Page 901 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 25 July 1989
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Briefly, search warrants are provided for in clause 70. I am a little perplexed by the way that particular clause is worded. It states:
Where an inspector suspects on reasonable grounds that there may be, or that within the next following 28 days there may be, on any premises, a thing of a particular kind connected with a particular defined offence, the inspector may...apply for the issue of a warrant to search the premises for things of that kind.
What is the point of applying for a warrant for things which the inspector does not yet believe exist, or does not believe exist on those premises? That is only a small point, and I will not press that.
Mr Speaker, as I mentioned, there are other amendments I would like to move in the detail stage of this Bill. They relate to matters of some significance, but I will refer to those when we come to that stage of the debate.
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health) (8.58): First, I wish to congratulate Minister Grassby for her prompt action, and the action of her department, in bringing this legislation to the Assembly. The legislation clearly demonstrates the determination of this Government to protect the environment. I think members would agree with that, because here we are, in the very early days of this Government, with a significant piece of environmental protection legislation before the Assembly.
Members, I am sure, would also agree with the observation that it is deplorable that such legislation has been so long in coming. The ACT has long been the only territory or State in Australia without legislative control over pesticides. Considerable criticism has been directed at the Territory because of this. Clearly, that criticism has been warranted, and I think this is another of the great benefits demonstrated by the introduction of this Government to the Territory. It is significant that the first Government of the Territory has brought very important environmental protection legislation to the Assembly. But the most important thing about this legislation is that it will bring the ACT into line with the States. There can no longer be any further criticism about the way we manage the environment in this Territory in relation to the control of pesticides.
By enacting this legislation, the Minister would be able to introduce badly needed controls over the use, storage and disposal of pesticides in the Territory, because it has been Rafferty's rules to date. Of course, the significant dangers to our environment are well known. The television show talked about by the earlier speaker demonstrated clearly the flow of very dangerous pesticides outside the United States, significantly to Australia, requiring strict
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