges of the future, which has been great to see,” said Rod Dowler, Discovery Centre Leader and coordinator of the ANSTO Big Ideas Program.

“ANSTO Big Ideas Forum is about empowering them to push boundaries, and not confine themselves to being ‘just students’ – their ability to contribute is vast and we want to give them every opportunity.

“Everyone is already busily preparing to welcome our 22 new young scientists, and 11 science teachers, and to get them in amongst all the action and excitement here at ANSTO.

“These are the first students in this program, and it will be exciting to see how kids from across the country, with very different interests and backgrounds, can collaborate and enhance each other’s learning.

“The teachers will also have a specially designed program of professional development workshops and practical experiences in ANSTO’s unique facilities.

“The students are getting ready to choose senior subjects, and hopefully the ANSTO Big Ideas Forum will provide them with a great opportunity to see what a career in science or engineering could look like.

“Curiosity is the key to succeeding in innovative research and our 22 students have already proven they have that. It will be wonderful to see it grow and flourish over the week.”

Further information: ANSTO Big Ideas Forum. 

Details of the students and schools selected:


STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS ATTENDING THE ANSTO BIG IDEAS FORUM

ACT
Neve and Piper from Amaroo Senior School want to know whether dementia could be prevented by inhibitors currently used for treatment. 

NSW
Katie and Julia from Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth NSW, asked whether the food crisis could be solved by vaporising food like clouds and letting it ‘rain’ in areas of need.

Callum and Chantelle from Narara Valley High School on the Central Coast, were curious about the human body’s kinetic energy, and if it could be transformed into a renewable energy source.

NT
Cliffy and Luciano, from Yuendumu School in the Northern Territory wondered about the effects of processed of foods, and changes to diet over time.

SA 
Eliza and Clayton from Kingston Community School want to know whether 3D printing of organs, tissues and neural pathways can use a patient’s own DNA to help recover from, for example, spinal injuries.

Anais and Ria from Henley High School both want to prove what their careers in STEM could mean, proposing that one day, we could implant information similarly to how a USB does in a computer.

TAS
Elena and Hugh from Rose Bay High School were inspired after the chaos of the Olympic Games, and wonder whether wearable tech and prosthesis could be common practice in everyday life to enhance performance.

Chloe and Kimberley from New Norfolk High School want to know whether methane gas from cows could be eliminated, to ensure the thriving dairy industry can continue without contributing to climate change.

QLD
David and Vivian from the Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology want to know whether there could be a way for nuclear energy to be produced without the current side effects.

WA
Allegra and Trinity from Bunbury Catholic College want to investigate whether you could use quantum entanglement to reduce time delays when communicating with planets beyond our Solar System.

Jayde and Lewis from St Joseph’s School asked whether it would be possible to revive Mars as a life-sustaining planet by transporting Earth materials to Mars.

Have Your Say On A Mixed Use Development At Barangaroo South

29.09.2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and Environment
Three separate proposals by Lend Lease Pty Ltd for residential buildings at 51A Hickson Road, Barangaroo will be on exhibition from today for community consultation.

The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on the proposals, which seek to construct three residential buildings of 72, 60 and 29 storeys.

These will provide 775 new apartments, of which 39 apartments will be for key worker housing in the 29 storey building.

Each of the buildings will provide retail space and will include underground car spaces, storage and rubbish facilities.

A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.

“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.

“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment.

“It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”

To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.

Barangaroo South
Barangaroo South
Barangaroo South

Submissions can be made from Thursday 29 September until Monday 14 November 2016.

Written submissions can also be made to:
Department of Planning and Environment
Attn: Director – Key Sites Assessments
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001


Precise Quantum Cloning: Possible Pathway To Secure Communication

October 26, 2016

Beam of light passing through splitter. Credit: Lee Henderson/UNSW
Physicists at The Australian National University (ANU) and University of Queensland (UQ) have produced near-perfect clones of quantum information using a new method to surpass previous cloning limits.

