December 2011

protecting nature living sustainably creating a climate for changePANDANUS

Marine SanctuariesNorthern FoodbowlConservation AgreementsHeap Leach Win

Also:Stronger Pollution Laws

‘Fraccing’Tropical House Design

Alice Water Smart

WEEDS OF

NORTHERN

AUSTRALIAA FIELD GUIDE

Nicholas Smith Environment Centre NT

Cover images: Flatback Turtle nesting on Bare Sand Island by David Hancock, Michelle Riggs and cattle on Lakefield Station. Lake Duggan on Lakefield Station. COOLmob’s new ‘Design for the Tropics’ book. New Weeds of the Northern Territory Book out soon.

Environment Centre NTDirector Dr Stuart BlanchOffice Manager Lisa PetersPolicy Officer Juanita CroftNuclear Free NT Campaigner Cat BeatonFestival Manager VacantCommunications & PANDANUS EditorHannah SewardFundraising Advisor Annette HerschtalCOOLmob Program Manager Robin KnoxCOOLmob Team Adrielle Drury and Bridget EdmundsContact usEnvironment Centre NTGPO Box 2120, Darwin, NT, 0801Unit 3/98, Woods Street, Darwin.T 08 8981 1984 E admin@ecnt.orgE COOLmob: coolmob@ecnt.orgW www.ecnt.orgLetters to the EditorE communications@ecnt.org

Facebook: Environment Centre NT

Flickr: environment_centre_nt Twitter: Stuartblanch2

Australian Marine Conservation SocietyNorthern Marine Campaigner: Jess AbrahamsE jessabrahams@amcs.org.auT 08 89417461 W www.sealife.org.au

Printed by Colemans on paper from sustainable sources using vegetable inksCurrently in transition to Forest Stewardship Council accreditation.

From the ConvenorFrom the Director

Marine Sanctuaries

Nuclear Free NTNews

Dam folly in the deep north

The Interview

Bare Sand Island

COOLmob News

Desert round up

‘Fraccing’ in the NT

Diesel vs Biodiesel

Letters to the Editor

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12

15

17

19

20

21

13

5

7

9

IN THIS ISSUE

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Magazine designed by Hannah Seward at GreenkeyE greenkeygraphics@live.com

In mid-September both the Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) and the Environment Centre NT called for a national boycott of Coca Cola Amatil products in response to the company’s threats of a legal challenge to the Territory’s proposed Container Deposit Legislation.

The joint media release reinforced Clean Up Australia Chairman Ian Kiernan’s call for Territorians to boycott Coca Cola products. With quotes such as ‘This is the last straw for Coca Cola. They should just suck it up and participate in the scheme rather than attempt to derail it’ and ‘Coca Cola should back down and support cash for containers. Greening the economy is The Real Thing.’

The media release went national with headlines such as ‘Coke told to suck it up’ with commentators on both sides of the fence getting behind the message and the pun.

A Facebook event was started to coincide with the media release ‘Boycott Coca Cola Amatil products - Support Container Deposits.’ Within a week - the group had over 700 people participating in the boycott. Clean Up Australia called for people to take photos of Coca Cola Amatil products that had become litter and post them on the Coca Cola Australia Facebook page.

National groups and Alliances came out in support of the program calling on the Federal Government to introduce a National Container Deposit Scheme.

Within two weeks of the media release, it was reported that Coca Cola Amatil were joining the NT scheme and were advertising for a Materials Coordinator in the NT. This is a step forward but there is still the possibility of legal action in 2013.

We’ve had a good win but the success of the container deposit scheme will require all beverage manufacturers to act in good faith and for all of us to get behind and support it.

Regulatory Reform

PANDANUS

Be sure to get hold of your copy of the new People & Planet diary and calendar featuring stunning images from around the world.

Available now from the Environment Centre NT. Please call Lisa to order copies on:08 8981 1984

Coke to suck up Container Deposit Scheme, for now... by Jimmy Cocking, Arid Lands Environment Centre.

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LETTERS

With Christmas and the wet season almost upon us, our staff and volunteers have been busily working. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to. You’ll find lots more great reading throughout. Become a member today, or donate to one of our many projects and campaigns, so we can continue working to protect nature, help Territorians live and do business sustainably, and create a safe climate future.

We’re seeking new Board members, particularly with skills and experience in marketing, accountancy, law and business. Interested? Call us.

Election priorities

The Environment Centre NT has been working with other environment organisations to impress upon Territory Labor, the Country Liberals, and Independent Gerry Wood some of the key environment policies we want them to adopt before or during the Territory election in August 2012. These include:

• Committing to stabilising and cutting carbon pollution levels by 2020. Neither Territory Labor or the CLP have 2020 targets for carbon pollution reduction in their climate change policies.

• Drastically cutting sewage and industrial pollution of Darwin Harbour by upgrading sewage treatment plants to tertiary treatment standards (or equivalent) and enclosing East Arm Wharf ’s ship loader.

• Establishing a network of a half dozen marine sanctuaries in Territory waters (as promised by Labor in the 2001 election campaign.)

• Ending major land clearing and legislating a new Native Vegetation Management Act,

• Protecting the ecological, cultural and recreational values of iconic rivers such as the Daly and Roper under a legislative Living Rivers program (as promised by Labor in the 2005 election campaign) and,

• Stronger environmental, mining and petroleum laws to bring us into line with other states.

Pricing carbon, supporting renewable energy

Two and a half centuries after the start of the Industrial Revolution that has seen global greenhouse gas

emissions increase inexorably, Austral ia is poised to price carbon pol lution.

The Federal Parliament has narrowly passed a raft of laws to establish a price on carbon, establish new agencies to drive investment in renewable energy and recommend caps on annual carbon pollution, and compensate low and middle-income earners for increased costs.

Though only moderately ambitious on many counts, and highly generous to big polluters, the Clean Energy Future package of laws and incentives should be supported by Territorians who want real progress on climate change.

Big Gas, massive carbon pollution

At the same time, the Territory Government is committing our economy to one based on producing and exporting fossil fuels, just when the world needs to be moving quickly to renewable energy.

The INPEX gas plant will raise the Territory’s carbon pollution levels by 30%, and Australia’s by 1.2% above 2007 levels, with no guarantee that their gas will help reduce global climate change by displacing the use of oil and coal in Asia. And that is just the first two LNG trains, with a potential four more to be built on Blaydin Point.

From the Director by Stuart Blanch

From the ConvenorBy Di Koser

With the end of one of the most delightful dry seasons in my memory, it’s time for a change of gear to prepare for the coming build –up and wet season. Away go the pullovers, jeans and doonas and out come the cool, comfortable cotton frocks and tops. Fans speed up and pools and spas look very inviting again.

We live in the tropics and it ’s beautiful to notice the change in seasons (we do have them!) and adapt our behaviour to manage the different weather conditions. What could be more pleasant than a late night dip under the stars to

cool down before bed? If that ’s not an option, a cold shower can be just as good.

The profile of the Environment Centre NT and the issues we are working on have certainly increased during the last year, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our staff. Land and water environmental matters, mining of all kinds, nuclear issues and sustainability are amongst issues regularly addressed by our staff who deserve our congratulations and thanks. This is really amazing especially given the modest size of our organisation and budget.

Di Koser at the Environment Centre NT

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A quick reminder that we have again contributed to the People and Planet and have 2012 copies of the Diary and the Calendar available for sale. They make wonderful gifts, are supported by and support a wide range of community, environmental and social justice organisations. Stay tuned for more info. Enjoy the change in seasons!

The Daly River by Julian Murphy

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Nature Territory

Unconventional shale gas and the use of hydraulic fracturing (or ‘fraccing’) pose a significant risk to the Territory’s landscapes and potentially water resources. Scenarios being envisaged and planned now by government agencies and Big Gas would prevent the Territory cutting its carbon pollution levels for literally decades, in the absence of a very high carbon price and strong Territory laws mandating major carbon offsets.

Eastern states and many nations abroad are embroiled in controversy about the impacts of ‘fraccing’ on rivers and farmlands, and Australian farmers and environmentalists are joining ranks to oppose aspects of the coal seam gas industry.

But has there been a murmur out of the Territory Government or Country Liberals voicing concerns to our apparent headlong rush into unconventional shale gas? No.

That’s why we are calling for an independent inquiry into the practice, a complete re-write of the ill-equipped Petroleum Act and for the Environment Department to be the primary regulator of the industry, rather than the Resources Department which has a severe conflict of interest as it is also tasked with developing the industry (see page 19).

Stronger environmental, mining and petroleum laws

The failure of the NT Environment Department to prosecute Darwin Port Corporation for polluting the harbour with copper concentrate showed how weak and ineffectual our pollution laws are.

We welcome the first ever successful prosecution of the port for pollution, and hope it shows a greater willingness to use the law to punish polluters, but the $19,000 fine for ‘environmental nuisance’ represented a minuscule financial rap-on-the-knuckles.

The Resources Department’s plans to strengthen the Mining Management Act addressed some important changes we had been urging, such as greater transparency and public reporting, but fail to place the Environment Department as the regulator of ports and ship loaders, amongst others. Read more on page 9.

