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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 4868 ..

MS TUCKER: In the ACT this Liberal Government - I am talking about the ACT and this Liberal Government - has shown more leadership and has produced targets, Mr Speaker. Let us see a real commitment to reaching those targets by support for these Bills. The initiative announced by Mr Humphries as part of the greenhouse gas reduction strategy to make ceiling insulation compulsory does not go nearly far enough. I am sorry; this is really not very impressive because, with the four-star rating for new homes, new homes mostly have ceiling insulation anyway. About 60 per cent of the ACT's non-transport energy is used in space heating, and 20 per cent is used in water heating. This is a significant matter. The Government's own statements on the benefits of the ACT house energy rating scheme claim savings of 30 to 50 per cent, or $400 to $600 per year, in house energy costs.

I just heard Mr Stefaniak talking about public housing. I know that energy bills for public housing tenants can obviously be very worrying. We have all heard the stories of people not able to keep their families or themselves warm in winter because of the energy bills. Today members have an opportunity, by supporting these Bills, to show a commitment to reducing greenhouse gases through allowing consumers greater information about the energy implications of the housing they choose. All these Bills are doing is providing information, the benefits of which far outweigh any problems.

I would like to briefly speak to some of the amendments that have been circulated. I am concerned that the Government basically, through its first amendment, which is a commencement clause, is suggesting that if regulations are not in place this Act would not kick into place. Our amendment to that amendment will ensure that, in fact, regardless, after 12 months this Act will kick into place; and if there are no regulations in existence then, hopefully, someone would notice this and actually take action.

The concern about the definition and whether or not we use just the ACT energy rating scheme or other ones, I believe, is quite clearly accommodated by our amendment on the green sheet, which quite clearly makes it possible to have another scheme. I do not see that we need that other definition at all.

MR SPEAKER: Would you like to address these at the detail stage, Ms Tucker? That is not where we are at.

MS TUCKER: Well, I am quite happy to talk about it then.

MR SPEAKER: We have not got there yet.

MS TUCKER: I understand we have not got there. I am interested in covering the issues beforehand, in case some of my amendments do not get up. I may not have the opportunity if other amendments get up. I wanted to make it clear what my amendments were.

MR SPEAKER: Very well.

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