Industry leaders, researchers and farmers will discuss opportunities for Australia’s biodiesel production when they consider a new blueprint for the sector’s future.

Larry Little has been appointed the chief executive officer of the new Smart Water Facility.

Standards Australia will host two major industry and government forums in October to examine the role of internationally consistent standards in Australia’s new carbon emission trading scheme.

National Water Commissioners met in Canberra to examine progress on some of the major water reform issues facing Australia. At the meeting, Victorian representatives showcased the development of the Victorian State Water Register.

The government will introduce the Biofuels Bill into Parliament, which will bring into force the biofuels sales obligation.

There are serious gaps in water supply planning in some parts of Australia that must be addressed if water supplies are to be adequately maintained in the face of uncertainties about future water availability and demand, according to a study by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) which reviewed water supply planning by Australia’s non-metropolitan urban water utilities.

It has been 20 years since a fleet of vehicles, powered only by the sun’s rays, first crossed the imposing Australian outback, in a 3000 km challenge.

The latest independent review of GreenPower products — Green Electricity Watch 2007 — has revealed the country’s top green energy providers. The ranking system helps consumers to make more informed choices when buying government accredited GreenPower.

Energy Minister David Parker has announced the appointment of four new members to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

Hume City Council has won the Spatially Enabling Government Award for its development of a spatial mapping system to support its waste collection process. This has significantly improved the efficiency of its customer services department, which received over 11,000 queries relating to waste collection in the last 12 months.

Waste tyre recycling company Reclaim Industries Ltd has announced that it has been awarded a government grant to the value of $567,500.

Applying a proper business approach to environmental flows and freeing up the rules for private ownership and management could play a key role in ensuring the long-term ecological sustainability of Australian rivers, according to Professor Gary Jones, CEO of eWater Cooperative Research Centre.

Armstrong World Industries has been awarded Gold Certification, in Sustainability Victoria’s Waste Wise Program at the company’s manufacturing plant in Braeside, Melbourne.

The NZ Wood program was officially launched at Parliament by Jim Anderton, Minister of Forestry. The launch kicks off the first promotional phase of NZ Wood — to present the environmental credentials of forests and wood to the building and design sector — and coincides with the launch of the NZ Wood website, www.nzwood.co.nz.

Australian manufacturing has taken a giant green step forward with the opening of a steel de-zincing plant in Melbourne.