News in brief: July

Landowners are ‘making bank’ with their unused land

31 July: As we found recently, country corporates are snapping up natural capital, and now, renewable land acquisition agency Rok Solid is saying that these landowners are earning $30,000 a year for 30 years just to lease a hectare of their land to small scale 5MW energy storage systems (BESS) projects.

Founder of the agency Daniel Moroko said that while 100MW BESS projects can take five years to be approved, small scale projects can be up and running within 12 months and only require a single hectare of land.

Landholders and farmers are making a steady cash flow, while companies are “aggressively” rolling out BESS projects as a strategy to skirt the complexities and red tape “plaguing large scale developments”.

Some developers scaling this field include AMPYR Energy, Enervest, EDL Energy, and Atlas Renewables.

Funding revealed for two Victorian manufacturing plants

The Victorian government has revealed funding for two advanced manufacturing facilities in Ballarat, the first one is a new $6.4 million windows and doors factory for JG King Building Group in Wendouree. The factory is solar powered and features advanced manufacturing software, which will mass produce energy efficient doors and windows for residential builds.

The manufacturers make double and triple glazed windows, which the government says help homes become more energy smart, more comfortable to live in, cheaper for residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The other receiver of funding was CE Bartlett’s industrial textile manufacturing factory, also based in Wendouree.

The funding went towards its three phase factory expansion, which created more floor space to expand its assembly lines and create further capacity to deliver its water tank liner products. The upgrades will help the company develop a broad range of goods for clients, which includes transport, blinds, viticulture, agriculture and defence.

Data centre players emerge in the Mediterranean Sea

Data centre market analysts DCByte have revealed the key players for data centres in the Mediterranean Sea region, and they are Barcelona in Spain, Marseille in France, Genoa in Italy and Crete in Greece.

These locations were identified for their geographic location at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as potential for new and existing submarine cable systems, which improves internet latency.

Renters and energy efficient homes

29 July: The property marketing agency behind realestate.com, the REA Group, alongside Origin Energy, has released a new report, finding 34 per cent of renters are willing to pay more for a rental with smart energy features. But 33 per cent said that the home they currently rent has no energy features, and 22 per cent said they were not sure if there were any energy efficiency features at all in their rental property.

Some shocking numbers that emerged from the study include that just 2 per cent of renters reported having batteries, EV charging or triple-glazed windows, only 8 per cent think their home is well insulated, and  15 per cent have access to solar.

The report authors said there are opportunities for landlords, with 59 per cent of renters surveyed believing that property owners are responsible for improving energy efficiency.

Additionally, 56 per cent cited lack of control as their biggest roadblock to adopting energy efficiency features, with another 27 per cent citing upfront costs.

Ku-ring-gai Council installs kerbside chargers

The Ku-ring-gai council is amongst the latest councils to benefit from the NSW government’s $2.8 million EV kerbside charging grant, which will fund 22 local governments to receive subsidised EV chargers.

The council will receive 25 new kerbside electric vehicle charge points, which it says will be key to the council’s plans to reach net zero. It said in June 2025, the council accounted for 5.1 per cent of all registered vehicles, and had the highest rates of EV adoption, with EVs increasing by 150 per cent in the area between June 2023 and 2025.

CSIRO projects that there could be up to 21,404 EVs in the area by 2030.

New built environment award launches

The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, the peak body for quantity surveyors, has launched its new Built Environment Awards, which will reward the best of the global construction industry. The program will recognise achievements in projects, companies, and individuals for contributions to the industry, focusing on cost, time, sustainability and diversity.

Nominations will close on 15 December 2025. 

Jobs news

Architectus has appointed two new principals to its firm – Wade Sutton and Kim Small, who are both senior designers with specialisation in healthcare. 

Kim Small comes from a role as practice director at architecture firm BVN, where she has been since 2009. Her portfolio includes working on the Canberra hospital expansion as well as the Prince of Wales hospital redevelopment.

Wade Sutton has been a healthcare architect for more than 34 years, finishing at his current role as design excellence program director at NSW Health Infrastructure. He has also worked as a senior associate and healthcare sector leader in NSW at Hassell and was a healthcare architect at Mediclinic, which delivered more than 30 hospitals.

