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EDO NSW BULLETIN - 18 February 2010: Number 647The 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. FREE Seminar Series Urban Sustainability in Sydney Law and Policy Watch 7. Irrigators lose High Court water rights case EDO in the Media 11. ABC: Debate escalates over yabby fishing in the Darling Environmental Law Notices - New South Wales 12. Major Project Proposals - Invitation to Comment Environmental Law Notices - Commonwealth 15. EPBC Referrals - Invitation to Comment Community News 16. AYAD Placement: Live & Learn Environmental Education,
Vanuatu EDO News and Events 1. FREE Seminar Series Urban Sustainability in Sydney The Environmental Defender's Office (EDO) would like to invite you to the first in its series of seminars on urban sustainability sponsored by the City of Sydney. This seminar will discuss incentives, policies and legal frameworks to encourage sustainable homes, including BASIX, waste management and rebates. Our panellists are Jane Castle of the Total Environment Centre; Roderick Simpson who was instrumental in the formulation of BASIX, the NSW Building Sustainability Index and is currently working on the development of a precinct wide sustainability assessment tool for Landcom: PRECINX; and Scott Wilson of the NSW Department of Planning. Date: 5 March 2010 Time: 12:30pm - 2:00pm Venue: Level 38, 201 Elizabeth St, Sydney Light refreshments will be provided For more information or to RSVP call (02) 9262 6989. 2. New EDO Publication - the Major Projects Toolkit The Major Projects Toolkit is a publication designed to assist local residents and community groups to engage in the process for assessing and approving major projects under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The toolkit comprises a step by step guide to the Part 3A process with information on opportunities for public participation and ideas for how to achieve best practice outcomes. The EDO wishes to acknowledge and thank the City of Sydney for funding this project. The publication is available in hard copy free of charge to all City of Sydney residents. Please call the EDO to request a copy on 02 9262 6989. If you are not a City of Sydney resident you can access the publication online at: http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/pubs/100217major_projects_tk.pdf 3. Diary Note - ANEDO Conference Announcement The Australian Network of Environmental Defender's Offices (ANEDO) will be holding a national conference on 28-29 May 2010. The conference will be held at the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts in Sydney. The Hon. Robert McClelland, Attorney General will be opening the conference and some of Australia's leading legal environmental speakers will participate in panels over the two days. More details will be available soon on the EDO website. 4. New EDO Publications Survey What do you think of our EDO publications? Please evaluate the following publications online by clicking this online evaluation
5. Please complete our online planning survey The EDO, along with Total Environment Centre (TEC) held a series of workshops throughout NSW to update the community on the recent changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and to seek community feedback on the NSW Planning System. The workshops were based on a discussion paper entitled 'Planning in NSW: Reconnecting the community with the planning system' which outlines the NSW planning system and the opportunities for public participation. You can access the discussion paper at: http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/pubs/091112planning_discussion_paper.pdf The workshops were funded by the Department of Planning NSW and were jointly facilitated by the EDO and TEC. They were held in Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong and Moruya throughout November 2009. People who could not attend the workshops are encouraged to give their feedback on the NSW Planning System by completing our Online Survey. 6. FREE copies of the new edition of the Rural Landholder's Guide to Environmental Law in NSW If you would like the EDO to visit your area to present a workshop on the contents of the guide please contact EDO Education Director Jemilah Hallinan on 02 9262 6989. The new edition of the Rural Landholder's Guide to Environmental Law in NSW, a publication last produced by the EDO in 2006, is now available for free, including postage and handling. The guide is a valuable tool in understanding the law in NSW regarding land management and explains legislation dealing with issues such as vegetation management, protected species, fire management, water management, construction and development, pollution, agricultural chemicals, cr ops and stock, mining and quarrying, heritage protection, conservation on private land and trading and offsetting agreements. To obtain your FREE copy of the guide please call (02) 9262 6989. Boxes of 160 are also available on request for groups or organisations. This project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.
Law and Policy Watch 7. Irrigators lose High Court water rights case A constitutional law expert says a High Court ruling against 107 Murray irrigators will give the Federal Government more scope to buy water without proper compensation. The farmers, led by irrigator Alan Arnold, took the Commonwealth and some States to court to get fair compensation after the NSW Government replaced their bore licences with aquifer licences, reducing the amount of water the irrigators were allowed to use. The group alleged that the Commonwealth acted through the NSW Government to try to avoid paying "just terms compensation" under Section 51 of the Australian Constitution. The High Court rejected this claim. For the full text of this article, please visit: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201002/s2815431.htm?site=adelaide
To view the EDO 's submission in its entirety, please visit: http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/pdf/subs09/091217residential_tenancies_act.pdf.
