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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 7 Hansard (6 June) . . Page.. 2031 ..
MR WOOD (continuing):
quality standards and measurement and reporting protocols through its membership of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council.
The government is committed to pursuing greenhouse gas reductions in the ACT as part of our contribution to national and international efforts to reduce global warming. The ACT's greenhouse strategy establishes the framework for managing our approach to reducing greenhouse emissions and we are committed to the targets set out in the strategy. A review of the measures in the greenhouse strategy is being undertaken. The review will identify the level of accuracy of the original projected emission savings for local measures, evaluate the effectiveness of measures introduced to date, and identify any further measures that will be cost effective to introduce.
In addition to this review, the government is implementing other initiatives to build upon greenhouse reduction measures already in place. The cavity wall insulation subsidy program provides a discount to residents who wish to upgrade the insulation of their homes. The solar hot water system rebate scheme will enable 1,500 householders to receive a rebate of up to $1,300 for a new solar hot water system. In collaboration with the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ecobusiness program assists small businesses to improve their environmental performance by reducing waste and improving energy and water efficiency. An energy performance commercial buildings program is being developed to assist larger businesses to reduce their greenhouse emissions. Cost-efficient outcomes are guaranteed. At a more strategic and broad-ranging level, the integration of land use and transport planning is being pursued as a fundamental principle of more sustainable urban forms and transport systems that include a reduction in greenhouse emissions.
The government is strongly committed to the conservation of the ACT's rich and layered natural, Aboriginal and historic heritage. I have seen at first hand a wide range of heritage places and discussed issues with the Heritage Council on a special tour of inspection earlier this year. I recognise the strong contribution of many community groups through the ACT Heritage Festival and other heritage programs. The government is proud to support the work of these groups through the heritage grants program, which provides funding to programs.
The government will shortly release for public consultation an exposure draft of new heritage legislation. This provides a streamlined process for registering places and objects of significance to Canberra. The government is working in partnership with the Heritage Council to develop a strategy to review and update the heritage places and objects registers. The registers will reflect the diversity of our heritage, including multicultural heritage and 20th century heritage. This will build on the work undertaken over the past two years to register Aboriginal heritage places in the ACT.
Clearer and more complete development controls to protect the heritage values of inner-city residential precincts are being finalised. It is also proposed to provide greater support to residents seeking advice on sympathetic development and to the real estate industry which is marketing heritage properties. The government is committed to raising the profile of heritage and history with younger audiences. This is reflected in this year's Heritage Festival and in the establishment of a heritage education program for schools. This year, 330 students in upper primary and lower secondary are undertaking heritage projects and I am looking forward to these projects being presented later in the year.
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