Page 3864 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 October 1990
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The Government recognises that many initiatives can best be handled by facilitating ongoing involvement by the private sector rather than the Government taking on additional responsibilities. Are you listening over there? As part of the Government's waste management strategy we are also expanding the availability of composting facilities at the landfill sites. This is an example, Mr Speaker, of the way in which the Government's environment initiatives can encourage changes to community attitudes, which will lead to savings on landfill and promote a better urban environment.
Composting rather than burning off garden wastes provides an excellent example of the close links between local and global policies. By encouraging people to recycle their garden wastes as compost, we are reducing local air pollution at the same time as making a contribution to reducing greenhouse gases and avoiding the problems which are now becoming well known worldwide.
Mr Collaery: Tell Dennis.
MR DUBY: Maybe we should prevent the ice age coming. It is an important step in encouraging the lifestyle changes that are necessary to an improved environment for everybody. As Mr Jensen has said, any improvements that we make locally will impact on the quality of the global environment. Every little helps; I suppose that is the way to put it. We are also committed, as part of our national and international responsibilities, to participating in regulating and, where appropriate, banning ozone depleting substances and reducing greenhouse gases. I will be introducing legislation to amend the Air Pollution Act and ensure that the ACT does not become a dumping ground for products banned in other areas.
As the Chief Minister said in the greenhouse debate, many of the initiatives that the Government is taking to encourage greater use of public transport will also improve the environment as a matter of course. My department has let a major consultancy to develop a comprehensive bus priority strategy for Canberra, and our multi-occupancy car parks are going to be a demonstration project for the Australian Transport Advisory Council's environment program. The Australian Transport Advisory Council is the major transport group within Australia - something which Mrs Grassby did not attend but which this Minister takes most responsibly and whose meetings I attend.
Mr Connolly: If there is a conference on, you lot will go to it; there is no doubt about that.
MR DUBY: Especially when there is an extra $1m worth of revenue which no other State or Territory could get its hands on. This Territory was able to do that.
Mr Connolly: The travelling circus.
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