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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2630 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

As Ms Horodny would be aware, electricity supply to the ACT comes from a pool comprising generators in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. While the total quantity and price of electricity purchased by ACTEW is available in its annual report, it is not possible to determine the source of the electricity supplied to the ACT at any point in time. This is the reality for any interconnected electricity system, given the nature of electricity. The way to address the monitoring issue is through analysis of national information. The information disclosure requirements of the proposed National Electricity Law and Code will provide the framework for such analysis. The Government will be bringing forward legislation in relation to the National Electricity Law and Code very shortly.

One of the objectives for ACTEW Corporation in the Territory Owned Corporations Act 1990 - and this touches on the question of how we are ensuring that ACTEW is complying with its corporate objectives to conduct its operations in compliance with the principles of ecologically sustainable development - is that, where its activities affect the environment, ACTEW will conduct its operations in compliance with the principles of ecologically sustainable development.

Under the legislation, ACTEW is required to produce an annual statement of corporate intent, which is tabled here. That is to place on the public record the way in which the corporation will pursue its commercial activities over the next three-year period. It is also required by legislation to provide an annual report to the Territory and to the Australian Securities Commission. That report to the Territory must fulfil statutory requirements, including an assessment of its performance in relation to its objectives. This accountability framework means that the Government should not, and does not, get involved in the day-to-day business decisions of the corporation. It assesses, or monitors - in the language of Ms Horodny's question - the extent of compliance with those principles through those reports, and that, I submit, is the appropriate way to do that.

The other issue which was raised was the announcement of the Government's greenhouse gas target strategy. There are a number of documents which the Government is awaiting for development of that strategy - the final draft of the national greenhouse strategy, which will confirm the viable measures in which the ACT can participate; the national greenhouse gas inventory of 1995, which is still being compiled; and amendments to the ACT greenhouse gas inventory, which, in turn, is derived from the national inventory and estimated from data to reflect the Assembly's requirements for non-ACT emissions. Those matters will be looked at when they are available, and a target for the reduction of greenhouse gases emitted within the ACT will be developed this year, with those documents being taken on board. Revision of the inventory data is very important in the context of the responsible development of targets. I will inform the Assembly of the 1995 inventory figures as soon as they are released.

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