(Unfortunately, it has not been possible to continue this page beyond September 2000.  However, State Opposition Media Releases and news releases, articles, speeches etc by Robert Clark are continuing, as well as pages on Robert Clark's portfolio areas.  See also our News Links page.)

2000

Solar hot water rebate scheme

From July 1 2000, the Sustainable Energy Authority will offer cash rebates of up to $1000 for approved solar hot water systems, with the Government allocating $15 million over three years to the scheme. (30 June)

Catchment boards "purged"

The Government has instituted a "wholesale purge" of the nine Catchment Management Authority (CMA) boards, according to the Shadow Minister for Water Resources. (29 June)

No negotiation on Seal Rocks Centre

The Government has reaffirmed its decision not to renegotiate the commercial arrangements with the operators of the Seal Rocks Centre at Phillip Island, but says it is prepared to negotiate a revised repayment schedule for the money currently owed. (20 June)

Draft guidelines for Basslink assessment

The Government has released for public comment draft guidelines for the Integrated Impact Assessment Statement (IIAS) for the Basslink proposal for electricity grid connection between Tasmania and Victoria, incorporating a Victorian Environment Effects Statement, which will be run in conjunction with the Tasmanian and Commonwealth Governments. A Joint Advisory Panel has been appointed to assess submissions on the draft guidelines. (31 May)

(Unfortunately, news items between 10 March and 9 May have not been included, due to pressure of other commitments.)

1999

State Planning Agenda announced

The Minister for Planning, Mr John Thwaites, has announced the new Government's "State Planning Agenda", which the Opposition has described as "much ado about very little". (13 Dec)

Proposed Major Hazard Facilities Regulations released

The Minister for WorkCover, Mr Bob Cameron, has released for public comment proposed regulations prepared under the previous Government, stating the regulations are expected to come into effect early next year. (11 Nov.)

Basslink EES details announced

The Planning Minister, Mr John Thwaites, has announced details of the Environment Effects Statement (EES) process for the Basslink project. (10 Nov)

ALP’s Conservation Policy builds bureaucracy, cuts nutrient reduction funding

The Minister for Conservation and Land Management, Marie Tehan, says the ALP policy would split the highly successful Parks Victoria into two new bodies for no apparent reason. (29 Aug)

$3.1 million for parks and environmental projects across Victoria

The Minister for Conservation and Land Management, Marie Tehan, has announced $3.1 million for parks projects in the metropolitan area. (24 Aug)

A new wetlands for south-east Melbourne

The Premier, Mr Kennett, has opened the Karkarook Park wetlands, part of an $8-million project to create a new recreation reserve for Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.

$3.4 million to tackle air pollution

The Minister for Conservation and Land Management, Marie Tehan, has announced a $3.4-million Environment Protection Authority (EPA) program to tackle air pollution.

$120m upgrade for Werribee’s water-treatment plant

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Agriculture and Resources, Patrick McNamara, has announced a $120 million improvement project to Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant in Werribee.

Parks and reserves get funding increases

Victoria's National Parks and Crown Reserves have received a $12.4 million funding increase in this year’s State Budget.

Better water for Ballarat

Thames Water (Australia) Pty Ltd has won a $50-million contract to supply Ballarat and some surrounding townships with world-class drinking water.

Concern for regional waterways

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Agriculture and Resources, Patrick McNamara, responding to the Labor Party’s plan to abolish the Catchment Management Authority (CMA) levy, said he feared that the move would lead to a cessation in much-needed environmental works in regional Victoria.

Measures to reduce hazardous waste landfill

The Victorian Government has announced measures to reduce hazardous waste going to landfill by 50% over the next ten years.

1998

Victoria's Summer Fire Strategy

The Victorian Emergency Management Council has finalised the integrated fire season planning between a range of Government and non-Government fire fighting agencies.

