Page 2799 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 14 August 1990
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Mr Connolly: Thank you, Chief Minister.
MR KAINE: The Government will consider all of the suggestions and comments received and respond to them in formulating its environment protection strategy for the Australian Capital Territory. The release of our environment strategy on World Environment Day was the opportunity for the Government to announce a number of initiatives that will contribute to a reduction in the release of gases detrimental to the atmosphere - gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons and halons, and even water vapour, which most people do not seem to recognise as being one of the gases that are detrimental to the atmosphere and conducive to the greenhouse effect.
As the Opposition rightly pointed out - that was Mr Wood, the only one who made a contribution to this debate - energy conservation is a major matter that must be addressed by any strategy that purports to deal seriously with the greenhouse effect, and our paper deals comprehensively with this matter. It refers, for example, to promoting energy conservation in transport in the ACT; to promoting energy conservation in building; to promoting energy conservation in the home; and to promoting energy conservation in industry - all aspects of importance in reducing the unnecessary consumption of energy and in the conservation of resources.
The Government has undertaken to examine the development of a set of procedures for design and siting of buildings to maximise energy conservation and efficiency. There will be a Government report addressing issues such as using passive solar energy in building design, having building setbacks determined by space and design considerations, providing energy efficient public housing, and promoting the calculation and use of energy efficiency ratings.
The Opposition has also made much of the important role of public transport in the conservation of fossil fuels. Again, the Government is moving, as outlined in the greenhouse strategy, to implement measures to facilitate more efficient and attractive public transport. Only a week ago my colleague Mr Duby, the Minister for Finance and Urban Services, announced that the ACT had let a contract to develop a comprehensive bus priority strategy for the whole of the ACT. This strategy will result in reduced operating times and hence encourage greater use of public transport. It will address a range of measures including priority on roads and at traffic signals for buses. These initiatives will also reduce operating costs, including fuel costs for ACTION - and savings in fuel translate into savings in harmful emissions.
We will continue to look at other measures to reduce vehicle related emissions. The Australian Transport Advisory Council's environment program has accepted the ACT's multi-occupancy car parks for evaluation as a national demonstration project to promote more efficient
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