Industry News

Downer EDI Limited has been awarded a $70 million contract by Meridian Energy Australia for engineering work on the Mt Mercer Wind Farm in Victoria. 

The wind farm, located 30 kilometres south of Ballarat, will consist of 64 turbines with 131MW capacity.

Downer will conduct balance of plant work which includes the design and construction of the electrical and civil works including the wind farm sub-station, 33kV collector system, internal road network, crane hardstands and wind turbine foundations.

The wind farm will provide enough energy to service the electricity needs of the entire Ballarat community.

The Chief Executive Officer of Downer, Grant Fenn, said Downer has extensive capabilities in the renewable energy sector having previously worked on the Colgar Wind Farm in Western Australia, Lake Bonney Wind Farm in South Australia and Waubra Wind Farm in Victoria. Downer has delivered in excess of 1GW across 11 Wind Farm developments across Australia to key customers.

Construction of the Mt Mercer Wind Farm will commence in December and is expected to take two years to complete.

Safe Work Australia Chair Mr Tom Phillips AM has launched the 2012 Safe Work Australia Week Safety Ambassador Program and called for nominations for the 2012 Safety Ambassador of the Year Award.

“This year national Safe Work Australia Week will be celebrated from 21-27 October and every workplace in Australia should be planning to use the week to make improvements to health and safety in their workplace,” Mr Phillips said.

“Held annually, Safe Work Australia Week encourages all working Australians to focus on improving health and safety in their workplaces to reduce death, injury and disease. It reminds us all that safety should be a priority all year round.”

“There are many ways for Australians to get involved in Safe Work Australia Week including becoming a Safety Ambassadors in their workplace.”

“A Safety Ambassador is someone with a passion for work health and safety who is dedicated to making their workplace safer. They can be a worker at any level who is willing to lead by example and motivate their workplace to participate in Safe Work Australia Week.”

As well as being recognised as leaders in workplace safety, Safety Ambassadors receive access to a range of Safe Work Australia Week resources to help them plan and promote activities in their workplace. They also have the opportunity to enter the Safety Ambassador of the Year Award. Entries for the Award close on 24 September 2012 and the winner will be announced at the end of October.

“The Safety Ambassador of the Year Award recognises Safety Ambassadors who have demonstrated safety leadership and have made workplace safety a priority not just during Safe Work Australia Week but all year round.” Mr Phillips said.

The theme of this year’s week, Safety begins with ‘S’ but starts with You reminds Australian workers that anyone can lead safety in their workplace.

Throughout October states and territories will also be raising awareness of work health and safety through their own safe work weeks or months and will be promoting a range of activities and events to the public.

“I encourage organisations and workers to become involved with activities in their state or territory and make work health and safety a priority,” Mr Phillips said.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are the CEO or an entry level worker it is up to you to start improving safety.”

More information is at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.

The Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh has announced the appointment of 55 directors to Victoria's 19 water corporation boards, including Melbourne Water.

Mr Walsh said water boards were driven to build strong partnerships with their communities and customers, to deliver high quality and sustainable water services to their regions.

"Each of the 55 board directors appointed today will play an important role in setting the strategic direction of their authorities, implementing proper governance and sound financial management and delivering fairer water prices for households under Water Plan Three," Mr Walsh said.

"This year, more than 440 expressions of interest were received from a diverse range of highly skilled individuals willing to serve their community on a water board.

Mr Walsh announced the appointment of three new water authority chairs, business executive Paul Clark to lead Melbourne Water, Australian Water Association chair Lucia Cade at Western Water and the elevation of existing director Trevor Nink as chair of Westernport Water.

Doug Shirrefs of South East Water, Jeremy Johnson of Central Highlands Water and Richard McDowell from Gippsland Water have all been re-appointed chairs for their respective authorities.

Across Victoria's 19 water boards, 21 members have been reappointed and there are 34 new appointments.

In 2011, 77 directors were appointed to Victoria's water boards with terms expiring on 30 September 2013.

The new appointments commence on 1 October 2012 and will expire on 30 September 2015.

Further information on the new directors will be available from relevant water corporations.

More information is here.

