News round-up: our top stories to end 2022

At IAC we provide noise control solutions across a range of sectors, including the mining and power generation industries, and so we like to keep an eye on the latest developments in those areas — as well as all things sound-related.  

Here are some of our favourite stories to end the year with — including positive developments in clean energy, the legendary audio that’s made it into the National Archives for 2022, and a report that’s no doubt music to dogs’ sensitive ears…  

Boost for Australia’s Offshore Wind industry

A project to build a wind farm ‘zone’ off the Victoria coast has been given the green light, with renewable power expected to be produced by the end of the decade. Construction on the A$9 billion ‘Star of the South’ project is scheduled to begin in 2025.

Battery plan is good news for billpayers

Australians could soon be getting cheaper bills thanks to a plan to build eight large batteries that can store renewable energy. The batteries are expected to be operational by 2025 and will be big enough to power the whole of Tasmania for three hours. 

Australia becoming a rare earth leader

Rare earth mines are vital sources of the minerals used in technology such as smartphones and clean energy batteries. And while China leads the way in the rare earth industry, the sector is fast becoming a success story for Australia.

The ‘Sounds of Australia’ 2022

The Neighbours theme tune is one of 10 pieces of audio selected by the National Film and Sound Archive for their Sounds of Australia registry for 2022. The TV show was cancelled in July, 37 years after it first aired, but now looks set for a revival in 2023 having received new funding. Other sounds that made the list included The Bee Gee’s 1977 hit Stayin’ Alive and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s ‘Misogyny Speech’, delivered in 2012.

Dogs need noise protection too!

At HAC Acoustics, we engineer noise control solutions to mitigate the effects of sound across a whole range of industries. And while we’re often focused on the health and safety of humans, a new report emphasises the importance of protecting dogs’ hearing too. After all, their ears are far more sensitive than ours!