A global race is on to use quantum physics for ultra-secure encryption over long distances according to Prof Ping Koy Lam, node director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) at ANU.

The new cloning method uses high performance optical amplifiers to clone light encoded with quantum information -- it is possible this technique could allow quantum encryption to be implemented with existing fibre optic infrastructure.

"One obstacle to sending quantum information is that the quantum state degrades before reaching its destination. Our cloner has many possible applications, and could help overcome this problem to achieve secure long distance communication," said Prof Lam.

The laws of physics -- in particular the 'No Cloning Theorem' -- prevent high quality clones being produced with a 100 percent success rate. The team, led by Prof Lam, uses a probabilistic method to demonstrate that it's possible to produce clones that exceed theoretical quality limits. The method was initially proposed by CQC2T researchers led by Prof Timothy Ralph at UQ.

"Imagine Olympic archers being able to choose the shots that land closest to the target's centre to increase their average score," said Prof Ralph.

"By designing our experiment to have probabilistic outputs, we sometimes 'get lucky' and recover more information than is possible using existing deterministic cloning methods. We use the results closest to a 'bullseye' and discard the rest," he said.

quantum information is that the probabilistic method is permitted, and is useful in many crypto-communication situations, such as generating secret keys.

"Our probabilistic cloning method generates higher quality quantum clones than have ever been made before, with a success rate of about 5 percent. We can now create up to five clones of a single quantum state," said lead author Jing Yan Haw, ANU PhD researcher.

"We first encode information onto a light beam. Because this information is in a fragile quantum state, it is difficult to observe or measure," said Haw.

"At the heart of the demonstration is a 'noiseless optical amplifier'. When the amplification is good enough, we can then split a light beam into clones. 'Amplify-then-split' allows us to clone the light beam with minimal distortion, so that it can still be read with exquisite precision," said Prof Ralph.

Quantum cloning opens up important experimental possibilities as well as having applications in ultra-secure long distance quantum networks.

"One of the problems with quantum encryption is its limited communication range. We hope this technology could be used to extend the range of communication, and one day lead to impenetrable privacy between two communicating parties," said Prof Lam.

This latest achievement follows the success of fellow CQC2T researchers at ANU, who last month were the first to demonstrate self-stabilising stationary light.

Jing Yan Haw, Jie Zhao, Josephine Dias, Syed M. Assad, Mark Bradshaw, Rémi Blandino, Thomas Symul, Timothy C. Ralph, Ping Koy Lam. Surpassing the no-cloning limit with a heralded hybrid linear amplifier for coherent states. Nature Communications, 2016; 7: 13222 DOI:10.1038/NCOMMS13222

UNSW Tops The State In Latest Nature Index

October 27, 2016: by Dan Wheelahan UNSW
UNSW’s status as a research powerhouse has been recognised in the latest Nature Index.

UNSW was ranked fifth in the Australia and New Zealand region and the top university in NSW for high-quality research papers published in a selection of the world’s best scientific journals.

The Nature Index 2016 Australia and New Zealand supplement examines how the two countries compete on the global stage and compares universities and cities in terms of high-quality science output.

The top 30 Australian institutions and their NZ counterparts were assessed by their contribution to 68 high-quality journals selected by independent panels of scientists. Australia placed 12th in the global version of the index last year. Nature also named UNSW as the region's top 'Rising Star' earlier this year.

UNSW is garnering an international reputation in the potentially transformative technology of quantum computing.

The latest index found Melbourne is Australia’s leading city for scientific research output in 2015, followed by Sydney, with Brisbane seeing the fastest growth in output between 2012 and 2015.

The University of Queensland topped the index, with the largest contribution by share of authorship to high-quality research papers in 2015.

Australia’s top research institutions in the index, excluding the CSIRO, were also ranked by their contribution to subject areas. The index found UNSW retains its traditional strength in physical sciences research, ranking second in that discipline. It placed third in the country in earth and environmental sciences research.

