Page 225 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 December 2004
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of water per year—or the equivalent of around 43,000 Olympic swimming pools by 2021. This level of water conservation will generate net savings to consumers of around $674 million per year and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 135 kilotonnes per annum in 2010.
This scheme will be similar in nature to the national energy efficiency labelling scheme for electrical appliances. It will implement a labelling and standards requirement on a range of water-using appliances, such as toilets, showerheads and washing machines. The ACT’s participation in the WELS scheme is one of the recommendations in the government’s think water, act water strategy and is another illustration of the government’s commitment to ensuring our valuable water resources are used as efficiently as possible.
I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Dunne) adjourned to the next sitting.
Government Procurement Amendment Bill 2004
Mr Quinlan, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR QUINLAN (Molonglo—Treasurer and Minister for Economic Development) (11.05): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I have introduced this bill to strengthen the public disclosure provisions of the Government Procurement Act of 2001. The aim of the bill is to preclude the public disclosure of information such as design drawings, specifications and other technical data the public release of which could potentially endanger public safety and place at risk the security of the territory infrastructure, buildings and other public works.
The legislation contains provisions that require the territory entities to publish openly, on the notifiable contracts register website, the text of all contracts for the procurement of goods, works and services that are equal to, or exceed, $50,000 in value. The act provides for some text to be exempt from notification—for example, information about persons and commercial-in-confidence material—but does not allow for the exclusion of information that describes the design, construction or operation of important public buildings and critical infrastructure. With the progression of important projects such as the ACT prison and the Woden police station, the government considers that public disclosure of detailed design documentation and technical drawings concerning these projects is not appropriate.
Whilst the government fully acknowledges that public disclosure of information is central to open and transparent administration, it is equally incumbent upon government to protect the community from the potential risks that public disclosure of sensitive information places on the security of the territory infrastructure and associated
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