A draft national strategy for cleaner production, produced by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, was recently available for public comment. Looking down the track at very fast trains In August 1998, the Australian government announced its preferred tenderer to build a high-speed rail line between Sydney and Canberra. The choice was not without controversy. Worldwide, the debate continues about the merits of different kinds of very fast train. In August 1998, Australia's first large-scale windfarm commenced operation near Crookwell in New South Wales.
Wind power is set to become an important means of generating electricity worldwide.
The Australian Technology Park in Sydney has installed Australia's first commercial fuel cell. It has the potential to improve agricultural yields and reduce the application of pesticides. The Australia Prize for 1997 was awarded to two engineers and an applied mathematician for their outstanding work in fibre optic communications and high-speed modem design. The Australian Foundation for Science and the Science and Technology Awareness Program of the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources are also supporters of Nova .