To view the EDO's submission in its entirety, please visit: http://www.edo.org.au/policy/100128ret_discussion_papers4&5.pdf
This inquiry is a current Legislative Assembly inquiry conducted by the Natural
Resource Management (Climate Change) Committee. On 2 December
2009, the Standing Committee on Natural Resource Management (Climate
Change) resolved to inquire into issues of sustainable water management
with particular reference to climate change impacts and, in particular,
to report on the following terms of reference: Closing date for submissions is Friday 26 February 2010 Legislation in NSW is usually reviewed after five years. A review is carried out to determine whether the policy objectives of an Act remain valid and whether the means of addressing these objectives are appropriate. The following Acts are shortly due for review:
10. Local Environmental Plan Tracking The process for creating Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) starts with a planning proposal which in most cases is prepared by your local council. They are then assessed by the Department of Planning which makes a gateway determination to determine whether the proposal has sufficient merit to proceed. Once planning proposals pass through the gateway stage they are placed on the Planning Department's website which allows the community to track their progress. To access the LEP tracking system visit the Department of Planning website at: http://leptracking.planning.nsw.gov.au/Default.aspx The following local government areas have made planning proposals during the past seven days:
EDO in the Media 11. ABC: Debate escalates over yabby fishing in the Darling (12 February 2010) An environmental action group is stepping up its campaign to ban commercial yabby fishermen from the Darling River system. The Darling River Action Group has been fighting the issue for a number of years, and has now approached the Environmental Defender's Office in Sydney to further its cause. Chairman Mark Hutton says his group believes yabbies are being overfished. For the full text of this article, please visit: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201002/s2817888.htm
Environmental Law Notices - New South Wales 12. 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://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=search&status_id=6
http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3551 http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3556
http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3499
http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3113
http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3774 13. State Conservation Notices - Invitation to Comment The full listing of conservation plans is available for public comment on the National Parks and Wildlife website at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/consult/DecPublicConsultation.htm There are no new notices since the last eBulletin. 14. Department of Lands - Public Exhibition The following draft plans are currently being exhibited for public comment. Visit http://www.lands.nsw.gov.au/about_us/publications/exhibition to view the plans in detail. There are no new notices since the last eBulletin.
Environmental Law Notices - Commonwealth 15. 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: VIC Geelong - rail upgrades http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5363 Burnside- Commercial development http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5359 WA Pilbara Coast - Seismic Survey http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5360 Gracetown - expansion of town site http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5358 QLD Normanton - Extraction of rock http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5366 ACT Water upgrade at the Australian National Botanic Gardens http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5364 NT Darwin - construction of overtaking lane Stuart Highway http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5362
Community News 16. AYAD Placement: Live & Learn Environmental Education, Vanuatu The EDO invites applications from young Australians (aged 18-30) interested
in a Climate Change Officer role with Live & Learn Environmental Education
in Vanuatu to be nominated as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development. • Develop educational materials in climate change and relevant capacity building themes • Work with youth to host awareness-raising events such as training, workshops, a youth climate change forum • Assist Live & Learn and local youth to build relationships with government and other NGOs and international organizations to share skills and knowledge • Assist Live & Learn to develop programs and build the organization in Vanuatu The nominated candidate must have a tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline and an understanding of climate change issues. Strong candidates will also have: . Awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences . Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal . Ability to work independently and within a small team . Experience developing teaching/educational materials and modules, or experience teaching community or youth groups . Experience working with environmental and/or development NGOs . Experience in fundraising and programme development If approved, the position will be for twelve months, to commence in July 2010. Applicants should be aware that the EDO is only responsible for the selection of a candidate for nomination to AYAD. All AYAD placements proposed by the EDO are subject to final approval by AYAD, which will not be confirmed until after a suitable candidate has been nominated. Your application to the EDO should include an AYAD application cover sheet, your CV in the AYAD format, a Statement against the Selection Criteria (available in the AYAD application form: http://www.ayad.com.au/forms-a-downloads/volunteers ), and contact details for three referees. Applications to be considered for nomination by the EDO are to be emailed to EDO International and must be received by 22 February 2010. The EDO will select a candidate for nomination and advise them of their selection by 25 February 2010. The nominated candidate will then need to submit a full application to the AYAD Program, as outlined on the AYAD website: http://www.ayad.com.au by 26 February 2010. Please contact Amelia Thorpe, International Programs Director, on (02) 9262 6989 or 0430 153 444 for further information. 17. Position Vacant: Nature Conservation Council of NSW (Office Manager) Location: Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Kent Street,
Sydney The Office Manager provides administrative, organisational and communications
(including IT) support to NCC ensuring the efficient and effective operation
of the organisation. The NCC team currently comprises 11 permanent staff
members and a small and dedicated team of volunteers. The organisation
has a financial turnover of $1.3m per year. Applications to: 18. Position Vacant: Nature Conservation Council of NSW (CEO) This position is a unique opportunity for a motivated sustainability leader
to guide the direction of NSW's peak environment group. Few roles can offer
similar opportunities for making a genuine difference on some of the biggest
environment challenges facing this and future generations. Make 2010 count for you and the planet!! 20. The Centre for Sustainability Leadership, Fellowship Program The Centre for Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Program is the Centre for Sustainability Leadership's flagship training program. We select a group of passionate people from all around the globe who demonstrate potential to lead efforts for the creation of a more sustainable world. Twenty-five participants are selected for the Sydney and Melbourne programs from hundreds of applicants each year. In this intensive course, we develop the skills required to realise this potential. We provide cutting edge curriculum, open doors to unparalleled networks, and give participants access to leadership experience rarely available in the early to mid stages of a career. Applications for the 2010 Melbourne and Sydney Fellowship Program are now open. Applications close on 28 February 2010. International applicants should apply by 3 February for the chance to participate in an earlier round of phone interviews. There is a FREE Sydney information session coming up soon, on 17th February, please visit the link for details: http://cslfellowshipprograminfosydney.eventbrite.com/
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. |
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Friday 30 July, 2010
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