Coastal Management Arrangements

The Minister for Conservation and Land Management has accepted the recommendations of the Victorian Coastal Council to establish skills based boards and reduce the numbers of bodies managing the coast.  The Minister said the change would be evolutionary, ensuring a smooth transition and the retention of valuable resources of local community knowledge, interest and ownership. (News Release, Minister for Conservation and Land Management, 3 Dec. 1998)

Catchment Management Authority rates

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Agriculture and Resources, Patrick McNamara, has responded to concerns over Catchment Management Authority (CMA) rates.

Victoria's Aquaculture Strategy

The State Government’s Aquaculture Strategy was launched on November 26, with the primary objective of doubling Victoria’s aquaculture production to $36 million by 2001, within the context of a sound environmental policy.

Major Changes to Fishing

A $20 Recreational Fishing Licence for all Victorian waters will be introduced from mid July next year.

Water standards defended

The Minister for Agriculture and Resources, Mr McNamara, has defended the State Government's plan to have all country Victorians drinking World Health Organisation (WHO) standard water by the year 2000 and wastewater to EPA standards by 2001.

Amendments to Native Title

The Land Titles Validation (Amendment) Bill has been introduced to State Parliament to ensure consistency with the recent amendments to the Federal Native Title Act.

New Victorian Archives Centre

A $24 million Victorian Archives Centre is being constructed to house Victoria’s historic public records.

New Port Campbell Plan restores parkland at Twelve Apostles

The State Government will provide $2.9 million to implement the Final Management Plan for Port Campbell National Park.

Completion of Government Heritage Restoration Program

The 'Renewing Victoria's Past' Report, a review of the Government Heritage Restoration Program during 1997-98, was released on September 21.  This year marked the final year of the $16 million program, which began in 1994.

Melbourne's new riverside park

Planning has commenced on Melbourne’s new riverside park adjoining the new Federation Square.

Assessment  for North East Regional Forest Agreement released

The Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) of the North Eastern forest region, conducted by the State and Federal Governments, was released on August 25.

2000

The Opposition says the Government needs to make a long-term commitment to the development of commercially viable forestry plantations rather than a proliferation of short-term, tax incentive-driven operations. (14 Aug)

The Opposition says that the discontinuance of a $1.5m annual commitment to assist long-term development of the aquaculture industry and a 50% cut to funding of the Victorian Aquaculture Council send the wrong message to potential investors. (31 July)

The Opposition has criticised the Government's rejection of a recommendation to provide financial assistance to re-open the Swift's Creek timber mill. (24 July)

Objections by Labor-controlled councils are putting the proposed Craigieburn deviation of the Hume Freeway at risk, according to the Opposition. (13 July)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has failed to justify the sacking of six chairpersons of Catchment Management Authority (CMA) boards, according to the Shadow Minister for Water Resources. (5 July)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has defended the Government's appointments to Catchment Management Authority Boards. (4 July)

The Government will match Commonwealth Government funding for a study into extending the piping of the stock and domestic channel system south of the Northern Mallee Pipeline Project.  (1 July)

The Minister for Ports has announced the appointment of Rear Admiral John Lord AM as the new chief executive officer of the Marine Board of Victoria. (30 June)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has announced the membership of the new Catchment Management Authorities and the Port Phillip Catchment and Land Protection Board. (29 June)

Noel Laidlaw has been appointed as Victoria's new mining warden. (26 June)

The Government will commission next month a long-term study of statewide training needs to address the shortage of planners in rural and regional areas.  The Government also says it has supported two new graduate courses to begin next semester in regional planning at La Trobe University's Bendigo campus. (26 June)

The Government has launched the Victorian Water Resources Data Warehouse, designed to provide improved community access to information about Victoria's Water Resources, at www.nre.vic.gov.au/vwrmn . (21 June)

The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI), an internet database designed to keep the public informed about damaging substances being released to the environment, will commence from 1 July 2001, it has been agreed at a meeting of the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC).  (20 June)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation and the Member for Gippsland West, Ms Susan Davies, have presented grants of over $70,000 to coastal groups in the Gippsland South and West area. (20 June)

The Government has announced membership of a taskforce to review the Landcare program. (20 June)

Restoration of Western Port Bay's seagrass and mangroves is the main objective of a draft strategy released by the Minister for Environment and Conservation. (20 June)

