The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Minister for the Environment, has announced that the Government will commit an immediate $60,000 to kick-start urgent research into the best way to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans, reefs and waterways.

The funding, under the National Environmental Science Programme's (NESP) emerging priorities stream, will investigate the major sources of marine plastic waste around Australia and determine the most cost-effective options to reduce its volume.

The NESP's Marine Biodiversity Hub, in collaboration with the Tropical Water Quality Hub and other research partners, will deliver this research to guide a national approach for assessing current waste management practices and will offer support to local, state and territory governments to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering waterways.

The research will look at what the relationship is between debris in the marine environment and litter data from nearby sites and whether there are identifiable pathways through which litter moves into the marine environment. It will also investigate whether particular investments in facilities, policies, or outreach would be effective in reducing litter on coasts and in oceans.

More information is available in media releases from Minister Hunt which can be accessed here and here.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has notified all stakeholders that a revised version of the Food Standards Code has now come into effect and advised that there is no transition period between the old and the new version of the code.

FSANZ Chief Executive Officer, Steve McCutcheon, said the Code had been revised so it more closely aligns with food Acts in Australian states and territories and in New Zealand.

"While the Code looks a lot different, the changes are relatively minor in nature," Mr McCutcheon said.

"All industry stakeholders will benefit from a clearer, easier to follow Food Standards Code."

The new version of the code, including a summary of the changes, can be viewed on the FSANZ website.

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has released a Positioning Paper for a research project that explores the links between housing, community infrastructure and quality of life for Indigenous people living with disabilities.

AHURI states that the housing and community infrastructure needs of this population group have not been previously studied and the Positioning Paper is the first published step of the project. The paper presents background information and reviews the relevant literature and data to inform the study, which has been timed to coincide with the roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The broader research project will include a collection of narratives from Indigenous people living with disabilities, which will be collected alongside baseline data on the quality, quantity and condition of housing and community infrastructure in three case study communities--Yalata and Point Pearce in SA, and Geelong in Victoria.

The project aims to understand the cultural, physical, social and functional issues of housing and infrastructure and the impacts these have on people's lives.

Access the full copy of the Positioning Paper on the AHURI website.

The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGA) is reviewing its role as the State Government's collection agent of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) levy.

LGA CEO Matt Pinnegar said local businesses, farmers and communities across South Australia will feel the brunt of the State Government's levy increase at the same time as a decrease in services on the ground.

"While the hit to each ratepayer's hip-pocket will vary depending on the NRM region, any increase will seriously hurt communities, particularly in rural areas."

"Our councils are uncomfortable in passing on this financial pain to our communities. The Local Government Association intends to consult member councils on whether they want to continue to collect the NRM Levy on behalf of the State Government."

Read the LGA's full media release on its website.

This Sunday marks the 26th Clean Up Australia Day where individuals, families and volunteer groups come together to tackle waste and litter in local communities.

Last year, more than 533,500 volunteers dedicated their time to clean up 6,231 sites across the country, removing more than 13,708 tonnes of rubbish from the environment. Since the first Clean Up Australia Day in 1990, volunteers have removed more than 302,000 tonnes of rubbish from the environment, improving the health of parks, bushland, beaches and waterways, and making cities and towns safer for everyone to enjoy.

Under the Federal Government's National Landcare Programme, $300,000 of funding is provided over three years to help the Clean Up Australia campaign continue its important work of encouraging all Australians to keep Australia litter free. The funding complements the generous donations of funding, time and effort by businesses, councils and community members who are supporting Clean Up Australia's national campaign to reduce waste, remove litter and to improve the health of our environment.

Council resources are available for download on the Clean Up Australia website.

The national art prize for artists with an asylum seeker or refugee background, launched early in the year by the City of Greater Dandenong in Victoria, has issued a final call for submissions before the closing date of 14 March.

The national art prize was launched to celebrate the important contribution of refugees and asylum seekers to Australia's cultural and social fabric.

The artworks can be produced in any media including painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, video, photography or drawing, and the content may tell the story of the artist's personal journey or reflect long-standing artistic traditions or values.

The competition is open to artists that arrived as a refugee or sought asylum in Australia after 1 January 2000. More information and entry forms are available at this link. 

Relationships Australia has launched the theme and campaign for this year's Neighbour Day, an annual celebration of community aiming to build better relationships with the people who live around us, in particular the elderly and vulnerable.

The theme for Neighbour Day this year is 'The community you want starts at your front door' with a virtual campaign launched that encourages people in all communities across Australia to take photos with the same Neighbour Day signage showing their support for the campaign and promoting every day as Neighbour Day.

Councils are encouraged to register for Neighbour Day to access a free Neighbour Day e-kit, including a tailored 'How to Neighbour Day' guide specifically for councils and community organisations and promotional posters, invitations, and selfie and event signs to encourage participation in the bigger national virtual campaign.

More information about how to register is available on the Neighbour Day website.

An invitation has been extended to councils across Australia to attend the 2016 National Volunteering Conference.

The conference, held from 6 to 8 April at the National Convention Centre in Canberra, provides a forum for not for profit leaders, volunteer managers, policy contributors and corporates to come together to build knowledge, innovation, networks and leadership to advance volunteering.

Register your attendance on the conference website: www.2016nationalvolunteeringconference.com.au