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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2525 ..
MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
Mr Whitecross: She has not answered those questions and she is required to - - -
MR SPEAKER: Mr Whitecross, would you mind resuming your seat. There is no point of order.
MS HORODNY: My question is directed to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, Mr Humphries. In September last year, nearly a year ago now, the Assembly passed a motion calling on the Government "to develop a greenhouse gas reduction target specifically for the ACT" and stating:
... that this target be applied to greenhouse gases emitted within the ACT and also to greenhouse gases emitted outside the ACT as a result of electricity consumption within the ACT.
During that debate, Minister, you said:
... before we set targets ... for levels of greenhouse gas emission reduction, it is essential that we actually know what our level of greenhouse gas emission is.
To calculate the level of emissions generated by ACT residents you will therefore need to know the source of the electricity that is being bought by ACTEW, since it is currently the only supplier of electricity in the ACT, and also because different electricity generating plants produce different levels of emissions per unit of electricity. Minister, can you therefore tell us what monitoring the Government is doing of the electricity purchases of ACTEW, not only to develop the greenhouse target but also to see whether ACTEW is complying with its corporate objective to conduct its operations in compliance with the principles of ecologically sustainable development?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Ms Horodny for the question. I can advise her that work has gone on, since the Assembly considered this matter in September, to develop an overall audit of greenhouse gas emissions as they relate to the ACT, and that includes emissions both within and outside the ACT. I was briefed on this matter, I think from recollection, a few months ago. I do not have enough recollection of what was in that briefing to reliably inform Ms Horodny or the house about the state of play. I will take the question on notice and, if possible, advise her tomorrow in the Assembly what the answer to her question is.
MS HORODNY: I have a supplementary question. Could you also take on notice when we can expect an announcement of the Government's proposed greenhouse gas target strategy?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes.
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