A Government campaign aimed at encouraging people to keep their cats inside at night has been announced by the Minister for Agriculture. (15 June)

The Government has announced details of payments to councils in the 1999/2000 Beach Cleaning Subsidy Program. (14 June)

The Government says it is providing $3 million through the Environment Protection Authority for the ChemCollect Victoria progam to help Victoria's agricultural community get rid of unwanted and de-registered farm chemicals. (14 June)

The Minister for Manufacturing Industry has launched Marine Week, which is about "celebrating, promoting and developing the State's marine sector". (13 June)

Ministerial reviews have cleared the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of claims of two illegal logging incidents in the Wombat State Forest, according to the Minister for Environment and Conservation. (9 June)

The has received a report on potential for water savings in Victoria's northern irrigation districts, prepared by consultants Sinclair Knight Mertz. (6 June)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has asked the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to develop a statewide water conservation campaign which will run over two years. (5 June)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation, Ms Sherryl Garbutt, has said that the use of fire retardants for bushfire control in Victoria will continue, after the use of the retardant Phos-chek in the Gippsland Caledonia fire of 1998 was raised in the media. (2 June)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation is inviting community input on a report of the Hazardous Waste Consultative Committee. (1 June)

The Minister for Energy and Resources has made a Ministerial Statement to Parliament on the development of the minerals and petroleum industry. (1 June)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has announced the establishment of the Statewide Review Committee for Farms Dams. (30 May)

The Government has amended a Bill currently before Parliament to provide for a 15% allowance for the use of cover material deposited at landfills, "to ensure changes to the landfill levy have no financial impact on responsible landfill operators". (30 May)

The Government must increase funding to 60 outstanding small town sewerage schemes to ensure they all go ahead, according to the Shadow Water Resources Minister. (25 May)

Waste management operators will be unfairly fined when wind sweeps litter and spreads it outside their waste management areas under proposed changes to penalties for breaches of the Environment Protection Act, according to the Opposition. (16 May)

(Unfortunately, news items have not been included between 10 March and 9 May, due to pressure of other commitments.)

The Government has released a report, commissioned by the previous Government, on greenhouse emissions trading, which the Minister for Energy and Resources says will make an important contribution to the national debate. (9 Mar)

The study, commissioned by the previous GovernmenThe Government has released a report entitled 'Salinity Management in Victoria: Future Directions'. (9 Mar)

The Government has announced an $5 million alternative power generation facility, operated by AGL Ltd, which will generate 26,000 MWh of power a year using methane gas from treated sewage captured under lagoon covers at Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant. (3 Mar)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has called for expressions of interest for membership of the Victorian Catchment Management Council. (3 Mar)

The Minister for Transport has released a CSIRO Atmospheric Research report that confirms that some two years after the opening of the Eastern Freeway extension, air quality in the Elgar Park/ Box Hill area is well within environmental guidelines. (2 Mar)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has agreed with a review of zoo euthanasia practices contained in a report which has been released. (1 Mar)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation says that the independent panels established as part of the Regional Forest Agreement process have received over 1000 submissions; 750 for the West Region RFA and over 300 for the Gippsland RFA. (28 Feb)

The Government has launched a 'Naturally Victorian' marketing initiative, focussing on the quality, safety and cleanliness of Victorian produced food and the sustainability of production systems. (27 Feb)

The Government says it will undertake further geo-technical work to establish the likelihood and consequences of subsidence in the Latrobe Aquifer, following the inability of a Technical Working Group established in 1998 to agree on a conclusion. (25 Feb)

Regulations covering the phase-out of lead shot for duck hunting in Victoria have been introduced. (22 Feb)

Six councils aret to share total funding of $121,435 under a program to develop working partnerships on weeds. (22 Feb)

An independent panel appointed by the Minister for Environment and Conservation has upheld Parks Victoria's decision to exclude cattle for this grazing season from the Alpine National Park, a decision welcomed by the Minister. (21 Feb)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has called on people in Melbourne to help save water as dry weather continues. (21 Feb)

