The Victorian Government’s recent circular economy strategy outlines a bold plan to transform Victoria’s relationship with waste and recycling. The Recycling Victoria strategy represents a fundamental change of mindset and will require changed behaviours from industry and consumers. Businesses operating in this space should be aware of the investment opportunities presented by the changing waste landscape. Read more

More complex, taking longer, and less certain. The Productivity Commission confirms that there is scope for improvement for regulatory processes, including reduced duplication of Commonwealth and State assessments and approvals. Read more

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has provided insights into relevant considerations for proposed solar farms in three recent decisions, in which three of the five projects considered were refused. Read more

A new Bill introduced into the Victorian Parliament seeks to update the habitat compensation arrangements within Melbourne’s growth corridors, providing additional funding to support State government acquisition of land for conservation area reserves given increases in land values. Read more

Proponents of new and expansion coal mine projects face increased scrutiny to facilitate ecologically sustainable development and ensure that the cost of environmental effects is not disproportionately borne by future generations. We explore the refusal of an open cut and underground coal mine in Bylong Valley, NSW. Read more

Our new Climate Change: Succeed in a lower-carbon future report, which gathers insights from our global experts, considers the political, regulatory and commercial pressures arising from climate change, looks at the steps for ensuring that risk management practices measure up to the climate change challenge, and examines the benefits for businesses in all sectors that lead the transformation and innovate toward a lower-carbon future. Read more

Recently, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in Victoria became the first site in Australia accepted onto the UNESCO World Heritage List solely for Aboriginal cultural significance. The occasion presents a chance to reflect on what World Heritage listing means and how Australian environmental and cultural heritage legislation applies to Aboriginal cultural landscapes. Read more

Wind energy facility proponents should take note of recent developments in the regulation of noise impacts from wind energy facilities in Victoria, which signal increased scrutiny of noise impacts from operations. Read more