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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2450 ..

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I stated in my answer to the first question that none of the officers supporting the inquiry have had any previous involvement in any matters that are covered by the inquiry's terms of reference.

MS HORODNY: My question is directed to the Chief Minister and relates to the building rubble generated from the demolition of the buildings on Acton Peninsula. Some months ago the Government announced that this rubble was going to be used to build noise mounds around the racetracks at Fairbairn Park. However, it was later revealed that a development approval for these noise mounds had not been obtained by the motor racing clubs and the initial dumping of rubble had to be stopped. We have now heard that the rubble is not going to Fairbairn Park at all and, in fact, is now being transported to the Boral quarry on Mugga Lane, supposedly to fill up that old quarry that has now closed. It sounds like the Government does not know what it is doing with this rubble. Could you tell us why the Government does not do what we said it should do all along; that is, take the rubble to the concrete recycling facility at Pialligo for it to be recycled into useful products like aggregate and road base, instead of just dumping it?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I think in the Assembly at that particular time, when answering that question, we said that the rubble would go to Fairbairn only if preliminary assessment and all the necessary approvals were actually achieved. I think we actually gave an undertaking to this Assembly that the rubble would not go to Fairbairn unless that occurred. That did not occur; so, in line with the requirements of the Assembly, it has not gone to Fairbairn because the necessary approvals were not obtained by the organisation. The rubble from the site has been put to very good use. All of the steel has been recycled. This amounts to about 2,000 tonnes, I understand. Another 35,000 tonnes is being recycled through the building spoil facility at Pialligo. The balance, which will be up to 30,000 tonnes, has been taken to the Mugga quarry to assist in the rehabilitation of that site. It seems to me that the Greens might have a very narrow view on what good use of spoil actually is. I think that is a fairly good outcome and very much in line with what the Assembly required.

MS HORODNY: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Mrs Carnell, it is not appropriate to fill up holes with resources that, to replace, need more quarries to be built in other parts of the country. That is a very ignorant view of our natural resources. My question is: Does the Boral quarry have the necessary approval to allow this rubble to be dumped there? Its lease purpose is for quarrying operations and not for landfill. Would not a development application be necessary for the earthworks that this rubble will be used for?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, as I said in my answer to the first question, this is for the rehabilitation of the site. I thought the Greens would have been keen on that.

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