Address: Main Office: John Gorton Building

Energy

Total energy consumption for the department’s parks and reserves has decreased in 2010–11. As part of the department’s ICT Refresh Program, Booderee National Park received an upgrade to its computers and printers. As a result, it is anticipated there will be a reduction in desktop energy consumption.

Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks continue to rely on diesel power generation as they are not on an electricity grid. However, consistent with a three-year energy audit completed in 2009–10, Kakadu National Park has commenced replacing its diesel-powered generators with more efficient systems requiring less fuel.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens is also limited in its ability to reduce energy consumption due to business requirements for maintaining plant and herbarium conditions. However, staff continue to aim for a 10 per cent offset in energy usage and in 2010–11 purchased 126 883 kilowatt hours of GreenPower (approximately 10.8 per cent of purchased electricity).

Parks Australia staff continue to make a conscious effort to minimise business-related travel, while recognising that face-to-face contact and visits to remote locations are sometimes necessary, particularly for the three parks that are managed jointly with their Indigenous owners. Parks Australia advocates alternatives to air travel such as tele-and videoconferencing.

Waste

Access to regional recycling facilities is gradually improving for more remote locations such as Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks and external territories. Basic recycling facilities are now available on Norfolk Island, and office paper is being sourced from renewable sources when available. Kakadu National Park is participating in a regional recycling and resource recovery program, and will continue its recycling programs in and around offices for paper, glass and aluminium. Where recycling facilities are available, for example at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, improvements in recycling have lead to the diversion of 39 tonnes of waste from landfill. Recycling facilities will continue to be available in all Australian National Botanic Garden offices and onsite facilities including composting of organic kitchen waste.

In 2010–11 Parks Australia purchased an average of 3.6 reams of paper per employee. This represented a decline from previous years and means that all of the parks and reserves are well under the departmental target of 12 reams per employee per year.

Water

Construction of the Australian National Botanic Gardens non-potable water extraction project was completed in 2010–11. Water from Lake Burley Griffin is now used for irrigation requirements and will save up to 170 million litres of potable water from Canberra’s water supply every year.

Australian Antarctic Division

Sites and staffing

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) reports on its environmental performance for office accommodation at Kingston in Tasmania, Macquarie Island station, and three Antarctic stations—Davis, Mawson and Casey.

There have been significant changes in 2010–11 to the Antarctic station accommodation. New living quarters were constructed and occupied at Davis Station. The Wilkins Aerodrome has new accommodation and other buildings operational this year, and additional accommodation has been completed at Casey.

There was a significant increase in average expeditioners this financial year (139 to 158) due to the increased accommodation at Antarctic stations, longer stays by expeditioners, and the increased number of personnel required to support the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Program.

Environmental management framework

The AAD continues to act on its commitment to ecologically sustainable development principles as described in the AAD’s environmental policy through its efforts to continually improve environmental performance across all its operations in Australia, the Southern Ocean and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

This is achieved through ongoing certification of the AAD’s environmental management system (EMS) to the international standard, ISO 14001:2004. External auditors undertake surveillance audits each year for Australian-based operations, and at least one station is visited every three years. The triennial surveillance audit of the AAD’s EMS at Mawson and Davis stations was undertaken and the stations were found to be compliant, with a few minor non-conformances observed in fuel handling and storage. This is a good achievement given the difficult nature of operating in the Antarctic and subantarctic environment. Australia is the only treaty party to hold such certification for environmental management and it continues to champion this systematic approach through the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Antarctic Treaty System.

Overall environmental performance continues to improve, especially given the increased numbers of scientists and support personnel sent to Australia’s Antarctic stations each year. Efforts to improve ecologically sustainability of AAD’s activities in Antarctica continue, with improvements to waste management and wind generation.

Energy

The AAD has decreased energy use at the Hobart facilities, however with the increase in expeditioners and the limitations of operating conditions, weather and building constructions, energy use increased at the Antarctic stations. The wind turbines at Mawson have now been optimised for electricity production and are working at much greater capacity than in previous years.