The Tasmanian Government has launched an advertising campaign to encourage Tasmanian businesses to prepare for the new workplace OHS laws that will come into effect from January 2013.

The Minister for Workplace Relations, David O'Byrne, said the 'OH S…' campaign plays upon the OH&S acronym, to remind employers and managers that the new laws come into effect from next year.

"OHS… is the understandable gut reaction of any worker, manager or business owner when they hear there's been an accident in the workplace," Mr O'Byrne said. "This campaign uses that first reactionary moment to try and promote how workplaces can be proactive on work health and safety.

"We know that bland advertising often fails to capture people's attention. This campaign takes a more irreverent approach to get the message across effectively," he said.

Mr O'Byrne said the broader definition of 'worker' under the new legislation means duty holders must be aware of their health and safety responsibilities. 

"A workplace accident affects everyone - including family, friends and workmates. It's essential that workplaces take steps now to comply with the laws, and help ensure the safety of workers," he said.

Mr O'Byrne said more than 1,000 Tasmanians have already attended free WorkSafe Tasmania information sessions about the new legislation, around Tasmania.

One Tasmanian business that is taking action and embracing the legislative changes is Ronald Young & Co Builders.

The company's Director, Paul Burnell, said his organisation is developing new documentation and systems to ensure they comply with the new legislation before January 2013.

"We are taking a proactive approach to the upcoming changes with some of our work to date including a review of the Draft Codes of Practice relevant to the construction industry, weekly toolbox meetings as well as setting up a work health and safety committee and activity database," Mr Burnell said.

"We are also hosting an information evening for our contractors, attending relevant training sessions, such as those being held as part of WorkSafe Month, and encouraging our workers and contractors to do the same.

"We recognise our responsibility to be aware of, and to implement these changes to ensure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day," he said.

Businesses or workers interested in finding out more about how the new model work health and safety legislation might affect them should attend one of the many free information sessions being held across the State during WorkSafe Tasmania Month which runs from 1 October - 2 November 2012.

More information is at www.worksafe.tas.gov.au.

The ACT Government has announced that the Territory’s new sub-acute hospital will be located at the University of Canberra.

To be known as the University of Canberra Public Hospital, the new facility will be built on the northwest corner of the campus, bounded by Ginninderra Drive and Aikman Drive.

University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker said the new sub-acute hospital will provide the opportunity for a centre of excellence in rehabilitation and the management of chronic disease.

“The University of Canberra Public Hospital will provide patient focused care delivered by multi-disciplinary teams, as well as services and advice to people with chronic disease or disability living in their own homes. It will be equipped with tele-health capacity – this is exactly the clinical environment in which we can train top quality future clinicians and undertake high quality research in the areas of rehabilitation and public health.

“An on-campus hospital provides more high quality clinical placements to students, academic and research opportunities for clinical staff and additional benefits to patients in rehabilitation and sub-acute care.”

Professor Parker said there was huge potential in co-locating the hospital and the University’s Faculty of Health on campus. It enhances the University’s ‘health precinct’, following the decision to locate a new health building (a partnership between Ochre Health and the University) including a new ACT GP super clinic on campus, the expansion of the University’s successful student-led clinics, and the inclusion of a National e-Health Living Laboratory in partnership with NICTA in the super clinic building.

Fortescue Metals group has announced it will defer the development of the Kings deposit within the Solomon mining hub and the full completion of its fourth berth at Herb Elliott Port until iron ore prices return to more sustainable levels.

It has also to announced the sale of the 125 megawatt dual-fuel power station at its Solomon iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia to a wholly-owned subsidiary of TransAlta Corporation for US$300 million, and signed a contract to purchase the power station's entire output over the life of the Solomon Mine.

In a statement to the ASX, Fortescue said the action was necessary  "to secure the profitability and liquidity of the company in response to
volatile market conditions and uncertainty over future iron ore prices." It projected the deferment of projects would result in a slight reduction to the previous FY13 production guidance of 86.5Mt equity tonnes to a new range of 82Mt – 84Mt.

Fortescue CEO Nev Power said staff numbers and operating costs would be reduced immediately to save approximately $300 million.

