Call for Focus Area Volunteers
As we navigate the year ahead, our Focus Areas need member support!
ACLCA currently has 10 Focus Areas, which target specific aspects of the industry ranging from collaborative research to remediation. You can review our list of Focus Areas on the ACLCA website. Please take the time to have a look over the list of Focus Areas and reach out to us if you would like to get involved.
As always, ACLCA’s Focus Area groups are a great way to get involved with like-minded professionals in a collaborative environment. This year in particular, the Focus Areas represent a great way to remain across the regulatory changes, as we anticipate that the finer details of the new EP Act and subordinate regulations will be discussed within our Focus Area groups
Three very important points with regards to the ACLCA Focus Areas are as follows:
- You do NOT need to be a technical expert to join a Focus Area
- Working within a Focus Area can provide points towards CPD
- Having joined a Focus Area, there is no obligation to remain for the year – if something comes up or you find that it is not for you, you are welcome to step down
Feedback from those that have joined Focus Areas in the past has always been centred around it being a great way to network and build industry contacts, and also improve technical knowledge.
ACLCA Victoria supports PhD Student at RMIT
ACLCA Victoria is currently supporting the following research project:
Project: Human health risk assessment from accidental ingestion of garden soil: impact of bio accessible Pb concentrations and soil characteristics on exposure assessment.
Researchers: Chief investigator: Assoc. Prof. Suzie Reichman and Investigators: Professor Ewan Blanch, Associate Professor Susanne Tepe and PhD student researcher Slavica Kandic.
Description: To determine quantitative relationships between bio accessibility and common soil characteristics in soils from the north and west of Melbourne, Victoria.
The ACLCA Collaborative Focus Area have been working with Suzie and Slavica on this project for the past 3+ years and have even offered up members vegetable growing backyards to assist in filling out the data set with probably lead contaminated inner Melbourne addresses. The Collaborative Focus Area is very excited about this report and will look to share it immediately with members as soon as it becomes available.
Revised Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Freshwater and Marine Water Quality
Revision of the Guidelines
The Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality, (previously known as ANZECC 2000) were recently updated. The revision of the Guidelines was a joint project of the Australian and New Zealand and Australian State and Territory Governments (ANZAST). The guidelines can be found at http://waterquality.gov.au/anz-guidelines
Key revisions include:
- The water quality management framework has been expanded and strengthened, including the development of conceptual models for natural systems.
- Information on recreational and drinking water has been removed as the water quality and health guidelines already cover these topics (Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011 and Guidelines for Managing Risks in Recreational Water 2008).
- Ecosystem information specific to regional location has been updated to provide for improved targeted biological assessment.
- Guidance on cultural and spiritual values of water resources is now incorporated in the Guidelines.
Environment Protection Amendment Bill 2018
The Environment Protection Amendment Bill 2018 provides the foundation for a transformation of Victoria’s environment protection laws and Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).
More information about the Bill, including an informative 5-page Fact Sheet explaining the major changes, is available on DELWP’s website.
ACLCA Funded Project - PFAS in Groundwater
In 2017 ACLCA funded a project conducted by RMIT University to investigate sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to groundwater west of Melbourne, Australia.
The project investigated wastewater impacted groundwater in the Werribee Irrigation District and groundwater adjacent to legacy landfill sites in Newport and Sunshine. The results of the findings of the investigations in the Werribee Irrigation District were published in Science of the Total Environment Journal in an article titled “Investigating recycled water use as a diffuse source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to groundwater in Melbourne, Australia”. It can be downloaded for free until 11 September 2018. If you would like the link for free download please email Emily at ACLCA.
A complete report also detailing the findings of the landfill PFAS investigations will be available later in the year.