Heap leach plant for Ranger dead and buried

While not a big surprise to many who have been watching Energy Resources of Australia’s water woes at Ranger Uranium Mine within Kakadu National Park, the decision by the Rio Tinto and ERA Boards to dump the expensive, controversial and risky heap leach ore processing plant was welcome and good news.

As the long term implications of the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima in Japan continue to be understood, and as nations such as Italy and Germany and companies like Siemens back away from nuclear power due to safety concerns, we continue to push ERA to close Ranger and abandon plans to mine Jabiluka. Read more about our Nuclear Free NT campaign on pages 5 and 6.

Sustainable houses and tropical design booklet

Our COOLmob Sustainable Living Team and a bunch of volunteers showed hundreds of Territorians around a half dozen homes for Sustainable House Day 2011 (SHD) to show off working examples of sustainable tropical homes. It was a great day that showcased the many ways you can cut power bills and carbon pollution at home.

COOLmob worked with home energy efficiency expert Steve Beagley to produce a great booklet for Top Enders, ‘Greenhouse Friendly Design for the Tropics’, which was launched in September.

The guide will help you make smarter choices if you are building a

home or doing a major renovation. Find out more at COOLmob’s great new website. Thanks to the Territory Government for supporting both SHD and the Design booklet.

Cash for Containers and the Big Coke Boycott

Along with the Arid Lands Environment Centre we lambasted Coca Cola Amatil as environmental Neanderthals for considering legally challenging the Territory’s Container Deposit System (Cash for Containers).

We jointly called for a boycott of all Coca Cola Amatil’s products until they swung behind the system. We support Chief Minister Paul Henderson’s strong stance attacking the company’s approach, and call on Coke to get serious about supporting recycling and throw their support behind Cash for Containers.

Marine sanctuaries

The Federal Government’s proposal for marine sanctuaries in the Arafura and Timor Seas and the Gulf of Carpentaria fail to protect marine wildlife and habitats based on sound science. Just 3% of the area will be fully protected from threats such as oil and gas, sea bed mining and commercial and recreational fishing, if the draft marine park boundaries are not expanded greatly by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke (see page 12).

To get up close with some flatback turtles and discuss the need for marine sanctuaries in Bynoe Harbour and around the coastline, our staff, volunteers and Board members camped out on Bare Sand Island in September. It was a great experience – read more on page 11.

Limmen National Park and protecting Limmen Bight from iron ore mining infrastructure

Along with many Territorians we continue to call on the Territory Government to declare Limmen National Park, south of Ngukurr. The area is threatened by iron ore mining, and mining exploration licences have been issued over perhaps 90% of the entire 1.2 million square kilometers of proposed park.

The new ‘Design for the Tropics’ book by COOLmob

Stuart Blanch with tiny flatback hatchling by David Hancock.

Ranger uranium mine by Hannah Seward

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Most Marra Traditional Owners living in the region continue to tell the miners, Northern Land Council and the Territory Government that they will not consent to an iron ore pipeline being dug through the Marra Aboriginal Lands Trust lands, or a processing plant and port being built on Maria Island. Senior Marra people are signing petitions to table in the Territory and Federal Parliaments that clearly state their opposition to the pipeline and port.

Sewage dumping in Darwin Harbour

The poo shooter will finally shut in mid 2012, ending the decades long practice of dumping untreated sewage straight into Darwin Harbour.

Power and Water Corporation are making good progress on the engineering works to shut the Larrakeyah Outfall and redirect the 1.5 billion litres of sewage annually through a slightly upgraded Ludmilla sewage plant near Fannie Bay Racecourse, on Dick Ward Drive. All good so far.

But that is where the good news ends. There are no plans for the next 20 years – and no money committed – to drastically improve sewage treatment at Ludmilla, or more realistically, shut it down and pipe the sewage to a modern, state of the art sewage plant elsewhere that meets tertiary treatment standards. And there are zero plans for recycling and reuse, even though this was planned or considered way back in 1998.

Power and Water Corporation will next focus on a major upgrade, including recycling, at Leanyer sewage plant. It ’s the logical choice, with Buffalo Creek highly polluted by decades of sewage. But Ludmilla sewage plant will remain a disgrace, an indictment on our treatment of our most precious natural asset; the harbour.

The Environment Centre NT recommends the Utilities Commissioner, not government, be tasked with independently recommending water and sewage rates to achieve full cost recovery for the sewage system and to ensure infrastructure is modern and protects the harbour.

This would place these sensitive decisions at arm’s length from politicians, just as happens in other states, and allow Power and Water Corporation to more quickly upgrade its sewage plants.

Imagine if the major political parties committed to building or upgrading all of greater Darwin’s sewage treatment plants to at least tertiary quality standards by 2020, and reusing much of the treated sewage. It would be good for the harbour and green the economy.

Our Living Harbour report

Sticking with the harbour, we released the special report Our Living Harbour that sets out new or stronger laws and plans, better integration between the various parts of government, and investment in green infrastructure needed to keep our harbour special in the face of large scale habitat destruction and potential pollution from heavy industry and urban sprawl. You can download it from our website.

Priority Actions For Protecting, Valuing and Celebrating the Darwin Harbour Region

OUR LIVING HARBOUR:

AUGUST 2011www.ecnt.org

Melanie BradleyJuanita Croft

“But Ludmilla sewage plant will remain a disgrace, and indictment on our treatment of our most precious natural asset – the harbour.”

‘Weeds of Northern Australia’ field guide

And after a year of hard work and collaboration between a broad range of organisations and committed people, the second revision of the field guide; ‘Weeds of Northern Australia’ is set to be published by Christmas. With sponsors ranging from the Federal and Territory Governments, Meat and Livestock Australia and Territory Natural Resource Management, the book should be widely used and valued as an informative and respected guide for managing one of the north’s worst and most widespread threats.

And finally, recent proposals by the Coalition to dam some of Northern Australia’s great tropical rivers, and to create a foodbowl of Asia in the north, were met with much derision and condemnation. The approach lacks vision, ignores the wishes and existing uses of rivers such as the Daly, and throws good economics down the toilet. You can read our assessment of their plans on page 7.

Enjoy!

WEEDS OF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

A FIELD GUIDE

Nicholas Smith Environment Centre NT

If you feel strongly about anything you have read in this article get involved...

TAKE ACTIONContact your local MLA, send them an email, call or write a letter, or submit a post on our Facebook page or Twitter.

Search for Environment Centre NT. Call 08 8981 1984 or email admin@ecnt.org.

The revised Weeds of Northern Australia Field Guide out in December.

Traditional Owner Betty Roberts and family in Limmen by David Hancock

choose a nuke-‐free

NT

The  Federal  Governments  plan  to  build  a  nuclear  dump  at  Muckaty  in  the  NT  has  been  

Heed Rum  Jungle’s  toxic legacy

Close Ranger,‚ save  Kakadu

Don’t dump on Muckaty  

 

Support  the  Anti-Nuclear  NT  campaign  by  getting  involved  with  the  

ANNT  Collective.  CONTACT  CAT:  08  8981    1984  /  uranium@ecnt.org  or  

facebook.com/antinuclear.nt  

Nuclear Free NT

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The uranium debate in the NT is heating up again, with two new projects on the radar; Arafura Resources Rare Earths mine at Nolans Bore, plus processing plant at Whyalla, and the expansion of the world’s largest open cut uranium mine, BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam in South Australia. This will pose serious risks to communities not only adjacent to the mine sites but all those living and working along the transport route.

Olympic Dam Uranium Mine expansion: The biggest mine in the world:On October 10, 2011 the Federal and South Australian governments granted approval for BHP Billiton to expand their Olympic Dam copper/ uranium mine in South Australia. This approval will see an open cut mine bigger than the Adelaide CBD and the creation of 70 million tonnes of radioactive waste each year that is to be dumped over a 44sq km area at the mine site.

This project presents huge environmental risk for the NT, as for the first time radioactive uranium enriched copper concentrate will be exported from Darwin’s East Arm wharf at 1.6 million tonnes per year. The export of Uranium Oxide (Yellowcake) will increase from 4,000 tonnes a year to 17,000 tonnes once in full operation. This means two trains a day carrying these radioactive materials will travel up through the NT.

If the NT government give approval for BHP’s transport option, we will be facing pressure on emergency services in the event of an accident, risk to the environment if a spill was to occur and be putting the Darwin harbour at serious risk.

Nolan’s Bore Steps Up:The significant rare earths deposit at Nolan’s Bore, 135kms north west of Alice Springs, is the most advanced non-operational uranium mine in the NT. All rare earth deposits contain some uranium and thorium, the Nolans Bore deposit contains a majority of thorium and a minority of uranium, approximately 0.02%.

Arafura have estimated the mine will produce approximately 150 tonnes of uranium oxide per annum. Thorium will be removed as part of the chemical process at the Whyalla (SA) Rare Earths Complex. Ararfura Resources plan to rail transport waste rock from Whyalla back to the Nolans Bore mine site for ‘long-term management and secure storage’. The company still needs to raise an estimated almost $1 billion in capital to build the Rare Earths processing facility at Whyalla and the Nolans Bore mine.

Muckaty Waste Dump:The National Radioactive Waste Management Act targets Muckaty in the NT as the only site under active consideration for a radioactive waste dump despite the fact that Muckaty

Traditional Owners are challenging the nomination in the Federal Court, and despite NT legislation banning the imposition of a nuclear dump. In September a forum was hosted in Darwin with medical professionals explaining why we don’t need this proposed dump for medical waste. A video is available online at: www.vimeo.com/29971907.

