Page 2005 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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the tasks ahead of us. I think the first thing to be said on the second World Environment Day since self-government is that self-government itself has provided many opportunities to tackle environmental problems but it has also brought responsibilities. Self-government has given the ACT the chance to tackle environmental issues with the priority that the Canberra community considers they deserve. I therefore welcome Mr Kaine's statement that he expects the environment to be treated as a joint project between the community and the Government but I should say that, if their relations with the community in regard to education, the Ainslie Transfer Station or the Royal Canberra Hospital are anything to go by, then I do not expect the community to have a great deal of confidence in them on the environment either.
World Environment Day, of course, does focus attention on the fact that environmental problems do require expenditure which must compete with other priorities in any government's budget. I intend today to outline some of the local environmental issues and to talk about the action which has occurred in the past or which should now be taken.
The area of air quality and air pollution is a very good demonstration of the connection between local and global environmental questions. We are fortunate in the ACT to have high air quality most of the time but there are significant air pollution problems at some times of the year. For example, along some busy roads during winter the airborne lead levels exceed National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. Calm weather during the winter can also sometimes produce visible air pollution problems with the smoke from domestic fires. It is clear that the reliance on private vehicles for transport, which creates many of the local problems, is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Several weeks ago, when I spoke on the Government's greenhouse strategy paper, I suggested that the ACT should conduct an audit of greenhouse gas emissions similar to that undertaken in Western Australia. I repeat my call for that sort of an audit. Members may also recall that last year the Labor Government committed itself to ensuring that the leaded petrol delivered to the ACT is of the low lead or city type rather than the country high lead variety which we have been receiving. I would be interested to know whether the current Government has pursued that matter.
Last October, the Labor Government's transport strategy included the announcement of measures which would promote the use of public transport and multiple occupancy of cars. I believe that measures such as free parking for multiple occupancy vehicles, which the current Government has also supported, will contribute to tackling air pollution problems.
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