Reading RoomOn 10 July 2011, the Prime Minister released the Federal Government's 'Clean Energy Future Plan' (Plan).
The centrepiece of the Plan is the introduction of a carbon price starting at $23 per tonne of carbon pollution on 1 July 2012. This price will be payable by Australia's 500 most carbon-intensive businesses in the stationary energy, …
As part of the Gillard Government 2010 election commitment, the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (DCCEE) has released a consultation paper titled "Tax Breaks for Green Buildings". The consultation paper details proposed tax incentives for improving the energy efficiency of certain existing buildings (the Tax Breaks program).
Building owners, operators and users are coming under increasing pressure to prepare their buildings for climate change. What are the legal obligations? Are there any regulatory constraints? What practical options are available to combat climate change?
On 26 February 2010, the Coastal Climate Change Advisory Committee (Committee) released its ‘Issues and Options Paper’. In that paper, the Committee considers how coastal planning currently operates in Victoria and whether the system is equipped to meet future needs in light of the effects of climate change, which appear to be growing in frequency and intensity with …
On 26 October 2009, the bipartisan House Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts (Committee) presented its report on the inquiry into climate change and environmental impacts on coastal communities –"Managing our Coastal Zone in a Changing Climate: the Time to Act is Now". There are a number of findings …
As the push for greater emphasis on the environmental impact of buildings gathers further momentum, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has responded by expanding the scope of its suite of green building rating tools. The GBCA has recently released Green Star rating tools for multi unit residential facilities (Green Star –Multi Unit Residential v1) and healthcare …
Infrastructure projects and commercial and residential buildings have a significant impact upon the environment, including through the greenhouse gas emissions they produce and the energy they consume. This impact is projected to increase dramatically in the future as population and economic growth increase, thereby increasing demand for infrastructure and buildings.
The construction …