TCCO Newsletter

APRIL 2018

Welcome to the April 2018 edition of the Tasmanian Climate Change Office’s newsletter. We’re always interested to hear about your climate change adaptation or emissions reduction projects, events and ideas, so please feel free to send us an email with the details for us to include in future editions or share on Facebook.

Staff changes at TCCO

TCCO is pleased to welcome three new team members.

Nina Rogers has joined TCCO to support local government to embed climate change adaptation into their strategic and financial planning and governance frameworks. Nina spent nine years at the Municipal Association of Victoria (Victoria’s peak body for local government) where she held the role of Manager Climate and Environment Policy.

Nina was Principal Policy Advisor / Team Leader of the national Garnaut Climate Change Review leading the climate science, impacts and adaptation workstreams. This was followed by the role of Manager Statewide Engagement at the Victorian Government agency Sustainability Victoria.

Natalie Cooling joins TCCO as a Senior Policy Analyst, supporting implementation of Priority 1 under Climate Action 21 - Understanding Tasmania's Future Climate. Natalie has a Bachelor of Arts/Laws, majoring in public policy and a Graduate Certificate in International Relations from the University of Tasmania. Natalie has worked in various policy and project roles across the Tasmanian State Service over the past 10 years, most recently as part of the team leading the Government's response to family violence.

Sophie Fitzgerald joined the TCCO team in March. Sophie has a Bachelor of Laws from UTAS and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. Sophie has worked in a mix of policy and project roles, including within the health policy and intergovernmental relations area of the Department of Health and Human Services; Communities, Sport and Recreation; and the clinical restructure project in the Tasmanian Health Service.

After nine months in DPAC's Corporate and Culture Division, Kate Stuart returned to the team in December 2018 as Communications and Project Support Officer.

Business and Government Energy Efficiency Program

Do you think your business or agency is using too much energy, but you're not sure what to do about it? Funding will soon be available to audit your business or agency's energy use and help find ways to reduce it.

Energy costs make up a significant proportion of the operating costs of Tasmanian businesses and government agencies. Improved energy efficiency can help lower power bills, protect against future energy price rises, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

More information about the program will be available on our website soon.

Business Resource Efficiency Program

Resource efficiency is about doing more with less. In business terms, this means optimising processes to limit use of materials, and reducing waste.

TCCO is running a program to help small to medium-sized businesses improve their use of resources. The program includes waste audits, tailored strategies, workshops and one-on-one mentorship. Come to one of the introductory seminars in May and June to find out if this program is right for your business.

The program is delivered by Business Action Learning Tasmania (BALT). Visit the BALT website to learn more and get involved.

Supporting Electric Vehicle uptake in Tasmania

Electric Vehicle Working Group

TCCO is making progress on its priority work under Climate Action 21 to promote the uptake of electric vehicles. This includes developing a program to support the integration of electric vehicles in local and state government fleets, and progressing the Government’s commitment to support a statewide electric vehicle charging network, including the new ChargeSmart grants program.

Further information on what’s happening in the electric vehicle space is available on the TCCO website, including the Terms of Reference for the Tasmanian Government’s Electric Vehicle Working Group, and the recently released 'Electric Vehicles in Tasmania – Current State of Play' paper which explores the key considerations for supporting the uptake of the technology in Tasmania.

ChargeSmart - workplace electric vehicle charging grants program

Applications for ChargeSmart are now open!

ChargeSmart recognises that electric vehicle uptake is on the rise. The Program supports workplaces to prepare for the technology by providing grants for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.

Grant funding available

Individual grants of up to $5,000 are available to eligible organisations (eg councils, businesses, and not-for-profits) to install a permanently wired electric vehicle charging station for use by employees.

Applications must be received by 5.00 pm on 21 May 2018. The grants will be provided by June 2018 and organisations will have one year to install their charging station.

Visit the TCCO website for more information.

Tasmania's Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Australian Government's Department of the Environment and Energy released the latest State and Territory Greenhouse Gas Inventories data on 28 February 2018.

The data show that in 2016 (the most recent figures), Tasmania's total greenhouse gas emissions were -0.01 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e). This represents an overall decline in emissions of 100 per cent from the 1990 baseline, which means Tasmania has achieved zero net emissions.

