Victorian biomass resources

The Victorian government has recently undertaken a comprehensive biomass audit of regional Victoria, which is being managed by Regional Development Victoria. The audit has not yet been publically released.

An audit of Metropolitan Melbourne is currently being undertaken by Sustainability Vicroria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

The (regional) Victorian Biomass Audit will help:

• Identify the susceptibility of regional industries to impending waste management bottlenecks.
• Provide the basis for considered, prioritised industry and energy facilitation
• Promote collaborative relationships which will better equip regional communities and industry to develop and deliver solutions to local sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Drivers for undertaking this audit include:

•   Incomplete data sets and lack of source specifics
•   Increasing landfill levies
•   Renewed EPA vigilance
•   The need for a pre-emptive assessment to identify industry and community sustainability.
•   Issues/options e.g. susceptibility of regional industries to impending waste management  bottlenecks.

The audit will provide the basis for considered, prioritised industry and energy facilitation.  Municipal Solid Waste will be included in the audit – (non Melb metropolitan).

The timber industry component of Audit was completed in late 2010.

For more information regarding the audit and accompanying Bioenergy Investment Memorandum, visit the Regional Development Victoria website: http://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/

Map showing the eight regional areas where the biomass audit is being undertaken

Previous biomass resource assessments relevant to Victoria include:

• Australian Bioenergy Roadmap accompanied by a Biomass Resource Appraisal (2008) – undertaken by and available via the Clean Energy Council website: http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/dms/cec/industrydevelopment/bioenergy/01-Australian-Bioenergy-Roadmap/01%20Australian%20Bioenergy%20Roadmap.pdf
• Central Highlands Bioenergy Scoping Study and Biomass Audit (2009):

http://www.chaf.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=8&Itemid=48

• The Bureau of Rural Sciences Resource Assessment (2002 and updated in 2007) - no longer available.
• Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria, Biomass Audit (2003) - no longer available.