DEWHA News
More news from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, and the Department of Climate Change…
MINISTER CELEBRATES NATIONAL SCHOOLS TREE DAY
Environment Minister, Peter Garrett and Planet Ark Founder, John Dee today joined students at Malabar Primary School to celebrate Schools Tree Day. Mr Garrett said the day provided students with an important hands-on lesson about caring for their environment and congratulated Planet Ark on making the day such a landmark event.
“Young people are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental challenges we face and the importance of taking action now to protect both the health of our local environment and the globe.
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2008/pubs/mr20080725.pdf
CONSULTATION TIME EXTENDED ON ACCC RURAL WATER RULES
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, today announced a revised timeline for developing the water market and water charge rules for the Murray-Darling Basin to allow more stakeholder input.
Under the Water Act 2007, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has that ask of advising the Minister on draft rules to give farmers flexibility to trade their water access rights and help ensure more efficient and sustainable water use across the Murray-Darling Basin.
“Since April 2008, the ACCC has been conducting formal consultations on both the water market and water charge rules. Along the way, stakeholders have indicated that they want more time to consider the draft rules,” Senator Wong said.
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2008/pubs/mr20080725.pdf
CHIEF EXECUTIVE APPOINTED TO NEW MURRAY-DARLING BASIN AUTHORITY
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, today announced the appointment of a chief executive to the new independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Robert Freeman, currently the chief executive of the South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and deputy president of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, has been appointed to the role.
“Following our historic agreement with the States, for the first time we have established an independent authority to set a sustainable cap on water use in the Murray-Darling Basin,” Senator Wong said.
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2008/pubs/mr20080723.pdf
SOLAR AND WATER GRANTS TO BENEFIT SCHOOLS AND INDUSTRY
Marking the start of term 3 in New South Wales, Environment Minister, Peter Garrett this week reminded Australia’s 9000 plus schools that they now had the opportunity to become solar schools thanks to the National Solar Schools Program.
Mr Garrett said grants of up to $50,000 were now available for the installation of solar power systems and a host of energy and water saving measures.
Visiting Newtown Public School in Sydney, Mr Garrett said the program would provide schools with an unprecedented opportunity to take practical action to help tackle climate change while saving money, energy and water.
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2008/pubs/mr20080722.pdf
DRINKING WATER STILL FIRST PRIORITY IN SOUTHERN BASIN
Special water sharing arrangements to secure the critical human needs of Adelaide and other towns reliant on the Murray River will need to remain in place throughout 2008/09.
A joint statement from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the governments of New South Wales, Victoria , South Australia and the ACT warns that the water outlook across the southern Murray Darling Basin has further deteriorated between March and June this year.
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said water available for households, irrigators and the environment remained at record low levels across much of the Basin.
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2008/pubs/mr20080720.pdf
Popularity: unranked [?]
