Page 2035 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 May 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
A consultant's study is currently being completed to assess the feasibility of introducing bus priority work in critical sections of the ACTION bus network, and to identify a program of works for implementing these measures. Some works have already been scheduled for completion in this financial year, including the duplication of Athllon Drive between Beasley Street and Mawson Drive, and additional complementary works will be undertaken in the next fiscal year. The Government's initiatives on car parking in Civic and the residential areas around Civic and Woden have been showing a gradual, but encouraging, increase in the use by commuters of multi-occupant vehicles.
Effective policies for energy conservation must also address the issue of recycling and waste minimisation. Vast amounts of energy are consumed in the conversion of raw materials into the products that we consume every day. Encouragement of recycling and the use of recycled products are a significant part of any comprehensive policy. The Alliance Government is undertaking a number of initiatives to this end. As part of a program of promoting waste motor oil recycling, discussions have been held with the Motor Traders Association and the oil companies on extending and promoting waste oil collection through selected service stations. The Alliance Government is also leading the way in creating a market for re-refined motor oil. A trial on the use of re-refined oil has been completed, and all indications are that there is no detectable difference in using re-refined oil in the motor vehicles trialled.
Another new initiative is the use by government agencies of a material known as syntal. Syntal is made of mixed plastic waste and can be used in a range of situations as a substitute for timber, steel or concrete. Typically the material is used for street furniture, playground equipment, road markers, kerbing and fencing. In the ACT the material has been used for bus and outdoor seats, and is expected to be used in a wider range of situations in the future.
Mr Speaker, many of the initiatives I have outlined above will have positive impacts, not only for energy conservation, but also for air pollution and the greenhouse effect. For instance, reducing the number of cars on the road will lead to not only a reduction in the collective fuel consumption of the ACT but also a reduction in the level of air pollutants emitted.
In spite of the significant achievements of the Alliance Government in energy conservation, we nevertheless acknowledge that there is still work to be done. The Alliance Government's environment strategy is a flexible document, designed to be reviewed and updated to keep pace with technological and social change. Through its environment strategy, this Government will continue to keep abreast of the changing environmental priorities that will necessarily arise as the ACT continues to develop and prosper.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .