Page 539 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 June 1989
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major difference in the cost to the ratepayers of the north and south side operations to collect our rubbish. It is important to ensure that we look not only at the efficiency of our own actions in disposing of waste, but at the efficiency of those operations themselves that collect and process that waste.
The inquiry may also look at the arrangements that the ACT has entered into with the nearby Queanbeyan Council to have all the rubbish from that area shipped into the ACT. To this end, it may also be worth discussing the price we are prepared to charge for this facility, and also we may like to consider some form of joint operation between the two organisations to set up a campaign to educate the ratepayers of both areas on how to best dispose of the rubbish.
I also would like to draw the attention of the committee to the charges, if any, that the Commonwealth pays for the service we provide as a city-state, especially as we know that this is a city where the Government is the major industry. Those of us who have been involved with government at all are quite aware that the amount of paper that is produced, for example, by government departments is absolutely stunning. I hope that we will be able to organise that as well.
In closing, I would like to make a few brief comments on the statement made by my colleague Mr Stefaniak, that private enterprise was 20 per cent cheaper. In fact, the south side collection is by Waste Hawke private enterprise and the cost is almost double that on the north side. The north side is handled by a family business - the backbone of Canberra private enterprise society.
With those few words, Mr Speaker, I close by commending this motion to the house. I am sure that the committee will do its utmost to ensure that the people of Canberra have the best facility and system available for the collection of our rubbish.
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health) (11.38): I rise to support the motion. First of all, I would like to talk briefly on the exclusion of clinical waste disposal from consideration of the committee and bring to the attention of the chamber the reasons why that is the case. Members will be aware of instances of medical waste being dumped at Canberra tips. This has highlighted the need for proper control of the disposal of clinical waste materials and, as a result, proper procedures are now in place for the disposal of those materials.
A draft Bill has been under preparation by the Administration covering the collection, transportation and incineration of all hospital and medical wastes involving infectious materials, used needles, scalpels and glass phials. The proposed legislation will cover all medical, pharmaceutical and veterinary waste in the ACT, and I think
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