The EDO Bulletin is a free weekly bulletin that provides a listing of news, events, public notices and opportunities for public comment.
EDO News and Events
1. EDO Griffith Workshop: Land and Water Law A workshop for NSW landholders
2. EDO NSW Position Vacancy: Assistant Policy Officer
3. EDO Western Australia Position Vacancy: Principal Solicitor
4. Northern Rivers Seminars: Brainfood in Byron Human Rights and the Environment
Law and Policy Watch
5. EDO Policy Submissions
6. Firms fined over water pollution incidents
7. Proposed Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2008
8. Garnaut Climate Change Review Final Report now released
10. Major Project Proposals Invitation to Comment
11. State Conservation Notices Invitation to Comment
Environmental Law Notices Commonwealth
12. EPBC Referrals Invitation to Comment
Community News
13. Pacific Calling for Climate Justice: A human rights framework?
14. ACCEL Seminar: The Implications of the Proposed Reforms to the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997
15. Solar and Bio Energy Industry Conference
16. EPLA Conference 2008
17. Nature Conservation Council of NSW: Conference program now available
EDO News and Events
1. Griffith Workshop: Land and Water Law A workshop for NSW landholders
The Environmental Defender's Office, in partnership with Baker & McKenzie, invites you to this FREE workshop for NSW landholders. Issues to be covered include water trading and buy-back schemes, climate change and water management, an update on the status of water laws such as the Commonwealth Water Act 2007, and an overview of some of the key laws relevant to rural landholders, including vegetation and bushfire management, agricultural chemicals, pests and weeds, biobanking and voluntary conservation.
Date: Saturday 25 October 2008
Time: 9.30am til 4.30pm
Venue: Burley Griffin Room, Griffith Regional Theatre, Neville Pl, Griffith
A light lunch and refreshments will be provided. For more information or to RSVP, please contact the EDO on (02) 9262 6989
2. EDO NSW Position Vacancy: Assistant Policy Officer
The EDO is a community legal centre specialising in public interest advocacy regarding environmental law and policy.
We are seeking an Assistant Policy Officer to undertake legal and policy research to support the work of the EDO policy team in preparing law reform submissions and proactive law reform projects.
This position is available for up to 12 months.
Selection Criteria
In your application, please address the following criteria:
Essential
Relevant tertiary qualifications in environmental law
Demonstrated high level research skills
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to communicate clearly in plain English
An understanding of NSW, national and international environmental legal issues
The ability to work with minimal supervision and to tight deadlines
Commitment to the protection of the environment and public interest environmental law
Desirable
A NSW practising certificate, or eligibility for admission to legal practice in NSW
3. EDO Western Australia Position Vacancy: Principal Solicitor
The EDO seeks an experienced and committed environmental lawyer able to practice in Western Australia, for the full-time position of Principal Solicitor in its office in Perth.
The Principal Solicitor has overall responsibility for the legal and administrative operations of the office.
Employment commencement date is negotiable.
The Principal Solicitor's remuneration is, depending on experience and qualifications, up to $70,000 per annum plus superannuation.
For more information regarding the position and how to apply, please contact Amber Centa on 9221 3030 .
4. Northern Rivers Seminars: Brainfood in Byron Human Rights and the Environment
Although they are thought of as two distinct realms, many human rights depend on environmental protection, and vice versa. The EDO Northern Rivers invites you to a series of free seminars presented by local and visiting experts on the interdependence of the social and natural worlds, with a focus on international issues and initiatives. See below for the topics scheduled.
The seminars are to be held on the last Friday of the month at the Verandah Room (first floor), Byron Community Centre, 69 Johnson St. Arrive at 6pm for drinks and nibbles with the talk commencing at 6.30pm. Seminars will conclude with a question time.
31 Oct - Water - Ilona Millar, Baker & McKenzie
28 Nov - Chemicals - Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith, National Toxics Network
For more information, please call Mark Byrne, Education Officer, Environmental Defender's Office Northern Rivers, on (02) 6622 8470
Law and Policy Watch
5. EDO Policy Submissions
The submission on the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 , on behalf of the Australian Network of Environmental Defender's Offices (ANEDO), can now be accessed via a link on the EDO website.
For more information on any of the EDO's submissions or other policy work, please contact the EDO office on (02) 9262 6989 . All previous and current submissions can be found at http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/policy.php
6. Firms fined over water pollution incidents
In two separate decisions by the Land and Environment Court delivered last week, the Snowy Hydro Corporation and contractor Fulton Hogan have been fined over a pollution incident associated with the Jindabyne Dam spillway upgrade. Fulton Hogan's removal of a coffer dam associated with the upgrade caused yellow mud to be visible up to 15 kilometres downstream and significant turbidity in the waterway.
Both Fulton Hogan and Snowy Hydro Corporation face a $100,000 fine, and an order to pay $86,000 in costs after pleading guilty to the charge.
In another water pollution case, the Land and Environment Court has ordered that a poultry processing plant in Tamworth pay almost $200,000 in fines and clean-up costs for allowing one million litres of effluent to spill into a Tamworth waterway. The Environmental Protection Authority has ensured measures have been put in place to prevent another leak.
