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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (3 December) . . Page.. 4299 ..

MS HORODNY (11.47): Mr Speaker, the Greens understand that the purpose of this Bill is to correct an error in the Ozone Protection (Amendment) Act 1995. The Act had the intention of implementing a nationally agreed phase-out of the use of halon gas by 31 December 1995 and of CFCs by 31 December 1996. We understand that the phase-out of CFCs related only to stopping the production and import of CFCs from 31 December 1996, rather than stopping their use altogether. The 1995 Ozone Protection (Amendment) Act made it an offence to service equipment containing CFCs, and the present Bill reverses this provision so that equipment containing CFCs can still be serviced by a person in accordance with a licence. On the surface, this is a reasonable correction; otherwise, next year there could have been a situation where a person could not get their old fridge or car air-conditioner fixed because it contained CFCs.

However, I would like to use this opportunity to draw the Assembly's attention to the longer-term need to remove CFC completely from the environment so that the environmental damage caused by ozone depletion can be minimised. The approach that appears to have been adopted by governments nationally is that from 31 December 1996 there will be no new products containing CFCs sold in Australia and that over time there will be less and less CFC available in stock to service existing equipment. The CFC used in the old equipment will thus need to be replaced with a more ozone friendly gas or, if this is not possible, the equipment will need to be replaced. My concern is: What happens to the CFC in all the old fridges and air-conditioners that end up being dumped at landfills? Unless that gas is extracted from this old equipment before it is dumped, eventually the CFC will end up leaking into the atmosphere. I think an extra effort needs to be made by all governments to ensure that old equipment containing CFCs is recycled and that the gasses are extracted rather than just allowed to be dumped. This not only is good for the ozone layer but also contributes to waste minimisation.

We are glad that there is a national strategy for ozone protection and that the ACT has ozone protection legislation. However, the community should not be lulled into believing that the ozone issue is under control. Continuing vigilance of the environmental impacts of atmospheric ozone depletion is required, and governments may need to take stronger action to accelerate the phase-out of all ozone depleting substances.

MR MOORE (11.50): Mr Speaker, on my first reading of the legislation I was concerned, like other members; but I think most of the issues that I was concerned about have been dealt with by Mr Whitecross and Ms Horodny. In the end, I think this is an on-balance situation and does correct a problem that would have been an unintended consequence of basically a total prohibition on fixing any refrigerator or air-conditioning system in Canberra. Whilst most of us are very keen to phase out CFCs or are very keen to ensure protection of the ozone layer, we want to do it in a very sensible way that takes the community with us. I am quite comfortable in supporting this legislation.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (11.52), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank members for their support. I do not believe this legislation makes any significant difference to the march that the ACT is engaged in towards the elimination of ozone depleting substances. The maintenance of a capacity to service articles such as refrigeration units and so on after 31 December is neither here nor there in respect of the overall stand towards the elimination of

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