Waste

Waste sent to landfill from Kingston facilities increased slightly due to large warehouse and yard cleanups. Waste sent to landfill from Antarctic and Macquarie Island has decreased with improved packing, recycling and re-use practices. A new waste management contract will provide improved reporting of waste for both the Kingston site and from the four stations. Waste management labelling, storage and packing procedures have been implemented to improve manifesting of cargo and sorting for disposal on return to Australia.

Water

Rainwater continued to be captured in a dam for the Kingston facilities, enabling it to be re-used for landscaping and to contribute to environmental flows in nearby Coffee Creek.

Water production and consumption at the AAD’s Antarctic and Macquarie Island stations varies widely and is dependent upon the unique method of water production and storage employed at each station.

Water at the Davis Station is drawn from a tarn and then processed through a continuous micro-filtration system and a reverse osmosis desalination plant. The water produced by these plants is pumped via a calcite filter to two 600 000 litre tanks for storage and then onto smaller tanks for consumption. Total water storage at Davis is 1 430 000 litres.

Water at Mawson Station is produced primarily by melting snow and ice in a melt cavern using hot water pumped through a melt bell. The water is then pumped into storage tanks before passing through a gauze filter to the end user. During summer there is a limited amount of free water (water that runs off the plateau filling the melt caverns), depending on the temperature which controls the extent of the melt. Total water storage at Mawson is 270 000 litres.

Water at the Casey Station is produced primarily by melting snow and ice in a melt cavern using hot water pumped through a melt bell. The water is then pumped into storage tanks before passing through a calcite filter to the end user. During summer there is a limited amount of free water depending on the temperature which controls the extent of the melt. Total water storage at Casey is 270 000 litres.

The water for Macquarie Island is run-off from the plateau, collected in a small dam and piped to two storage tanks before passing through gauze, sand and UV filters to the end user. The total water storage capacity at Macquarie Island is 104 000 litres.

Because freshwater is a precious commodity which has to be produced by the variety of methods outlined above, water saving appliances are installed wherever possible, and each person on station is advised to use as little water as possible.

