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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4280 ..

MS TUCKER: My question is to Mr Kaine as Minister for Urban Services. As the Minister is aware, ACTION gave up on gas-powered buses after an unsuccessful trial of two compressed natural gas buses. Unfortunately, ACTION has never looked seriously at the production models now used in Sydney, South Australia, Western Australia and Britain. This is an area where well-proven popular and environmentally friendly alternatives are available. For the Minister's information, these buses have been shown to reduce particulate emissions by 90 per cent, noise by 50 per cent and carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. Mr Kaine, given the Liberal Party's enthusiasm for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the ACT and the fact that New South Wales has recently purchased another 300 gas buses, taking its fleet of buses running on compressed natural gas up to 400, will you commit your Government to having another look at gas buses, and in particular what is happening in New South Wales, with a view to introducing gas buses in the ACT?

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I will undertake to get a comprehensive briefing from ACTION as to what they are currently doing in this matter, what regard they have had to the experience elsewhere, and what, if anything, they propose that we should undertake to do in the future. I will produce a copy of that briefing for Ms Tucker.

Mr Whitecross: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Ms Tucker has asked a question in this place. I think all members are entitled to an answer, not just Ms Tucker. I ask that the Minister be asked to present his answer in the Assembly, not just privately to Ms Tucker.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I said I would seek a briefing. I do not intend to make a statement to the house. Ms Tucker has asked me a question. I will seek a briefing on the matter and I will make that briefing available to her. If other members want a briefing, they can ask me accordingly.

Mr Whitecross: Yes, please. I will have that briefing; thank you.

MR SPEAKER: There you are. Now sit down.

MR KAINE: I do not consider that as a request.

MS TUCKER: I think he is going to make it available to everyone. Thank you for that, Mr Kaine. Would you also be prepared to make a commitment similar to that of Liverpool Council - or at least get a briefing on this too - to look at the possibility of converting the passenger vehicle fleet to natural gas?

MR KAINE: I think, Mr Speaker, that depends on what advice I get from my experts at ACTION buses.

Ms Tucker: Ask about the cars.

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