ANFA – The Australian Nuclear Free Alliance:Formed in 1997, the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance brings together Aboriginal people and relevant NGO’s concerned about existing or proposed nuclear developments in Australia, particularly on Aboriginal homelands. The Environment Centre NT participated in the 14th ANFA meeting in Alice Springs in September this year. It was a great meeting. For more info please see: www.anfa.org.au.

It is by no means assured that any of these disastrous nuclear projects will proceed due to the global market, local opposition or the post Fukushima unpopularity of nukes. But the task is clear for environmentalists, unions, health and community organisations in the NT to work together to stop this massive expansion of the uranium industry going ahead.

Nuclear Free NT

The ‘Kakadu Clowns’ demo outside theDarwin Convention Centre as the NT Mining and South East Asia offshore conference begins by Clare Rawlinson - ABC.

Nukes Free NT poster by Peter Robson.

choose a nuke-‐free

NT

The  Federal  Governments  plan  to  build  a  nuclear  dump  at  Muckaty  in  the  NT  has  been  

Heed Rum  Jungle’s  toxic legacy

Close Ranger,‚ save  Kakadu

Don’t dump on Muckaty  

 

Support  the  Anti-Nuclear  NT  campaign  by  getting  involved  with  the  

ANNT  Collective.  CONTACT  CAT:  08  8981    1984  /  uranium@ecnt.org  or  

facebook.com/antinuclear.nt  

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The Nuclear Free campaign at the Environment Centre NT has had a big win since the last issue of PANDANUS went to print, and I wish to thank all who gave us their support. The proposal by Ranger uranium mining company Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) to use an acid heap leach process at the Ranger uranium mine was scrapped on August 4, 2011.

A statement by the company said their decision came from ‘uncertainty in regards to stakeholder support.’

Acid heap leaching involves spraying acid onto piles of low-grade ore to separate and collect uranium. The process comes with a high contamination risk and had never been tested in our tropical conditions. Kakadu National Park was not the place to start.

The Environment Centre hosted a series of public events, lobbied government and produced a report ‘Mismanaging contaminated water – a summary of the 2010/11 wet season at Ranger Uranium Mine’.

This report summarised past management failures and incidents of environmental concern at Ranger. The decision was welcomed by the Mirarr Traditional Owners, whose land the Ranger Uranium mine lease is on, in a media release in August stated:

“The company has listened to stakeholders and opted against the dangerous and untested use of acid leaching of uranium in a sensitive tropical environment. It is a rational decision that we welcome,” said the executive officer of the Gundjeihmi Corporation, Justin O’Brien.

The proposed heap leach project was part of ERA’s desperate expansion plans for the tired and aging mine. While heap leach may now be off the agenda, the company is currently trying to raise funds to build a decline to explore the Ranger 3Deeps uranium deposit, holding around 34,000 tonnes of Uranium.

As the uranium miner ERA continues to be met with opposition to expand, wins like heap leach indicate that the tide is truly turning on uranium mining in Kakadu National Park.

Thanks again to all that got involved, it was a true win for the environment.

No ACID HEAP LEACH in Kakadu

By Cat Beaton, Nuclear Free NT Campaigner

“This is a win for the environment, a win for the local community who opposed it, this is a win for everyone.” Cat Beaton, NT NEWS, August 4, 2011

“Kakadu is Australia’s largest National Park - it’s very precious to everybody...Uranium poses a lot of risks.”

“We want to send a message to Resource Minister Martin Ferguson that we really need to rethink this industry and surely in the NT we can do better.”

“This is an industry that poses risks to workers, to transport. On a good day it will end up as radioactive waste and on a bad day it can end up in nuclear weapons.” Cat Beaton

TAKE ACTIONTell Resource Minister Martin Ferguson that you don’t want to see any of these nuclear projects risking the safety of our environment.

Contact: Minister for Resources and Energy via his email form: www.minister.ret.gov.au/Pages/Feedback.aspx

Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu by Hannah Seward

Nature Territory

It’s Groundhog Day for the Coalition. Their latest plan to turn Northern Australia’s amazing free-flowing rivers into the foodbowl of Asia with a bunch of new dams is just as ill conceived and half-baked as the last time they proposed it in early 2007. Then, Senator Bill Heffernan used the drying of the Murray Darling Basin to justify moving farmers north, to respond to climate change. Then in April this year, Opposition Leader Tony Abbot pointed to the Queensland

floods and food security as reasons to build dams to harvest wet season floods in the north.

So while the Coalition may not want for reasons to justify their northern foodbowl dreams – whether drought or floods – they do lack a twenty first century plan for the north that is realistic and modern.

Do they think no one lives across the north, a sort of modern terra nullius? Perhaps they suppose Aboriginal people whose ancestors have lived along these river banks for tens of thousands of years will gladly turn over their traditional lands and waters for someone to grow a paddock of melons?

Do they imagine fishermen who chase metre-long-barramundi would casually acquiesce to their favourite river being choked with a river-destroying dam?

The Coalition’s thinking is too narrow, constrained by the misguided vision that sprung to life a hundred and fifty years ago when explorers sent north by the Colony of South Australia reported back that the vast plains and river flats of the Top End would verily grow millions of acres of rice, cotton, peanuts and the like. They were wrong, of course. The vision was instead a mirage, alas one that has left a trail of failed farms and undone many a grandiose dream.

From the failed rice farms of Humpty Doo south of Darwin to the dud Ord River Scheme to the mostly derelict Camballin floodplain irrigation area on the lower Fitzroy in the Kimberley, the hard truth of the north has been much learned: the soils are poor, the monsoon rains variable and ferocious, the dry season long and hot, the distance to southern markets far and unkind, and the costs of labour and fuel high.

From the late 1950s to early 90s, the Ord scheme lost half a billion dollars of taxpayer’s funds incurred in building the dam and irrigation area, but made only a $14M profit for farmers.

The Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce found there was no foodbowl of Asia to be developed in the north. Full stop.

The Taskforce was ably led by respected Kimberley Indigenous leader Joe Ross, and consisted of Indigenous leaders, farming and grazing experts, mining and tourism representatives, and scientists and environmentalists. They visited farms and pastoral stations, Aboriginal outstations and mines, wild rivers and vast treed plains.

Their report was borne out of long travels, hard arguments, plus reasoned compromises that saw all accept its conclusions.

The taskforce heard from experts in the CSIRO, universities and elsewhere that, at most, the north could support an additional 600 gigalitres of water

Dam folly in the deep north

The Daly River by Stuart Blanch

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for irrigation. Even this figure was hotly debated as to whether it was too high. In comparison, irrigation extractions in the Murray Darling Basin were nearly 20 times that volume a decade ago. If only the Coalition would heed their advice.

Yes, there is potential for more agriculture in the north, but it is limited, it is expensive and – if done poorly and on a large scale – it risks damaging these precious rivers and landscapes in a way most Australians will no longer tolerate.

None of the Taskforce wanted to see the big tropical rivers like the Fitzroy or Daly dammed, or the Murray Darling Basin’s farmers moved north en masse.Yes, the world needs to feed another two billion people by mid-century, and Australia can and must play its part, but that does not mean ruining our tropical rivers and savanna woodlands to do so.

The smart approach is to improve crop and horticulture productivity where the dams and established irrigation communities already are, mainly in southeastern and southwestern Australia.

Getting the right answer requires asking the right question. Not ‘How can the north support more agriculture?’, rather ‘What is the best way to conserve and sustainably develop the north?.’

We need a twenty first century vision and plan for the north that is based on both sound science and Indigenous ecological knowledge. It requires expert financial modeling, not the type of voodoo agricultural economics that touted the failed Ord River Scheme – which these days grows more sandalwood trees than rice – that may never see a profit on the taxpayer’s whopping, ongoing subsidies.

Valuing and protecting our ecological assets should be fundamental. That means understanding what free-flowing rivers and tropical savanna deliver to Australians in general, and the river communities and tourism and fishing businesses downstream that rely on healthy rivers and landscapes.

It means knowing the economic value of managing Northern Australia’s

tropical savannas – the largest intact example left in the world today, at a massive 120 million hectares – for their role in storing carbon as we strive to cut carbon pollution, and in providing habitat for the north’s abundant, unique and threatened wildlife.

It means understanding the role of one of the largest networks of free-flowing rivers left in the world today. If laid end-to-end, these rivers and creeks across the north’s 65 catchments would stretch a million kilometres, a third of the nation’s natural river infrastructure.And it means gaining the consent of the north’s Aboriginal traditional owners who have legal rights and interests over many tens of millions of hectares of the north and many of the rivers, under both land rights and Native Title laws.

In contrast to the nineteenth century vision of a foodbowl in the north, the evolving Kimberley to Cape initiative provides a framework for protecting half the north in a large interconnected network of protected areas and sustainably managing the other half.

It focuses on creating strong futures for Indigenous people through good education, first world health care, access to their ancestral lands and long term employment, particularly in the conservation economy. And it offers

to business and industry resource security in line with protecting the key environmental assets and ecological processes that make the north special.

