Politics is a dirty word

  Over 4 billion tonnes of sand is being dug up around the world each year. In a bid to curb environmental and community damage,work is being undertaken to find alternate materials for use by the concrete industry. Graphene has been found to offer an alternative as a replacement for sand in concrete as well as a reinforcing additive. .Geneva University says that Sand resource governance is one of the greatest sustainability challenges of the 21st century. The University helped establish The Global Sand Observatory aimed at developing knowledge and providing decision making support on the sustainability issue of sand extraction and use. Meanwhile, researchers at Rice University in the US discovered that graphene could be used in place of sand due to sand mining rates outstripping natural replenishment. As sand comprises 30% of concrete, it represents a significant part, according to Satish Nagarajaiah, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at R...

  The ‘re-declaration’ of Bass Coast as a Distinctive Area Landscape (DAL)was announced on Thursday, October 26 last year by the Victorian Government. It was first declared in 2019 and a Draft Statement of Planning Policy was issued. The legislation required t hat a Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) be prepared, endorsed and approved within one year of the declaration commencing, As the Government failed to meet that deadline it has contrived to re-start the clock by again declaring the Bass Coast Distinctive area Landscape. The draft Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) was prepared by the former Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning in collaboration with Traditional Owners – the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Bass Coast Shire Council, other agencies and authorities, and with local communities. 747 Public submission s were received by a standing committee between March and April 2023. The Committee lodged its recommendations with the Ministe...

  Its hard to understand why the State Government has chosen to forgo revenue worth tens of millions of dollars annually by not properly identifying the volume of sand resources extracted by major businesses. A brief forensic audit would reveal the extent of lost revenue. Details currently displayed on the DEECA website demonstrate that records are not kept showing the volume of resources exploited. To quote some specific details: 2.4.3 Extractive production statistics Production figures as part of annual production return reporting to the Department can be used to provide insight into the importance of the WAs in the study area. An analysis of the data has been completed using de-identified data. Production figures are available digitally (from the Resources Right Allocation Management (RRAM) system), but only for returns post-financial year (FY) 2014-15. All sand production reported between FY2015-16 and FY2017-18 from the South Gippsland LGA was derived from the study area. Pr...