Professor Nicholas Fisk, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, observed that national changes in this year’s index reflected the payoffs from institutional strategy and a quality-over-quantity emphasis in journal outputs. “UNSW’s 30% improvement in score over the last three years compared to 11% nationally is exemplary, and validates UNSW’s strong positioning in the physical sciences, and earth and environmental sciences.” 

The supplement also highlighted how UNSW is “garnering an international reputation in the potentially transformative technology of quantum computing”. It pointed to last year’s opening of the UNSW-based lab in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) as likely to “bring growth in the quantity and quality of Sydney’s physical sciences research in the coming years.”

“The index’s data illustrate that Australia’s high-quality research output is increasingly being driven by these hotspots of innovation, like in Melbourne and Sydney, where institutions are clustered together and can collaborate easily,” said David Swinbanks, the Index’s founder.

The results come as UNSW looks to attract up to 1,000 of the world's best research minds as part of its 2025 Strategy. It’s World Changers global recruitment drive will see up to 290 world-leading researchers and rising stars recruited into the UNSW Scientia Fellowship Program, as well as 700 new scholars into the UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship Scheme over the coming years.

Youth Jobs Path – Helping Young People Prepare For A Job

Wednesday 26 October 2016: Media Release - Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Minister for Women
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service

The Australian Government has today launched the process to seek expressions of interest from organisations to deliver training in stage one of the three stage Youth Jobs PaTH programme to help young people into jobs.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash today launched the tender process for the delivery of pre-employment training for young unemployed Australians.

“This is an exciting development in the implementation of the Turnbull Government’s PaTH program, which will get young Australians ready, give them a go, and get them a job," Minister Cash said.

"The Government is determined to prevent our young people from entering a life of welfare dependency. Giving young Australians the skills they need is crucial in helping them find their way into a rewarding working life."

“We know from our discussions with employers that when they recruit for entry level jobs they want a positive attitude to work, motivation, reliability and good personal presentation.

“The training to be delivered by those providers selected for the panel will be designed to help young people develop their employability skills to make them ready to step into the workplace,” Minister Cash said.

“The Coalition is determined to give our youth the best workforce opportunities by ensuring that any young Australians looking for work have every chance to find it.”

The other components of Youth Jobs PaTH are:
  • Trial - voluntary internships of four to 12 weeks to give young job seekers a chance to demonstrate their skills in the workplace, and
  • Hire - a new Youth Bonus wage subsidy of up to $10,000.
The Department of Employment will hold information sessions for potential applicants for the Employability Skills Training Panel via webinar on 3, 4, and 7 November 2016.

Applications close at 5pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, 29 November 2016.

For more information and how to apply call 1300 733 514 or visit:www.employment.gov.au/procurement

Bring On The Backpacker Boom​

26 October 2016: Media Release - The Hon. Luke Hartsuyker, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister 

The Mid North Coast could see an increase in working holiday makers after the Coalition Government launched a global $10 million campaign to attract more to Australia.

Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker said the campaign builds on the Coalition’s recent reform package, which will make Australia a world-leading destination for young people to undertake a working holiday.

“Combined with Australia’s natural beauty and safety, conditions are ripe for a backpacker boost,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

Key highlights of the Coalition Government’s reform package include:
  • offering working holiday makers the highest post-tax income among comparable countries with a tax rate of 19 per cent;
  • allowing more tourists to become working holiday makers, with the age limit increasing from 30 to 35 years old;
  • reducing visa application charges for working holiday makers by $50 to $390;
  • allowing working holiday makers to work for the same employer for 12 months, provided the second six months is in a different region.
Mr Hartsuyker said the three-year campaign will target the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy to boost the number of working holiday maker arrivals.

“The campaign, by Tourism Australia, invites young people around the world to come to Australia for a life-changing experience, working and holidaying in our beautiful country,” he said.

Mr Hartsuyker said working holiday makers are an important part of Australia’s tourism industry; with more than 320,000 working holiday makers spending around $3 billion in Australia in the last year.

“I’ll be working with local tourism operators to ensure our region makes the most of this new campaign.”

Disclaimer: These articles are not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Pittwater Online News or its staff.


