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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2936 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Earlier today I took on notice a question from Ms Horodny about the nature conservation strategy and action plans for endangered species of fauna and flora. I can actually give her an answer today to the issues that she raised. The draft nature conservation strategy, in fact, has already been produced. It was launched some time ago - in fact, about the time of the ACT budget - and it has been out for public consultation ever since then. Public consultation is due to end on 30 September, which I would have assumed Ms Horodny was aware of, but perhaps not. A forum is being organised with the Conservation Council of the South-East Region and Canberra in October, and plans are to be finalised by the end of this year pursuant to that process. As far as the action plans are concerned, the department has been in contact to arrange a date for the launch of the drafts for public consultation. Those are the drafts that have been prepared to date. They will be available under that process very soon - in the next few days or weeks.

MR SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Ms Tucker proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:

The need for the ACT Government to increase action to reduce the ACT's greenhouse gas emissions.

MS TUCKER (3.58): Mr Speaker, this matter of public importance is indeed very important. It is my belief that, when it comes to greenhouse, the future is green or not at all. The landmark 1996 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that by the year 2100 average global temperatures will rise by between one and 3.5 degrees Celsius, and there will be an associated sea level rise of between 19 and 95 centimetres. That change is almost as large as, and would be far more rapid than, the one that ended the last ice age. It would cause a half-metre rise in sea levels and deaths from heat and from the spread of tropical diseases. It would spawn droughts; economic losses in forestry, agriculture and fisheries; species extinction; and the potential of more severe hurricanes and storms.

A European Commission report estimates that by the year 2030 more than one billion people may die from starvation as a result of climate change. The spread of diseases like malaria will expand dramatically. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates annual net costs at one to 2 per cent of GDP for developed countries.

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