Environment Bulletin - April 2024
Australia – New biosecurity levy proposed
The Australian Government has introduced a package of bills to Parliament which will provide for the imposition, collection and administration of a new biosecurity protection levy and charge. The levy would be payable by producers of agricultural, forestry and fisheries products and will help support sustainable funding of Australia’s biosecurity system.
Victoria – Bill to support offshore wind energy infrastructure introduced
The Victorian Government has introduced the Energy and Public Land Legislation Amendment (Enabling Offshore Wind Energy) Bill 2024 to Parliament to support the establishment of an offshore wind energy industry in Victoria. The Bill will update public land legislation to introduce offshore wind energy licences, with a duration of up to 21 years, for investigatory activity regarding the installation of offshore wind electricity infrastructure in Victorian coastal waters and on land, among other things.
Western Australia – Electricity Industry Amendment (Distributed Energy Resources) Bill passed
The WA Government has passed the Electricity Industry Amendment (Distributed Energy Resources) Act 2024 through Parliament, introducing a new State Electricity Objective that allows for environmental considerations such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and establishing the needed regulatory framework to enable the uptake of new technologies such as batteries, electric vehicles, and solar panels to support the State’s power systems. Work is underway to amend regulations and rules to facilitate the new Act.
Read more from the Minister for Energy, Environment & Climate Action here.