Recent IMEO-funded flights over Bowen Basin coal mines are likely to confirm the long-standing problems with emissions reporting by Australian open cut mines, and suggest how reporting could be improved.

This analysis has been made to help Australians contribute to climate policies. It looks at the incomplete progress to date, and at problems in emission measurements and offsets.

This submission to the Climate Change Authority is in relation to their review of the NGER Act 2007. It strongly recommends the replacement of present methane reporting methods for open cut coal mines by direct measurement at the mine surface.

This submission to the Climate Change Authority is in response to their consultation paper of August 2023. A microsimulation model should be created for each Safeguard facility, reflecting its resources, profitability and abatement costs. Climate change projections should be used to model the growth or decline of regional industries.

This submission to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is in response to their Safeguard Mechanism production variables consultation.

This submission to the Climate Change Authority is in response to their issues paper of May 18 2023.

This submission to the Climate Change Authority is in response to their issues paper of May 18 2023. It notes that methane emissions from open cut mines appear to be strongly underestimated, and suggests that open cut coal mines should be required to measure their emissions directly.

More information is needed on the regional consequences of Australia’s climate policies. Annual changes to Safeguard rules are likely to be more effective. Heavy use of ACCUs may occur by fossil fuel producers. Any use of ACCUs to offset methane emissions will result in many years of global warming before the offsetting cooling occurs.

The Safeguard Mechanism controls the 200 largest greenhouse gas emitters in Australia. A detailed national plan is needed to reduce their emissions, taking into account their locations. This would allow grants to be directed more effectively, with new industries replacing old ones, and with lower impacts on communities.

Renewable generators and storage can be built within a year. A faster transition to fully renewable electricity would reduce the severe price fluctuations affecting providers and consumers. The Australian Energy Management Operator should be asked to design a scenario which brings forward generator, storage and network investments as quickly as possible.

The government has accepted a recommendation that aged care monitoring and reporting systems move progressively to real-time and automated reporting within five years.

Some aspects of health, such as temperature and motion, can be measured by many different devices. Research is needed into the cost, reliability and acceptability of alternative devices.

Technological advances have made it possible to automatically monitor many aspects of aged care quality.

Outcome data should be provided to regulators frequently, at low cost, and with very little opportunity for fraud by the regulated. This should allow quick intervention by regulators.

Better care for the aged should result.

The present aged care system fails to meet any of the five principles proposed by Commissioner Briggs.

Better quality control needs to come from better quality measures. The Department of Health should lead research on automatic monitoring and data analysis, bearing the development costs, and paying providers to instal equipment.

Fixing present problems in aged care may only need increases in Commonwealth funding of between 14% and 35%. But continuing real funding growth per recipient may make aged care a much larger part of Commonwealth outlays.

Automated health measurements in residential aged care could help detect pandemics, make better use of emergency staff, and allow research into better procedures.

There should be universal access to aged care, funded by the Commonwealth, with co-contributions from those able to make them. Strong central agencies should control quality and financial soundness.

Many aged care facilities have had only one or two infections, but others have had over 100.

Large differences in safety practices between providers may be leading to failures to contain

outbreaks. Regular checks of residents for COVID-19 symptoms should help slow the spread of infections within a facility.

Strong safety measures are needed to prevent further COVID-19 disasters in aged care.

A data-based aged care system would allow prompt help to individuals, and close control of care quality.