What we’re reading

First algae wastewater treatment plant opens

The Burdekin Shire Council has become the first council to open an official algae-based wastewater treatment plant, which the council said helped them make significant savings. The plant only cost $8 million compared to $30 million required to build a conventional treatment facility, it told the ABC.

Based in Ayr, north east Queensland, the Macroalgae Bioremediation Facility uses RegenAqua’s “macroalgal bioremediation” technology, which involves using Oedogonium – a form of free living green alga to clean water by removing nitrogen and phosphorus while sequestering carbon dioxide. The algae are circled around modular built ponds to absorb nutrient waste. The nutrient-dense algae are then harvested and turned into a biostimulant and used to fertilise crops.

The project is co-funded by both the Queensland government through its Building our Regions and Local Government grants and subsidies, alongside the Burdekin Shire Council. Bio Pacific, parent company to RegenAqua provided industry support. The plant was first trialled in a wastewater plant in Picton, NSW, for two years.

ICJ rules polluters need to be held accountable for climate change

24 July – International news: The United Nations’ highest court ruled on Wednesday that wealthy countries must comply with international commitments to curb pollution or risk paying compensation to nations severely affected by climate change.

The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, Judge Yuji Iwasawa read out that “states must cooperate to achieve concrete emission reduction targets,” and failure to comply with “stringent obligations” would place them in breach of international law.

This means countries are responsible for the actions of companies under their jurisdiction or control. Failure to rein in fossil fuel production and subsidies would result in “full reparations to injured states” through “restitution, compensation and satisfaction” as long as the law of state responsibility is met.

The case will set a precedent guiding future climate cases in the ICJ, and the movement was started by three students in a classroom in Fiji. With the support of the government of Vanuatu and World’s Youth for Climate Justice, the group formed Students Fighting Climate Change to lobby the UN on the issue. More by Reuters.

Climate change is driving up food prices

A new study published in the research journal Environmental Research Letters has found that, with the exception of rising heat, food prices are the second most frequently cited impact from climate change globally.

Climate extremes, food price spikes, and their wider societal risks report on the results of econometric analysis that correlates the Earth’s abnormally high temperatures directly with higher food prices. The impact on agricultural production is directly translating into supply shortages and food price inflation.

It also includes examples from recent years in which food prices of specific goods spiked in response to heat, drought and extreme precipitation. For example, due to heatwaves in East Asia in 2024, prices of Korean cabbage rose (70 per cent higher between September 23 and 24), Japanese rice (48 per cent higher), and vegetables (30 per cent higher) in China.

OpenSolar hits $10 billion solar sale

OpenSolar, an Australian-based free solar software, has hit $10 billion in solar sales and installations through its technology. The software provides solar installers and other users with end-to-end information, from design and product sales to project management and beyond.

According to co-founder and CEO Andrew Birch, the software is used by more than 260,000 professionals in 160 countries. The software is completely free to use and generates revenue through partnerships with hardware and finance providers.

Birch says the company has remained steadfast in keeping the software open and free and is growing by 36 per cent a year. The company estimates that its services have prevented 63 million metric tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Sustainable industrial space snapped up

Tenant seeking environmentally sustainable industrial sheds, IVE Group, has taken up residence at Mirvac and Australian Retirement Trust’s 56-hectare Aspect Industrial Estate, located on Mamre Road in Western Sydney.

The new tenants have committed to lease 44,000 square metres on the industrial estate to consolidate some of its other warehouses into a centralised and bespoke workspace for packaging and printing.

Another warehouse on the estate occupied by The Winning Group, a facility spanning about 66,700 sq m, has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star – Design & As Built v1.3 rating from the Green Building Council of Australia and has been certified Carbon Neutral for upfront embodied carbon under the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard.

The owners stated that although the certification is only for one warehouse, the estate aims for net positive embodied carbon certification upon completion of its last two warehouses in 2027.

Netherlands builds microplastic trap

Engineers in the Netherlands have developed the world’s first self-sorting microplastic trap, which is powered solely by river flow.

Mechanical engineers from Delft University of Technology, along with the environmental group Clear Rivers, have developed a system that utilises precisely shaped underwater vanes placed across riverbeds and banks.

The vanes create microvortices (plural to microvortex) and Bernoulli pressure zones, which would steer microplastics under 5 mm into a collection basin. The design and geometry that allows debris to pass while isolating plastic particles is inspired by fish gills.

