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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 2681 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

them using their heaters properly before we look at replacement schemes. You would also have to look at the cost of providing replacement heating as the main source of heating to a family household. Multiply $1,000, maybe $2,000, by 10,000 households and you are looking at a very large sum of money. The responsible thing would be to make sure that we get people using their heaters far more effectively.

Ms Tucker made the glib assertion that we have put this issue on the backburner. It is not on the back burner. If this issue is on the backburner, why does the ACT government have a firewood strategy? Why do we have a monitoring group? Why is it an issue at ANZECC, the highest environmental forum in the land. At the most recent meeting of ANZECC, in July, what was on the agenda? Firewood. What was the issue? Pollution and protection of remnant stands of hardwoods across the nation.

The ACT has led the way on this. I wrote either early last year or the year before to all ministers in Australia responsible for the standards concerning wood heaters in Australia to make sure that we were taking into account the alternative use of pine plantation timbers. We did not get a very warm reception, I have to say. Most of them did not see it as an issue, but we have persisted. We have shown through our strategy that we are addressing this need perhaps the best way that you can-by making people responsible for it themselves, making them understand that it affects where they live and that they have a responsibility. Based on the trend data, we have seen a reduction of over 30 per cent since 1997.

Ms Tucker used the word "inaction". Through a voluntary process, we have got people to use their heaters properly, and we are seeing the results of that even as we speak. ANZECC has now looked at what the ACT has done and they have said that this is an issue. We have set up a committee of ANZECC to report back to ANZECC in December. Why? Because it is an important issue and because we know that we need to do something before the start of next season.

This season is over for selling our strategy or having an effect, but we have an opportunity to get ready for next year's season, and it is very important that we do. It is very important that the Assembly understand that the government has been working very hard and to compliment the working group, the public servants, the trainers and particularly the public who have taken note of the strategy to the extent that we can already see an effect. We can already see a decline in the pollution by over 30 per cent, based on the statistics given to me.

Ms Tucker says that we should legislate to license traders. Again, she is jumping the gun. The current season is virtually over. Any effect that we will have in passing legislation here today will impact on next season. Across Australia we are looking for further information to make sure that we get this right. The ACT is leading the way on this. The ACT recently gave a presentation at Ballarat, where a report on our strategy was given and well received by all jurisdictions. The report was made available to all ministers at ANZECC recently, and the federal minister, Robert Hill, complimented the ACT on the interest, on the leadership and on the outcomes we have achieved.

Mr Corbell: What a surprise!

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