“The focus in the short term will be on reducing operating expenditure at the Cloudbreak mine until the low-strip ratio Firetail operations, with costs in the lowest quartile of the global cost curve, come online in the March quarter 2013,” he said.

Mr Power said Fortescue intends to complete the development of its Solomon project when market conditions recover.

“We have deferred our development at Kings in such a way that we have the option to resume our expansion activities at Solomon without penalty to reach 155mtpa,” he said.

The statement confirmed that the company would complete the expansion of its Christmas Creek mine, commission the low-cost Firetail deposit at Solomon mine and deliver port and rail projects to deliver a near term growth target of 115mtpa. The completion of Christmas Creek stage two ore processing facility will see first ore produced from the next expansion phase within four weeks.

Mr Power said that Fortescue was also in discussions with two preferred major investors over the partial sale of the North Star magnetite project.

The company's statements were followed by the resignation of joint company secretary and investor relations head Rod Campbell.

The Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett has unveiled details of the proposed route for a new light rail system to be called Metro Area Express or MAX.

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) has announced it would cease production at its Gregory open-cut mine, which is part of the Gregory Crinum complex  near Emerald, from 10 October 2012.

The decision follows a continuing operational review of the Gregory Crinum operations, which determined that the Gregory open-cut mine production was no longer profitable in the current economic environment of falling prices, high costs and a strong Australian dollar.

BMA Asset President, Stephen Dumble, said production costs for the open-cut Gregory mine currently exceed the revenue from product sales, and therefore the only option available to the company was to cease production.

“The Crinum underground mine will continue to operate along with the Gregory Coal Handling Preparation Plant.  The remaining operations will be made more competitive by the removal of the high cost Gregory production.

“We understand that this decision will have an impact on our employees, their families and the Emerald community. We will work closely with our workforce and look for opportunities to redeploy affected employees to other BMA operations,” he said.

The continuing operational review will identify additional measures to further reduce operating costs, making remaining underground production more profitable.  BMA will also continue to review its remaining portfolio of assets to ensure that each operation can be cost competitive and profitable across the price cycle.

Xstrata Coal has announced it will be cutting around 600 positions from its operations, including both contractors and permanent positions. There would also be reduction of some roles at the Sydney corporate headquarters and consolidation of office-based operations in Queensland.

In a statement, Xstrata said it was responding to industry-wide pressures including low coal prices, high input costs and a strong Australian dollar against the US dollar.

Xstrata said that while the cut backs were not being identified by individual site, the restructure would focused on scaling back high cost production at some of mines.  

“We do not expect a material impact on Australian production volumes,” the statement said. 

“Our approved growth projects, such as Ravensworth North, Ulan West and our expansion at Rolleston, are proceeding as planned, and remain on budget and on schedule.  Feasibility studies into our Wandoan Project continue, to enable an investment decision once relevant approvals have been completed and market conditions permit.”

Energy Safe Victoria and WorkSafe have warned of the use of petrol generators or outdoor gas appliances inside following the recent death of a man in Ferntree Gully.

The victim is the second person to die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the past month. The man was using a petrol generator indoors when he was overcome by carbon monoxide, while a Ballarat man died just four weeks ago while using a patio heater in his loungeroom.

Victoria’s Director of Energy Safety, Paul Fearon, said carbon monoxide (CO) was a silent killer and petrol generators or outdoor gas appliances should never be used in enclosed spaces.

“If an appliance uses petrol or is attached to a portable gas bottle then the golden rule is that it should never be used indoors,” Mr Fearon said. “Petrol engines and outdoor gas appliances, such as barbecues and patio heaters, produce carbon monoxide. These are safe if they are used in the open air but can become lethal when used in enclosed spaces.

“Without proper ventilation, CO builds up quickly and can reach dangerous levels within minutes. And it’s not only the risk of CO poisoning, if you use these appliances indoors they consume all the air and you risk death from oxygen depletion.”

Mr Fearon said CO was known as a silent killer because you “can’t see it, smell it or taste it”.

“An average of one Victorian dies every year from CO poisoning but an even greater number of Victorians suffer debilitating, long-term health issues as a result,” Mr Fearon said.

The symptoms of CO poisoning can include headaches, fatigue and nausea.

