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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2943 ..

Mr Moore: On a point of order: I would like to clarify that Mr Osborne was not interjecting and I was not interjecting. I believe we are the only two Independents here.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Quite right. I do apologise to you, Mr Moore; but, as I was saying, I did not hear any interjections. Ms McRae, on a point of order, was implying that there were interjections. I did not hear any.

Ms McRae: Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, in case I caused any offence, let me say that it was the Green member who interjected.

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank members for their assistance in touching on this important issue. We have had the accusation this afternoon that the Government has not taken any steps to deal with the major cause of greenhouse gas emissions in the ACT, namely, transport. Let me iterate for the benefit of the Assembly what has happened in the last few years to deal with the issue of energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction in the area of transport in the ACT. ACTION has taken delivery of seven midi-buses which comply with the most stringent Euro2 exhaust emission standards. They are smaller than standard rigid buses and as such they are much more fuel efficient. A total of 25 midi-buses will be part of ACTION's fleet by the end of this year. Gas-powered and electric-powered vehicles are granted a 20 per cent reduction on registration fees to encourage them to be used. Priority public transport measures such as bus-only lanes, B-lights and transponder control traffic lights have been installed in many parts of the ACT.

We now have 12 park and ride facilities, encouraging people, through incentives in the form of the non-payment of parking fees, to share motor vehicles. We have under way negotiations with the Commonwealth to introduce pay parking in Barton and Parkes. Agreement has been reached with the National Capital Authority to reduce parking spaces for developments which require their approval from 2.5 to two spaces per 100 square metres, reducing the volume of parking provided for in buildings so as to encourage people to be less reliant on the car. New development must comply with requirements to encourage non-motorised and public transport trips.

There is a lead being set by government in those areas. Those are all important steps to reducing the effect of greenhouse gas emissions. It is worth bringing to members' attention, in case they think that the ACT is a profligate producer of greenhouse gases, that with something like 1.8 per cent of the Australian population the ACT, as we are best able to gauge at this point in time, produces something like 0.29 per cent of Australian greenhouse gas emissions, and that includes emissions caused by our consumption of power produced outside our borders.

Ms Tucker: Per capita we are high.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is the information which I have about those matters. As Ms Tucker, outside standing orders, interjects, we have a question about the state of knowledge in this area at the moment. That is a very good point to make. We do not know what the situation is. I would submit that before we go into setting greenhouse gas targets we need to have an up-to-date and accurate picture of what we are actually producing in the way of greenhouse gas emissions at the moment. It is a fundamental.

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