Page 2738 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990
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This document, if I can quote the director of the conservation council in the ACT, is full of motherhood statements; it is weak and wishy-washy and does not do anything; it is simply not good enough. My reading is a little different from his because I accept that the wishy-washiness of it is to be corrected by the implementation programs that will be following it. So really what we have is an outline.
I must also point out that many of the actions proposed - for example, the recycling of waste and the promotion of public transport - are in direct conflict with government action taken recently. I refer particularly to the closure of the Ainslie Transfer Station and cuts to public transport.
The document does not adequately address the disposal of hazardous waste, which is a glaring omission. The phase-out of ozone depleting substances, such as CFCs and halons, is being encouraged by Commonwealth and State legislation. The Australia and New Zealand Environment Council aims to achieve an almost total phase-out of all ozone depleting substances by 1995. The waste which is taken out of use must be collected and destroyed and must not be allowed to be released into the atmosphere.
Although the strategy agrees with this, no legislation on the disposal of hazardous waste is suggested, beyond making an amendment to the Air Pollution Act, as mentioned at page 8. We must not lose sight of the fact that, while legislation is necessary, the formulation and passing of laws does not, in itself, achieve a better environment. Senator Puplick, in 1984, in the Australian Environment Council report, has shown that there were 37 Federal Acts and 279 State Acts, a total of 316 pieces of environmental law, covering different aspects of the problem.
He said that one would, of course, appreciate that the increase in the rate of passage of environmental law is in direct proportion to the failure in dealing with the problem of environmental pollution. Internationally, Australia was a participant in 45 multilateral environmental conventions and treaties and seven bilateral treaties, many of which were ignored by other countries at will. The challenge ahead lies not in changing the laws so much, but rather in changing the attitudes of people. To that extent, I agree with that good senator.
We should be starting with our children. The children are our future; it is a cliche, but it is true. We must educate them to regard their environment as being important. I am very pleased that, in February this year, Mr Humphries announced that his department of education developed a draft policy on environmental education in the school curriculum. Any threats to cut the ACT's only organised environmental education program - that is, the well regarded Birrigai program, would be short-sighted, to say the least.
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