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(Quorum formed) . . Page.. 903 ..

Mr Berry: Could you detail those for us?

MR HIRD: Just wait. You listen. Underused infrastructure will impose cost burdens on the ACT community, and prices will need to increase. The funding of many ACT government services from ACTEW’s dividend will be significantly affected. Due to a drop in customers and revenue, staffing levels would need to be decreased, as would ACTEW’s current expenditure in purchasing local services and materials, with obvious consequences for the whole of the ACT community.

Mr Speaker, by corporatising ACTEW as an ACT Territory-owned business, the business returns stay in the ACT. We the community own the business. As the corporation grows and expands into developing markets, job opportunities will grow and increased revenue will provide a boost to the ACT economy. The Greens have acknowledged that ACTEW has an excellent record in meeting environmental obligations, a record of performance of which both ACTEW and this Government are justifiably proud. (Quorum formed) ACTEW has embraced the principles of ecological sustainability and has shown that it is possible, practical and desirable to couple environmental concerns with running a business. The future water strategy released last year is an example of this. ACTEW has sought, with community consultation, to delay the need for another dam in the ACT, which is good for the environment and will save ACTEW and the ACT community money. As well, Mr Speaker, the Lower Molonglo sewage treatment plant is the most advanced in the world, and ACTEW is constantly looking at ways to improve the quality of water the plant puts back into the river system. This can be seen in the development of a technique for reducing the toxic blue-green algae which pollutes many New South Wales rivers. That technique, after recent trials in Cooma, has proven to be very successful. These are just a few of ACTEW's achievements, Mr Speaker, all of which are supported and encouraged by this Government in the policies which helped bring it victory at the recent February election.

I believe that we also have support from Mr Connolly for corporatisation. He is not in his seat, but I understand that he is not far away. When the Labor Party was corporatising Totalcare Industries, on 28 November 1991, Mr Connolly said:

The decision to corporatise Totalcare has been taken by the Labor Government in the light of the commercial nature of the company's operations, the level of competition which it experiences in the marketplace and the need to place it on a similar footing with its competitors. Corporatisation will allow the former Health Services Supply Centre to operate more effectively and seek and win new business.

He went on to say:

Totalcare ... will be well placed to explore new market opportunities. If it is able to capture these new markets it will be able to take advantage of significant economies of scale.

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