7. Proposed Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2008
The Proposed Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2008 will be on exhibition until 17 October . For information on the Regulation, the proposed changes and how to make submissions, visit http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/licensing/poeogeneralreg.htm
8. Garnaut Climate Change Review Final Report now released
The final instalment of the Garnaut reports was released yesterday, providing recommendations on Australia's response to climate change. The Draft Report was released on 4 July 2008, with a Supplementary Draft Report, titled Targets and Trajectories released on 5 September 2008.
Professor Garnaut offers two main scenarios for cutting the greenhouse gas emissions:
1. Achieving a level of 450 parts carbon dioxide per million in the Earth's atmosphere would require Australia to reduce its emissions by a quarter by the year 2020 and 90 per cent by 2050.
2. Aiming for 550 parts per million, which Professor Garnaut says will be simpler to achieve although it does put the world at a greater risk of very dangerous climate change, would require Australian emissions cuts of 10 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by the middle of the century.
9. Northern Rivers Echo : Phone tower concerns communicated (28 September 2008)
This edition of the regular question and answer column by EDO Northern Rivers Education Officer Mark Byrne looks at the planning and approvals process for new mobile phone towers.
10. Major Project Proposals Invitation to Comment
For a full listing of Major Project proposals currently available for public comment, visit the Department of Planning website at http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/asp/das.asp
Camden: Modification Spring Farm Sand and Soil Quarry
There are no new notices since the last eBulletin.
Environmental Law Notices Commonwealth
12. EPBC Referrals Invitation to Comment
Referrals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are available for comment on the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website at: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl
The following referrals have been listed within the last 7 days:
13. Pacific Calling for Climate Justice: A human rights framework?
Pacific Calling invites you to this full day forum exploring how an effective human rights framework can respond to calls for climate justice from our Pacific neighbours. The outcome of the forum is to include recommendations to be taken to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at Pozan, Poland in December 2008.
Speakers include Neva Collings from the EDO, Warwick Baird and representatives from Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Date: 25 October 2008
Time: 9am to 5pm
Venue: Gleeson Auditorium, Australian Catholic University, 25A Barker Rd, Strathfield NSW
Cost: $60 full-rate, concessions available
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are provided. For more information contact Jill Finnane, Eco-Justice Program Corodinator at the Edmund Rice Centre on (02) 8762 4200 .
14. Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law Seminar: The Implications of the Proposed Reforms to the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997
This ACCEL seminar at the Sydney Law School will be comprised of two presentations. The evening's first presentation will include discussion and critique of the proposed reforms and their implications for polluters and the management of contaminated land. This will be followed by an analysis of the impacts of the proposed amendments on purchasers of contaminated land. Case studies will be offered where relevant.
Date: Wednesday 22 October 2008
Time: 5.15pm to 7pm
Venue: Sydney University Law School, 173-175 Phillip Street, Sydney
Cost: $66 full fee; $33 concession
15. Solar and Bio Energy Industry Conference
The German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the German Energy Agency have partnered to host this free admission event for key players and representatives from the renewable energy industry. The NSW Department of State and Regional Development supports this event. Experts will have the opportunity to exchange their market experiences and network with new business partners.
Date: 24 November 2008
Venue: MLC Centre, Sydney
For more information, please contact Anja Kegel on (02) 8296 0434.
16. EPLA Conference 2008
The Environmental and Planning Law Association (EPLA) is an organisation whose members are drawn from many environmental disciplines including from the fields of planning, environment, architecture, local government and the legal profession. EPLA is holding its upcoming 2008 annual conference in the heritage village of Bangalow in the Northern Rivers hinterland. Topics that will be the focus of the conference include:
Climate change in the Development Assessment Process
Biodiversity Banking
Rural, coastal and regional issues
Legislative updates State and Commonwealth laws
Recent developments
The EPLA Conference not only enables practitioners to meet their mandatory CLE and CPD requirements but affords an opportunity to meet with fellow practitioners and consultants in an informal atmosphere.
Dates: Friday and Saturday, 17 18 October 2008 (Conference dinner 16 October)
Venue: A & I Hall of Industries, Bangalow
For further information or to register, contact Michele Kearns on 8227 9600
17. Nature Conservation Council of NSW: Conference program now available
Our unique biodiversity and ecosystems are under threat from climate change. The IPCC 2007 report predicts that approximately 20 30% of plant and animal species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average temperature exceed 1.5 2.5 degrees celsius. The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is presenting a ground breaking conference Saving a Sunburnt Country: the challenges of species adaptation in a heating land' on the 12 & 13 November , 2008 in Sydney. The conference aims to provide:
access to the latest research on the challenges of assisting mitigation and adaptation for biodiversity and ecosystems under climate change;
an overview of current policy and planning; and
examples of innovation from government, academics and the community.
This bulletin is meant for your general information. Where possible, references are given so that readers can access original sources or find more information. Any information contained in this bulletin does not represent legal advice.
The EDO does not endorse and is not affiliated with events advertised in the Community News section.