Despite not needing pumps, filters, or electricity, field tests of Nieuwe Maas, a branch of the Rhine River, showed an 82 per cent capture efficiency.

NSW launches heat pump feasibility grant but…

On 13 July, the NSW government launched its heat pump feasibility grant, which, in summary, provides $30,000 to cover 75 per cent of the cost of a feasibility study on installing heat pumps in a business.

The conditions are quite stringent, with money released at each of the three milestones.

• Milestone 1 would cover up to $ 5000 or 75 per cent of the cost of identifying whether the heat pump is suitable for the business site and identifying potential barriers and solutions
• The second milestone requires applicants to develop a heat pump design, but no additional grant money would be available for this stage
• The third milestone offers up to $25,000 to cover up to 75 per cent of costs to develop a detailed feasibility study

Applicants must have an NSW business site address and use between 5,000 and 10,000 gigajoules of gas per year. Businesses also need to have a specialist consultant who can complete the assessment on hand.

Strangely, the total funding amount of the grant is only $1 million. The fine print of the guidelines states that the grant is part of a pilot program and will only benefit 29 participating businesses. It also states that the grant is part of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water’s business decarbonisation program, a $22 million initiative.

Jobs news

Ashley Reed has been snapped up by Rory Hunter’s MODEL, which promises a strong sustainability build-to-rent development rollout.

Reed was previously a chief financial officer of Cbus Property and has also served as the chief executive of the Spotlight Property Group, now known as the Spotlight Retail Group, for five years. His career began as a valuer for JLL in 1989 and has included multiple roles at real estate agencies.

Also joining Reed at the company are new advisory board members Jennifer Horrigan, chairman of Dexus Asset Management and Yarra Capital Management; Phill Andrew, director of Generate Property Group; Sangeeta Venkatesan, chair of Airwallex Australia and RSL LifeCare and non executive director of Mercer Investments Australia and Chief Executive Women. It’s understood that all three board members have a financial investment in the company.

What we are reading

Clean Energy Council

Australian head of Spanish renewable tech giant Acciona has appointed Brett Wickham as interim CEO of the Clean Energy Council. Wickham will take over from Kane Thornton, who resigned from his position after10 years in his role.

Also joining Thornton is chief policy officer and former Melbourne deputy mayor Arron Wood, as well as chief operating officer Ashleigh Dalmau, who recently said she will be joining the Master Plumbers Association as CEO.

The organisation’s head of market operations, Christiaan Zuur, will also be leaving to join big four consultant KPMG as an energy specialist director.

Renew Economy noted that the company’s direction is “quickly evident, after former Sydney radio shock jock and at times CEC critic, Chris O’Keefe, was hired to spread the message about renewables to people the industry body had not been able to reach.”

It also noted Thornton had said during his resignation that the organisation needs to focus on its social licence and combating misinformation.  

However, instead, the organisation wrote a letter to its members, obtained by The AFR, stating that the industry needs to be “pragmatic about the role of gas in shoring up renewables” to be “credible” with regional communities.

“We must therefore accelerate our efforts to promote the adoption of industry practices that are designed to maximise the benefits of the transition and minimise the adverse impacts.”

The organisation goes on to say it needs to be more active in winning over support for renewables in regional areas and in Queensland “where the new Liberal government has undone years of work.”

Energy Star under threat in the US

The Energy Star rating in the US, which saves homeowners billions of dollars in energy costs in the US every year, also offers features to help commercial real estate owners gauge energy use in buildings. However, property owners and advocates fear the program is under threat as Trump’s federal budget no longer mentions the software program by name, possibly eliminating funding for it to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In this Bloomberg article: Lee Zeldin, head of the EPA, in congressional testimony in May suggested his agency or the administration could privatise the program, which costs the government tens of millions of dollars a year.

“I have actually had multiple entities reach out to EPA throughout the last few weeks because they want to take over Energy Star, which is a program that requires a big staff, a big taxpayer-funded staff, and a whole lot of tax dollars,” he said.

Advocates working to save the software say stakeholders value it because it’s free, public and used across the whole industry.

“It’s really important to have a single source of truth that is trusted, third-party, government-backed…”

Because it’s objective and “science-based,” “no one has ever perceived it as biased,” says Dana Robbins Schneider, director of energy and sustainability at Empire State Realty Trust.

