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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 926 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

Several times a year, you will see the volunteers out there cleaning up the roads. That is a good program. Mr Quinlan assures me he is still part of it. I do not drive in that area very often, but I believe you can see his name up there.

Mr Cornwell: What-the cleaning up or the part cleaned up?

MR WOOD: He is a great sponsor, and does that job very well.

All this is part of the no waste strategy which commenced in 1996. That strategy looks to a waste-free society, where materials we no longer want are regarded as assets or resources-not waste-and, hopefully, landfills will no longer be required.

The amount of waste disposed of at ACT landfills was reduced to 220,000 tonnes last year. That is still quite a lot, and indicates the distance we have to travel to reach the target. It is good to note that nearly 400,000 tonnes of material that would have gone to landfill were diverted to resource recovery, with major increases in the levels of garden organics, demolition waste and metals recycled.

In addition, a guide titled "Recycling at Public Events in the ACT"Has been developed to provide advice and assistance to organisers, to enable them to recover more recyclables and minimise waste disposal. The folk festival, which will be underway over Easter, is a good example of that. For some years they have provided recycling facilities on site.

Mr Cornwell: Will there be more funding next year for Clean Up Australia, minister?

MR WOOD: I believe that the blues and folk festival, which is coming on in a very short space of time-a new festival in Canberra which looks like being another great event-is also undertaking that sort of activity.

The Clean Up Australia Day continues to get our support, Mr Cornwell-not always in the same financial measure, but it has our support. We look to the volunteers-that is part of it. That is part of the reason for some of our actions. We look forward to, in future years, continuing a good program. Perhaps one day it will no longer be needed.

Sitting suspended from 12.23 to 2.31 pm.

Questions without notice

Land rates-new system

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, yesterday, in reply to my question, you made the following comment in relation to proposals from your government for changes to be made to the system of determining rates in the ACT. You said, "So the government is certainly moving to introduce some equity into the system."What does your modelling show would be the impact of your new rating system?

MR QUINLAN: The only modelling we have is one draft. That says that, if you don't

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