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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 10 Hansard (14 October) . . Page.. 3156 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Even odd, yes.

Mr Stanhope: There is a very simple explanation.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, what? You stuffed up?

Mr Stanhope: I did it on Thursday.

MR HUMPHRIES: You stuffed up.

Mr Stanhope: I did it on Thursday. We can ask one of - - -

MR HUMPHRIES: You didn't go back and correct the records.

Mr Stanhope: The journalist is in the press gallery. We can - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I do not want exchanges across the chamber.

MR HARGREAVES: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services. As part of its no waste by 2010 strategy the Government, in March last year, advertised for registrations of interest in the establishment of a resource recovery estate. While the estate was initially intended to be established at the Mugga Lane landfill, it was eventually opened at the Belconnen facility. Can the Minister tell the Assembly whether the resource recovery estate has performed as the Government anticipated? Has it been successful in seeing significant amounts of material recycled rather than dumped?

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, I am not sure which estate Mr Hargreaves refers to. What we have advertised for is a resource recovery centre that we propose for Mitchell. There is planning being done on a resource recovery estate at the Mugga Lane tip, but we also have provided other short-term facilities at the West Belconnen tip because this Government, through its policies, is dedicated to reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill to zero by 2010, and we see that as an important initiative. To date we have achieved some 40 per cent reduction in the amount of waste that is going to the tip. Some of the decisions that need to be taken now are being looked at. Hence the call for expressions of interest in the development of the resource centre at Mitchell and the further work that is being done on the resource recovery estate at Mugga Lane.

MR HARGREAVES: I have a supplementary question. My question referred to the temporary estate at Belconnen. Can the Minister confirm that ACT Waste has raised rents at the temporary estate at Belconnen by 10,000 per cent, in one case at least, from a peppercorn $1 per annum to $10,600 per annum? What has been the impact of such increases and how many businesses remain at that temporary resource recovery estate at the West Belconnen landfill?

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