Page 3605 - Week 11 - Thursday, 16 November 2006
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of the understanding that that part of PAS has been fixed and there is no reason that we should be missing out on any money.
MR PRATT: Could you take it on notice and confirm whether any has been? You say that we have not missed out on any money. Could you come back on whether any amount at all has been missed out on?
MS GALLAGHER: Yes, I will take that on notice.
Educational institutions—ecological sustainability
MS PORTER: My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Mr Barr. Minister, yesterday you informed the Assembly of some great things happening in ACT schools regarding ecological sustainability. Can you please inform the Assembly of any other projects you are aware of in your portfolio that are ecologically sustainable?
MR BARR: I thank Ms Porter for the question and I am pleased to report to the Assembly that it is not just our schools that are becoming more ecologically sustainable; the Canberra Institute of Technology has also embraced the need to contribute to the sustainability of our environment.
Over the past decade the CIT has progressively implemented strategies to reduce energy and water consumption and to recycle waste. The strategies used to decrease energy usage have included the installation of building management systems; the installation of process timers and movement detectors for lighting control; the installation of window reflective film; load shedding, reducing peak demand by utilising gas generation; the installation of power factor correction equipment; the replacement of inefficient hot-water boilers; the modification and reconfiguration of steam boilers; the installation of eco light transformers on fluorescent light circuits; the installation of timers on all instantaneous boiling-hot water units in kitchens; the installation of timers on hot-water units; the installation of gas-operated cogeneration plant for load shedding; and solar hot water for areas of the Reid campus and student accommodation buildings at Bruce.
Recycling schemes have also been introduced for paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium and plastic containers. Concrete and brick recycling from the construction workshops has been implemented, as has steel recycling from the metalwork areas. In the cafeterias glass, aluminium and plastic recycling is available for consumers to choose to recycle.
To reduce water consumption the CIT has drilled bores at the Bruce and Weston campuses for irrigation, and a dam has been constructed at Weston to recycle the run-off from this irrigation. Solar panels have been installed at the Bruce campus to supply green energy, and heating systems have been made more efficient, with the aim of consuming less energy.
These measures have combined to reduce energy consumption by over 35 per cent. At the same time water consumption has been reduced by 40 per cent and waste disposal has been reduced by 45 per cent. I am informed by CIT that electricity, gas and water
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