Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 7 Hansard (21 June) . . Page.. 2375 ..


MR SMYTH (continuing):

provided to small to medium-sized commercial enterprises to undertake energy audits as a precursor to implementing energy efficiency improvement programs." It sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Then we have the standard Labor Party attack on public servants. In this case it is the entire Department of Urban Services, because Mr Corbell ridiculed the fact that the department responsible for implementing greenhouse policy is actually attempting to improve the conditions in which its public servants work. The Macarthur House energy efficiency lighting project offers public servants in the Department of Urban Services the ability to help contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Yet again we see these snide attacks on public servants whom the Labor Party will be lording it over, according to Mr Berry over there, come October. The energy efficiency lighting project for Macarthur House is again a pilot, and it will become a demonstration project for other government buildings.

Then we have an extra $40,000 for community awareness of greenhouse issues. This is a community awareness program that will provide a local focus to the national greenhouse awareness campaign that has recently been launched by the Commonwealth, so that is pretty reasonable too.

Now, in addition to these initiatives, Mr Speaker, a number of other agencies' projects will deliver greenhouse gas abatement during the coming year. Again, remember, this is the government that does not take a holistic approach. Labor chooses to ignore the initiatives of the other departments and they say that we are the ones who do not have a holistic approach so, for their edification, I will now read my way through these programs.

There is a traffic route lighting program costing $450,000. Minor new works in land and property will be some $300,000. Cycle path rehabilitation will cost $500,000. A bike path at the Tuggeranong town centre along Athllon Drive will take $280,000. On-road cycling initiatives in Belconnen Way will cost $200,000. The Calvary Public Hospital energy conservation measures will take $792,000, and so it goes on. But there is more. Remember, this is the government without any initiatives. This is the government without any extra services on the greenhouse.

But let us look at what is already in the budget, continuing from previous years. We have the ongoing operation of the ACT Energy Advisory Service. We have the ACT government's water tune-up incentive program. We have support for the Foster Foundation's Greenfleet initiative. We have the ACT managing energy for profits program. We have support for the photovoltaic demonstration project. We have the implementation of agency action plans aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ACT government operations, and we have a formal review of the effectiveness of the ACT greenhouse strategy.

Now, if you thought that was enough, Mr Speaker, well I do not, because there is actually more. What we propose to do is use a proportion of funding for three initiatives when we get matching funding from the Australian Greenhouse Office. The first program is a voluntary travel behaviour change scheme, where we get people to travel blend, leave their cars at home, or find alternate means of travel. The second one is


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .