Net Zero Economy Authority passes Senate, 200 Creek St hits 6 Star NABERS, Organisations partner up to tackle skill shortage

Net Zero Economy Authority passes Senate

The federal government’s net zero economy authority has now passed the Senate. Once legislated, the body will help a number of bodies, including local and state government, regional bodies, unions, industry, investors and First Nations groups, take advantage of opportunities to accelerate Australia’s net zero transition.

The group will become one of the first steps taken towards Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s vision for green metal exports and A Future Made in Australia – a policy intending to accelerate the economy through locally produced solar panels and energy technology to support the nation’s transition to net zero.

The authority will also coordinate the jobs and skills necessary to support the vision, including retraining and redeploying workers from fossil fuel reliant energy industries and cutting red tape surrounding clean energy investment by offering accelerated evaluation and approval pathways.

200 Creek St hits 6 Star NABERS

Last year, Forza Capital’s director, Adam Murchie, spoke at The Fifth Estate’s Festival of Electric Ideas Masterclass, where he pointed to 200 Creek Street as a case study of “what can be done in 18 months”. At the time, the asset was “on its way” to 5.5 NABERS stars, but recently, it was awarded 6 NABERS stars.

Murchie says only 13 buildings in the country were awarded 6 stars in NABERS rating. Amongst those awarded with 6 stars, only five were located in Brisbane; the rest are split between five in Sydney and three in Melbourne.

The 30-year-old asset received massive upgrades to its lighting and switchboards, and 114 kilowatts of rooftop solar panels, smart metering, heat load sensors, high-efficiency chillers, and a centralised electric heat pump system were installed.

The upgrade cost a little more than $3 million, around 5 per cent of the asset’s value.

Organisations partner up to tackle skill shortage

An industrial services pathway was launched in Western Australia last month to provide training opportunities for long term unemployed people.

The program, designed in response to the skilled worker shortage, has been designed by Gnalla Enviro, an Indigenous-owned and managed company specialising in commercial and industrial waste. Trainees were sourced by Workskil Australia and supported by REMONDIS Australia WA, which hosted the launch at its Henderson plant in Perth.

The three-week program results in licences in health and safety, high pressure water jetting, forklift operation, gas testing and working at heights and confined spaces. Nine people have so far been accredited. Trainees are also currently undergoing their heavy rigid truck licence training.

Participants have also been guaranteed longer term employment at full time capacity for at least 12 months, which involves being buddied with experienced operators leading up to their full licences.

The new APCO strategy plan flags increased responsibilities

The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has published its 2030 Strategic Plan, which includes a pathway for the industry to take on greater responsibilities in line with greater recycling needs to meet national targets.

The organisation said that recycling interests should follow in its footsteps and adopt a membership fee structure that involves charging higher fees on more costly materials to recover, recycle or dispose of problematic materials. The organisation said that the move will incentivise brand owners to eliminate packaging or transition to materials and formats that are easier to recycle and or reuse.

Chief executive of APCO Chris Foley said funding raised from the new fee model would be invested downstream to help overcome economic barriers hindering progress towards the national packaging targets. This approach has proven successful in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, he said.

Aurecon joins vision for Brisbane Games

Engineering firm Aurecon has joined Northshore Vision 2050, a scheme run by the Brisbane Design Alliance, a group with plans for the legacy of Brisbane’s Northshore that extends beyond the Brisbane 2032 games.

The group wants to design a new precinct to support housing, business, recreation, education, health and wellbeing and promote tourism for its games-ready sports and entertainment stadium.

The engineering firm will bring its expertise in sports and entertainment precincts to the table while also aspiring to bring mass engineered timber buildings to meet the sustainability requirements of the Games infrastructure.

Aurecon is joined by the alliance of Buchan, HKS, NRA Collaborative, and Nikken Sekkei.

New campaign encourages intake of young planners

Following its analysis, the Planning Institute of Australia has flagged a new campaign to encourage school students to take up a career in urban planning, revealing that 43 per cent of local government areas don’t have a planner working within the organisation.

On top of the new website Become a Planner, the campaign will involve targeted advertising in digital and traditional spaces and an increased presence at career fairs, school talks, and co-branding and partnership opportunities with the wider profession.

PIA chief executive Matt Collins said that despite a skills shortage in planning, university planning degrees are also under pressure, saying, “Not enough students know what planning is and where it can take you.” The group plans to put a spotlight on pathways that can lead to planning careers, such as working on the Brisbane 2032 Games.

