Document
Index
1999-2000 Ministerial Statements
Investing in our Natural and
Cultural Heritage
Chapter 7
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Document
Index |
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The Commonwealth is committed to a partnership approach with industry and the
community, including taking action together to protect the environment in the long-term
national interest. The benefits of this partnership continue to grow and have positive
economic and environmental effects in stimulating business opportunities, innovation and
jobs.
The Commonwealth is helping the Australian environment industry sector develop into one of
the growth industries of the next century. It assists the industry to develop solutions to
environmental problems and facilitates the expansion of commercial opportunities in other
countries. Industry promotion is about providing support in identifying, developing and
expanding commercial opportunities and by providing information about available funding
mechanisms.
Funding is provided through the Environment Protection Programme to deliver industry
promotion activities and to showcase Australian environment industry expertise.
The Joint Working Group on Environment with Indonesia is one initiative which facilitates
cooperation between Indonesian and Australian industry representatives. They identified
six priority environment areas for cooperation and, despite regional economic volatility,
have developed relationships which serve to underscore the long term nature of Australia's
commitment to Indonesia. In 1998, Environment Australia supported a number of capacity
building, market access and environment education activities under the JWGE.
The Australia-Germany Collaboration on Water and Environment Research and Development, is
a major bilateral research and development effort, funded by the Department of Industry,
Science and Resources and managed by the Environment Industry Development Network (EIDN)
and the Water Research Foundation of Australia. The Programme has been successful to date
in strongly linking the Australian and German water industries in a combined effort to
develop new and innovative products for the water industry.
Another initiative designed to help the industry improve its competitive advantage is the
preparation of the publication, Doing Environment Business with China: A Guide.
This publication seeks to raise awareness of appropriate ways in which Australia may
contribute to environment protection and sustainable development in China. It also assists
in identifying commercial opportunities for Australian companies.
Environment Australia will continue to facilitate opportunities in China with the
development of a joint workshop, a joint study and leading a proposed industry delegation
to China in late 1999.
The Business Leaders' Forum on Sustainable Development, to be held on 28 May in Canberra
is another opportunity to showcase the achievements of Australia's environment management
sector. It is designed to bring the Chief Executive Officers of Australia's leading
companies together to establish a business network of excellence and innovation on
sustainable development.
The Commonwealth continues to focus on the development of new approaches to environment
protection through assisting the development of innovative environmental technologies.
Information on new environmental technologies, services and integrated management
systems is disseminated to the Australian and international communities through EnviroNet
Australia, available on the Internet. The network has been allocated $200,000 each
year over four years from 1998-99 for maintenance and promotion. The site aims to promote
environmental awareness, to improve environmental behaviour in the community, and to
provide Australian companies with a suitable vehicle for promotion of their goods and
services to domestic and export markets. Environment Australia is working with the
Environment Management Industry Association of Australia to improve the EnviroNET website
and to make it more responsive to industry needs.
As well as EnviroNET Australia, there are a range of mechanisms which promote industry
related activities, including websites, publications and seminars.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1016
This EIDN internet database features technologies, companies, research agencies
involved in environmental management in Australia, detailing technology systems, site
assessments, capital and operating costs for environmental technologies operating in
Australia. EIDN also supports Australia's website on the APEC Virtual Centre for
Environment Technology Exchange, which promotes Australian capabilities to potential
technology partners in the region.
Contact: Department of Industry Science and Resources -- 02 6213 7580
The Commonwealth is providing $300,000 each year over four years from 1998-99 for the
International Environment Protection Programme to assist in the growth of Australia's
environmental goods and services industries and to support environment protection in our
region. The programme provides for joint public-private sector initiatives aimed at
accessing new, and improving existing, export markets for Australian environmental goods
and services. Typical activities include capacity building programmes, commercially based
technology transfer, staff exchanges, business development strategies and business
missions.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1016
Eco-efficiency is about improving the efficiency of the use of natural resources. As
such, it involves industry and the community. The Commonwealth is committed to the
promotion and encouragement of the uptake of eco-efficiency in Australia, as a means to
reduce depletion, pollution and waste, and increase productivity and profitability.
Funding has been provided through the Environment Protection Programme to undertake
activities on eco-efficiency. In March 1998, Australia hosted an Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) Workshop on Eco-Efficiency in Sydney. This assisted the
OECD in its work of assessing the best mechanisms for the encouragement of eco-efficiency.
Following the Workshop, Environment Australia hosted the First National Roundtable on
Eco-Efficiency, where industry, government, and other sectors of the community, assessed
this approach for its relevance to Australia, and determined a way forward.
There are many `tools' which assist in the adoption of eco-efficiency. The Commonwealth
has begun work on the development of national environmental reporting guidelines for
companies, and is placing three people in industry associations to assist companies with
environmental reports. National environmental accounting guidelines also will be
developed. Work is being undertaken on life cycle assessment.
The Commonwealth will continue also in the promotion of cleaner production in industry,
following the recommendations of the ANZECC document Towards Sustainability: Achieving
Cleaner Production in Australia, a project for which the Commonwealth provided the
Secretariat. Information will continue to be developed, updated and provided on the
Internet, on cleaner production case studies in industry.
Environment Australia has developed an environmental management system for its new
location in the Administrative Building, Parkes, ACT, and has sought ISO 14000
certification for this.
As a pilot project for a sectoral approach to eco-efficiency, the Commonwealth is working
with the Housing Industry Association to develop strategies for improving the
eco-efficiency of the housing industry.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1671
Green Games Watch 2000 (GGW) is a coalition of environmental non-government groups
monitoring, and providing advice on, environmental initiatives associated with the
preparation for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. To date funding for GGW has been provided
jointly by the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
In 1996, 1997 and 1998 the Commonwealth Government provided GGW with grants of $80,000
which were matched by the New South Wales Government, to help fund their activities for a
12-month period, and has indicated its in-principle commitment to fund the group at this
level up until the 2000 Olympic Games.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1694
The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games will be a first-time-ever showcase for high environmental
standards in the history of the Olympic Games. Environment Australia will use this
opportunity to promote Australia internationally as a supplier of leading-edge
environmental technologies and systems, implemented and applied as part of the `Green
Games'. The focus on Australian environment technology companies will complement broader
promotion efforts by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of
National Tourism.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1694
The Best Practice Environmental Management (BPEM) in mining programme has been
successful in raising awareness of best practice principles for sound environmental
management in mining. The Commonwealth will continue to work with industry and the
community to promote the voluntary adoption of best-practice environmental management in
the mining industry, both domestically and internationally. To complement this approach,
the Commonwealth will develop a national mining stakeholder network to formulate
environmental sector policy, promote best industry practice, and facilitate opportunities
for exporters of Australian technology, services and integrated management systems.
Environment Australia is developing, in cooperation with AUSTMINE, the Minerals Council of
Australia, and interested companies, promotional material (booklets, web sites, fact
sheets, CDs) for dissemination in Australia and overseas to promote Australian
environmental technologies in mining in Australia and internationally.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1032
The BPEM programme is being developed in partnership with key stakeholders in the
transport sector. Following the successful BPEM in mining programme, Environment Australia
aims to replicate this programme in the transport sector as part of the commitment to
promote BPEM in Australia and internationally. A Best Practice Framework Paper that
identified the major environmental threats in the transport sector was completed in
1998-99. Based on that paper, Environment Australia will work with the Department of
Transport and Regional Services (DTRS), industry peak organisations and the manufacturing
industry to promote best practice environmental management in the transport sector.
Contact: Environment Australia, Environment Protection Group -- 02 6274 1640