New Yorker deep dive on tragic flood of Texas

In a recent New Yorker deep dive on the tragic flood of Texas, which took the life of 130 people Kevin Geiger, a land-use planner with the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, in Woodstock, Vermont, said that he first step in designing a sustainable flood-prevention program is “believing that the flood will come””

He went on, “Until you do that, nothing else follows. Why would we tell a person they can’t build there? Why would a town need to have a rescue boat? Why would we put in a system with sirens, unless you believe in the flood?” He added, “But believing in the flood means being constantly worried. And that’s not a good condition. People don’t want to live that way.”

City of Melbourne green building amendment passes, and greening tool released

17 July: The City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne committee has this week passed the C376 Amendment, known as sustainable building design.

The amendment, still to be gazetted, aims to ensure that new buildings in Melbourne meet best practice sustainability standards, including improved energy performance and enhanced urban greening and ecology. It also provides guidance on greening outcomes such as increasing biodiversity and mitigating the urban heat island effect.

This will also utilise the Green Factor Tool, contracted through HIP V. HYPE in partnership with the University of Melbourne expert, Dr. Judy Bush, and the organisation Little Sketches. The free tool evaluates whether a proposed design meets a certain greening score. 

Light roofs are cool roofs – even in the US

Here’s something for the Urban Taskforce, the housing lobby group that vigorously opposed the mandating of white roofs in new housing developments in Sydney a few years ago. In the US –  these days a hotbed of counter eco-revolutionary principles –  Atlanta has done exactly what made the taskforce squirm and see to it that a planning minister Rob Stokes was dismissed. It’s made cool roofs great!

(Mind, Stokes had also “outrageously” called for a tree to be accommodated where possible.”)

According to Grist, Atlanta is not alone.

 “Atlanta joined a growing number of American cities requiring that new roofs be more reflective. That significantly reduces temperatures not just in a building, but in the surrounding urban environment,” it said.

Logic won! Here’s the full story that explains why light colours reflect heat and dark colours on a stinking hot day might make you swoon, or worse. And here’s a snippet: “A cool roof is a passive technology that keeps working on its own. For the flat roof of a commercial building, a simple coat of white paint will do. Manufacturers also make special cool roof shingles that reflect more sunlight. Whatever the strategy, cool roofs are no more expensive to install than traditional ones, and can even be cheaper. They also extend the life of a roof because there’s less wear and tear of the material expanding in the heat, then contracting when it cools down. 

Melbourne rules, OK!

Some people may be spouting Melbourne’s demise as a get-rich-quick property investment destination, but others are digging in for the long haul.

A few weeks ago, Shane Quinn of Quintessential told a big property lunch group that Melbourne had a weight of impediments on its property shoulders from taxes to falling prices. While Max Beck, long time doyen of the property scene, stuck up for the Southern Belle and said nah… it’ll be just fine.

Cbus Property clearly agrees. It’s just committed to another $400 million residential project at River Street in inner city Richmond, – its 25^th major project. in the city.

Adding impetus to the decision was the state government’s promise to expedite planning projects according to LAWD’s Lukas Byrns, who was one of several agents involved in the sale of the site for $50 million, along with Paul Callanan and Peter Sagar also of LAWD, JACX Property’s Michael Jackson and Charter Keck Cramer’s Tom Byrnes.

SJB Architects has been appointed to come up with the concept design for the site that chief executive of the industry super fund Adrian Pozzo describes as “an opportunity to enhance the existing micro-village atmosphere of the area.”

“The neighbouring streets are filled with interesting new businesses, such as micro-breweries, coffee roasters and artisan bakers, fitness studios and even a doggy daycare centre – not to mention easy connectivity to the CBD and the proximity of parks, public transport, childcare and schools,” Pozzo said.

Good to hear too, that “In line with Cbus Property’s enduring commitment to sustainable design principles, 43-67 River Street is planned to deliver healthy, resilient and energy-efficient residences with an intrinsic focus on quality, comfort, wellbeing and a sustainable lifestyle for its future residents.”

Even better that the commitment is up front, instead of the usual tale we get that sustainability elements are still indeterminate, unconfirmed, part of the final late-stage reveal.

Nicolette Boele calls for legal funds to defend Bradfield result

Newly elected Bradfield member parliament Nicolette Boele has promised to “refund every donor” if she wins the case brought by the Liberal Party to challenge the result of the recent federal election. Apparently there are 151 “questionable ballots”  that in a recount gave a razor thin margin of 26 votes in favour of Boele and against contender Gisele Kapterian. The callout came in a letter forwarded by Climate 200.