“CO poisoning is most commonly caused by faulty gas heaters and Energy Safe Victoria recommends that all gas heaters – including ducted heaters, room heaters and decorative log fires – are serviced at least once every two years by a registered or licensed gasfitter to ensure both the heater and flue are working properly,” Mr Fearon said.

WorkSafe General Manager for Health and Safety Operations, Lisa Sturzenegger, said controlling risk in the workplace was essential, especially for activities that were less familiar.

“The best way to prevent carbon monoxide related deaths and illness in the workplace is to not allow the use of petrol, diesel or LPG powered appliances in confined spaces and enclosed or poorly ventilated areas.”

“If an appliance must be run in an enclosed or poorly ventilated area, the exhaust pipe should be fitted with an extraction system that vents to the outside.”

Ms Sturzenegger said fuel appliances needed to be well maintained and tuned to minimise carbon monoxide levels, and shouldn’t be run unnecessarily.

"Workers need to be supervised and trained to use safe systems of work and they should be instructed on recognising the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

A new study led by the University of Western Sydney has found low risk women giving birth in private hospitals in New South Wales are much more likely to have obstetric interventions such as inductions and caesareans compared to low risk women giving birth in public hospitals.

The University of Queensland (UQ) has signed a five-year, $1.25 million industry partnership alliance with global miner Vale to build a hub of geomicrobiological knowledge.

This is the second partnership between Vale – the world's second-largest mining company – and UQ.

It will result in research on microbial communities and microbial metal extraction processes.

Geomicrobiology, a burgeoning field in Geosciences, studies microorganisms and their influence on many geochemical processes that occur at or near the Earth's surface.

These processes include rock weathering, soil and sediment formation, and mineral genesis and degradation.

They have occurred throughout most of the Earth's history, contributing to key junctures in the geological evolution of the Earth.

Understanding these phenomena requires a multidisciplinary approach focused on the contribution of ubiquitous microorganisms.

Microorganisms found in deposits from Vale's current operations will be investigated for potential industrial applications; their genomes will be studied and mapped, and possible mechanisms for optimising their metal processing functions.

The funding will see a Vale-UQ Geomicrobiology Laboratory established in the Richards Building at the St Lucia campus.

The Laboratory will be spearheaded by Professor Gordon Southam, announced as the Vale-UQ Chair of Geomicrobiology at a recent Alumni function.

Professor Southam recently joined UQ from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, where he was a Canada Research Chair and Director of the Centre for Environment & Sustainability.

“Because of my background in microbiology, my research in earth system processes takes a bacterial view of the world,” he said.

“This approach has revolutionised our understanding of fundamental biogeochemical processes that are catalysed by bacteria, which will be important to my future work as a member of the School of Earth Sciences at UQ,” Professor Southam said.

“I want to expand my work demonstrating the role of microorganisms in catalysing large scale, economic geological processes.”

Microorganisms continue to be implicated in many applied geological processes (that is, the formation of certain iron, uranium and even gold ores) resulting in the mining industry's growing interest in this rapidly emerging field.

The expansion of a geomicrobiology research in UQ's School of Earth Sciences will lead to biotechnological innovations, leveraging natural processes and will result in more sustainable mining practices.

Vale Institute of Technology Director Dr Luiz Mello said Vale had a strong tradition of supporting research and the company was looking forward to strengthening its partnership with the University through this new initiative.

“Vale's mission as a global mining company is to transform natural resources into prosperity and sustainable development,” Dr Mello said.

“Research and the pursuit of innovation are critical to achieving our vision and creating the mining of the future.

“This alliance will not only build competencies and research infrastructure for both our organisations, it offers real potential to deliver research solutions for complex mining and mineral sector problems.”

By promoting university-industry collaborations, UQ's School of Earth Sciences and Vale will produce economic benefits for the Australian mining industry and enhance Australia's position as a global leader in providing innovative solutions to these environmental and industrial challenges.

This agreement follows on from the Vale–UQ Coal Geosciences Agreement signed in 2010 and established at UQ, School of Earth Sciences.

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released proposed draft rule changes on the economic regulation of energy networks.

