A couple of short articles of interest today. Binningup keeps...

A couple of short articles of interest today. Binningup keeps bubbling away and maybe CNM could get a few hundred thousand (or more?) out of SA's new $20mill renewable fund to help evaluate the SA site:



*** Binningup desal plant given conditional approval

The Shire of Harvey in south-west Western Australia has granted conditional approval to plans for the Southern Seawater Desalination Project.

The project will be the state's second seawater desalination plant.

It will be built at Binningup, with water storage tanks at Harvey.

Local environmental groups had expressed concerns to council that the plant would adversely affect land and native animal populations.

But the $1 billion plant has received State Government environmental approval.

The Water Corporation is now waiting on Federal Government and WA Planning Commission approvals before it can begin construction.




*** Renewable energy to get $20m boost

THE State Government will set up a $20 million fund in Thursday's Budget to create South Australia's renewable energy industry.

Premier Mike Rann said the fund would act as a "seed fund" for geothermal, windpower and other renewables, and would be overseen by a new board called RenewableSA, to be chaired by Economic Development Board chair Bruce Carter.


"We already lead the nation in erenewable energy production, but we want to create a new industry in SA so we can become Australia's green energy powerhouse," Mr Rann said.


"Our fund will help foster innovation and investment in renewable technology to create green jobs in a renewable energy industry alongside our defence and mining sectors."


The Government established DefenceSA to oversee the building of Techport, where Australia's $5.5 billion Air Warfare Destroyers will be built, and the PACE program to match mining exploration investment.


The Board's first investment will be $1.6 million over two years for geothermal research at the University of Adelaide.


The Government also announced it was boosting its renewables target from 20 per cent by 2020 to 33 per cent.


SA has 56 per cent of Australia's wind power and 90 per cent of the country's geothermal investment, Mr Rann said.