Tasmania is the first jurisdiction in Australia to achieve zero net emissions. This is a significant milestone for the State and demonstrates the important role of states and regions in meeting the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

TCCO has prepared a detailed report on Tasmania's emissions profile. The report is available on the TCCO website.

Enterprise Suitability Mapping layers now available on the LIST

Enterprise Suitability Maps can help farmers to match local soil and climate information with the right crops for those conditions. The Maps combine digital soil mapping, localised climate data and crop rules.

Maps are currently available statewide for 20 different crops, including barley, blueberries, carrot seed, carrots, cherries, hazelnuts, industrial hemp, linseed, lucerne, olives, onions, poppies, potatoes, pyrethrum, raspberries, rye grass, sparkling wine grapes, strawberries, table wine grapes and wheat.

Through the Open Data function of the LIST (Land Information System Tasmania) these mapping layers are now available for free download. The data can then be used to prepare a shortlist of potential crops or enterprises for further investigation. You will need GIS software and internet access to download the information. You can find more information and LIST map instructions on the DPIPWE website.

Awards

Farmers are getting Fert$mart

Congratulations to DairyTasmania's Clean Rivers and Fert$mart Projects, which were awarded the 'Excellence in Sustainable Farm Practices' award at the 2017 Landcare Tasmania Awards. TCCO is proud to support the Fert$mart program, which helps dairy farmers to improve the effectiveness of their fertiliser use and irrigation practices, and to improve water quality and soil health. Read more about the Fert$mart program on the TCCO website.

Banksia Sustainability Awards

Nominations for the 2018 Banksia Sustainability Awards are now open.

This year the Banksia Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary. The 2018 awards will be based around the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals.

There are 10 categories, based on stakeholder groups, including: large and small business, not-for-profit groups, government, research organisations, individuals, Indigenous and community groups. Submissions close 1 August 2018.

Upcoming Events

Putting the change into climate change

TCCO's Director, Sophie Muller, will speak as part of The Royal Society of Tasmania's 2018 lecture series. Her talk will explore what's changed in climate change, exploring climate-related financial risk and legal liability for government and businesses, and advances in technology as a push for change.
Date: 8.00 pm, Tuesday 1 May 2018
Venue: Royal Society Room, TMAG Customs House Building, Hobart
Information: The Royal Society of Tasmania

5th Australasian Emissions Reduction Summit 2018

This event brings together national and international leaders from business, government, technology and finance, to share knowledge about the transition to a low carbon world. The program has three themes: Policy, Markets and Business.
Date: 1-2 May 2018
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Information and registration: Carbon Market Institute

Australian Energy Week 2018

This event will provide an opportunity to hear from energy industry leaders and gain market, technology and policy insights. Key themes include Australia's Energy Markets Outlook, Energy Policy Forum, Future Grid Stream and NextGen Generation Stream.
Date: 8-11 May 2018
Venue: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Place, South Wharf, Melbourne
Information and registration: Energy Week

Climate Adaptation 2018

learn / collaborate / act
The sixth national Climate Adaptation Conference is brought to you by NCCARF (National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility) and Engineers Australia. This year's conference incorporates Engineers Australia's meeting 'Practical responses to climate change'. The conference will focus exclusively on climate impacts and adaptation.
Date: 8-10 May 2018
Venue: Crown Melbourne, Queensbridge & Whiteman Streets, Southbank
Information and registration: Climate Adaptation 2018

Other news

Special Climate Statement - March 2018

For the first time, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) issued a joint Special Climate Statement about unusual weather patterns over summer.

The Statement documents record warmth in the Tasman Sea, Tasmania and New Zealand between November 2017 and January 2018. Key findings include:

Record-high temperatures in the southern Tasman Sea, including sea surface temperatures 2.1 degrees Celsius above average in December.
Abnormally high temperatures on land in south-east Australia and New Zealand.
The hottest November, November to January, and November to February on record for Tasmania.
New Zealand's hottest summer on record.

Visit the BOM website or download the Special Climate Statement (PDF) for more information.

Mean temperature deciles for Australia - November 2017 to January 2018. Source: Bureau of Meteorology, Commonwealth of Australia 2018

Australia's Annual Climate Statement 2017

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Meteorology released the Annual Climate Statement for 2017. The key finding of the Statement was that 2017 was Australia's third-warmest year on record, while national rainfall was somewhat above average. The national mean temperature was 0.95 degrees Celsius above average.