Page 4250 - Week 13 - Thursday, 25 November 1993

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

---

AIR POLLUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1993 - PRESENTATION SPEECH

MADAM SPEAKER

CANBERRA GENERALLY HAS VERY GOOD AIR QUALITY. HOWEVER, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THERE HAS BEEN INCREASING CONCERN ABOUT SMOKE POLLUTION CAUSED BY SOLID FUEL APPLIANCES DURING OUR COLDER MONTHS. ON MANY OCCASIONS THIS SMOKE-HAS GIVEN RISE TO A BROWN HAZE EFFECT IN CERTAIN AREAS. THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THE UNATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE OF WOOD SMOKE, PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT FOR SOME RESIDENTS AND, IN SOME CASES, THE EXACERBATION OF HEALTH PROBLEMS SERIOUS MATTER WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

AIR POLLUTION FROM SOLID FUEL APPLIANCES ARISES FROM INCORRECT OPERATING PRACTICES WHICH LEAD TO THE INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION OF THE SOLID FUEL, RESULTING IN SMOKE POLLUTION.

IN ORDER TO PROMOTE AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE CORRECT USE OF THESE APPLIANCES, INSPECTORS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF MY DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN, FOR SOME TIME, DISTRIBUTING PAMPHLETS AND PROVIDING ADVICE TO CONSUMERS AND RETAIL OUTLETS.. THE SOLID FUEL INDUSTRY. HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN CONSUMER EDUCATION BY DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS PRODUCED BY THE SOLID FUEL AND WOOD BURNING ASSOCIATION. BUT I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS APPROACH HAS NOT BEEN FULLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING SMOKE POLLUTION.

AS MEMBERS ARE AWARE, THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTED ITSELF TO INTRODUCING EFFECTIVE CONTROLS OVER EMISSIONS FROM SOLID FUEL APPLIANCES IN ITS RESPONSE TO RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT OF THE A.C.T. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION, HERITAGE AND ENVIRONMENT ENTITLED "FUELWOOD HEATING IN THE A.C.T."

---

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .