Work has started on a five million-litre underground stormwater storage tank that will supply three heritage-listed public gardens in Melbourne. [ + ]

Released this week, the report, Impacts of water trading in the southern Murray-Darling Basin between 2006-07 and 2010-11, produced by the National Water Commission shows that selling water to the Commonwealth buyback program has not negatively impacted production. In fact, regional communities in the southern Murray-Darling Basin have remained productive even during drought, said Commissioner Laurie Arthur at a launch of the report at the Australian Water Congress 2012. [ + ]

Australian science is helping to solve one of China’s biggest and smelliest problems - what to do with the waste produced by its 700 million pigs. [ + ]

A well-designed trading scheme could help protect one of Australia’s most precious resources for the future - its groundwater - as well as the many wetlands and lakes it supports. [ + ]

VicWater’s Annual Sustainability Seminar, now in its 10th year, is to be held on Thursday 3 May 2012 at Etihad Stadium. This year’s theme ‘Balancing Sustainability Investment’ tackles the key issues around how investment in sustainability can be balanced against other priorities. [ + ]

The recently released Carbon Farming Handbook will provide a wealth of information to landholders, farmers, waste operators and other clean energy businesses wanting to participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). [ + ]

The volume of water needed to secure the long-term sustainability of the Murray-Darling river system cannot be identified clearly due to a lack of transparency in the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan, more than 60 Australian scientists say in a special joint statement. [ + ]

Professor Christopher Saint will discuss cutting-edge research on the future of Australia’s water supply at a public lecture on Tuesday 17 April. [ + ]

Australia’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power project reached a major construction milestone yesterday as contractor and technology provider First Solar joined owners Verve Energy and GE unit GE Energy Financial Services to mark the commencement of panel installation at the Greenough River Solar Farm. [ + ]

Australia has moved one step closer to a clean energy future since the Clean Energy Regulator commenced operations on 2 April. [ + ]

The Australian Government and the European Union (EU) have, during bilateral talks in Brussels, confirmed their strong commitment to working towards linking their Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS). [ + ]

Draft regulations to support the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) were released for consultation yesterday by the government. [ + ]

A publication released by AusIndustry will help businesses understand the registration requirements for the R&D Tax Incentive. The publication outlines what information will be required when businesses commence registering for the incentive from 1 July 2012 and provides additional explanatory materials to help businesses complete their applications. [ + ]

Nine-storey cranes and 28 m-high ring structures in native bushland that can produce the elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations predicted for later this century are among the state-of-the-art research facilities officially opened today by Senator Chris Evans at the University of Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. [ + ]

GE Energy announced yesterday the appointment of John Anderson as Senior Regional Executive for Australia, New Zealand (ANZ) and Papua New Guinea (PNG). [ + ]