The AEMC’s draft determination for networks sets out in detail its response to proposals from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and a group of major energy users, looking to enhance the way in which the AER assesses network revenue requirements.

Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson welcomed the release and the consultation process underway by the AEMC.

“These draft rules represent one piece of a broader package of work also underway through the Standing Council on Energy and Resources all aimed at ensuring our networks and our energy markets are delivering efficient outcomes to consumers,” Minister Ferguson said.

 “The proposed rules are designed to better equip the regulator to set network prices so consumers don’t pay more than is necessary for a reliable supply of electricity and necessary investment in networks still occurs.”

The Rules do not require government approval and are on track to be in place by November 2012, in time for the next round of network determinations in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The detailed draft Rules are now out for consultation and submissions to the AEMC are due by 4 October 2012.

For further information see www.aemc.gov.au.

Scientists have for the first time identified a number of WA sites capable of producing large quantities of commercial biofuel from microalgae.

They say the best sites for big-scale algal biofuel plants include stretches of land south of Geraldton, south-east of Exmouth and large areas near Karratha and Port Hedland.

Professor Michael Borowitzka from Murdoch University’s Algae Research and Development Centre and Assistant Professor Bryan Boruff from the School of Earth and Environment at The University of Western Australia used Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology to study more than 2250km of WA coastline from Lancelin to Broome and 170km inland.

Their report, Identification of the Optimum Sites for Industrial-scale Microalgae Biofuel Production in WA using a GIS Model, was prepared for the WA Government-funded Centre for Research into Energy for Sustainable Transport (CREST) and is the first WA-wide study of its kind.

Professor Borowitzka, a leading world authority on algal biofuel production, said WA had several key advantages for suitable sites: abundant sunshine, extensive land unsuitable for agriculture and plenty of water in the Indian Ocean.

“But not all of WA is ideal for such plants, so we examined sites scientifically by assessing land suitability, access to infrastructure and workforce, carbon dioxide availability − along with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus − and climate,” Professor Borowitzka said.

Assistant Professor Boruff added: “Commercial success depends on economically viable, large-scale production, which is why this study is so important.”

Professor Borowitzka said more research and development was needed to find the most energy-efficient and economically feasible way to extract and convert algal biomass into renewable bioenergy.

Limited world fossil fuel resources and an ever-increasing global demand for energy have prompted substantial interest in renewable biofuels. Professor Borowitzka has been at the forefront of research into producing biofuels from algae.

Algal biofuels − especially liquid fuels produced from algae oils − are seen as an important component of a future clean biofuels mix, he said.

Its fast growth rate and high oil content appears to make microalgae particularly well-suited to renewable biodiesel production and offers an attractive sustainable alternative source to other compounds such as carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and polysaccharides.

WA already has the world’s biggest commercial microalgae production plant at Hutt Lagoon, north of Geraldton.

US biofuel producer Aurora Algae and Australian biofuel start-up company Muradel Pty Ltd − a joint venture between Murdoch University, Adelaide Research and Innovation Pty Ltd and SQC Pty Ltd − have also built pilot plants in Karratha.

Five out of every six Australians are now online and regard the internet as a central part of their lives – but people who don’t have access are at a deepening disadvantage as the digital gap widens, researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation have warned. 

The latest research for the World Internet Project (WIP) compared Australians’ online habits to internet users in Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The survey shows that 86 per cent of Australian households have internet access, with 96 per cent of these being broadband connections.

Also, the proportion of people who connect through their mobile devices has more than doubled – from 15 per cent in 2009 to 37 per cent in 2011.  

“Many people expected internet take up by Australians to slow down in 2011, but the latest survey shows that there is still a strong growth,” say Professor Julian Thomas and Mr Scott Ewing from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) at Swinburne University of Technology. 

“More people are going online, and they are doing more things when they do. The internet is now Australia’s most important source of information – and is rapidly replacing traditional media of newspapers, radio and television.” 

The survey reveals that most respondents see the internet as a social technology that increases their contact with friends and family. It is also an important source of entertainment, challenging television as Australian’s biggest entertainment medium, the researchers say.

Other popular activities include looking for information on restaurants and recipes. Respondents also love to shop online, as 72 per cent say they are buying something on it every month. 

