Page 3930 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 15 December 1992
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We propose to ban the use of organochlorines in existing buildings from 1 December this year and to allow the use of less toxic organophosphates. I note what Mr Westende says - and I cannot dispute it - that they too can bring about a health problem, but those problems are not at the level of significance of the organochlorines. I want to point out, and Mr Westende conceded this, that we have said quite clearly that we will phase these out in a year's time if suitable alternative measures are available. It was on that basis - that suitable alternative measures are available. It is my information that the speed of development of other measures, in particular termimesh, is such that they will be available; but we have made it clear that we will be considering that availability. We have said also that we will look at exceptional circumstances where there may be justification for a one-off tolerance for organochlorines to be used.
As this debate has gone on I have been interested to note that there is a considerable project - I think it is at the University of Canberra - of mapping termite infestations in Canberra. I am being quite objective about all this because, as I looked at that map, there appears to be a spot right where my house is. But I am proceeding with this. Again I concede that Mr Westende has done some accurate work on this, because one of the best preventative measures is to look at where the infestations of colonies are, and this map is going to enable us to do so. There were a few other points, not a great number, around Canberra where there is evidence of a greater problem than applies elsewhere. By looking for those colonies in those areas I think we can go a long way towards removing the problem. By the passage of a year, when this comes into effect, with the ifs and buts I have mentioned, I think we ought to be in a position to assure security for all of us in our homes. That includes me.
Let us put this in perspective. How great is the threat? The information we have is that there are something like 100 cases reported in the ACT in a year, and we must have about 100,000 homes in the ACT. Of those, one-third are treated with organochlorines. Something like 33 homes a year are so treated. That is the case with existing buildings. Further to that, in the case of new buildings, only 10 per cent of new buildings are sprayed first. The ground is sprayed first with organochlorines. So, the problem is not so great. It is not used to such an extent that we could say that it is going to be a problem bigger than the measures that Mr Westende mentioned. It is not as big a problem as the asbestos. It can never be, because it is simply not used to that extent.
I also contest the point of view that has been given that we have a particular problem in the ACT. It is true that there is termite infestation from time to time around the ACT, but it is not bad by Australian standards. It is not the best either, but it is by no means a critical problem or even a very serious problem in the ACT. So, we are not looking at some disaster down the track following what we do.
I do agree with Mr Westende when he says that we should look at other measures. I think that is not the long-term but the short-term answer to this problem. Mr Westende mentioned some of those measures. I think the steps we have taken here will encourage an acceleration of the attention to those. I looked, for example, as you indicated, at the building code; just to take some simple steps there, to watch those ant caps, to do various things; for people more carefully to
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