SmartCrete and 13 other CRC contributions recognised

A new report called Mapping and Quantification of CRCs’ Work on Decarbonisation has recognised 13 co-operative research centres (CRCs) that directly and indirectly contributed to the nation’s decarbonisation efforts. The report conducted by ACIL Allen said that CRCs have invested over $1 billion into research and development for the nation’s decarbonisation targets.

Amongst the 13 is SmartCrete CRC, (a Fifth Estate Greenlister) which has set out to decarbonise the nation’s use of concrete. SmartCrete CRC CEO Clare Tubolets said that the report highlights the value of collaborative research and what CRCs can bring.

The report forecasts that collectively, the contributions of the group between 2017 and 2032 will:

  • generate an increase of $4.8 billion in Australia’s GDP
  • raise economic welfare by $1.7 billion into Australia’s real economy
  • create 3705 jobs in the years to 2032, with an average of 265 full time jobs per year
  • generate $5.80 in additional GDP output for every dollar of investment and contribution

Costco, Mahindra & Mahindra, Novenesis, TOTVS, Unicharm benefit from Stewart Investors attention

Stewart Investors has flagged it plans to invest in sustainable solutions targeting food systems, which are among the largest contributors to global CO2 emissions.

The company said it will provide support for five food related companies it believes are the forefront of innovation in sustainable food systems while also providing long-term returns to investors. This includes

Big established suburbs are slower in solar uptake

New data from the Clean Energy Regulator has released says that residents in up and coming and regional suburbs are now more likely to have solar power and battery storage than established suburbs closer to the CBD. Probably in no surprise to anyone who keeps an eye on the offers coming from new housing providers.

For example, solar uptake in Mosman, based in Sydney’s north shore, was just 16 per cent, while uptakes in Marsden Park have gone up to 87 per cent.

The best NSW suburbs for solar take up include:

  • Tumbulgum, Tweed Heads – 71 per cent
  • The Ponds, in Sydney’s northwest – 59.2 per cent
  • Glenwood, Parklea, Stanhope Gardens – 55.5 per cent

The worst solar take up includes:

  • Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point, Rushcutters Bay, Woollomoloo – 2.9 per cent
  • Ultimo – 4.8 per cent
  • Darlinghurst, Surry Hills – 5.3 per cent

David Sedighi, chief operating officer at battery storage system provider VoltX Energy, said solar uptake in newer suburbs is likely due to government mandates for new home construction to meet energy and water consumption standards through BASIX.

With the NSW government soon introducing a rebate of $1600 for battery storage systems on 1 November, Sedighi said the cost of a VoltX battery can go down from $7500 to $5900.

Affordable city studios seek passionate artists

And in a piece of good news the City of Sydney is offering creative live and work spaces for artists in a property it owns in Darlinghurst.

The offer of subsidised space is for 18 months from November. Applicants need to demonstrate a “relevant creative practice” to pursue throughout the tenancy and say why they would benefit from this unique opportunity. Here’s where to apply.

Industry associations slam South Australia’s building standards freeze

Following The Fifth Estate’s coverage of the South Australian government’s decision to freeze any changes to the National Construction Code for the next 10 years, three industry associations released statements expressing disappointment with the decision.

The Australian Passivhaus Association, ArchiTeam and prefabAUS, said the changes will undermine occupant health, building quality, and industry skills and still not achieve the goal of addressing affordability.

The three also argue that the state government was locking the workforce’s skillset into lagging other states by a decade and that new buildings would likely have issues with mould and moisture.

The associations call on the government to reconsider the controversial decision that fell short of the broader societal, affordability and environmental needs.

Multiplex and the ACT fully electric hospital

Multiplex has finished constructing the nation’s first fully electric hospital building as part of expansions to the Canberra Hospital – believed to be one of the ACT government’s largest health infrastructure project to date. The building will house the public hospital’s new emergency, surgical and critical healthcare services within the existing Canberra Hospital campus at 77 Yamba Drive in Garran.

The building was designed by BVN after consultation with hospital staff and healthcare consumers. It will feature outdoor terraces and courtyards serving as family and visitor waiting areas.

The building will target 5 Star Green Star design rating with notable features, including 21 massive heat pumps to replace gas boilers, solar shading, and thermally-broken double glazed façade units to minimise the cooling required in summer and heating required in winter.

The building will also use management and control systems to monitor energy efficiency and the recycled water used for landscaping and irrigation. The company also lowered embodied carbon by using electrified cranes, locally sourcing a low carbon concrete mix for the structure and repurposing or salvaging 96 per cent of materials used in the previous building during demolition.

The construction spanned more than three years with 4000 people working on site, equivalent to  1.7 million hours of labour.

