6
November 2008 - The Australian Government
is providing $161,000 to the Australian
Building Codes Board to help ensure building
codes take potential future effects of climate
change into account.
Minister for Climate
Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, announced
the funding today at the launch of an Academy
of Technological Sciences and Engineering
(ATSE) study: Assessment of Impacts of Climate
Change on Australia's Physical Infrastructure.
The Australian Building
Codes Board develops and implements national
standards for new buildings relating to
health, safety, amenity and sustainability.
The funding will be
used to outline the major risks from climate
change on Australia's building stock, to
investigate where nationally consistent
or state-specific responses are required,
and to identify areas for further research.
"The Rudd Government's
strategy for tackling climate change has
three pillars: reducing carbon pollution,
helping find a global solution, and adapting
to the unavoidable effects of climate change,"
Senator Wong said.
"This funding will
help include more robust measures in building
codes to better ensure our homes, workplaces
and public buildings are designed to withstand
the effects of climate change.
"With more extreme
weather events resulting from climate change,
the potential impact on our buildings is
a significant concern.
"Many buildings
erected today will still be in use in 40
to 60 years. So it's important to consider
the likely effect of climate changes expected
over this period on buildings being constructed
now."
Senator Wong said the
ATSE study released today underlined the
need to be prepared for the effect of climate
change on Australia's buildings. The study
showed:
Significant challenges
are expected to arise from the effects of
climate change for the security and operation
of some physical infrastructure.
There are major potential impacts on infrastructure
from combinations of climatic events, for
example sea level rise, storm surge and
extreme rainfall, particularly in low-lying
coastal areas.
There is a lack of information covering
extreme events and many professionals lack
the skills and expertise to assess the impacts
of climate change on infrastructure.
+ More
$1.2 million for renewable
energy in Cape Barren
6 November 2008 - An
Indigenous community on remote Cape Barren
Island will soon be able to use the sun
and Bass Strait wind to generate much of
its electricity.
Ministers for Families,
Housing, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs, Jenny Macklin, and Environment,
Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, today
announced the funding to benefit the 30
residences on the Island which is around
50 kilometres from the north-east tip of
the Tasmanian mainland.
The $1.26 million in
funding will help install two 20 kilowatt
wind turbines and three kilowatts of solar
panels to generate electricity on the island.
Ms Macklin said providing
reliable, 24-hour power in remote areas
was an important step towards closing the
gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians.
"This funding will
ensure the community has reliable power
which is essential for the health of the
entire community," Ms Macklin said.
"As well as delivering
a significant environmental benefit, this
project will greatly assist the Cape Barren
community," Mr Garrett said.
"The solar panels
and wind turbines will generate around 76
megawatt hours of electricity each year,
saving more than 34,000 litres of diesel
– not to mention the pollution reductions
this will help bring about.
"A new efficient
diesel generator will be installed as a
back-up for the renewable energy supply,
and sophisticated equipment will allow a
seamless switch from one energy source to
the other when needed."
The project is funded
by the Renewable Remote Power Generation
Program in the Department of the Environment,
Water, Heritage and the Arts and the Department
of Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs.
+ More
$440,000 to preserve
our nation's historic shipwreck sites
06 November 2008 - Minister
for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts,
Peter Garrett today announced $440,000 in
funding from the Australian Government's
Historic Shipwrecks Program to protect the
nation's underwater cultural heritage.
The Minister made the
announcement on a visit to the Queen Victoria
Museum in Launceston, Tasmania, where three
of the 29 funded projects will be carried
out.
"The Historic Shipwrecks
Program provides valuable financial assistance
to state and territory agencies who manage,
protect, identify and raise awareness of
historic shipwrecks on behalf of the Commonwealth,"
Mr Garrett said.
"Shipwrecks are
virtual underwater libraries of information
from our past, and the secrets and insights
our shipwrecks hold tell a story about our
nation, revealing information about the
people that traveled to our shores and the
times in which they lived.
"With a vast maritime
heritage, it is vital that we act to preserve
Australia's historic shipwrecks and their
artefacts for future generations.
"Through this year's
funding experts here in Tasmania will visit
new sites and re-inspect known wreck sites,
as well as continue detailed recording of
relics held in state museums so the information
can go into the Australian National Shipwrecks
Database."
Other projects to be
undertaken by state and territory agencies
include:
Western Australia- conservation
of shipwrecks artefacts including specialist
analytical techniques to identify and develop
appropriate treatment strategies to better
preserve them, provision of information
to the public on the archaeological information
from the recent finding of the HMAS Sydney
and HSK Kormoran.
Queensland- developing
local shipwreck trails in Southeast Queensland
in collaboration with cultural tourism operators
and community organisations. Undertaking
shipwreck survey and database development
aimed at improving the state's historic
shipwreck information.
New South Wales- continued
archaeological documentation of Japanese
midget submarine M24 including side scan
survey, video recording and still photography,
these products will be able to be used in
a new online exhibition.
Victoria- of the 15
known shipwrecks in Apollo Bay only three
have been found. A project will work with
local community groups to find 12 lost shipwrecks
through oral history and remote sensing
searches.
South Australia- locating
and protecting three whaling shipwrecks
and their associated survivor camps and
improving public knowledge of this aspect
of maritime heritage.
Northern Territory-
administration of the Historic Shipwrecks
Act to assist in site inspections, undertaking
wreck and artefact reports, enforcement
of the Act and responding to public enquiries.
Norfolk Island- development
of the HMS Sirius website to enhance public
knowledge and awareness of the shipwreck
of our 1788 first fleet flagship.
Mr Garrett said each
wreck was a precious record of our past,
serving as a marker of some of the most
significant events of our time.
"One example of
significant national interest is this year's
discovery off the Western Australian coast
of the HMAS Sydney II and the HSK Kormoran.
HMAS Sydney II sank after a fierce battle
with the HSK Kormoran on 19 November 1941.
This site, along with thousands of others,
is now protected under the Historic Shipwrecks
Act 1976 to ensure they remain for future
generations to understand and enjoy,"
Mr Garrett said.
For more information about the program and
funded projects visit http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/shipwrecks/program/index.html