Review of environmental performance

Table 8: Review of environmental performance

Canberra office operations – John Gorton Building , 33 Allara Street, Lovett Tower and warehouses in Fyshwick and Queanbeyan
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Energy	The departmental Canberra offices continued to take steps to improve energy efficiency by: implementing the ICT refresh educating staff to shut down all computers and switch off lighting when not in use purchasing 100% GreenPower for electricity use in the Canberra office tenancies (for tenant light and power) providing bicycles for staff travel between offices in Canberra providing fuel-efficient, hybrid and electric pool cars for staff travel in Canberra encouraging staff to use tele-and video conferencing as alternatives to flights	The Canberra Environmental Performance Committee is dedicated to the management of the environmental management system (EMS). They regularly review the environmental performance of Canberra office operations and the effectiveness of measures to reduce energy consumption. Through the EMS there is a process for continual improvement, identification of new issues and reporting of actions and progress against these. Building Management Committees have been set up to improve the building energy efficiency with other tenants and building owners for John Gorton Building and 33 Allara St, including the development of Building Energy Management Plans. The department’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Energy Management Plan specifically targets the energy use related to ICT equipment.
Canberra office operations – John Gorton Building , 33 Allara Street, Lovett Tower and warehouses in Fyshwick and Queanbeyan
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Waste	The department continued to take steps to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill from the Canberra offices including: continuing to provide staff with alternative waste streams in offices including recycling, organic waste, paper and cardboard, toner cartridges, batteries, mobile phones, fluorescent tubes and corks encouraging the department’s contracted suppliers including ICT services providers, stationery suppliers and café, to reduce the use of packaging and to recycle packaging at end-of-life maintaining paper use reduction initiatives such as defaulting printer settings to print double sided and re-use of single-sided documents as notepads introducing swipe-to-print technologies resulting in a reduction of paper use and waste from unwanted print jobs educating staff on correct waste sorting and paper use minimisation steps.	The Canberra Environmental Performance Committee and environmental management system provides mechanisms for reviewing the environmental performance of the Canberra office operations and the effectiveness of measures to reduce waste and encourage recycling and re-use initiatives. Participation in the ACTSmart Office Program will provide a new framework for regular, ongoing monitoring of waste by stream. It will also improve the effectiveness of existing recycling measures by providing consistent waste signage and more comprehensive training. The department is committed to the Australian Government’s Australian Packaging Covenant Action Plan, including providing input to annual progress reports.
Canberra office operations – John Gorton Building , 33 Allara Street, Lovett Tower and warehouses in Fyshwick and Queanbeyan
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Water	The departmental Canberra offices continued to minimise consumption of water in Canberra offices by: re-using grey water from showers and sink basins to flush toilets on one floor of the John Gorton Building ensuring fitting of water efficient appliances and flow restrictors on taps and showers working with building owners to quickly address water leaks and faults.	Regular monitoring and reporting of water consumption to the Canberra Environmental Performance Committee and through the environmental management system provides mechanisms for reviewing the effectiveness of water reduction and re-use initiatives.
Supervising Scientist Division (SSD) (Darwin/Jabiru) and Parks Operations and Tourism (POT), Darwin
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Energy	The department’s Darwin offices and Jabiru Field Station aimed to reduce energy usage during 2010–11 by: educating staff to shut down all computers and switch off lighting when not in use running the air conditioning system on a timer for operation only during business hours reducing the vehicle fleet and purchasing more fuel-efficient vehicles encouraging staff to use tele-and video conferencing as alternatives to flights encouraging staff to car pool when travelling.	Darwin staff are committed to improving performance on energy usage through: educating staff on methods for reducing energy usage reviewing and evaluating environmental performance of electrical items and vehicles as part of the procurement process.
Supervising Scientist Division (SSD) (Darwin/Jabiru) and Parks Operations and Tourism (POT), Darwin
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Waste	The department’s Darwin offices and Jabiru Field Station continued to take steps to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill by: providing staff with alternative waste streams in offices including recycling, organic waste, paper and cardboard, toner cartridges and batteries maintaining a worm farm to recycle organic waste encouraging staff to purchase items that have minimal packaging and to recycle packaging at end-of-life maintaining paper use reduction initiatives such as defaulting printer settings to print double sided and re-use of single-sided documents as notepads educating staff on correct waste sorting and paper use minimisation steps installation of new recyclable bins at the Jabiru office to sort recyclable waste in a way that supports the new initiatives at the local landfill waste repository.	Darwin staff are committed to improving performance on management of waste products through: providing appropriate bins for sorting recyclable materials monitoring waste disposal and adjusting range of bins accordingly customising signage to increase staff awareness making adjustments to office recyclable stations that align with new initiatives introduced into the local waste repository continuing to report annually on performance against indicators in the Australian Packaging Covenant.
Supervising Scientist Division (SSD) (Darwin/Jabiru) and Parks Operations and Tourism (POT), Darwin