Another guide on planning for the climate transition

The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) and Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) are among the latest to release a guide to help corporates with their transition.

Similar to a recent tome recently released by Monash’s Climateworks Centre, the Governing for Net Zero guide offers support to boards and investors on navigating Australia’s mandatory climate reporting, offering analysis and case studies of existing transition plans and outlining directors’ legal obligations.

The guide will also feature red flags, a legal chapter written by Pollination Law and a foreword by federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

More discounts from NABERS

Starting in July, the NABERS rating tool will expand the small building discount of 50 per cent for offices to all building sectors. This means organisations operating smaller sites with limited resources can access lower certification fees. “It’s a win for sustainability and accessibility,” it said. New sectors can also access the same discount, with the discounted period now expanded to under three years. You can find out if you are eligible here

Anglican church to be revamped for apartments and community

The renewal of the St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Lane Cove has been given the go-ahead to deliver 48 two or three-bedroom apartments, as well as a 418-seat auditorium.

The 3763 square metre site will be revamped to offer new homes for local families and downsizers, with the location offering access to two nearby retail locations. The parish church, built in 1924, will be retained and adapted into an auditorium and ministry space.

The area will also undergo landscaping and greening of its façade to better connect with the characteristics of Lane Cove, according to the developers and builders. Entry to the church and community space will also be separated from residential entry.

Developers Traders in Purple said the church saw high demand from locals wanting to downsize in the neighbourhood and took the application to the council with the intention of responding to local needs.

Jobs

Former deputy mayor at the City of Melbourne, chief policy and impact officer Arron Wood will leave his role at the Clean Energy Council to join First Nations renewable energy provider Yurringa Energy.

Wood has been on the boards of several organisations and institutions, including South East Water, the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, and Sustainability Victoria.

Tarek Alshoufi has been appointed as ADP Consulting’s newest director for its Brisbane office.

Alshoufi will join the leadership team with Xavia Hobson and Tim Elgood overseeing the team of about 60.

Alshoufi started as an electrical engineer and held several project management roles, including most recently as services manager for construction firm BESIX Watpac. He had also been an associate director of DMA engineers, as well as the national team lead for electrical at Arcadis

More EV chargers in Sydney and not before time

15 July: EVX was thrilled this week to win funding to roll out around half of the New South Wales government’s planned $2.8 million EV charging infrastructure program for 436 kerbside charging spaces.

Just in time, perhaps. The state government might have been prompted to action by the recent article in The AFR that bemoaned a mess of wires rolling out across footpaths from some people’s homes in crowded inner city suburbs, as they opted to use their own electricity to charge their cars, rather than source public systems.

“I don’t know how legal it is, but no one has complained,” one such resident said in the article, while another said finding charging stations was one of the reasons he chose a hybrid instead of a fully electric car.

EVX chief executive Andrew Forster said charging was still a “big challenge for EV drivers in some of Sydney’s most well-established and densely populated suburbs.”

EVX developed the infrastructure to meet the technological limitations utility providers and local governments face in rolling out EV charging infrastructure sustainably while adhering to local regulations.

The company said its pole chargers use AC power with smart charging capabilities and have a low impact on the local electricity grid, can be rolled out at speed, can be installed on existing utility poles with no disruptive civil works.

Feds underpin Cromwell’s new Canberra building

Property developer Cromwell has entered into a pre-lease agreement with the federal government that underpins a new 19,800 square metres office building at Barton, four kilometres south of the Canberra CBD. The building will be in the parliamentary precinct, allowing quick access to other departments.

The six storey facility (whose use has not been disclosed) will be designed to target 6 star NABERS Energy and 5 star Green Star rating. The lease is for 15 year with a five year option.

Cromwell owns a number of buildings with government tenants, including its 1970s McKell Building in the Sydney CBD, which was recently electrified.

Lisbon launches return and earn KeepCup scheme

The City of Lisbon, along with the Portuguese hospitality association AHRESP, has engaged reverse vending manufacturers TOMRA to launch a city-wide reusable cup system, which will see all coffee now served in keep cups.

