A South Australian company has become the first waste-to-energy company in Australia to be certified Greenhouse Friendly by the Department of Climate Change. SITA ResourceCo Alternative Fuels underwent rigorous independent verification to achieve its new status.

A Nestlé Foods factory in Pakenham, Victoria, has just completed a water-saving project that is reported to save five million litres of water a year. Rainwater captured from the rooftops of three factory buildings is used to supplement mains water for the factory’s cooling towers. 

Melbourne Water will soon be using the sewage at its Western Treatment Plant in Werribee to produce nearly all of the plant’s power needs.

The Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre is one of 10 new centres to be allocated funding in the latest round of the government’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program. The Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA) has welcomed the announcement, by the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research saying that it is encouraged that pipeline infrastructure is seen as a critical part of the nation’s battle to reduce carbon emissions.

The NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Carmel Tebbutt, along with the Member for Menai, Alison Megarrity, have officially opened The Ridge Golf Course on the site of the old Lucas Heights landfill.

Black & Veatch has announced that the first phase of the Sembcorp Changi NEWater Plant (SCNP) in Singapore was completed on schedule. The plant uses the main advanced water treatment process steps of micro-filtration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO) and ultraviolet radiation to produce NEWater, high-grade reclaimed water. When completed in 2010, the plant will supply 15% of Singapore’s current water needs.

In the wake of the federal government’s 50,000 green jobs announcement, Conergy, a global leader in the manufacture and distribution of renewable energy systems, is reminding Australians that there are real green jobs in the solar industry crying out for the promised support of our elected politicians.

The supermarket sector is embracing the green building movement and has progressed from bolt-on options to integrated design approaches that result in low-energy solutions that improve occupational amenity, and reduce capital expenditure and operating costs.

The NSW government has moved 1400 jobs to Parramatta with the official opening of Sydney Water’s headquarters in May. The building at One Smith Street, Parramatta (built and owned by Brookfield Multiplex), was designed to achieve a 5-star green rating.

In April 2009, KSB Aktiengesellschaft, Germany, booked an order for four large water pumps to be supplied to a new pumping station in Western Australia.

Over the past eight months, Bathurst Regional Council has been conducting a trial of a new technology that promises to offer significant improvements in energy consumption and the production of biosolids from sewage treatment.

Fairfield City Council in western Sydney has proved its commitment to water-sensitive urban design by installing a Rocla ecoHarvest stormwater harvesting system in the centre of the CBD.

Inverter technology being introduced to Australasia by industrial drives manufacturer Bonfiglioli has been selected for use at one of the world's biggest photovoltaic energy installations.

Maser Communications has finalised an agreement with one of NSW's largest power stations to supply Dialight Industrial LED fixtures for all future general area and task lighting applications.

Australia's tree change and sea change movement has seen the resident populations of traditional holiday towns swell in recent years. This growth puts a strain on essential services like electricity to keep up with demand. Factor in the environmentally sensitive nature of these locations and the need to come up with sustainable, low carbon emission households and a developer's task can get extremely complex.