Page 2796 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 14 August 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
are involved in the Australian and New Zealand Environment Council, which has a greenhouse task force which is moving towards a national greenhouse strategy.
An encouraging recent development was the release of the first report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change in London last Friday. Some of the doubting nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, had been awaiting the release of that report. I hope that, with the report's confirmation beyond any doubt that the greenhouse phenomenon is actually occurring, we will have as a result a greater level of international cooperation on this issue.
The ACT Government proposes to act to limit the greenhouse effect and its impact by reducing emission of greenhouse gases in five particular ways: firstly, through reducing emissions of CFCs and other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane; secondly, through energy conservation and developing the use of cleaner energy sources; thirdly, through promoting recycling to conserve energy and reduce methane emissions; fourthly, through developing reafforestation and landscaping programs to enhance the fixation by trees and plants of carbon dioxide through drawing it out of the atmosphere; and, fifthly, through agricultural development and land management practices which are sensitive to minimising greenhouse emissions.
Specifically, the consultation paper raises a number of initiatives to reduce CFCs and other greenhouse gases. That was the first of the initiatives I referred to. It includes, for example, prohibiting or regulating the use of specific gases and substances through early amendment to the ACT Air Pollution Act to control ozone depleting substances. This will include the recovery of CFCs already in existence. It also means ensuring that existing regulations to control motor vehicle emissions are enforced, and it means, thirdly, that we should consider introducing regulations to control the emissions from solid fuel burning appliances. That issue was looked at by the Conservation, Heritage and Environment Committee, which I chaired before December last year. I regret that I was not able to see that inquiry through to its conclusion.
A fourth specific action is the development of a timetable to phase out all CFCs in aerosols and refrigerators in the ACT, consistent with the ANZEC guidelines. Legislation requiring the recovery of CFCs released during maintenance work will be included in the amendment to the Air Pollution Act. In addition, I think the ACT has to monitor developments in other States, in the areas of the collection and utilisation of methane gas generated in landfill, and also in sewerage treatment and other industrial processes, with a view to introducing efficient and effective measures in the ACT as soon as possible.
I turn briefly to education. The Government appreciates that a community wide response to the environment is vital. (Extension of time granted)
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .