Page 3556 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 15 November 2006
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management system to provide intelligent building controls for lighting, heating and ventilation.
The design of Harrison builds on the success of the award-winning Amaroo school. The new west Belconnen school in my electorate of Ginninderra will also follow these design principles and be responsive to the demands of environmental sustainability. But it is not just new schools that can benefit from better and more sustainable design. In April 2001, Campbell high school was the first school in the ACT to supply electricity from the sun to a local grid. Approximately 8,000 kilowatts of electricity have been produced per year. That is equivalent to saving 8,000 kilograms of greenhouse gas, representing two per cent of the school’s—
Mrs Dunne: I take a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The motion today is about Towards 2020 and addressing the drift of children from the government sector to the non-government sector. Saving greenhouses gases at Amaroo school or any other school in the ACT is hardly to the point on this matter. I would ask you to ask Ms Porter to address the terms of the motion.
Mr Barr: On the point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: we are also debating the amendment and I would draw your attention to paragraph (5) of the amendment.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will not accept that point of order right now, but I am sure that Ms Porter will start to get a little bit closer to the amendment that we are now looking at.
MS PORTER: Mr Deputy Speaker, as the minister said, I am addressing paragraph (5) of the amendment.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sure it is a matter of proportion, Ms Porter. Carry on.
MS PORTER: Thank you. These systems not only reduce the consumption of fossil fuel energy and CO2 emissions, as well as operational costs for the school, but also add to the students’ learning, with special focus on environmental awareness. The key is not only to teach good environmental practice, but also to put it into action and allow students to understand the way their schools help make a difference. Sometimes quite a small capital investment in our existing schools can reap large recurrent savings and, of course, new construction in schools will, as a matter of course, take environmental sustainability into consideration.
I am convinced that this government has made a case for the need for change in our education system. Our population is ageing, as speakers before me have said, and that will bring new challenges in our community. I am also convinced that the government’s $90 million investment in our schools through capital upgrades will ensure better learning environments and more efficient buildings in the future. I commend Mr Barr’s amendment to the Assembly.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (4.59): Mr Deputy Speaker, if you look at the amendment put forward by the minister all you have is an ignoring of the entire issue that Mrs Dunne has raised. Normally ministers at least attempt to address the question. But what we have is a proposal from the government, Towards 2020, that is simply based
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