Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced Australia’s most at-risk koala populations need to be included on the national list of threatened species. Minister Burke has decided to list koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as vulnerable under national environment law.
Produced by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), the Public Sector Environmental Management Guide aims to assist Australian Government public sector entities to improve environmental management practices and reduce the environmental impacts of their operation, foster greater efficiencies and operational cost savings, and meet legislative, regulatory and policy requirements.
The Australian Government is developing a strategy to restore and manage ecological connections in the Australian landscape. The National Wildlife Corridors Plan Advisory Group has prepared a Draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan. The Advisory Group is seeking public comments and consulting with key stakeholders before preparing a final plan for consideration by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Have your say – comments close 20 April 2012.
The Australian Government has transferred heritage-listed bushland at Malabar Headland in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, honouring a commitment made by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Member for Kingsford Smith Peter Garrett in August 2010 to create a 70-hectare coastal National Park – see media release.
Community Action Grants are a small grants component of the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative that aims to help local community groups take action to conserve and protect their natural environment. The grants are targeted towards established local community-based organisations that are successfully delivering projects to support sustainable farming and/or protect and enhance the natural environment. The 2012-13 Community Action Grants round is now open, and applications close 27 March 2012.
The Community Energy Efficiency Program is a merit-based grant program established by the Australian Government to provide matched funding to local councils and non-profit community organisations to undertake energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits to council and community-use buildings, facilities and lighting. The program is part of the government’s plan for a Clean Energy Future. Applications close 5pm AEDST Friday 23 March 2012.
The NRM knowledge online repository is designed as an open access digital archive for publicly funded information derived from Australian Government investments in natural resource management activities. It has been developed to be compliant with the Open Archives Initiative interoperability standards and to deliver on the Australian Government’s commitment to providing open access to publicly funded information.
The 2012 Government Sustainability Conference will again provide local, state and federal government professionals and representatives of other public sector agencies with comprehensive analysis and advice about how to ingrain environmentally sustainable policies and practices within their organisations and the communities they serve. The conference is being held in Melbourne on 18-19 September 2012. Proposals for presentations are invited – see the call for speakers.