Over 55? Hit The Gym To Improve Your Muscle And Brain Strength

October 25, 2016: USYD MEDIA, UNSW MEDIA AND HEIDI MITCHELL
Over 55s with mild cognitive impairment can improve their brain function by building muscle strength, a new study has revealed.

The study, published today in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, was a collaboration between UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) and the Universities of Sydney and Adelaide. 

With 135 million people worldwide forecast to suffer from dementia in 2050, the study’s findings have implications for the type and intensity of exercise that is recommended for our growing ageing population.

The more we can get people doing resistance training like weight lifting, the more likely we are to have a healthier ageing population.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) defines people who have noticeably reduced cognitive abilities such as reduced memory but are still able to live independently, and is a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.

Findings from the Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) trial show, for the first time, a positive causal link between muscle adaptations to progressive resistance training and the functioning of the brain among those over 55 with MCI.

“The people I meet often ask me the question: what kind of exercise should I do to protect my brain?  This study goes some way in answering this question, even though much further work remains,” said co-author Professor Perminder Sachdev, Co-Director of CHeBA.


Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry at UNSW and Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Dr Perminder Sachdev. Photo: Britta Campion.

SMART was a randomised, double-blind trial involving 100 community-dwelling adults with MCI, aged between 55 and 86. They were divided into four groups doing either:
  • Resistance exercise and computerised cognitive training;
  • Resistance exercise and a placebo computerised training (watching nature videos);
  • Brain  training and a placebo exercise program (seated stretching/calisthenics); or
  • Placebo physical exercise and placebo cognitive training.
Participants doing resistance exercise prescribed weight lifting sessions twice week for six months, working to at least 80 per cent of their peak strength. As they got stronger, the amount of weight they lifted on each machine was increased to maintain the intensity at 80 per cent of their peak strength. 

The primary outcomes of a paper published in 2014 found these participants’ global cognition improved significantly after the resistance training, as measured by tests including the Alzheimer’s disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive scale. The cognitive training and placebo activities did not have this benefit. The benefits persisted even 12 months after the supervised exercise sessions ended.

“The more we can get people doing resistance training like weight lifting, the more likely we are to have a healthier ageing population,” said lead author Dr Yorgi Mavros, from the Faculty of Health Sciences at University of Sydney.

“The key however is to make sure you are doing it frequently, at least twice a week, and at a high intensity so that you are maximising your strength gains. This will give you the maximum benefit for your brain.”

These new findings reinforce research from the SMART trial published earlier this year, whereby MRI scans showed an increase in the size of specific areas of the brain among those who took part in the weight training program. These brain changes were linked to the cognitive improvements after weight lifting.

The next step for researchers is to determine if the increases in muscle strength are also related to increases in brain size observed during the trial.  

The SMART trial was funded by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council. 

Government Invests A Further $190 Million In Health And Medical Research

27 October 2016: Media Release - The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister for Sport
The Turnbull Government has announced a further $190 million in health and medical research, including a $10.6 million investment supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.

Minister for Health Sussan Ley said these new grants—awarded through the National Health and Medical Research Council—would help Australia’s research community to make discoveries that improve the diagnosis, treatment and cure of illnesses that can affect Indigenous Australians.

“We know there is much work to be done with Indigenous health outcomes. This government is committed to making long-term improvements in Indigenous health and providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers," Ms Ley said.

The announcement includes $2.5 million for a Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) to build Indigenous research capacity and to find solutions to alcohol-related health problems.

The Centre, led by Professor Kate Conigrave at the University of Sydney, will build a strong network of Indigenous researchers with expertise in preventing and treating alcohol-related problems.

“The Centre will bring together senior Indigenous and non-Indigenous investigators at organisations including the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council South Australia and the Inala Indigenous Health Service,” Professor Conigrave said.

“Together, these investigators have an extensive track record in research, clinical work and policy development.”

Professor Conigrave brings significant experience working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to target substance misuse. She said this funding would provide a major pathway forward in research to reduce the harms from alcohol among Indigenous Australians.