Senator Heffernan has determinedly and passionately applied himself to fixing many environmental problems, often incurring the wrath of Coalition colleagues; water management in the Murray Darling Basin, forestry plantations and native forest logging, and recently coal seam gas, to name but three. He should now lead the Coalition in a new direction in planning a future for the north, one based on fact not fiction.

The author researched the effects of weirs and dams on the Murray River for his doctoral thesis, and was a member of the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce.

This article was first published as an opinion piece in The Canberra Times on 24 September 2011.

Fogg Dam by Hannah Seward

Fishing at Corroboree by Hannah Seward

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During 2010 the Territory’s ports were plagued by pollution spills and lax reporting: A tonne of copper concentrate fell into Darwin Harbour from a loading chute at East Arm Wharf and Port staff failed to report it; Rio Tinto Alcan supervisors ordered workers to dump tonnes of alumina oxide into Melville Bay and didn’t report it promptly; manganese fell into the BHP’s Port of Groote Eyelandt; and Rio Tinto Alcan staff discovered 75 000 litres of petrol had leaked into the surrounding soil from a tank at Gove.

The majority of Northern Territorians were alerted to these incidents through the reporting in the media, causing public concern and outrage.

It was during 2010 that the report on the Montara Oil Spill was released by the (Australian) Commission of Inquiry which included statements such as “the NT DoR was not a sufficiently diligent regulator… it … adopted a minimalist approach to its

regulatory responsibilities. The way the regulator (the NT DoR) conducted its responsibilities gave it little chance of discovering PTTEPAA’s poor practices. In this case, the regulatory dog did not bark”

Finally, it was during the Dry Season of 2010 that we first saw beach after beach being closed due to elevated levels of bacteria in Darwin Harbour. Sadly this trend continued into 2011.Looking at all these incidents it’s obvious that our regulatory system is failing Territorians and our environment.

How did the Territory Government react? Press releases were issued expressing outrage by the Environment Minister, Karl Hampton,

and heavy industry was put on notice that the Territory Government would not tolerate activities which endanger the environment – a very promising sign! A series of announcements were made, including large environmental penalties, additional resourcing for the environmental compliance work of the Environment Department, an audit and review of Port operations across the Territory, and high risk activities around the Harbour being brought under a strict licensing regime. All good things.

Government also talked about an initiative of “environmental harmonisation” – the harmonisation of environmental and mining law and regulatory activity. Great!

Reviews of the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act as well as the Environmental Assessment Act were commenced as was a review of the Mining Management Act. It looked like our environmental regulatory regime was going to be brought into the current century.

Nature Territory

Regulatory Reform for the protection of our environment by Juanita Croft, Policy Officer

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Out of these series of announcements the only thing that has been placed into the public arena is the amended Offences Act, increasing penalties… Not that you would necessarily notice that there had been an increase in penalties when Darwin Port Corporation recently received a meagre fine on a charge of “environmental nuisance”. In the absence of anything else being placed in the public arena for a response, except for the amended mining management law, the Environment Centre NT has proposed seven key reforms. Contact us for more details.

What was interesting regarding the series of incidents that occurred in 2010 was the fact that the NT EPA was the sole voice which recognised the need to examine the incidents more broadly to see how government itself contributed to these situations – in terms of government systems, decisions, actions, resourcing, policies, and relationships as well as the constraints imposed by the existing legislation. Interestingly, this inquiry approach is the approach undertaken by both Victoria and NSW when faced with significant environmental incidents recently.

Both the Victoria Ombudsman’s report Brookland Greens Estate — Investigation Into Methane Gas Leaks and the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report into the management of hazardous waste in Victoria made recommendations on the Victorian EPA’s compliance and enforcement approaches.

The Victorian EPA responded by reforming its licensing system and overhaul of its internal business systems, amongst others. It also commissioned an independent review of its enforcement and compliance program with the focus of re-establishing its core role as an environmental regulator.

In the last couple months, the NSW Government commissioned an independent review of the pollution incident at Orica’s chemical facility in the lower Hunter River. In response to the findings of the review the Government re-established the EPA as an independent statutory authority, and started rebuilding the reborn EPA’s identity as a strong regulator with the community’s interest at heart. It also announced environment protection laws will be stronger and fines larger. Both Victoria’s and NSW’s Governments recognised it wasn’t just about strengthening legislation, it was also about organisational culture, its priorities and funding. Both governments responded to the recommendations coming out of the inquiries and brought about change.

The NT EPA has so far issued two reports examining the incidents – one on the fuel leakage at Rio Tinto Alcan and one on the copper concentrate spill in Darwin Harbour. The Minister for Environment has not publicly responded to these reports, even though the reports themselves are public. Whether Government has any plan on taking up the EPA’s recommendations is anyone’s guess.

  TAKE ACTIONTell our government that you want to see better protection in place for our environmentContact your local MLA, send them an email, call or write a letter, or submit a post on a our Facebook or Twitter page.

If we can help you to do this please give us a call on 08 8981 1984 or email admin@ecnt.org

Images: Top left: Alumina pollution at Gove ship loader, Kindly donated. Below left: Darwin beach closed by Stuart Blanch. Below: East Arm Wharf by Stuart Blanch. Bottom right: Montara oil spill by Chris Twomey.

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In mid September the Environment Centre NT’s annual trip saw staff, supporters, family, friends, board members and journalists charter the ‘Snubfin’ for an overnight camping trip to Bare Sand Island in the mouth of Bynoe Harbour.

Treeless Bare Sand Island is a critical nesting site for flatback sea turtles. Even though turtle nesting season was nearly over, we were lucky to see two females dig their nests and lay clutches of eggs in the dunes above the high tide mark.

We were even luckier to see 50 or more hatchlings emerging from the dunes in their frenzied dash for the relative safety of the sea. If they survive the ocean of threats, both natural and man-made, and complete the journey to adulthood, the females will return to Bare Sand to lay their eggs on this beach again one day.

The trip was a great chance for Environment Centre NT staff and supporters to spend some quality time together in nature. Indeed it gave many

Bare Sand Island conserving important marine habitatsJess Abrahams,Northern Marine Campaigner

people who would not normally have an opportunity to get out on the water or visit the island, a chance to see turtles up close. Everybody returned home after an unforgettable Top End sea life experience.

The trip also helped us build the profile of our campaign to have critical sites like Bare Sand Island and surrounding reefs in Bynoe Harbour fully protected. We generated some excellent media coverage, with stories in the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC TV and ABC radio.

Indeed, when Environment Minister Karl Hampton was asked on radio later that week “are you… committed to establishing more marine parks in the Territory?” He answered, “well absolutely… marine parks are world renowned to be a very important part of conserving important marine habitats”.

Well Minister Hampton, now is the time to turn your words into actions and make sure sites like Bare Sand, and its surrounding reefs are fully protected in a network of large marine sanctuaries across the Northern Territory.

Environment Centre staff and supporters arrive at Bare Sand Island aboard the Snubfin, by David Hancock

We waited up until 1.30am, but it was worth it to see these tiny Flatback hatchlings emerge from the warm sand!, By Hannah Seward.

Below: A female flatback receives a fond farewell from Environment Centre supporters as she returns to the sea after laying a clutch of eggs, by David Hancock.

Bare Sand Island, a perfect turtle nesting location that needs protecting, by Hannah Seward

A newly hatched Flatback turtle makes it’s way to the ocean, by Hannah Seward

Nature Territory

A female flatback lays her eggs on Bare Sand Island under the cover of darkness in the dunes above the high tide mark by David Hancock.

In late August, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke released his draft plans for a network of marine reserves across Northern Australia. The Save Our Tropical Sealife alliance, of which the Environment Centre NT is a member, has strongly condemned the plan, as it fails to deliver the large, highly protected sanctuaries which scientists tell us are needed to conserve marine life long term.

If not dramatically improved, the Federal Government will miss a once in a generation opportunity to effectively protect one of the world’s last remaining healthy tropical shelf marine environments. As it stands, the plan will leave tropical sealife including dolphins, dugong and turtles, vulnerable to over-fishing, oil & gas drilling and seabed mining. Under this government plan, only 3% of waters in the Top End and Gulf of Carpentaria will be fully protected in sanctuaries or Marine National Parks.

The reserves proposed for the Top End and Gulf of Carpentaria will leave Northern waters the least protected around Australia, meaning our region is left behind in reaping the benefits

Proposed Marine Reserves fail to protect tropical sealife across Northern Australia

ACT NOW!Visit the Save Our Tropical Sealife website and flip through our our new report Tropical Sea Treasures: Underwater Icons of Northern Australia online or see back page of this edition of Pandanus for more information:www.SaveOurTropicalSealife.org.au

of marine sanctuaries to tourism, regional employment, ecosystem resilience and security for fish stocks.Indeed, the proposed reserves place the oil and gas industry, prawn trawlers, and commercial and recreational fishers, well above protecting our threatened tropical sealife. All marine users depend on a healthy marine environment, but these marine reserves have put short term self-interest ahead of long-term marine health.

Also striking was the failure of the Commonwealth to consult Traditional Aboriginal Owners with strong aspirations to control and manage their sea country.

The Government’s proposal fails to provide any protection to critical sites including Fog Bay, Crocodile Islands, Coburg Pinnacles and the Central Gulf. These areas, under-protected within so called ‘multiple-use’ zones, remain open to oil and gas development, sea bed mining and some kinds of commercial fishing.

