THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing in Canberra on Monday, February 1, 2021 to discuss amendments to the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The Committee will hear evidence on changes to the lists of protected species arising from the CITES 18^th Conference of the Parties.

CITES protects endangered species by regulating international trade in those species and their products.

“Two small, but lucrative industries – musical instrument manufacturing and sea cucumber fishing, are likely to be the most affected in Australia,” Committee Chair Dave Sharma MP said.

“Musical instrument makers will benefit from an easing of restrictions on the use of Rosewoods, while people wishing to export sea cucumbers will need to obtain a permit to export this endangered species.”

The Committee will also review recent amendments to the Agreement on Mutual Recognition in relation to Conformity Assessment, Certificates and Markings between Australia and the Republic of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway [European Free Trade Association – European Economic Area].

Public hearing details

Date: Monday 1 February 2021
Time: 11am – 12 noon
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House

Access to the public hearing is restricted as a pandemic control measure. The hearing can be accessed online.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy is holding public hearings for its inquiry into climate change bills on Friday January 29 and Monday February 1, 2021.

The two private members’ Bills were introduced in Parliament by Zali Steggall MP on November 9, 2020, and referred to the committee for review. 

The Bills seek to alter Australia’s current climate change management and establish a new Climate Change Commission to replace the current Climate Change Authority. 

Committee Chair Ted O’Brien said, “The Committee will consider the Bills carefully and we’re looking forward to hearing the views of a range of interested parties.”

Acknowledging a high level of interest in the inquiry, Mr O’Brien noted the Committee’s experience in managing inquiries on issues of important public policy.

“We have recently managed inquiries into nuclear energy, bushfires, Scope 3 emissions and feral cats, and so the Committee is well placed to now deliberate on the proposed climate change bills," Mr O'Brien.

“As a Committee, we’ll do what we always do. We won’t draw any conclusions prematurely, but rather assess the information with dispassionate independence.”  

The Committee will commence its hearing on Friday with the key Australian Government agencies managing Australia’s current climate change framework. 

The hearing will then consider views from the health, science, technical, environmental, infrastructure, energy, planning, business and investment sectors. 

On Monday, the Committee will hear from some state and local government bodies and others including grassroots community groups, policy development organisations, academics and legal experts. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, committee hearings are not presently open for physical attendance by members of the public. Proceedings will be available to watch live or later on the Parliament’s website at aph.gov.au/live.

Public hearing details
Date: Friday 29 January 2021
Time: 9.30am to 4.45pm
Location: Via video and teleconference 

Date: Monday 1 February 2021
Time: 11am to 5pm
Location: Via video and teleconference.

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THE value of Queensland’s resources industry to the state economy has been proven yet again, according to the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), with the news Queensland has recorded the highest number of coal jobs ever reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in the September to November 2020 quarter.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said coal industry jobs rose by almost 40 percent during the quarter -- increasing from 28,072 to 39,075 -- which demonstrated how crucial the resources sector is to the state economy and to jobs.

“December trade data also shows the value of Australian coal exports rose by 26 per cent over the previous month, showing coal continues to be an important part of the global energy and industrial mix and will be for years to come,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“In terms of Queensland, December was a very good month for coal tonnes, with state coal exports up 19 percent on November, increasing from 16 million tonnes to just over 19 million tonnes.”

The latest ABS jobs data shows Queensland also recorded the highest number of jobs in resources since 2013, increasing 23 percent over the previous quarter to reach 78,369 jobs.

This is 18 percent higher, or nearly 12,000 more jobs, than the same period in 2019, which was unaffected by the global pandemic.

Mr Macfarlane said oil and gas jobs have also recovered strongly, increasing 147 percent between the August and November quarters.

He said the state’s resources companies continue to perform and exceed expectations in spite of COVID-19, which benefits every Queenslander through taxes, royalties, exports, jobs and business opportunities emanating from the sector.

“Our companies are also leading the way in exploring and investing in new economy minerals, technologies and renewable energy projects so we can continue to contribute to the state economy and to jobs in the long term,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the resources sector and Queensland is in an ideal position to benefit from our resilience and innovation.”

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Australian solar industry defied expectation and the economic challenges of COVID-19 to install a record-breaking 5,000 MW of solar power in 2020, equivalent to almost 15 million average solar panels, new analysis by solar industry consultancy SunWiz has found.

With every state and territory except Tasmania smashing records for the volume of solar panels and system size installed, Australia now has 20,000MW of solar capacity nationwide—up from 15,000MW in 2019.

Australia led the world in uptake of solar on a per-capita basis and this follows a record year for installations in 2019.

The annual growth rate for rooftop solar has exceeded 33% for the past four years, and accelerated in 2020.

“The number of Australians installing rooftop solar systems increased by 40% compared to 2019 levels,” said Warwick Johnston, managing director of SunWiz.

“The COVID-19 pandemic had major impacts on Australia’s economy, but the benefits of solar were strong enough to help the industry overcome challenges including supply shortages from China, lockdowns stopping installation in Victoria, and economic uncertainty.

“In fact, the pandemic had an overall positive impact for the industry as people staying home more turned to solar to help reduce their electricity bills,” Mr Johnson said.

Commercial growth slowed, partly due to COVID-19’s impact on the broader economy and business finances, but corporate power purchase agreements and green hydrogen provided optimism for the future, with mega-projects on the horizon – including the 14,000MW SunCable and the 26,000MW Asian Renewable Energy Hub.

Utility-scale battery projects also became commonplace as state governments worked towards meeting their net zero emissions targets, with Renewable Energy Zones, purchasing price agreements and subsidies.

“It’s an exceptional time to be working anywhere in the Australian rooftop solar supply chain, and things will only get better as solar system prices continue to hit record lows and momentum builds on reducing emissions to tackle climate change,” Mr Johnson said.

“While we need policies that ensure every household can connect solar to the grid and ideally make it simpler and more affordable for renters across the country to install solar panels – similar to what is underway in Victoria, 2021 looks to be another bright year for solar."

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