Sustainability Report 2005-2006
Department of the Environment and Water Resources, 2007
Supervising Scientist Division environmental performance
Introduction
During 2005-06 the Supervising Scientist Division (SSD) has continued to conduct business from two premises: DEH Darwin and the Jabiru Field Station. The DEH Darwin facility is shared by both SSD and Parks Australia North (PAN).
Out of 18 environmental performance goals set by SSD for 2005-06, 11 (61%) were met. See SSD’s performance at a glance.
Key aspects of performance in 2005-06 include:
- a 33% reduction in greenhouse emissions from 2004-05 to 2005-06
- an 18% drop in fuel use
- 95% less waste going to landfill in Darwin, through the introduction of separation and recycling
- water use in Darwin increased by 94%, in part due to additional aquaculture activities
- 20% less paper used.
SSD environmental performance improvement goals for 2006-07 include:
- development of a certified environmental management system (EMS) to cover all business activities
- continued awareness-raising for staff on energy efficiency
- collecting fuel use data from charter aircraft service providers
- reduce waste to landfill by 10% through better separation and recycling
- reduce greenhouse emissions by 5% through reduced fuel use, distance travelled and waste to landfill.
Case study: consultation with the Aboriginal community in the Alligator Rivers Region
Traditional Aboriginal Owners and local Aboriginal people have been actively involved in the SSD’s research and monitoring programme during the year by supporting field activities such as creekside monitoring, water quality monitoring associated with Ranger mine, collection of mussels and fish for laboratory analysis, sampling of macroinvertebrates, and general field station activities. Indigenous employment has provided the opportunity for SSD staff to work alongside landowners on their country, sharing knowledge and gaining greater insight into traditional cultural values. It also gave Indigenous people opportunities to gain first hand knowledge, valuable technical skills and understanding of the research and monitoring programme.
Note: the table and chart below describe the size of the SSD workforce in both 2005-06 and 2004-05.
| Darwin | Jabiru | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSD staff | 43.50 | 7 | 50.50 |
| PAN Staff | 8.25 | 8.25 | |
| TOTAL staff | 51.75 | 7 | 58.75 |
| Office area m2 | 1050m2 | 1207m2 | 2257m2 |
| Laboratory area m2 | 2450m2 | 1860m2 | 4310m2 |
| TOTAL | 3500m2 | 3067m2 | 6567m2 |
Figures reported for waste, electricity, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions (excluding vehicle usage) cover both Supervising Scientist Division and Parks Australia North operations.
Indicators
Contents
- Sustainability Report 05-06
- Executive summary
- Vision and strategy
- Our organisation
- Governance
- Policy and influence
- Environmental performance
- Social performance
- Economic performance
- Report assurance statement
- Case studies
- GRI index
Key
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