BUSINESS NEWS: New training and funding opportunities have been introduced across Australia in response to the extreme weather conditions we have seen this year.
In response to recent extreme weather events – and rising demand for infrastructure projects and repairs to roads damaged by such events – a new qualification by the Australian Flexible Pavement Association will be approved by the National Skills Commission.
AfPA’s executive director of knowledge and partnerships, Tanja Conners, said: “Simply put, those who deliver the nation’s highest order roads should possess qualifications specific to this industry to ensure quality, safety, long-term durability, performance, and workforce sustainability.
Also in response to extreme weather events and energy volatility new grants to target energy resilience, energy efficient housing, and electric vehicle charging incentives have been released by Energy Consumers Australia.
The (Em)powering communities project, led by University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures, is among four new collaboration or influence grants totalling $633,253.
The Climateworks Centre’s household renovation pathways, the University of Queensland’s EV charging price incentives research, and the Sydney Community Forum’s culturally and linguistically diverse empowerment training, also received grant funding.
Chief executive officer Lynne Gallagher said consumer empowerment was the theme of the most recent successful grant applications.
“Providing consumers with the essential knowledge they need to make informed decisions about how, when and where they use energy, as well as the type of energy they use, is a critical part of ensuring a timely and equitable energy transition,” she said.
She said the grants support projects “that empower consumers, while also targeting the key challenges affecting our community, such as resilience to extreme weather events that disrupt reliable and safe energy supply.
“Households and communities need to understand the potential risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities associated with extreme weather events and how to prepare for them. However, energy resilience planning is often disconnected from consumer experience.
“We need to better understand the lived experience of communities during and after extreme weather events, and the impacts of prolonged and major power outages in order to help Australian communities become more resilient.”
The Sydney Koala Basin Network is holding a citizen science training day on Saturday 26 November at Rosemeadow Community hall in an effort to better protect koalas in the greater Sydney region.
The group was established by WIRES and the Total Environment Centre to strengthen the network for koala advocates across the region.