Rockwell Automation on the Move is soon to tour Australia, providing industry with a showcase of technology, products and services. The two-day event commences in Melbourne on 6 March with the participation of the Hon Greg Combet, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. [ + ]

Australian manufacturing is moving towards a clean energy future as $1 billion in funding will be provided to the industry to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution. The Clean Technology Investment Programs, launched on 16 February, will provide grants to help manufacturers buy new plant equipment which reduces carbon pollution or cuts their energy costs. [ + ]

University of Queensland (UQ)-based start-up company Bilexys has been announced as a finalist in the US$200,000 Imagine H20 2011 Prize for Water Start-ups. The company approaches wastewater treatment as an opportunity to biologically convert the organics within wastewater into high-value chemical products, including sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide. [ + ]

Sulo Australia is currently offering a free trial offer for its 360 L Mobile Garbage Bin (MGB) to councils that want to increase their domestic recycling capacity, reduce their landfill costs and comply with national waste reduction targets. The offer has already generated a lot of interest and positive feedback from councils, and has now been extended to 30 March 2012. [ + ]

Trility has announced that the $67 million Northern Water Treatment Plant (NWTP) at Kinduro near Townsville has commenced operation. [ + ]

Short-term exposure (for up to seven days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a review and meta-analysis of previous studies appearing in the 15 February issue of JAMA. [ + ]

Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) and Isle Utilities have announced a partnership to deliver the Technology Approval Group (TAG) to Australian water utilities. TAG is an innovation forum designed to accelerate the commercialisation of new water technologies. [ + ]

Curtin University researchers have been awarded a $1.4 million grant to independently assess the injection capacity of carbon dioxide (CO₂) at selected sites, to assist local communities, industry and government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [ + ]

The 2012 NABERS training series for people to become accredited assessors or simply better understand how the NABERS rating tools work are now open for registration. Courses are being held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra.

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the Hon Greg Combet, has announced the appointment of Chloe Munro as Chair/CEO of the new Clean Energy Regulator with effect from 2 April. The Clean Energy Regulator will implement and administer the carbon price mechanism, the National Greenhouse Energy Reporting Scheme, the Renewable Energy Target, the Australian National Registry of Emissions Units and the Carbon Farming Initiative. [ + ]

Law reform and tougher legal sanctions to stop greenwashing are critical, according to a leading intellectual property expert from The Australian National University. [ + ]

The Australian National University School of Art is set to shine in the sustainability stakes with a new solar panel array. The 40 kW array will produce about 70,000 kW hours of electricity annually (enough to power about 10 houses), cutting the school’s carbon emissions by more than 5%. [ + ]

The Honourable Martin Ferguson AM MP, Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, has launched Curtin University’s Fuels and Energy Technology Institute (FETI) at Technology Park, Bentley. FETI will carry out fundamental research and technology development to provide solutions to the energy and environmental issues facing Australia. [ + ]

Residents of the Kariong area of the New South Wales Central Coast have been warned of the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the water supply. A Boil Water Alert has been issued to the area, with boiled or bottled water to be used for activities such as drinking, cooking, washing raw foods and cleaning teeth. [ + ]

An interactive web resource to help people easily access information on the status of water planning across Australia has been launched by the National Water Commission. [ + ]