The proposal provides inadequate protection for iconic areas including Limmen Bight, the Arnhem Shelf Islands, Van Dieman’s Rise, Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, the Arafura Canyons and the Southern Gulf. These areas

within so called ‘multiple-use’ zones, open to oil and gas development, sea bed mining and some kinds of commercial fishing.

Despite the bad news, there remains a very real opportunity to significantly improve the proposed network. The Environment Centre NT is working with Save Our Tropical Sealife to ensure a significant increase in the size and number of sanctuaries across the Top End and Gulf.

Despite many shortcomings, the proposal does however increase pressure on the NT government to meet their commitment to also create a network of marine reserves in NT waters by 2012.

Jess Abrahams is our Northern Marine Campaigner. A version of this article first appeared in Wild Ocean News.

Vulnerable dugong have been left unprotected from seabed mining in the inadequate Commonwealth marine reserve proposed for Limmen Bight. Credit: iStockphoto

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By Jess Abrahams

the interview By Hannah Seward, Editor & Communications Officer

This issue features Lakefield Station, located forty kms south west of Mataranka in the NT. Several ambitious conservation projects have been set into motion with great results. The property has recently been signed up for a Territory Conservation Agreement (TCA). PANDANUS Editor Hannah Seward chats to owner Garry Riggs to find out more...

HS: How large is Lakefield Station? GR: 596 sq km, so 59,600 hectares. HS: How many cattle do you run? GR: 7,000 head mixed sex and age with 1500 baby calves arriving in the next three months.

HS: Can you describe the basic geography of the station? GR: Predominately savannah woodlands with undulating red loamy soils. We have several wetlands, sinkholes and the largest lake on the Sturt Plateau, Lake Duggan.

HS: What state was it in when you arrived in 1999? GR: Undeveloped with three unequipped bores, insufficient fencing with feral cattle, horses, donkeys and pigs living on the three permanent wetlands. Very hot wildfires were wiping out large areas in one go.

HS: How did you identify what work needed to be done? GR: We assessed the property ourselves and developed a five year management and property development plan followed by a longer term ten year plan. We also had compulsory covenants to fulfil to get perpetuity, which we achieved in three years.

I’ve been a member of The Roper River Landcare group (RRLC) since it began in 1994, including taking on the role of Deputy Chair. This gave me the background and experience to know what would benefit the property. Having access to available knowledge and resources has made all the difference.

HS: So what conservation work as been done to date? GR: Assistance from RRLC, Natural Heritage Trust and Enviro-funding has allowed us to protect three wetlands, a sink hole and limestone cave system.

We have used further Enviro-funding to manage soil erosion and gain professional assistance in developing a property management plan and a weed management plan. We also set up wetland exclusions with our own funds.To date we have approximately 800 hectares in managed exclusion zones. We have held three field days with a large roll up of up to seventy people. In 2003 we established a three thousand tree forestry plot with native and introduced hardwood timber trees with assistance from Greening Australia and RRLC.

HS: What funding, collaborations and support have you had over the years? GR: Support from RRLC, Natural Heritage Trust and Enviro-funding. Bird watching groups have conducted surveys and to date upwards of ninety species of birds have been recorded. This number keeps increasing with our own sightings and that of bird watchers.

Welcome to The Interview. We bring you environmental answers, news and views from key people in our community.

HS: What are the key improvements you have seen in the habitats and wildlife numbers? GR: Feral animals have been removed and managing wildfires has made a huge difference as we’ve stopped large areas of habit being completely burnt out. Adding lots of stock watering points has helped. Habitats are now in very good condition. Birds are numerous and include bustards, emu, gouldian finches and red goshawks. Kangaroo, nail tail and agile wallabies have gone from zero sightings in 1999 to seeing huge numbers in up to ten groups every half km or so.

We now have continuous sightings of the rare spectacled hare-wallaby. And occasional sightings of echidnas, possums and sugar gliders.

Cane toads wiped out snakes, lizards and goannas, but these species seem to have adapted to their presence and are slowly starting to return. With the help of Parks and Wildlife we have identified a previously undiscovered turtle in the area, which is very exciting.

HS: Why did you decide to join the TCA scheme? GR: We had another couple of wetlands that we wanted to manage for good environmental outcomes and also to improve stock watering conditions. We decided to join the TCA scheme to secure outside funding to acheive this.

HS: Has joining a TCA been good or bad for business? GR: To date we can’t comment as we have just secured funding to help us protect and manage these wetlands, but so far it is good for our business outcomes.

HS: What have been the key challenges? GR: None to date, although we would like to be recognised for being proactive and doing a lot of this work ourselves. We decided to follow this path and improve the biodiversity on the property as part of managing a successful station. The funding and assistance we have secured really helps but we would have done this ourselves anyway.

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Garry Riggs with some of Lakefield Stations’s 7,000 head of cattle.

One of Garry’s daughters moving cattle.

Nature Territory

the interview

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HS: What are the attitudes of other landowners to the work you’ve been doing? GR: We’re not quite sure, most I think are supportive.

HS: Have you worked with any other landowners or organisations such as The Aboriginal Land Trust or Indigenous Traditional Owners? GR: Yes, the Mangarrayi Rangers and RRLC have done some weed management and soil conservation projects at Lakefield. We have a good working relationship with the rangers and they often work on the property.

We also hold several workshops to bring together other landowners, government officials and Landcare groups. The next workshop is focused on soil conservation and we have a grader school lined up with Daryl Hill.

HS: What are your future plans for Lakefield? GR: To continually manage our livestock and our land to achieve effective economic, environmental and sustainable outcomes. We will carry on running trials with agricultural organisations and will continue to host workshops.

We would like to explore and further develop partnerships with governments, corporations and businesses to help us achieve these outcomes.

HS: Is there any advice you can give fellow landowners who want to protect areas of their land? GR: We encourage everyone to protect and manage their environment. Speak to your local Landcare Group or Territory Natural Resource Management Coordinator to find out more about funding sources and assistance available.

HS: Is there any other conservation assistance you’d like to see become available for properties such as Lakefield? GR: We would like to explore and develop partnerships with governments, corporations and businesses to help us achieve even more positive conservation outcomes and continue to protect our land.

HS: What is your vision of the perfect station? GR: A station that combines a successful cattle business with long term environmental sustainability. Looking after the environment benefits everyone.

HS: Anything else you’d like to add? Yes, we already have a good mix of carbon sequestration on the property but the actual potential of this is unclear. We would like to learn more about the link between sequestration and carbon credits, and see some clarification of where pastoralists stand within the carbon credit market.

To find out more about protecting your land visit: www.landcareonline.com.au www.territorynrm.org.au or call Territory Natural Resource Management in Darwin 08 8999 3783.

The Environment Centre NT would like to thank Garry and Michelle Riggs for taking the time to speak to us- Ed. Below: Michelle Riggs in action. All images kindly supplied by the Riggs family.

Lake Duggan is the largest lake on the Sturt Plateau. A haven for many species and home to twenty-nine species of birds and counting...

Watering points across the station encourage birds and other wildlife, including large numbers of gouldian finches as seen here.

Flying Fox wetland will be protected through recently secured funding to control grazing, erradicate weeds and manage fire.

Green Living

COOLmob is very proud about the launch of its new ‘Design for the Tropics’ booklet, which now completes the range of COOLmob Greenhouse Friendly booklets on Sustainable Living in the Top End.

‘Design for the Tropics’ was officially launched by The Honourable Robert Knight MLA, Minister for Business and Essential Services on Monday, 5th September at Ross Smith Avenue Park with attendees from the Government, Power and Water, local real estate agents, COOLmob and Environment Centre staff and supporters.

COOLmob is a community based project of the Environment Centre NT COOLmob aims to help people reduce their CO2 emissions through their activities which include household energy audits, television advertisements, publications, campaigns, media events and activities.

You may have noticed that RMD Solar is advertising in the newspaper to install solar arrays on your roof to meet NT building regulations and meet cyclone coding regulations.

At present the engineering plans for the installation of polycrystalline auxin panels, which they are offering,

Author, Steve Beagley, told the crowd “current trends in housing design in the Top End need to be smarter. Houses are being built that do not suit the climate, and need to rely heavily on air conditioning to remain ‘comfortable’.

This is putting huge pressure on the environment as our greenhouse gas emissions increase yearly. We need to stop the trend of the southern-style, air tight designs becoming the norm in our tropical climate.”

have been submitted to the Building Advisory Committee to get approval to be put into the Deemed to Comply (DTC) Manual for cyclone areas.

Once approved, it will mean that households will not have to pay the additional $1000 for individual engineering drawings, in the same way that individual household plans are not required for each solar hot water service installation, which is signed off by a plumber.

COOLmob has been lobbying the ministers for Building, Business and Climate Change in the hope that these panels, the first solar panel to present engineering plans that claim to meet the revised demands of the Building Advisory Committee, will be granted approval very soon.

Don’t Buy, Build or Rent without reading ‘Design for the Tropics’

By Bridget Edmunds

‘Design for the Tropics’ explains what to look for when planning to build, buy or rent. It has tips on the placement and structure of buildings and interior and exterior features needed for a comfortable and sustainable tropical home.