A quarter of the respondents also say they look at internet sites with sexual content, and one in ten do so at least weekly: Australians own up to a slightly higher rate of ‘sex surfing’ than do other nationalities in the survey.

However, the strong growth of internet take up is also widening the digital gap.

“As more people use the internet, it’s easy to assume that everyone is online – but that’s not the case. A large amount of low-income households still do not have home broadband access,” says Prof. Thomas. 

The survey shows that internet access is directly linked to income and almost four in ten households earning less than $30,000 a year say they cannot afford home broadband. They are less likely to access government services or material online and do not see the internet as a fast and efficient way to obtain information.

“These people are at greater disadvantage and in danger of being left behind as services put more of their resources on the web,” Mr Ewing says.  

“Differences in income also affect how much people benefit from the internet. Not everyone gets the same ‘bang for their buck’ online, as people from lower income households are more likely to see it as a frustrating technology.”

“As we approach the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) – with two thirds of our respondents saying that the development of NBN is a good idea – the question is what we should do to encourage lower income households to connect as well,” says Professor Thomas. 

“Since the extra bandwidth from NBN will provide more opportunities for Australians to access online content, we have to make sure that everyone partakes in this – so that the digital divide does not become more serious.”

The World Internet Project is a 32-country partnership that aims to explore how the Internet influences social, political, cultural, and economic behaviour and ideas, as measured by the attitudes, values, and perceptions of both Internet users and non-users. CCI is the Australian partner of the World Internet Project.

The full report is available to download here.

NSW Minister for Mental Health, Kevin Humphries, and NSW Mental Health Commissioner, John Feneley, have announced that applications are now open for Deputy Commissioners of the NSW Mental Health Commission, and for members of the Mental Health Community Advisory Council.

Mr Humphries said the Commission will appoint up to three part-time Deputy Commissioners, with at least one being a person who has or has had a mental illness.

“During the extensive public consultations we held across the State to allow the community to provide input into the scope and direction of the Commission, one of the strongest messages we heard was that it was important that at a senior level within the Commission there should be first-hand experience of mental illness,” Mr Humphries said.

“The expertise gained through the lived experience of mental illness will provide a unique and informed insight into many of the challenges the Mental Health Commission has been set up to overcome.

“The Deputy Commissioners will play a vital role in the operation of the Commission and will be charged with providing high level advocacy for people with a mental illness, their carers, families and the mental health community, as well as act as champions for reform.”

NSW Mental Health Commissioner John Feneley said the Commission is also seeking applications for up to 14 members for the Mental Health Community Advisory Council.

“The Council’s primary function will be to provide strategic, independent advice to the Commission on a range of mental health issues, and will play a hugely important role in the successful operation of the Commission,” Mr Feneley said.

“The candidates will be people who are extremely committed to improving the State’s mental health system.

“I expect they come from a diverse range of fields, from clinicians with decades of experience to people who have first-hand experience of mental health issues and how they can affect families, friends and carers.”

For further information call 9859 5200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Applications close 8^th October 2012.

The NSW Government has released its draft Renewable Energy Action Plan for public comment.

The draft Renewable Energy Action Plan outlines 28 actions to help NSW meet the Government’s target of 20% renewable energy by 2020, steer investment to NSW and build on the State’s expertise in renewable technology.

The draft plan, prepared with assistance from the joint industry-government Renewable Energy Taskforce chaired by the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, Professor Mary O’Kane, sets out the opportunities and actions underway for each of the renewable energy technologies in NSW.

It identifies wind energy as “one of the most commercially ready and cost effective technologies that can be deployed on a large-scale”, predicting that wind energy will deliver the bulk of new renewable generation up to 2020.

The Plan also details new proposals to most efficiently grow renewable energy generation in NSW, with new actions that aim to:

• Attract renewable energy investment and projects
• Build community support for renewable energy
• Attract and grow expertise in renewable energy technology
• Contain costs for energy customers through increased energy efficiency.

The plan is available here. Comments are due by 26 October.

The NSW Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard has announced a new unit called the Housing and Infrastructure Delivery Office will be established in the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to drive housing delivery in greenfield and urban renewal areas and report on housing supply.

