Page 179 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 23 February 1994
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I hope to bring that into the Assembly for the PDI Committee's consideration before the end of this year. Whether you will be able to consider it this year or next year depends on how quickly we can do that. We would expect to release the first site by mid-1995. So the first shop would be up and running some time later in 1996.
Air Pollution - Bus Interchanges
MS SZUTY: My question without notice is also to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, Mr Wood. In response to the first part of question No. 1117 on the notice paper from me - - -
Mr Wood: I remember it well.
MS SZUTY: You remember it. I asked: "Is air quality monitoring conducted at bus interchanges?". The Minister's answer was very brief: "No". Given that most people would acknowledge that air quality is significantly poorer at bus interchanges than at other locations around the city, does the Minister consider that the current level of monitoring of air quality at bus interchanges - that is, none - is a matter of concern?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, we have a number of monitoring sites around Canberra, but not many. I would like to see more, and we examine that prospect whenever there are financial considerations on the table. Sometimes we shift the instruments; sometimes we do some modelling, which gives us a view of how it might be. It is the case that bus interchanges at various periods are a bit smoky. Overall, we are following with interest the Federal Government's lead policy. One of the very sensible things we did here was to lock into the New South Wales Government's proposals, which are gradually bringing down the lead content in petrol. They are on a fairly strict timetable. Contrary to what happened with an earlier government here, the Alliance Government, we have now locked ourselves into that. We do not have to adjust each time they do it; it happens automatically. That is probably the most significant measure we can take and that will see that the lead part of that pollution is reduced. I know that you did not refer specifically to lead, but it is the most troublesome.
We do maintain such monitoring as we can. I do not mind saying that I would like to do a lot more, but you know - no, you do not know the budget situation. The budget situation is difficult. We simply cannot allocate money to every project that we would wish to fund. I think the overall fact, nevertheless, is that the quality of air in the ACT - - -
Members interjected.
MR WOOD: They do not shut up, do they? They seem never to stop. I sit here and listen to them. They just rabbit on all the time. The overall quality of air in the ACT is excellent by Australian standards for a city of this size. We all know that. It does not make for high pressure to do more monitoring, but that does not remove me from interest in making that air quality even better and to do as much as I can to that end.
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