All three booklets on Design, Home Hardware and Habits for the Tropics can be downloaded from www.coolmob.org for free, or you can order hard copies by contacting the COOLmob team on 8981 3642.

The more renewable energy that the Territory produces, the less compensation the NT Government has to pay for not meeting its obligations under the Renewable Energy Targets (RET’s).

So COOLmob hopes that the Building Advisory Committee will urgently consider this application so that the NT can at least have one solar panel listed as DTC for cyclonic areas!

Solar power on your roof by Robin Knox

COOLmob’s new Design for the Tropics book with the other available books: Hardware for Top End Housing and Greenhouse Friendly Habits in the Top End.

Photovoltaic solar panels on a school in Millner, Darwin.

The COO

Lmob team

: Adrielle Drury, Steve Beagley, Bridget Edmunds

and Program M

anager Robin Knox.

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If you would like to receive our email NEWSLETTER send your email address to :coolmob@ecnt.org. The free newsletter is full of exciting sustainable living tips, gadgets and news.

COOLmob now has a Facebook page! Please search for us and stay in the sustainability loop.

E-Waste refers to electronic/electrical waste. It is estimated that the average Australian household has around 22 different electronic appliances.

These are regularly replaced as new items come on the market. In 2007-8 we produced 16.8 million units of E-waste and only recycled 10% of them. E-waste is growing and in 2027-28 we are expected to produce 44 million units.

E-Waste needs to be disposed of correctly, as hazardous chemicals can leak into the water table and the environment. Australia also has international obligations to manage it’s E-waste responsibly.

To respond to this, and to help the whole of Australia deal with E-Waste, the Federal Government has developed the National Television and Computer Product Stewardship Scheme to make disposing of household E-Waste much easier and see more materials recycled.

What does ‘Product Stewardship’ mean?The principle of ‘product stewardship’ means that people are taking responsibility of the environmental impact of a product (from design to disposal) by encouraging or requiring manufacturers, importers, distributors and other persons to take responsibility for those products.

Co-regulationA co-regulatory approach to product stewardship involves a combination of government regulation and industry action, whereby government sets the outcomes and requirements to be met, while industry has flexibility in determining how those outcomes and requirements are achieved.

Stewardship takes many different forms and anyone can be a good steward. An example of a ‘good steward’ would be:• Recycling unwanted products • Using recycled materials in the

production of new items. • Improving the energy efficiency of

TVs, computers and other household appliances so that they are more efficient and long lasting.

The Product Steward Act acknowledges that this responsibility is shared by all players involved in the production, supply, sale, use and disposal of products.

The Product Stewardship Act 2011 came into effect of 8 August 2011 and the Australian Government is drafting regulations under the Act to underpin an industry run and funded recycling scheme for televisions, computers and computer peripherals.

Under the new scheme, the manufacturer will be required to contribute a portion of their profit to E-waste recycling. Regulation 3.03 requires ‘reasonable’ access to collection services is available in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia by 1 July 2013.

Further information go to:www.environment.gov.au/ewaste or email: ewaste@environment.gov.au

But you can recycle your E-Waste now!Until the Product Stewardship Program is fully established, you are still able to recycle all E-Waste products like TVs, computers, monitors, printers etc NOW. This is FREE if you drop them off at the Recycle Area of the Shoal Bay Waste Disposal Site in Leanyer.

NEVER put electronic equipment in your wheelie bins as harmful chemicals and products can leach into the water table if sent straight to landfill.

Under the new scheme recycling E-products will still be FREE.

What else can you do with your old TVs and computers?If your television or computers are still in good working order you can extend its useful life by simply finding someone else who needs one or can use it!

Contact friends, family, local second hand shops, local Trading Post or even Gum Tree to find out who might be interested (you might even find a suitable product there yourself!)

Did you know that your hot water could be costing you as much as one third of your power bill, but it could be costing you $0?! COOLmob has arranged a special deal for the supply and installation of a new solar hot water system.

Register on our COOLmob website: www.coolmob.org and you will receive a 5% discount on a new system, (Plus free installation for Pensioners) and redemption of the $75.00 Rinnai Gift Voucher once full payment of the installation has been received.

Additional rebates to further reduce your cost of a new solar hot water system are:

1. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The 330L Rinnai System is approved for 40 RECs, currently worth $1040.00.

2. Federal Government Rebate $1000 if replacing an existing electric hot water heater.

3. Power Water Retrofit Rebate $1000 (applicable to houses built before 2000).

4. An Energy Smart Rebate of up to $200 is available for a one-stop booster switch (if not already claimed for other ‘energy smart’ items) at:www.nt.gov.au/nreta/environment/rebates/energysmart.

What is E-Waste and what should you do with it?Another Great COOLmob Deal

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By Bridget Edmunds

E-waste piled up in Darwin, By Bridget Edmunds.

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Alice Springs is on its way to becoming Water Smart. Jethro, Richard and Hayley, the Alice Water Smart Homes and Business Water Efficiency Consultants, have charged their electric

bikes and are ready to help households all over Alice Springs save water.

The Alice Water Smart Homes and Businesses project is part of Alice Water Smart, a two year project that will help the Alice Springs community to reduce its water use by 1600 million litres per year, equivalent to two months average water supply.

Alice Water Smart aims to preserve our finite groundwater source and secure the long term sustainability of Alice

The Alice Water Smart Plan is a collaborative venture involving an integrated program of practical projects outlined below:

Reuse: Existing water reuse infrastructure will be upgraded by PWC to improve quality and increase quantity of treated wastewater to offset the use of potable water for irrigation.

Rebates and retrofits: Funding for NRETAS’ rebates on water saving household items will increase from $200,000 to $1.2m. This includes water efficient shower heads, toilets, washing machines, pool covers and efficient garden products.

Reticulation: Water pressure varies with topographical variability in Alice Springs, this, combined with the desert climatic extremes, places water infrastructure under pressure. Research into how this pressure can best be regulated to equalise the pressure will be commissioned by PWC.

Metering: Smart water meters, which allow customers to monitor their water use and help identify leaks and high water use activities, will be rolled out by PWC.

Parks and ovals: Alice Springs Town Council will expand the installation of telemetry irrigation control systems, which monitor weather conditions such as rainfall and humidity to irrigate efficiently. The systems can also detect leaks and respond to likely water losses quickly by shutting off supply to the affected line.

Homes and business: ALEC will develop and conduct educational activities to empower the community to change social attitudes and perceptions of water use. Also approximately 1000 home and garden water efficiency consultations and 50 business water efficiency audits will be undertaken to tailor water saving measures and support uptake of available financial incentives.

Tourism: Through Tourism NT, accommodation providers will be offered water audits to identify water savings. Visitors to Alice are increasingly motivated by being environmentally aware and responsible. This will aid decision making to visit by those responsible travellers and also improve experience in terms of their environmental footprint.

For further information on saving water please visit: www.alicewatersmart.com.au.

Springs. Alice Water Smart is delivered through a diverse but integrated suite of projects (see adjacent Alice Water Smart projects) that are underway to help the Alice Springs community reduce its water use.

The $15 million project is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Water for the Future initiative and the Alice Water Smart Consortium, which includes the following organisations:

• Power and Water Corporation, Lead Proponent (PWC)

• Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport (NRETAS)

• Alice Springs Town Council

• Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC)

• Tourism NT

On behalf of the Alice Water Smart consortium, ALEC is managing the Alice Water Smart Homes and Businesses project. Some of the initiatives of the Homes and Business project include:

• Homes and Business Water Efficiency Consultants working with residents and businesses to understand and manage their water use and access rebates and retrofits available from NRETAS.

• Free garden water consultations for eligible households by professional garden consultants to help make garden irrigation more efficient, including access to Garden Irrigation Rebates and a Buy Your Lawn scheme.

• Installation of smart meters to help detect leaks and maintenance issues

• Practical support, tips and tools to manage water use behaviour.

• Increased access to water saving rebates.

• Educational activities and forums to encourage the Alice Springs community to change their attitudes and perceptions of water use.

• The development and promotion of new ‘Community Water Rules’ for voluntary adoption by residents and businesses.

• Practical support, tips and tools to manage water use behaviour.

• Increased access to water saving.

Water Efficiency Consultant giving tips on watering to Thea and mum Katherine Seddon during a water audit in the lead up to the launch of the Alice Water Smart project (photo courtesy of the Centralian Advocate)

Green LivingGreen Living

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By ALEC (Arid Lands Environment Centre)

KINDER CLEANING AT HOMEThere are many harsh chemical cleaners available, and although they may do a good job of cleaning with minimal effort, think of all those chemical residues that you and your family breathe in.

All those chemicals wash down your plug hole, through the water system and out into the sea, causing potential harm to the ocean and marine wildlife.

Why not try a more natural way of cleaning your home? It will save you money too!

GREEN LIVING FACTS & QUICK TIPSSIX SIMPLE CLEANING INGREDIENTS:1. Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) Great for scouring surfaces and fabrics, also acts as a deodoriser.2. White Vinegar cuts through grease, disinfects and deodorises. It also removes mould and discourages it from returning, perfect for the Wet!3. Borax is a natural mineral salt that cleans, bleaches, disinfects and deodorises. Can be used as a powder or dissolved in a little warm water.4. Pure Soap Flakes are biodegradable and can be used in your washing machine instead of powder and to clean surfaces.

