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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 925 ..

MS DUNDAS (continuing):

I thank Ms MacDonald for bringing this motion to the attention of the Assembly today. A number of issues have been raised. I hope we do not end up having this debate again in a year, without those matters being sorted.

MR WOOD (Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services, Minister for the Arts and Heritage and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (12.16): I have been suitably chastised by Mr Cornwell because we have continued to follow his government's policies in respect of litter.

Mr Cornwell: No-in respect of litter bins.

MR WOOD: And the bins. That is part of what Clean Up Australia Day is all about-it is our responsibility to deal with rubbish. If we create rubbish, we should deal with it.

Mr Cornwell, when I was in opposition I had briefings about that very issue. I remember the words well-that it is our responsibility to take care. That is what the day is all about. If we create rubbish, we must dispose of it. As you say, it is the case that not everybody is of that view. We simply don't sit down and say that that is bad luck, and that we must put a bin in every corner of the place for the others. We have worked through a long process to convince people that they need to take extra care.

Ms Dundas raised the issue of insurance, which in some areas continues to bedevil us. She has given us a year's notice here. Dealing with insurance is not my area, but we will see if we can sort out some of the issues she raised.

The point about the proposed motion is that well over 1,000 Canberrans gave up part of their recreation time to get out and improve the look of the city. Mind you, those people are not the only ones keen to enhance the view of the town.

We do not yet have the full figures for the amount of rubbish collected on that day. In recent years, the amount of rubbish collected has been increasing. I think that is due to getting into more areas, or different areas, and extending the scope. However, last year-2002-the figures showed a welcome reduction on the figures collected in 2001. Litter is a continuing cause for concern-there is no question about that. I do not want you to think, Mr Cornwell, I am taking this lightly, because it continues to be a major problem. The government is carrying on programs. We have recently launched Clean Up Your Act-or your ACT, whichever way you want to read it-Don't be a Tosser campaign.

These campaigns do not work totally. However, if you keep working on them, promoting them and keeping the message out there, I believe that, over a period, things improve. When you go back perhaps 20 years or so, and think of the amount of rubbish that littered the roadsides compared with today-when you remember some of those early campaigns about putting rubbish into the bin-I think that, over a period, you can see that these campaigns do have some impact.

As Mr Cornwell said, we are reviewing the Litter Act with a view to strengthening the legislation, including the widening of fines available to enforcement officers. We are continuing that very good Adopt a Road program that some people get quite involved in.

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