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New webinar available!
22/11/2019
You can now watch the latest AELERT Webinar: Regulating the Reef – Innovative approaches to protecting a natural wonder.
This webinar has been added to our Resources section.
You can watch it here: https://www.aelert.net/resource/view/570
Sydney and Brisbane air quality plummets
19/11/2019
Source: ABC website
The Sydney CBD is barely visible from much of the city as a thick smoke haze from the bushfires chokes large parts of NSW, with health experts warning those with medical conditions to stay inside.
Key points:
- Sydneysiders woke to a thick blanket of smoke on Tuesday morning
- It is from a bushfires at Gospers Mountain, north-west of Sydney
- The Rural Fire Service is on high alert today, amid hot, dry conditions
The Department of Environment said the smoke had pushed air quality beyond "hazardous" levels in Sydney's north-west, the northern tablelands and the north-west slopes.
The smoke is spreading from the Gospers Mountain fire, which has burnt more than 120,000 hectares north-west of Sydney and remains an out-of-control fire.
Meanwhile...
South-east Queensland has again been shrouded by smoke from the bushfires, raising air pollution levels.
State government data shows the air quality in Southport, South Brisbane and Woolloongabba is "very poor".
It is ranked as "poor" in nine other locations, including the Brisbane CBD, Rocklea and Springwood.
According to a global index of air pollution, that puts the current air quality in Southport on par with that in Beijing and worse than in Mumbai.
New VIC AELERT Representative
08/11/2019
Greg Elms joins the AELERT network as the new Victorian Jurisdictional Representative. Greg is the General Counsel to the Environment Protection Authority Victoria, heading up the Legal Services and Major Investigations Units.
Greg has extensive experience in all aspects of public sector legal work including military and civilian
policing, with a strong background in investigations and court and tribunal hearings in prosecutions and disciplinary proceedings.
After spending 9 years at Victoria Police in general duties and criminal investigations, Greg spent a further 7 years with Victoria Police as a prosecutor and discipline advisor. Following that, he spent 8 years with the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office providing specialist advice and advocacy to a broad range of government regulatory clients both directly and as a team leader.
Greg is a military police investigator and is still an active Reservist with the Australian Army, involved in investigations as well as acting as prosecuting or defending officer in administrative and disciplinary matters. A highlight of Greg's military career was his deployment to East Timor in 2007 where he provided peacekeeping and criminal investigative capacity-building assistance to the East Timorese authorities.
New Chair of the Water Compliance CoP
08/11/2019
AELERT would like to welcome Grace Mang to the role of Water Compliance Community of Practice (CoP) Chair. Grace is the Director of Compliance Strategy at the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Grace has worked with not-for profits and government for over 15 years to promote stronger relationships and multi-sector dialogues to support better protection and sustainable management of rivers around the world.
Grace has worked as International Rivers’ Director of Programs and oversaw its China Program from Beijing, China and the United States.
Free Live Stream Webinar
08/11/2019
Regulating the Reef – Innovative approaches to protecting a natural wonder
When: Thurs 14 November 10-11:30am (QLD AEST time)
Where: www.aelert.net/events/61_webinar_regulating_the_reef
Managing the health of a system as complex as the Great Barrier Reef requires an approach that recognises and responds to that complexity.
In this webinar, learn how Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science is approaching its role in preserving the health of the Reef for future generations. From voluntary programs, through education and capacity building to behaviour change programs and traditional regulation, the department has brought the full range of modern regulatory interventions to this challenge.
We will hear perspectives from both the policy and programs and operational on-ground sides of the department about the successes and challenges of this uniquely Queensland, but still very Australian, regulatory scheme.