“Indigenous Australians are eight times more likely to suffer death or illness as a result of alcohol use, yet there is a critical shortage of Indigenous researchers with expertise in this field. 

“The team will generate new knowledge, integrating efforts along the continuum of treatment and prevention for unhealthy alcohol use. The Centre is designed to ensure that evidence will be readily translated into practice and policy.

“The CRE also offers a range of training and development opportunities to Indigenous research students and early-career researchers. It will provide pathways into postgraduate research study for Indigenous Australians, with comprehensive support and training at every step along the way,” Professor Conigrave explained.

Together with this CRE, NHMRC has committed to fund research targeting a range of other health issues for Indigenous Australians including:

  • improving outcomes of Hepatitis B infection
  • improving diet quality and food supply in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  • implementing interventions to improve health and justice outcomes for Indigenous offenders
  • addressing the high rates of depression amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Today’s announcement also includes three Early Career Fellowships (ECFs) for Indigenous researchers. 

Assistant Minister for Health Ken Wyatt said the Government was committed to providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers.

“These ECFs have been awarded to help Australian health and medical researchers early in their careers to establish themselves as independent, self-directed researchers. It is essential that we build a vibrant future for Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers who will play a crucial role in addressing Australia’s health issues,” Mr Wyatt said. 

Associate Professor James Ward from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute is one of the Indigenous researchers to receive an ECF. His research seeks to establish interventions to improve outcomes for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with sexually transmissible infections or blood borne viruses and for people using methamphetamines.

This funding is part of NHMRC’s commitment to expend at least five per cent of its budget to support research to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

A total of $190 million across 320 grants funding health and medical research were announced today. This includes a $100 million investment in fostering career development and supporting leading health and medical researchers in full-time research. This comprises $58 million to support Research Fellowships and $38 million to fund ECFs. 

Ms Ley reiterated these grants will play a vital role in funding new research for treatments of diseases that affect Australians.

“Health and medical research is a powerful investment and one that delivers immense benefits through better health and health care.

“The researchers we have funded are at the leading edge of health and medical research from which considerable benefits will flow. 

“Congratulations to these grant recipients and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this work in improving the health and wellbeing of all Australians,” Ms Ley said.

More information on the grants is available on the NHMRC website. 

FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS
Professor Kate Conigrave, University of Sydney
$2,495,984
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians are up to eight times as likely to suffer death or illness as a result of alcohol use. Yet there is a critical shortage of Indigenous researchers with expertise in this field. This Centre of Research Excellence helps build a strong and continuing network of Indigenous researchers with expertise in treating and preventing alcohol problems. The Centre will generate new knowledge, integrating efforts along the continuum of treatment and prevention. 

Prof Kelsey Hegarty, University of Melbourne 
$2,497,801
Partner violence damages the health of families, particularly children. We aim to make all families safer by generating new knowledge from evidence (reviews of studies, data from following families over time and trials of health and community programs) to assist health and family services to identify violence early and tailor responses to individual’s experiences and to specific communities. We will support early career researchers by mentoring and an international network.

Dr James Fitzpatrick, University of Western Australia
$303,014
Drinking alcohol when pregnant places the unborn child at risk of lifelong brain damage, that we call Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). We can prevent FASD by raising awareness of the harms of drinking in pregnancy, and supporting women not to drink. For those with FASD, treatment programs can help reduce learning and behavioural problems. Our research team work with communities and service providers to implement FASD Prevention and Treatment strategies, and raise awareness of FASD.

Dr Alize Ferrari, University of Queensland
$318,768
This Fellowship addresses the high rates of depression amongst Indigenous Australians. The proposed work will quantify the extent to which two major risk factors contribute to the burden of depression in this population and the burden avertable from interventions to modify these risk factors. Findings would inform resource allocation and health service delivery, and in doing so, present opportunities for improvement.

Nurses Are Critical To Delivery Of Health Care Reforms

26 October 2016: Media Release - The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister for Sport
Nurses are essential to making Australia’s $71 billion health system more efficient and effective in meeting the health needs of Australians. 

