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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 7 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 2190 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Community and Health Complaints Commissioner - Report for 1997-98, pursuant to section 77 of the Community and Health Services Complaints Act 1993

ACT Health and Community Care Service - Report for 1997-98 and financial statements, including the Auditor-General's reports for:

The ACT Health and Community Care Service

The Canberra Hospital

ACT Community Care

Healthpact - Report and financial statements, including the Auditor-General's report, for 1997-98.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (3.27): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Government's response to the Commissioner for the Environment's report entitled "Investigation into the ACT Government's Use of Chemicals for Pest Control", which was presented to the Assembly on 25 June 1998. I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Mr Speaker, I gave an undertaking on 25 June that I would respond to the commissioner's report. I would like to start by saying that the Government welcomes the commissioner's report and supports the general intent of the report, which seeks the best possible environmental and public health outcomes for the ACT in relation to the use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals for pest control purposes. The key elements of the Government's response are as follows:

With the commencement of the Environment Protection Act 1997 on 1 June 1998, the ACT now has a regulatory framework which ensures that the commercial use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals is in accordance with best practice environmental, public health and occupational health and safety standards.

Standard tender and contract specifications will be used by ACT government purchasers of pest control services to ensure that the regulatory framework is fully implemented in delivering pest control services to ACT government agencies.

There will be improved coordination between ACT government agencies on the management of pest control issues, through the establishment of the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Coordination Network, which will be chaired by Environment ACT and will include major ACT government stakeholder agencies.

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