Consumers will pay a deposit for a Keep Cup with their coffee and will be able to return it and earn their deposit back at a collection point by simply tapping their card or phone. The system includes digital tracking, cup collection, sanitation and redistribution.

The city will be the first European capital to introduce the system to its city and expects the scheme will slash plastic waste, emissions and tackle the 25,000 cups used across the city’s entertainment areas. The council admits that despite cups being sold as reusable, there is no system in place to collect, clean and recirculate cups.

The system is now in place with two return kiosks, but a full roll-out of the system for 17 return points is planned for October 2025. The manufacturers had demonstrated a similar return and earn scheme for takeaway cups last month at the Reuse Economy Expo in Paris after a successful pilot in Denmark.

Jobs

It’s interesting to read that Catherine Bremner has joined the board of Accounting for Nature. Bremner came to our attention several years ago in Australia and took part in our Salon in London on green finance, while she was with ANZ.

Since then, she’s notched up roles as chief strategy officer at Impax Asset Management, where she led corporate and digital strategies, including data and AI integration. She’s also directed the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s international energy program and £2.5 billion ($5.13 billion) climate finance portfolio. But that’s not all: there’s been senior roles at ANZ as global head of environmental sustainability, Low Carbon Australia, the UK Carbon Trust, and the UK Met Office.

Wonder when she’ll be back in Aus.

Alison Potter has joined professional services firm HDR as design principal in its Melbourne studio.

Potter previously held a number of senior leadership positions, including principal at Hassell and Grimshaw. Prior to that, she held roles as an architect at Noxon Giffen, Grimshaw, Foster and Partners and Williams Burton Architects.

Environmentally sustainable design consultancy Efficient Living has appointed Alistair Coulstock as its associate.

Prior to the new role, Coulstock was executive consultant, sustainability lead for TSA Riley. Starting off as a mechanical engineer, Coulstock had previously held roles as the technical director of Mott MacDonald, director of KPMG Australia, principal at Cundall, and associate at Aurecon.

Small developers are playing a bigger role

10 July: With the Queensland government axing the $1 billion Moonlight Range Wind Farm near Rockhampton despite already receiving planning approval – Rok Solid, a renewable land brokerage firm,  says that “progressed projects” are now in higher demand than ever before.

The company’s chief executive Daniel Moroko said that smaller renewable energy developers are playing a critical role by doing the “heavy lifting by taking on upfront risk and costs” because “bigger companies don’t want to be wasting years on something they don’t know is a sure thing.”

Moroko said that despite the axing of the wind farm, demand for “shovel ready” battery and solar battery projects remains strong in Queensland and New South Wales, having facilitated multiple sales of approved sites to major energy companies, including RWE, Trina Solar, Ratch, Valent, Atlas, Bison Energy, and May Brothers.

He points to recent data from the Australian Property Institute, which shows that rural land, especially in renewable energy zones (REZ), has seen the highest value growth of any property type, rising 256 per cent since 2005.

“Once approvals are in place, these sites become significantly more valuable and can move into construction quickly.

New resource to support ESG and climate reporting

Monash University’s Climateworks Centre has released a credibility guide to help corporates develop genuine emission reduction plans that align with the Paris Agreement.

The guide was developed with input from leading industry groups and climate transition experts, drawing on global best practice and offering seven credibility criteria and 31 associated sub-criteria.

The Climateworks Centre guide draws on global best practices, offering seven credibility criteria and 31 associated sub-criteria. Companies and investors can use these criteria when developing or assessing climate transition plans, while governments and financial regulators can use them to inform policy and disclosure guidance.

The centre’s chief executive, Anna Skarbek, said that while “net zero targets are now business-as-usual, how companies plan to get there is not and this guide will fill that gap”.

NCO (NASAA Certified Organic) enters administration

Organic certifier NASAA Certified Organic (NCO) has entered voluntary administration according to a note on its website. During an extraordinary general meeting, the directors decided to appoint David Trim and Brent Kijurina of Hall Chadwick as voluntary administrators, after an “inadequate response” from shareholders NASAA.

The directors wrote in a note that they wish to push the company into creditors’ voluntary liquidation and “will do everything in their power to ensure employees can access the Fair Entitlements Guarantee scheme”.

While administrators Hall Chadwick, will contact creditors and employees shortly, the directors have arranged for Beyond Blue to provide free mental health support to any “primary producer, employee, or auditor” impacted.