EnergyLab working with 10 new sustainable startups

Climate tech startup EnergyLab has launched its 2024 climate solutions accelerator cohort after successfully raising funds to invest in accelerating its startups.

The startups that came out on top in the accelerator’s competitive selection process will receive angel investor funding from Impact Ventures, which receives support from 60 climate tech companies. These include Amber Electric, Farmbot, Renewable Metals and Orkestra. The investors will also be granted access to the companies’ oversubscribed seed and series A rounds in follow-on investment rounds.

The 10 startups are:

  • Brownee
  • CLT Toolbox
  • Dewpoint Innovations
  • Enaxiom
  • GridStore Energy
  • InfigoLabs
  • OptiGrid
  • Planet Price
  • Stralis Aircraft
  • X-Centric

Wellbeing framework submission from Committee for Sydney

The NSW government wellbeing budget framework might be in place sooner than expected. However, the Committee for Sydney said in its submission, that traditional budgeting measures don’t provide accuracy on whether policies and funding improve the wellbeing of the state’s citizens.

“While they provide insights into revenue and expense estimates, they don’t reveal whether we’ll be happier, healthier or more equal as a result of government decisions.

“For example, if the success of state budgets is measured by minimising expenses and increasing revenue, a simple thing to do would be to cut all spending on the environment and increase revenue from fossil fuels. This doesn’t achieve the net-zero goals we want and harms our community and planet.

The committee said that without a framework, government investment into the community infrastructure could trade the wellbeing of future generations “to satisfy our own short-term wants.”

New research says mature forests are needed to fight climate change

Trees seem smarter and more adaptive than we think, according to researchers from the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, whose work challenges theories that mature woodland can’t respond to elevated CO2 levels.

Instead, measurements suggest that older trees counter increased CO2 in the atmosphere by increasing woody biomass production.

Measurements were made during observation of a 180 year old woodland dominated by 26 metres tall English oak trees, which was exposed to about a 40 per cent increase in CO2 levels over seven years.

Observations reveal that wood production had increased by an average of 9.8 per cent during this period. In addition, there was no further increase in the production of materials such as leaves or fine roots, which re-releases CO2 back into the atmosphere relatively quickly over this period.

While this medium term carbon storage increase in forests was good news, researchers emphasised that there was no reason to delay reductions in fossil fuel consumption. Researchers will continue to observe whether there are long term implications for trees and biodiversity.

Public servants forced to return to office

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns this week sent public servants back to the office – well, at least the 15 per cent of the 40,000 or so who had a choice.

A memo on Monday told staff that employees are now mandated to work primarily from an approved office, workplace or related work site.

The new guidelines don’t affect frontline workers already in the field, those offered flexible working arrangements and individual agencies.

A letter from the secretary of the premier’s department reads:

“The NSW public sector is the largest workforce in the country … the majority of our teams work face-to-face with the community, and others fill critical roles to keep our institutions functioning to the highest standards,”

“This new guidance draws on the experience we bring of working together through the pandemic and through a period of profound natural disasters, all the while striving to serve the community.”

While the department has not mandated a particular attendance pattern, Minns told media that full time employees would be expected to work at least three days in the office. He cited “overseas studies”, which show that people were less productive when working from home.

The move had mixed reactions, with the Property Council of Australia’s State executive director, Katie Stevenson, calling the decision a “bold move” that will restore the CBD’s high office vacancy rates.

The Public Service Association, while admitting the union itself doesn’t offer its employees the option to work from home, believes that pushing people back into office could lead to loss of staff. It also flagged the possibility of overcrowded specific sites by employees whose roles do not require them to attend specific sites.

Stewart Little, general secretary of the PSA, told the ABC, “I don’t think anyone in their right mind thinks that we’re ever going to return to pre-pandemic ways of work, that’s just a thing of the past,” he said.

Big gas paying mainstream media for promotion

It’s disappointing to see that a publisher as big as The Sydney Morning Herald carry a huge promo content piece named Three reasons to rethink natural gas sponsored by big oil and gas lobby group Australian Energy Producers Ltd.

The article quotes the group chief saying that 27 per cent of Australia’s energy needs are provided by gas and should be kept as a backup to renewable energy. It follows with sob stories of how big oil and big gas is committed to net zero by 2050 and how they have a potential second carbon capture facility opening later in the year before pushing readers to its platform, Keeping the Country Running.

Design Declares officially launched

Design Declares, an initiative of the global declaration movement, has officially launched in Australia following a successful launch event at the end of July. The collective has signed 58 signatories in Australia at launch, with a further 930 signatories spread across the globe. The collective commits designers, design studios, agencies and institutions dedicated to declaring and actively addressing the climate and ecological emergency.

