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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (5 September) . . Page.. 3260 ..

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Mr Speaker,

Members will recall that on 28 February 1996 a resolution was passed in the Assembly calling on the Government to set up a public inquiry into the use of weed and pest control chemicals in the A.C.T.

The resolution set out in detail the range of issues to be addressed, specified arrangements for input from interested community sectors and required that the inquiry be chaired by the Commissioner for the Environment.

The Government supported this resolution and I subsequently wrote to the Commissioner making some additional resources available to assist in carrying out the intent of the Assembly's resolution.

I understand from the Commissioner's office that there has been considerable community interest in this issue already, particularly from members of the community concerned about possible health impacts from the spraying of weed and other pest control chemicals.

In the course of proceeding to establish the inquiry, the Commissioner's office became aware of doubts as to the Commissioner's powers to hold an effective public inquiry.

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