Page 3493 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 September 1991
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LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO MEMBER
MR BERRY (Deputy Chief Minister) (10.32): Mr Acting Speaker, Mr Stevenson has sought leave for family reasons, and I move:
That leave of absence be given to Mr Stevenson on 19 September 1991.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
CONSERVATION, HERITAGE AND ENVIRONMENT - STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on Fuelwood Heating
MR MOORE (10.33): I present report No. 4 of the Standing Committee on Conservation, Heritage and Environment, on fuelwood heating in the Australian Capital Territory, together with the extracts of minutes of proceedings, and I move:
That the report be noted.
This report is about environmental balance. It takes into account the use of fossil fuels and compares the use of those fossil fuels with the use of our most common renewable resource for heating, and that is wood. The report attempts to deal with the concept of sustainability in terms of heating. It is quite clear that, even though natural gas is the kindest of our current fuels as far as the environment is concerned, it is not a sustainable resource; it is not a renewable resource. But the availability of natural gas provides for us time to get our fuelwood resources into balance, and this report emphasises the need to keep fuelwood use in balance with fuelwood plantations.
I think, Mr Acting Speaker, it is important to note the methodology used by the Standing Committee on Conservation, Heritage and Environment in this particular report. The initial part of the methodology was to provide a discussion paper on fuelwood heating in the ACT entitled "The Burning Question". After that discussion paper, we received a number of very encouraging responses, about fuelwood in use in the ACT, that dealt with the pollution questions as well as the various ranges of questions about heating supply and the use of wood as a fuel.
I think the emphasis that needs to be put on this report is that public education is the most critical factor. Public education starts with the correct use of wood heaters. That correct use, most importantly, has to put to death the myth that the sensible way to use a fuelwood heater, especially modern heaters, is to turn the air right down at
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