The Minister for Health and Aged Care, Sussan Ley, in an address to the National Nursing Forum 2016 in Melbourne today, said that the ageing of the population and the fact that people are living longer is placing ever increasing pressure on health and aged care. 

“Health reform is important for the nation’s nursing profession and the nursing profession is important to health reform,” she said. 

“Real on-the-ground reform cannot happen without a strong and stable workforce and this includes nurses and midwives. 

“Nurses play an increasingly important role in health service delivery. Nurses are there at every stage of a patient’s journey.” 

Nurses represent more than 50 per cent of the health workforce. 

Ms Ley said nurses would play an enhanced role in the Turnbull Government’s Health Care Homes initiative. 

Health Care Homes is a revolutionary new model of delivering Medicare to Australians with chronic illnesses. 

It will allow doctors and nurses to deliver quality health care improvements for patients without restrictions of Medicare’s fee-for-service model. 

The Government is investing $120 million to roll out the first stage of Health Care Homes. 

Ms Ley said nurses would be part of the team working with GPs to design tailored-care plans for patients with chronic or complex conditions. 

One in two Australians is living with a chronic condition and one in five is managing two or more. 

The Government recognises the vital role of nurses in health care delivery and reform. 

Ms Ley said: “I want nurses to be part of a robust health care agenda because nurses are the boots on the ground. 

“I am aware that the nursing profession sometimes feels somewhat forgotten in terms of engagement in policy design, development and implementation. I assure you that you have not been forgotten – far from it. 

“That is why I want to continue to tap into your knowledge and understanding of quality patient care and our health care systems. 

“Big changes are underway that will build a world-class health system and the nurses of Australia will be front and centre of this incredible journey.” 

Innovative Drug Could Revolutionise Treatment Of Early-Stage Breast Cancer

October 25, 2016
The large-scale international study ABCSG 42/PALLAS is currently investigating whether a drug that is already showing great promise in the treatment of metastasised breast cancer might also increase the success of treatment of the most common type of breast cancer: early-stage hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The study is being conducted in the USA and in other countries including Austria, Australia, Belgium and Spain, for example. The lead investigator for all countries outside the USA is Michael Gnant, Head of the Breast Health Center at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital, Deputy Head of the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) Vienna and President of the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG). Over the course of the next two years, up to 500 patients from Austria can be included in the study.

In Austria, there are around 5,200 new cases of breast cancer every year. The vast majority of these are women but some men are also affected. Around 75% of newly diagnosed breast cancers are of the hormone-receptor-positive type, that is to say their growth is stimulated by the release of sex hormones.

In a large-scale international study, ABCSG 42/PALLAS, researchers are now investigating whether standard endocrine therapy -- that is to say a therapy that inhibits the production of these hormones -- can be improved by the additional administration of the drug palbociclib. Palbociclib is a so-called kinase inhibitor, an active agent that inhibits cell growth and the division of cancer cells.

Says Michael Gnant, who is heading up this global study outside the USA: "Palbociclib has already been licensed to treat metastasised breast cancer, where it is proving to be very successful. The drug has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Our aim is to extend progression-free survival and, in the long term, to achieve a permanent cure in the majority of patients."

Worldwide, it is expected that 4,600 patients from 25 countries will be included in this largest ever international Phase-III trial for patients with hormone-receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer. Approximately half of these are being recruited in the USA. Gnant: "Since the principal investigator is based here in Austria, with the focal point at the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital, we might manage to include up to 500 Austrian patients in the study, thereby giving them access to this new therapy."

About ABCSG 42/PALLAS
The ABCSG 42/PALLAS study is comparing disease-free survival with standard endocrine therapy (at least 5 years) plus the drug palbociclib (2 years) against that of standard endocrine therapy on its own (at least 5 years) in female and male breast cancer patients with ER-positive and HER-negative breast cancer and risk of recurrence Stage II or III[U1] . It is taking place in an adjuvant setting, that is to say that all study participants have already had the tumour surgically removed.