5. Lemon Juice cuts through grease, deodorises and works as a mild bleach.6. Tea Tree and Eucalyptus Oils are natural disinfectants.Multi Purpose Cleaner: 1 tsp of Bicarb Soda, 1 tsp of Pure Soap Flakes and squeeze half a Lemon in litre of warm water. Great for kitchens and bathrooms.Floors and mouldy areas with sealed surfaces: 1/4 cup of Bicarb Soda, 1/2 cup of White Vinegar, a few drops of Tea Tree or Eucalyptus Oil in half a bucket of water. Add a little elbow grease and away you go!

The desertSMART EcoFair this year coincided with National Science Week (August 19-21). The ‘EcoFair’, in its third year is a partnership between the Arid Lands Environment Centre and the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens. It has grown out of the Desert Garden and Sustainability Fair to include workshops, music program, School’s day and the Centralian Q & A.

This year saw approximately 2500 people pass through the gates to ‘participate, learn and create’ a sustainable and resilient future.

The National Science Week School’s Day was attended by 320 school students from 5 different schools, ranging in age from Grade 5 - Year 9. The students learned about biodiversity monitoring, ecosystems, recycling, water, renewable energy and sustainable living from Land for Wildlife, Alice Springs Desert Park, NT Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport (NRETAS), Alice Water Smart, desertSMART COOLmob and the Earth Sanctuary. From all reports, it was a rewarding day for all participants. School’s Day is set to be a permanent feature of the EcoFair.

Opening night saw DJ Treason Coalition and the local ska-reggae-metal band Dr

Strangeways support the Gold Coast’s Tijuana Cartel. More than 350 people turned up to celebrate the opening of the EcoFair and dance to the groovy beats and flamenco guitar.

The EcoFair rolled on through Saturday with the Wearable Arts Sustainable Fashion Show, Circosis performances, full workshop program and 35 community, government and sustainable business stalls. A full music program accompanied the day with Jay Hoad headlining the afternoon set.

The first Centralian Q&A forum was broadcast online through the EcoFair Facebook page on the Saturday night. Local ABC 783 radio personality Rohan Barwick invoked his inner Tony Jones to host the event.

Environment Minister Karl Hampton joined Opposition Environment spokesperson Peter Chandler; Managing Director of Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation, Jan Ferguson; Alice Springs Alderman John Rawnsley; Climate Action advocate and GP, Peter Tait and the Green’s candidate for Lingiari, human rights campaigner and town camp resident, Barbara Shaw to discuss important Central Australia issues including uranium mining, water, remote governance and the carbon tax were up for debate. Both the audience and the participants enjoyed what could become a semi-regular ‘adventure in democracy’.

The Bush Foods Cast Iron Chef was the highlight of Sunday’s EcoFair. The competition was hot with a cook-off that involved camel meat, wattleseed dukkah, quandongs, bush tomatoes, saltbush, native spices and other delicious combinations. It was fun and well-attended.

The day came to a close with the local yokel country outfit, the Not Real Cowboys. All in all - the EcoFair was a huge event for the environmental community of Central Australia.

The exhaustion has passed and we’re busy planning for next year - catch some of the action from this years event on the website www.ecofair.org.au.

Images inset from top:ALEC Management Committee Convenor Stewart Baillie and General Member Emily Webster recruiting a new ALEC member, by Edan Baxter

The Centralian Q&A Panel: Peter Chandler MLA; Ald John Rawnsley; Barbara Shaw; Rohan Barwick; Peter Tait; Jan Ferguson and Karl Hampton, by Edan Baxter

Larapinta Primary students completing a bird survey at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens, by Carmel Vandermolen

desertSMART EcoFair Grows

There has been a lot of media lately about coal seam gas (CSG) in the eastern states and public concern about the extraction method of ‘fraccing.’‘Fraccing’, or hydraulic fracturing, is a gas extraction method

where a mix of water and proppants (sand, silicas, and a mix of chemicals) are pumped down a gas well causing the fracturing of the substrate. Once the water is removed, the sands are left behind keeping the fractures open, allowing the gas to travel to the wellhead.

Public concerns about fraccing include: the amount of water used and where it comes from; chemicals contaminating groundwater; the disposal of potentially polluted waste water; conflicts with other land users (such as the rural sector); land uses (food production) and the visual impact of 100s to 1000s of wellheads and flares spread across a landscape.

Fraccing has also attracted public concern overseas. In Quebec in Canada, and the Karoo region in South Africa, a moratorium on fraccing is in place to allow appropriate environmental investigations to be undertaken. Within Lancashire, UK, fraccing was suspended after fears that it was linked to minor earthquakes and tremors. France has officially banned the use of fraccing because of concerns about water pollution.

Closer to home, on 5 August 2011 the NSW Government announced a parliamentary committee to investigate the environmental, economic and social impacts of coal seam gas mining in NSW. It has also announced a moratorium on all new fraccing approvals while a detailed review of the approach is undertaken.

Key politicians across Australia have expressed concern about fraccing. This includes Tony Windsor – Independent; Mark Coulton – Australian National Party; and Kevin Humphries – NSW National Party. So far, NT politicians have remained silent on the issue.

Fraccing is an issue for the Northern Territory too. While the eastern states have been dealing with coal seam gas, the Northern Territory has unconvential gas shale, that is, potential reserves of gas locked in tight, impermeable shale. In fact numbers of exploration permits have already been issued under the Petroleum Act.

Worried? There is reason to be – mainly because we’re not ready for this type of industry and because recently our Chief Minister claimed that the Northern Territory doesn’t have the environmentalist concerns of WA or the farmers speaking out about CSG like QLD does…

In view of the controversy this type of industry is causing all over the world, the Environment Centre NT has requested the Northern Territory Government follow the good example of the NSW Government and hold a Public Inquiry into unconventional shale gas and gas extraction methods within the Northern Territory.

While a review of the Petroleum Act is both proposed and very welcome (noting that it needs to be a very thorough review!) a Public Inquiry is able to look beyond what the legislation should say, and ask the questions about: food security; strategic water usage; importance of landscape integrity; appropriate standards for chemical usage; resources required to regulate this type of industry; the application of the Climate Change Policy and Draft Offsets Policy; management of waste water; and the role of the Environmental Assessment Act.

But more importantly a Public Inquiry allows the public to have its say; it allows NT residents to communicate both their support and concern about this industry, be a part of the solution to any problems that are identified, and, have a say on whether the associated risks with gas extraction are considered to be acceptable.

Government is yet to respond to our request for a Public Inquiry – so, watch this space!

By Juanita Croft, Policy Officer

Coal seam gas wells, pipelines and access roads pockmark the land at Chinchilla, Queensland, image provided by Jeremy Buckingham.

Image above and below: 4,000 people rally against the coal seam gas industry in Murwillumbah, Northern NSW, image provided by Jeremy Buckingham.

Nature Territory

2019

‘Fraccing’

Winellie based Fryer Fuels are the first and only licensed recycled biodiesel manufacturer in the NT. The company collects troublesome waste vegetable oil from deep fryers which can often end up in landfill or clogging our waterways, and recycles this waste product into an eco-friendly fuel.

By using their 100% recycled biodiesel in their own trucks they have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 87% (according to independent CSIRO testing.) And now their customers are doing the same. There are over 100 vehicles in the NT running on their biodiesel, and this number is growing.

Established in 2008 by four long-term Territorians, the biodiesel idea was conceived over a two year period whilst operating VATMAN, a deep fryer management system.

After processing the waste oil becomes B100 (biodiesel in its purest form) and this can be used in most compression-ignition (diesel) engines without modification. Other blends can also be arranged.

Is it safe? Fryerfuel’s biodiesel is strictly tested and meets all government guidelines and standards, including all requirements under Australian Fuel Standard (biodiesel) Determination 2003 and Amendments.

Is it as good as the diesel I use now? Charles Darwin University (CDU) conducted independent testing of the biodiesel and other blends in 2006. Results showed that this alternative offers similar fuel economy, horsepower and torque to petroleum diesel.

CDU also concluded that biodiesel and biodiesel blends provided superior lubricity than petroleum diesel and offer the potential to extend the life of engine fuel components. However, the biggest benefit is to our environment: Biodiesel reduces engine emissions, and so lowers

the amount of harmful chemicals being released by diesel powered vehicles and generators.

Biodiesel is highly biodegradable. Accidental spills and leaks will cause far less damage than conventional diesel.

Biodiesel is nontoxic and essentially free of sulphur and other aromatics, meaning less health risks when used in any proportion from 5 to 100%. Carcinogenic risk factors are reduced by about 50% when using B100.

How much does it cost? The current price is $1.10 per litre, compared to $1.55 for conventional diesel. What’s not to like?

What is the future of biodiesel in the Northern Territory?Fryer Fuels are passionate about environmental sustainability, and have produced an action plan in response to the Northern Territory Government’s Climate Change Policy.

Talks are being held with PowerWater about the supply of biodiesel for remote generators, and their next mission in 2012 is to lobby the local councils of Palmerston and Darwin to ban the use of animal fat as a cooking medium in their areas.

This will allow all local waste cooking oil to be recycled into a renewable energy source, which would be great news for customers and the environment.