“This unit is part of a restructure to deliver on the Government’s commitment of providing more housing and jobs across the state,” Mr Hazzard said.

“A new executive structure will also allow the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to provide sustainable housing growth, business and infrastructure investment in NSW.

“The Government is in the process of overhauling the NSW planning system, moving from a complex, over-regulated system to a simple, strategic and more flexible system focussed on outcomes and orderly growth.

“These reforms will ensure the community is better engaged in changes to their regions and local area with planning becoming easier to understand, more transparent and accessible online.

“Delivery of this system will require not only legislative reforms but a fundamental cultural change in the planning profession.

“A new departmental structure will help us deliver on planning priorities, respond promptly and efficiently to community and business concerns,” Mr Hazzard said.

Key features of the structure include:

• Expanded online planning outcomes, fast-tracked development approvals and long-term planning for resource issues (such as coal and coal seam gas) through new dedicated teams
• Delivering new long-term rural and regional strategies – in line with a government priority to drive regional growth
• Improving the culture of planning, both at the department and across the profession – to focus on outcomes rather than process, under the guidance of a specialist Deputy Director General; and
• Improving community and industry engagement by placing communication staff within project teams as major initiatives are developed.

The Director of Antarctic Tasmania and Science Research Development, Denzil Miller has called for  comment on a draft of the Tasmanian science research sector development strategy.

'Reaching Our Potential, Developing Tasmania's Science Research Capability' was recently made available online for public consultation.

Mr Miller said the strategy had drafted the document in close collaboration with key science research sector and Tasmanian Government stakeholders.

"The Tasmanian Economic Development Plan, identifies science and research is as a key industry sector with the potential for substantial and sustainable growth," Mr Miller said.

"Scientific endeavour is an important factor in innovation and economic growth, and the science research sector possesses a number of competitive advantages that make Tasmania an ideal place in which to invest in future science research activities. 

"Tasmania has the potential to become a world class centre of scientific endeavour in areas of immediate and emerging importance to the global community.

"This is reflected in the strategy's goal, 'To develop Tasmanian science research through facilitation of improved science research capability at a professional, government, industry and community level.'

"With targeted support, we can assist the Science Research Sector to achieve its potential.

"Such intervention, however, has to be fiscally responsible and should ensure that community outcomes are sustainable.

"This draft strategy presents the proposed approach of the Tasmanian Government in supporting this growth in a sustainable manner and I invite all interested stakeholders to provide feedback on this draft."

'Reaching Our Potential, Developing Tasmania's Science Research Capability' draft documents are available for download from the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts' website at www.development.tas.gov.au.

The public consultation period will be open until Monday, 24 September 2012.

The WA Government has announced that the Fiona Stanley Hospital will deliver cardiothoracic surgery services when it opens in 2014 and Royal Perth Hospital will retain the State’s major adult trauma centre.

Health Minister Kim Hames said the decision had been made following extensive consultation and discussion with key clinicians from across the South Metropolitan Health Service.

“The consensus was that better patient care would be achieved by consolidating these specialties at single sites,” he said.

“National and international evidence clearly indicates that clinical outcomes for high-risk patients are better when complex services, such as advance heart and lung failure, are delivered at one tertiary hospital.”

The Minister said retaining the State’s major adult trauma centre at Royal Perth Hospital took advantage of the hospital’s existing fully accredited and purpose-built service and nationally renowned trauma care. 

Similarly, relocating cardiothoracic surgery services at one location meant patients and the community would benefit from having streamlined services in a facility specifically designed for the needs of these patients.

“Fiona Stanley Hospital will become the south metropolitan centre for cardiothoracic surgery comprising the Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Service; Advanced Lung Disease Service; Pulmonary Hypertension Program; and WA Lung Transplant Unit,” Dr Hames said.

Cardiothoracic surgery and metropolitan trauma services will continue to be provided at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for patients in Perth’s northern suburbs. Fiona Stanley Hospital will also have a role as a designated metropolitan trauma service with the State burns service and State rehabilitation service located within its precinct. There is also potential to contract some cardiothoracic services to Joondalup Health Campus.