Certified carbon neutral precincts a breath of fresh air for our cities

The Australian Government’s certification system which recognises carbon neutral businesses, products, services and events will be expanded to include cities, precincts and buildings. We have listened to requests from the community, cities and business to expand the National Carbon Offset Standard – which enables businesses, products and events to be certified as carbon neutral. We…

$500 million investment secures long-term future of Cerberus

Flinders MP Greg Hunt said he was delighted that the future of HMAS Cerberus had been secured with $500 million in funding outlined in the Defence White Paper. “This investment secures the long-term future of HMAS Cerberus as a Naval Training facility and will provide a welcome boost to the local economy in Crib Point…

Far North Queensland to benefit from new solar farm

An ex-frontier services town in far North-West Queensland is set to benefit from the construction of a new solar plant, which will demonstrate the value of renewable energy at the edge of the National Electricity Market. The Australian Government is providing $8.4 million to support the construction of a 5 MW solar PV plant on…

Mount Martha group leads the way on Clean Up Australia Day effort

Federal Environment Minister and Member for Flinders Greg Hunt joined the Balcombe Estuary Reserves Group to clean up the waterway as people around the country rolled up their sleeves to take part in Clean Up Australia Day. “Today individuals, families and volunteer groups have come together to tackle waste and remove litter in the community,”…

New appointments made to expert scientific body on water

The Australian Government is today pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC). The IESC provides vital independent, expert scientific advice to all levels of government and the community on the potential impacts of coal seam gas and…

Australia is leading the way on World Wildlife Day

On World Wildlife Day, the Australian Government is proud to announce that funding for projects to protect our threatened species has now topped $190 million. “We are honouring our commitment to the world’s wildlife with a large and growing investment to conserve Australia’s native animals and plants, as well as strict requirements to protect listed…

Tackling waste and litter to keep Australia clean

This Sunday marks the 26th Clean Up Australia Day where individuals, families and volunteer groups come together to tackle waste and litter in our local communities. Protecting the natural environment, particularly our waterways and marine environment, is an important priority for the Australian Government. In the same way that communities come together every year for…

Retirement of Dr Rob Vertessy

Dr Rob Vertessy has today announced that he will retire as Director of the Bureau of Meteorology on 29 April 2016. Dr Vertessy has been an outstanding Director of the Bureau – one of the most respected and valuable public institutions in Australia. Dr Vertessy has enjoyed a long and distinguished public service career in…