Page 6054 - Week 18 - Thursday, 12 December 1991
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OZONE PROTECTION BILL 1991
Debate resumed.
MR JENSEN: The discovery in 1984 of the large hole in this layer over the Antarctic resulted in the Montreal protocol, in which it was proposed to phase out CFCs and halon gases. Australia, in fact, has moved to lead the world with a decision to phase them out completely by 1998, with an effort to reach a 95 per cent reduction by 1995. I think it is particularly important for Australia to play a role in the removal of the problem associated with the hole in the ozone layer, because of our closeness to Antarctica and the effect that the depletion of the ozone layer can have on the number of skin cancers in Australia.
In relation to the ACT, of course, we have a much higher altitude than those on the coast, so there is a clear indication that a continuing increase in the hole in the ozone layer will directly affect the long-term health of the ACT community. So, I guess that we have a part to play, albeit a very small one, in the same way, I guess, as Australia, by comparison with the rest of the world, can play only a very small part. But I think the old concept of "think globally, act locally" is very important. This Bill, therefore, goes a long way to have the ACT meet our share of this reduction.
I note that the explanatory memorandum says that the introduction of this Bill will be budget neutral. This was an issue raised in ANZEC in 1990, when a New South Wales proposal suggested that there be a collection of a levy on industry by the Commonwealth for distribution to the States. I am not quite sure whether that is in the long-term interest of the States. I think that once the Commonwealth gets its sticky hands on some of these levies it is very hard to winkle them out of it. This Bill seeks to fund the process that we are applying in the ACT by the collection of licence fees at the wholesale level and where these gases are or have been processed and removed from existing appliances, which, of course, as we know, include motor vehicles.
Certainly, the removal of spray-cans with CFCs in them was accomplished with a considerable amount of publicity and advertising. In some respects, I guess, you could argue that that campaign shows all legislators how aware of the issues the community is these days on matters pertaining to the environment. I was fortunate to participate in the national television hook-up in June last year where this issue was discussed by large numbers of young people around Australia, with the assistance, cooperation and involvement of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
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