Outside the USA, the study is currently being conducted in Austria, Australia, Belgium and Spain, with new trial centres joining all the time. For example, the Ethics Committee has already given a positive vote for Hungary. The recruiting phase should be completed by 2018; 309 patients have already been recruited worldwide, 81 of these from Austria.

The global project is being conducted together with Alliance Foundation Trials (AFT), the Breast International Group (BIG) the German Breast Group (GBG), the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), PrECOG from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and Pfizer as industrial partner.

Materials provided by Medical University of Vienna. 

Heritage Protection For Waverly Cemetery 

Sunday 23 October 2016: Media Release - Hon. Mark Speakman, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Heritage
Waverley Cemetery will be listed on the State Heritage Register, NSW Environment and Heritage Minister Mark Speakman announced today.
The cemetery’s listing will help preserve its genealogical, historical, architectural and artistic character, Mr Speakman said.

Mr Speakman said the cemetery was significant for generations of Sydneysiders and was a valuable educational resource for the state.

“Waverley Cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent Australians,” Mr Speakman said.

“Poets Henry Lawson and Dorothea MacKellar, Jules Francoise Archibald, the founder of The Bulletin and benefactor of the Archibald Prize, previous NSW Premier Sir James Martin and sporting greats, including Olympic gold medal swimmer Sarah ‘Fanny’ Durack and Australian cricket batsman Victor Trumper, are all buried in Waverley.

“But it’s not only the people buried in Waverley that make it special to the city and the state - the cemetery’s location on some of Sydney’s most spectacular coastlines adds to its rich history.”

The cemetery is also home to historic monuments, including one for the 1798 Irish Rebellion, which is the world’s largest monument to the rebellion. The Rebellion leader and revolutionary Michael Dwyer is buried in the cemetery.

Member for Coogee Bruce Notley-Smith welcomed the official recognition of the site’s heritage importance.

“The eastern suburbs community will be delighted with the cemetery’s listing because the community has an important connection with the site’s 140-year history.

I have had relatives buried there for over 100 years,” Mr Notley-Smith said.
“The community and Waverley Council have always placed a strong importance on protecting and preserving the cemetery because of its significance to the eastern suburbs and the state.”

Progress On Health Partnership

21 October 2016: Media Release - NSW Health
Health Minister Jillian Skinner today announced the NSW Government’s health partnerships proposal to build upgraded hospitals at Maitland, Wyong, and Shellharbour hospitals, and to investigate a shared infrastructure solution at Bowral, will progress to the next stage.
 
“These partnerships are about building bigger and better hospitals for our local communities where they can continue to access free public health but in better facilities with more services and extra clinical staff,” Mrs Skinner said.
 
“That is why this is such an important process to go through.”
 
An Expression of Interest (EOI) process for non-government hospital operators to build and run several regional hospitals was launched on Thursday 15 September. Submissions from interested parties closed on Friday 14 October 2016.
 
“We received an excellent response from hospital operators for the Maitland, Wyong, Bowral and Shellharbour projects,” Mrs Skinner said.
 
“Goulburn will not be progressed as there was not sufficient interest received to give the NSW Government confidence that better outcomes could be achieved. As promised, if we cannot secure better outcomes, the projects will be built traditionally and construction will begin this term.
 
“We will continue with the other projects to test that the EOI responses offer robust proposals that will benefit the community whilst continuing to deliver access to free public healthcare.”
 
These projects will now move to the evaluation stage, which involves structured negotiations to discuss key government positions, and is expected to be complete by early 2017.
 
Under the health partnerships approach, successful operators for Wyong, Shellharbour and Maitland would construct the hospitals then run them on behalf of the NSW Government, with bigger and better facilities and more nurses and doctors.

Monitoring Mosquitoes In Innisfail

Published on 26 Oct 2016 by CSIRO
We have been studying mosquitoes in Innisfail, Far North Queensland and in particular, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is an invasive species. Our research aims to track the male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as they don’t bite and can help prevent disease.