The Government says a total of 3,400 properties have been inspected in three months as part of the Government's crackdown on landholders who fail to control weeds on their property, representing a 90% increase in weed enforcement activity compared to the same period last year. (17 Feb)

The fisheries research institute, MAFRI, will be relocated to The Narrows site in Queenscliff, with a $13-$15 million redevelopment. (11 Feb)

The Government says it plans to end uncertainties in water entitlements in the Glenelg and Wimmera Rivers by defining secure entitlements for water authorities and the environment. (4 Feb)

The Government has announced the awarding by Land Victoria of a contract for maintenance and management services for Vicmap Digital (Roads and Topographic) to LANDINFO, the spatial division of consulting firm, Sinclair Knight Merz. (27 Jan)

The Government has announced increased funding and the formation of a taskforce to tackle the problem of syringes being left on bayside beaches. (17 Jan)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has appointed a three-person Independent Panel to adjudicate a decision to stop cattle grazing in an area of the Alpine National park for the 1999-2000 grazing season. (17 Jan)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has called on the Commonwealth Government to consider funding the next stage of the Wimmera Mallee pipeline from sources other than the National Landcare Program. (4 Jan)

1999

The Minister for Manufacturing Industry has announced a $400,000 grant to support the international marketing of the Axcess Australia Concept Car 2 Hybrid Electric Vehicle. (21 Dec)

The Government will provide $440,000 to promote waste reduction in the industrial and business sectors through 5 proposals approved by EcoRecycle Victoria. (17 Dec)

The Government has announced changes to the consultation process for Regional Forest Agreements in Victoria, (14 Dec)

The Minister for Planning, Mr John Thwaites, said he accepted the broad thrust of the recommendations of an independent Panel the proposed Blairgowrie Safe Boat Harbour under the Environment Effects Act 1978 and agreed that the proposal should be approved, subject to certain conditions. (14 Dec)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation, Sherryl Garbutt has backed the "Give Your Garden a Christmas present" program to promote use of garden mulch, being run by Yarra Valley Water and Least Waste, the Eastern Regional Waste Management Group. (2 Dec)

The Minister for Energy and Resources has described the all waters fishing licence introduced in July by the previous Government as a success. (30 Nov)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation, Ms Sherryl Garbutt, says she is concerned Federal Government funding for the completion of Stage 6 of the Wimmera Mallee pipeline is to be taken from Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) allocations. (23 Nov)

The Minister for Environment and Conservation has announced that she would be issuing a formal directive to Catchment Management Authorities to discontinue charging catchment tariffs. (11 Nov)

The Minister for Conservation and Land Management, Marie Tehan, has launched Victoria's Gorse Control Strategy in Ballarat and announced $900,000 in funding for the second stage of the Weeds Enhanced Enforcement Program, a part of the $12 million State Government Weed Initiative which was established in 1997/98 . (9 Sep)

Parks Victoria is to invest $1 million in five partnerships with leading research institutions to support research in Victoria’s parks into how to measure changes in the condition of parks over time, the techniques required to protect particular ecosystems such as grasslands and wetlands, and mapping the distribution of habitat for threatened species and communities. (9 Sep)

Australian State Environment Ministers and the Commonwealth Environment Minister, Senator Robert Hill, have signed a five-year deal with Australian industry to manage packaging waste and recycling. The National Packaging Covenant will make household recycling systems secure for the foreseeable future and introduce new levels of environmental performance in the packaging industry. (27 August)

Government funding to combat rabbits and weeds and resolve catchment problems has been made available to community groups across the State. The groups are to receive $1,903,063 for 200 projects under the Community Weeds Control Scheme; $1,287,000 for 118 projects under Rabbit Buster 2; $424,850 for 56 projects under Tree Victoria; and $850,000 for 24 projects under the Landcare Partnership Initiative for 1999-2000. (19 July)

Deputy Premier and Minister for Agriculture and Resources Patrick McNamara has launched a 50-year master plan to manage Victoria’s water resources entitled State Water Planning 2050: Progress, Challenges and Future Directions. (13 July)

1998

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