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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 3090 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (5.08): Mr Speaker, let me indicate that, although there are some elements about this motion which I have some uncertainty or doubt about, I do not believe that the Government needs to oppose it, because I believe that the direction in which Ms Tucker proposes that we move is essentially the right direction. Ms Tucker made reference to the fact that the ACT has gone some way down the path of identifying our, albeit, small contribution towards the production of greenhouse gases in Australia. I have told the Assembly on a previous occasion that the ACT's contribution is probably less than one per cent of the national level, even though our population would, in theory, warrant a higher contribution. That is accounted for, obviously, for the most part, by the fact that in the ACT there are fewer larger industrial activities which can have the effect of generating greenhouse gases and also fewer rural pursuits which might give rise to such production. Some progress has been made on this subject.

The ACT greenhouse strategy was also referred to by Ms Tucker, and her argument was essentially that there should be a follow-up to that strategy, a setting of targets within that strategy, so that we are able to identify what the level of ACT greenhouse gas contribution is and how we can then move progressively to reduce it in order to match or presumably lead the Australian contribution towards the targets set as part of the Framework Convention on Climate Change; that is, we return to 1988 levels by the year 2000, and we reduce by 20 per cent our greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2005. Mr Speaker, those are worthy goals and it will be a matter of enormous regret to Australians, and even more regret to the inhabitants of other nations, particularly low-lying South Pacific nations, if those goals are not met and perhaps exceeded within the timeframe provided for.

The ACT is a participant in the national greenhouse response strategy which was ratified by all Australian governments in December 1992. In the middle of 1993 the then ACT Government tabled a greenhouse strategy which was the ACT's contribution towards the development of a national framework. Mr Wood will recall that occasion well, as he was the Minister. I might note, however, that Mr Kaine, as a former Minister for the Environment, also contributed to that process by setting in train a process to examine those sorts of issues. I hope, Mr Speaker, that we can all consider the pursuit of goals like that as a worthy subject for agreement on the floor of this chamber so that we endeavour jointly to achieve a higher degree of acknowledgment, recognition and achievement of those sorts of targets.

The national greenhouse response strategy that I referred to a moment ago is about four years old and is being reviewed at this time by an intergovernmental group which comprises representatives of all Australian governments, the ACT included. We are, in fact, a key player in the review by jointly proposing, with the Australian Local Government Association, the involvement of the third tier of government in the process of contributing to lower levels of greenhouse gas emission. Members will not need much imagination to realise that, in fact, local government, which includes government in the ACT, does play a quite important role in the management of those sorts of issues. Things like sewerage systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions,

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