Page 1805 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 June 2021
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If a member of the public wishes to request an inspection of a tree on public land they can contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 or visit www.act.gov.au/fixmystreet
Municipal services—glyphosates use
Mr Steel (in reply to a supplementary question by Ms Lawder on Thursday, 13 May 2021):
The majority of plants purchased by the ACT Government are purchased from the Yarralumla Nursery, which follows the Greenlife Industry Australia’s (formerly the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia) Best Practice Guidelines for Nursery Pesticide Application. The Nursery adopts Integrated Pest Management practices when managing pests and weeds; and in situations where pesticides are required, the least harmful pesticide is selected and applied using the least harmful method at the right time of day when foraging pollinators, including bees, are not active. The herbicide glyphosate is not used on any containerised plants.
The Yarralumla Nursery does not check if plants purchased-in from interstate nurseries have been treated with pesticides toxic to bees. Plants purchased-in are usually propagation material, including tree seedlings for potting up, which generally do not require any pesticide treatment.
Environment—Climate Change Action Plan
Mr Rattenbury (in reply to a supplementary question by Mr Cain on Thursday, 13 May 2021):
Now that the ACT’s electricity is 100% renewably sourced, emissions from the gas and transport sectors make up around 20% and 60% of the ACT’s total greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. Any policy that is targeted at getting households, businesses, and industry off gas, or reducing emissions from transport therefore will have the largest emissions reduction potential.
The ACT Climate Change Strategy 2019-25 (the Strategy) committed to legislate the 100% renewable electricity target to continue in perpetuity (action 4.1) to ensure there are no emissions associated with electricity use into the future. This commitment opens up new opportunities for emissions reduction. For example, electric vehicles in the ACT are now zero emissions, as is the light rail system. This is not true in other jurisdictions.
Our 100% renewable electricity supply also means all-electric buildings are zero-emissions buildings. The government has recently constructed all-electric schools and an all-electric office building, and is committed to an all-electric hospital extension. These projects relate to Strategy actions including 5.10, 5.12 and 5.13, and also demonstrate the viability of all-electric buildings in the ACT climate.
The Zero Emissions Government Framework will see emissions from Government operations decrease by 33% by 2025, and to net zero by 2040. ACT Government is the largest single energy user in the ACT and Government accounts for 5% of ACT
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