Ben Rennie, appointed chairperson of Design Declares Australia, said, “Research shows that 80 per cent of all climate-related challenges today are rooted in the design phase of products. Our mission is to reverse this trend and harness our collective power to effect real environmental change.”

Notable signatories include Frost, Reny and Mek Studio.

GBCA unveils upgrade to its ratings

The Green Building Council of Australia has launched its Green Star Performance v2, a comprehensive update of the sustainability performance rating tool that certifies the operational performance of an existing building.

According to GBCA the tool was overhauled after consulting with over 200 experts to make sure the tool’s “benchmarks are aligned with the world’s leading investor and sustainable finance frameworks and with the net zero expectations.”

The updated tool also addresses sustainability, circular economy principles, fitout waste, embodied carbon, health and wellbeing, social impact, nature, and climate resilience. 

The tools allows buildings with a NABERS rating to earn up to 27 points towards their performance rating.

Registrations for Green Star Performance v2 are now open, with registrations for version 1 to close starting in 2025. All projects must only be rated under version 2 starting in 2026.

New Ipsos survey shows the renewable energy messaging is not getting through

A new survey from market researcher Ipsos shows there’s strong support for the green energy transition but a rising concern about prices.

 While 59 per cent of Australians support the transition to renewables, 41 per cent says they are worried about the negative impacts of the transition on cost of living – a rise of 10 percentage points.

Australians are also sceptical about climate change action with half of Australians not convinced there are any plans around the energy transition, or that it simply won’t happen.

A massive 54 per cent say they don’t understand the actions being taken around climate change.

Strongest supporters of the transition are consumers in the inner regional areas – 66 per cent – and Gen Z and Millennials – 61 per cent.

Bega Valley aims to become Australia’s most circular economy

Bega Valley, famous for its cheese produces, hit the headlines this week with a bold plan to make the entire valley a circular exemplar. The extended article on ABC Landline featured Bega Group chairman Barry Irvin sharing his ambitions plans that he’s cobbled up with the support of industry, council and government.

He told the program the deadline for these aims was 2030.

Irvin, whose company was previously known as Bega Cheese, said he was inspired by how The Netherlands was adopting low emission and sustainable circular practices and said that circularity was a “virtuous circle where everybody wins” from its economic, social or environmental point of view.

The group’s dairy factory boiler now runs on wood waste, with ash residue used as lime replacement on pastures, saving the company $200,000 a year. Its new evaporator extracts $5000 a tonne worth of milk minerals from whey waste, which paid for itself within a year.

The Bega Valley Shire Council runs a weekly food and garden organics waste collection service and a recycling centre. Federal Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain also supports the project, saying Rabobank, KPMG, Deloitte, Charles Sturt University, the University of Wollongong, the local council, the state government and the federal government were all on board.

Sustainable forest in memory of Jeff Robinson

On 25 July 2024, the late Jeff Robinson’s family, friends, colleagues and those inspired by his enthusiasm for sustainability gathered on the lands of the Jardwadjali & Djabwurung people to plant a sustainable memorial forest at Ledcourt in the northern part of the Grampians National Park in the Victoria, with the help of tree planting charity GreenFleet.

The group said it had planted about 1000 native trees across four hectares of land. The forest will be legally protected as a native forest, featuring species such as the Australian Blackwood, Sweet Bursaria, and the Yellow Box Eucalyptus, and will serve to rejuvenate former farming land.

Robinson’s admirers have also managed to convert his LinkedIn page to a “First Question Society”, “a place we have established to continue Jeff’s legacy in Sustainability and Advocacy, and most importantly, his deep love for connecting and building friendships” as well a place to watch his forest grow.

CEFC enables more EVs to hit the road

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has upped its investment in electric rideshare vehicle operator Splend by $20 million bringing the total to double that amount at $40 million.

The new finance will allow the operator to add another 5000 vehicles to its fleet by the end of this year with more than 2000 to be zero-emission EVs.

Chris King, Splend’s chief executive, said: “Electrifying transportation is crucial for achieving zero-emission mobility, and rideshare is a key battleground. We had under 500 EVs on the roads one year ago in NSW. With CEFC’s $40 million backing, we’ll finish 2024 with over 2000 EVs nationwide, providing affordable, sustainable transport across Australia.”

“There are over 100,000 rideshare vehicles in Australia, and less than 3 per cent are EVs with most being petrol internal combustion engine.”

The aim of the company is to transition another 15,000 rideshare vehicles to EVs with the potential for each driver to save $6000 annually on fuel and maintenance, he said.

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