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Water	The department’s Darwin offices and Jabiru Field Station continued to minimise consumption of water in buildings by: fitting water efficient appliances and flow restrictors on taps and showers working with building owners to quickly address water leaks and faults reducing water usage in the aquaculture facility at the Jabiru Field Station through the installation of a new system eliminating the need the re-fill fish tanks and use 100% recycled water.	Darwin staff are committed to improving performance on water usage through: maintaining the garden grounds with reticulation systems using timers which are regularly tested to identify and rectify faults and water wastage watering only during the dry season months collecting weekly water readings from the three water meters at the Jabiru site to monitor water usage and identify spikes.
Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Christmas Island, Pulu Keeling, Booderee and Norfolk National Parks, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Energy	Management plans and climate change strategies are in place or in preparation for all sites to minimise energy consumption across park operations and may include: aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from park operational activities (such as energy use, transport and waste management) to 10 per cent below 2007–08 levels by mid-2015 developing environmental management plans that identify actions to reduce the carbon footprint of park operations and the level of carbon emission reductions associated with each mitigation action transitioning existing electric hot water systems to solar hot water, instantaneous gas or heat pumps as replacement becomes necessary installing energy efficient light fixtures and light-controlling devices (e.g. motion sensors) in all park facilities replacing older vehicles with more efficient vehicles.	Training of park staff and ongoing visitor education programs continue to promote energy conservation initiatives throughout the parks.
Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Christmas Island, Pulu Keeling, Booderee and Norfolk National Parks, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Waste	The Director of National Parks adopts environmental best-practice principles for resource use and management of waste products. Management plans are in place or in preparation for all sites to minimise waste production across park operations and may include: establishing guidelines to formalise waste reduction strategies into standard park practices (e.g. reducing consumption, printing double-sided, recycling) sourcing consumable items such as office paper from renewable sources where possible, providing recycling facilities to visitors or promoting ‘rubbish bin free’ sites that encourage the public to take their waste home for recycling for island sites such as on Norfolk Island, arranging for mainland recycling of consumables such as used printer cartridges.	Ongoing efforts are focused on providing web-based visitor and interpretative materials, which will further reduce printing and paper consumption.
Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Christmas Island, Pulu Keeling, Booderee and Norfolk National Parks, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Water	Protecting water quality continues to be a high priority for Parks Australia. Management plans are in place or in preparation for all sites to ensure water use is minimised and water quality is maintained and may include: auditing water use in Commonwealth reserves and implementing actions to provide efficiencies and improvements implementing water saving initiatives such as rainwater harvesting, water recycling, the use of water saving devices and upgrading of water reticulation infrastructure providing information to visitors regarding the range of ways to protect water quality.	The quality of surface water, ground water and waterholes is regularly monitored at the parks, and activities in each park must not interrupt the natural flow of water. While the ability to measure water consumption in the parks is improving, data is not yet consistently available.
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Energy	The AAD continued to take steps to improve energy efficiency by: setting objectives and targets in the environmental management system (EMS) to manage energy use at the Kingston site as well as on stations implementing the objectives of the green building project at Kingston.	The EMS provides mechanisms for reviewing the environmental performance of AAD operations and the effectiveness of measures to reduce energy use. The safety and environment newsletter provides information to staff and has been expanded to include the Kingston facilities.
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)
Theme	Steps taken to reduce effect	Measures to review and improve reducing the effect
Waste	The AAD continued to take steps to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill by: continuing to provide staff with alternative waste streams in offices including recycling treating krill aquarium water waste so it can be recycled to seawater returning all waste from Antarctic to Australia (RTA – return to Australia) liquid RTA waste (sludge, emulsions, etc.) is treated and and not disposed in landfill a new waste management contract has been negotiated for landfill, treatment and disposal, re-use and recycling for all waste from the Kingston site and from the four stations waste management labelling, storage and packing procedures have been implemented to improve manifesting of cargo and sorting for disposal on RTA.	The new waste management will provide improved reporting of waste separation. The results of these changes will likely take two financial years to implement, however waste reporting will be much improved after this financial year. New waste management buildings will be constructed to house recycling facilities, incinerators or other quarantine waste treatment equipment, drum washer/crushers and new wastewater treatment facilities (type of facility to be decided once level of treatment required is known based on analysis of impacts).
Water	The AAD continued to take steps to minimise consumption of water by: diverting all stormwater at Kingston to a small dam onsite and used for landscape watering, resulting in a major reduction in potable water use implementing potable water management plans at all stations in the Antarctic and on Macquarie Island.	Monitoring of water use for drinking and for landscape watering will continue. Water metering is in place with modification of controls in progress to provide more accurate readings.