Swiss solar inverter company SolarMax has announced a distribution partnership with Green Initiatives Australia, one of Australia’s largest installers of residential solar programs in Queensland. [ + ]

The Australian Soil Consortium (ASC) - a group of farmers, agribusiness companies and scientists who are concerned for the future of one of the nation’s most valuable assets - says Australia needs a nationwide effort to raise soil fertility. [ + ]

The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), launched today, will give the construction industry access to real-time cost data, leading to more precision in the pricing and scoping of major building and infrastructure projects. [ + ]

The eighth edition of Eco Expo Asia - Asia’s annual exhibition for green business solutions - opens next week from 28-31 October in Hong Kong. The fair aims to highlight green products and solutions for all parties concerned with reaching a greener future across Asia. [ + ]

The winners of the 2013 Premier's Sustainability Awards for Victoria have been announced. The Premier's Recognition Award was won by Moonee Valley City Council and Wingate Avenue Community Centre for their project to introduce recycling to a community housing estate. [ + ]

Toyota New Zealand's entire dealer network has officially been certified Enviro-Mark Gold standard or better. Enviro-Mark is a nationally recognised environmental management program in which organisations progress through five levels and are independently audited at each step. [ + ]

Air New Zealand last week launched a global search for an environmental enthusiast keen to share the wonders of the Antarctic continent with the world. [ + ]

The City of Sydney has urged members of the NSW Parliament to reform outdated electricity regulations preventing the installation of low-carbon trigeneration electricity plants. [ + ]

Eight councils that form part of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) have signed an agreement with waste management company Veolia. [ + ]

Infrastructure solutions company Tenix has completed the design and construction of the first stage of a demonstration grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar farm, located at Bungendore in southern NSW. [ + ]

EPA Victoria has teamed up with Rotary Donations in Kind (DIK), Totally Work Wear (TWW) and Fashion Biz in a partnership that will see more than 200 old EPA uniforms sent overseas to Africa and East Timor. [ + ]

Australian Research Council Future Fellow and an Associate Professor at the Australian National University, Yun Liu is the 2013 Banksia Sustainability Awards winner in the Innovation category. [ + ]

Energy management specialist Schneider Electric has selected Microsoft Windows Azure, a cloud computing and infrastructure platform, as a preferred cloud provider for the company’s StruxureWare software applications and suites. [ + ]

Scientists from CSIRO's Water for a Healthy Country Flagship have trialled a new approach to sugar cane plantation weed management in select Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments. [ + ]

The Australian Government yesterday released, for public consideration, exposure drafts of the legislation to repeal the carbon tax. [ + ]