Meanwhile, the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said that businesses with certifications can transfer their certifications to another organic certifier before 26 September 2025 or their next audit date.

ORICoop, a national organic producers cooperative, said it was saddened to hear the news and urged producers to transition to the AS6000 (Australian Standard) to “increase the integrity of their organic claims in the marketplace”. This comes following the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission cracking down on “organic, natural, healthier or environmentally friendly” claims. The cooperative also stated that it can be contacted for support.

Urbis acquires Echelon Planning

Consultants Urbis has acquired Echelon Planning, which it says will strengthen its government advisory, greenfield and urban renewal expertise.

The firm had a small team of 11, led by co-founders Mark Woodland and Sarah McQuillen, before joining Urbis on 1 July. The larger consultancy said it was especially keen to acquire Woodland and McQuillen, who are “trusted experts to both the government and private sector” and are “passionate advocates for urban renewal and better planning.” 

The consultancy stated that a 20-year relationship drove the acquisition and will contribute to its employee base of over 900 staff, with more than 350 of these staff members being consultants who are part of its national planning arm.

CEFC reveals funding for electric trucks

Building upon Zenobe’s first electric vehicle as a service charging hub model covered in TFE Review: Buildings as Batteries in December last year, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has revealed that it had invested up to $6 million into the delivery of its fleet of 60 battery electric trucks (BET).

The EV company will lease the electric trucks to Woolworths to replace diesel trucks to complete “last mile” deliveries to homes and businesses.

The CEFC finance supports the delivery of a fleet of 60 BETs for “last-mile” deliveries – the final leg of the delivery journey to homes and businesses – to replace diesel vehicles and help reduce emissions in the transport sector.

Jobs:

Landcom has appointed Lucy Sharman as its new director of sustainability and strategy, filling in the shoes of Lauren Kajewski, who left the organisation to join developers HIP V. HYPE as head of better business and to lead its NSW office late last year.

The new appointment sees Sharman finish and move on from her role as director of sustainability at the Bradfield Development Authority, where she worked for almost four years. She has worked in environment and sustainability-related roles for more than 20 years, including sustainability manager for Lendlease, senior project officer for green roofs and walls at the City of Sydney and senior environmental officer at the Marrickville (and later Inner West) Council.

Frankie Muskovic departs

3 July: It took a while to register the potential impact of Frankie Muskovic’s move from the Property Council to the Investor Group on Climate Change as executive director, policy.

The first inclination in the chatter at drinks after our Tuesday Electro-Retrofit masterclass was one of loss. Here was one of the best policy wonks the energy and sustainability transition has ever had, moving on from a place of significant influence. Wouldn’t a government role have been an appropriate next step?

But then it all started to fall into place. Government – this government is already meant to be aboard the good ship sustainability – so it’s probably doing OK.

What, then, could potentially have a much bigger impact than the government? Hmmm, let’s think about that. Why, of course, it’s the biggest collateral impact in the universe – money.

In Muskovic’s new role at the IGCC, she’s got the opportunity to stop the meaningless use of big investments to keep the world pretty much as it is, to galvanise actions that will deliver a much bigger impact.

So, kudos to the brains who enticed this talented young woman to jump after nearly 10 years at the Property Council!

Muskovic has generously contributed her time to address a few of our events in the past, most recently, appositely perhaps, “Show me the Green Money” at last month’s leaders forum.”

In other news, John Bradley, head of Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, announced his intention to step down from his role in an internal email leaked to The Australian. 

In the email, Bradley said that he had notified Premier Jacinta Allan of his intention to resign but would continue in the role until September 2025, marking a full eight years

Job movements

Architects AJC has promoted Dua Green to chief executive. Green has spent nearly 18 years working for the firm, most recently serving as director and education sector leader.

Green will take over from Michael Heenan who will remain at AJC as chair and design lead.

Professional services firm GHD has appointed Ian Fraser to the chair of its board, effective July 1. Fraser will be the company’s first New Zealand-based chair and was most recently held the role of CEO for the Asia Pacific region for GHD. Fraser has spent over 30 years as an environmental engineering consultant. consulting.

Engineering consultants Cundall is said to be strengthening its ESG offering with the appointment of Annelies Hodge as principal ESG lead. Hodge was previously the global ESG lead for engineering consultants NDY for more than two years.