Fryerfuel’s biodiesel has been successfully accredited as a renewable source of energy through the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER).

So why not try it in your diesel vehicle? You’ll not only be saving money each km, but also reducing your carbon footprint and cleaning up the Territory’s roads as you go.

PANDANUS Editor Hannah Seward has been testing the B100 biodiesel and can report that the test vehicle, a 1984 Toyota Landcruiser runs just as well as it did on conventional diesel. There is no puff of black smoke on start-up, just the pleasant smell of hot chips!

Image above and below: 4,000 people rally against the coal seam gas industry in Murwillumbah, Northern NSW, image provided by Jeremy Buckingham.

20

BULK BIODIESEL SPECIAL$1.10 per litre

Receive 500 litres of biodiesel for FREE

Sign up with Fryer Fuels for a weekly delivery (1000 litres minimum) and after 3 months as a valued client receive 500 litres of biodiesel for FREE.

Unit 3, 9 Graffin CrescentWinnellie NT 0820w: www.fryerfuels.com.aut: 0407188995

ECO-FRIENDLYECO-NOMICAL

Biodiesel is growing in popularity as an alternative to conventional fossil fuel, and it’s available right here in Darwin.

Diesel Biodiesel

For more information contact Fryer Fuels on: t: 0407188995 w: www.fryerfuels.com.au

From top: Waste oil on the left and Fryer Fuel’s biodiesel on the right. Filling up their own truck.The PANDANUS biodiesel test begins!

Lett

ers

L

ett

ers

To the Editor,

Recent media reaction against the imperative for marine parks issue employs a non sequiter that suggests we don’t need conservation zones because the NT’s marine environments are doing OK.

That’s a logical fallacy. Marine protected areas, like terrestrial national parks, serve the role of a safety net. You don’t do away with a safety net simply because you’re walking really well along a top quality highwire. The fact that marine environments globally are in catastrophic decline heightens the case for the protection of those in our custody. Rather than letting us off the hook, the comparative good form of northern marine environs only raises the stakes.

As the debate has shown, fishing is such a pervasive pasttime up here that you can’t pin one opinion on the whole fishing community. I’m confident that, in time, the greenies among the fishos will advance the cause for an appropriate level of conservation; for the fishos of the future.

Justin, Rapid Creek.

I congratulate Darwin City Council for their pilot turbine and solar panel at the tip of East Point (shame it’s slap bang in the middle of a beautiful view, and it smells too badly of raw sewage to enjoy sitting there anyway) BUT, can someone tell me why the fixed solar panel faces north-east and is shaded by a large Casuarina tree? I hope this is not a deliberate attempt to discount the trial and dodge the expense of using solar and wind energy to power East Point.

Colin, Fannie Bay.

To the Editor,

To ‘Composting’ (Letters, August 2011). We use a tumbling compost bin. We empty our kitchen waste into it every few days and add small amounts of garden waste (leaves, prunings, soil) to the mix to keep it a bit drier.

We found we had to cover the air holes with a lid (from a piece of metal found at the dump shop), to keep the rain out. The bin produces a good load of compost several times a year. We use it in our garden, but those in units would need an arrangement with a nearby gardener (or perhaps a community or school garden), you could wheelbarrow your compost to them – this will only be a handful of times a year, as opposed to much more regularly with the Bokashi.

Lesley, Millner

Dear Editor

I was left confused at the recent Climate Change Symposium hosted by CDU. The talk on ‘Water Use and Misuse in Northern Australia’ by Mark Wiltshire, Manager of Sustainable Development - Water Services at PowerWater stated that we would need an alternative water source to meet future water demands from a growing NT population, but in the same talk said there was no need for water restrictions.

Surely if we change our habits and put some restrictions in place for the needless waste of water that happens now we can delay or even negate the need for another destructive dam?

Paul, Ludmilla.

Marine Safety Net

What’s the Point?

Compost Advice

Water Confusion

Your Say

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We’d like to hear from you....Here’s your chance to put pen to paper and write in to the Environment Centre NT. We’d like to know what’s on your mind.

Please send any letters, comments, tips, statements, facts or questions to us via post or email and we will select the best ones and put them in the next magazine. Topics can be on anything environmental. Maybe you have a question for the team here, a top tropical gardening tip, ideas to make our lives more sustainable, or simply want to let off steam about an issue, here’s the place to do it!

Write to us: The Environment Centre NT, GPO Box 2120, Darwin, 0801. Email us: communications@ecnt.org Call us: (08) 89811984

Please note: Submissions should be no longer than 200 words and must include your name and address and either a phone number or email address. We will not publish your name if you request us not to. We reserve the right to edit all content and refuse submission of any unsuitable content.

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Membership ApplicationDarwin Sustainability Drinks at Lizards

Drop in for a drink and nibbles, explore inspiring environmental solutions and see what’s happening on the Darwin green scene. Great guest speakers and a whole host of friendly faces.

When: 5pm to 7pm on the first Thursday of every month. Please note: There will be no Sustainability Drinks in January. 2012.

Where: Lizards Bar, Top End Hotel (Cnr Mitchell & Daley St)

Contact: www.sustainabilitydrinks.com

If you have an event we should all know about please contact the Environment Centre NT:The Environment Centre NT, GPO Box 2120, Darwin, 0801

Email us: admin@ecnt.org Call us: (08) 8981 1984

EVENTSUpcoming

Facebook: Environment Centre NTFlickr: environment_centre_ntTwitter: StuartBlanch2

Events

You can download a copy of PANDANUS Magazine from our website:

www.ecnt.org

If you would like additional copies of PANDANUS please send us an email or give us a call on the contact details above.

The Environment Centre NT Christmas Party

When: Thursday 8th December at 4.30pm onwards.

Where: Environment Centre NT Offices, Woods Street, Darwin.

Contact: Lisa Peters - 08 8981 1984

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN PANDANUS!We are now offering advertising space! We can help your business to target an

environmentally aware readership at very reasonable rates. PANDANUS has a growing circulation, currently 650 copies, distributed for 3 months. The Magazine is also emailed to key stakeholders, and is available for download on our website. Actual readership figures are much higher as PANDANUS is sent directly to individual and family members as well as being widely read at cafes, libraries, schools, workplaces, CDU, Government Departments and organisations across the Territory. Copies are also sent to Ministers and key Members of the Legislative Assembly, political advisers, journalists, and peak stakeholder groups. Rates start from as little as $100.00 per quarter.

To advertise in PANDANUS please contact Lisa on 08 8981 1984 or email admin@ecnt.orgLETTERS TO THE EDITOR We’d like to hear from you....

22

THANK YOU!The Environment Centre NT would like to say a big thank you to all our staff, volunteers, members, donors and supporters. It’s been another big year, and 2012 promises to be just as busy. Please help us to carry on our work by becoming a member, ‘Liking us’ on Facebook, following us on Twitter or volunteering some of your time on one of our important campaigns. Have a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays.

Best Wishes from the Environment Centre NT Team.

In 2003 Juanita took a 6 month road trip

around Australia when she stumbled upon

Darwin and fell in love with its beauty and

spirit. She promptly moved here.

Coming from a congested, polluted city she was

so enthused by the opportunity provided by

the Territory to “get it right” and learn from the

mistakes made in the southern states.

She spent 7 years working for the Northern

Territory Government within environment

roles, doing her best to ensure the Territory did

“get it right” when it came to giving approval

and the subsequent regulation of development. These roles

included Director of Environmental Assessment and Policy within

NRETAS followed by Executive Director of the EPA.

Juanita has the view that we all have a responsibility towards

the environment – it is not there to be irresponsibly exploited or

abused, particularly not for short term gain.

Governments in particular shoulder much of this responsibility –

by ensuring we have decent (and effective) environmental laws

and policies in place; and, by the decisions they make and in

the manner in which they are made. She believes that being a

“developing” economy brings greater responsibility, not less!

It is not a reason to be lax – it just sets the NT up for even

greater costs in the long run (just look at Mt Todd!).

While contracted to the Environment Centre NT,

Juanita’s focus will be on how to improve the

environmental protection and regulatory regimes for

the Northern Territory.

Welcome to Juanita Croft

Check out our Facebook page: Environment Centre NT

Out & About photos by Clare Rawlinson - ABC, David Hancock, Hannah Seward and Stuart Blanch.

Underwater Icons of Northern Australia

Twelve Tropical Sea Treasures

Environment Centre NT Out & About

We have been busy rallying resources companies, turtle watching at Bare Sand Island with Sea Darwin, attending the I Float, I vote rally and preparing for the launch of the brand new ‘Weeds of Northern Australia’ field guide available in December.

If you feel strongly about anything you have seen in this magazine, get involved...

Take Action!Contact your local MLA, send them an email, call or write a letter, or submit a post on a our Facebook page.

If we can help you to do this please give us a call on 08 8981 1984 or email admin@ecnt.org

In October the Environment Centre NT, in conjunction with the Save

Our Tropical Sealife alliance, launched Twelve Tropical Sea Treasures:

Underwater Icons of Northern Australia. The report identifies critical

marine habitat across Northern Australia, which Federal Environment

Minister Tony Burke must protect in large marine sanctuaries. Flip through

the report online at www.SaveOurTropicalSealife.org.au