Page 3793 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 22 November 2006
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peak express services from outer suburbs to employment nodes and improved off-peak service frequency.
The ACT has in place a 10-year master plan to achieve a well-connected cycle path network. That commenced in 2004. This plan will also develop best practice guidelines for bike parking and trip-end facilities. You heard the minister speak earlier this year about end trip facilities at government buildings in the ACT—the provision for bike parking and the provision of shower facilities. Now, of course, we see bike racks on buses. This plan has produced a number of best practice guidelines for bike parking and those facilities.
A number of publications have been produced, including the Canberra and Queanbeyan walking and cycleway map, in hard copy and interactive formats that detail footpaths, on-road cycle lanes and ACTION’s intertown bus routes. The map is designed to encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport instead of private vehicles. But if they are using their private vehicles, I encourage members to try and find their local service stations that supply ethanol fuels for their cars. Indeed, I have been using ethanol in my car for the last two months.
There have been a number of initiatives by ACTION buses to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. Those include the purchase of compressed natural gas buses. By February 2006, 42 compressed natural gas buses had been delivered at an expense of $17.2 million. ACTION will increase by 12 the number of compressed natural gas buses in its fleet at the end of this year. This will bring the percentage of gas-powered buses in the fleet to 13.8 per cent. Located at ACTION’s Tuggeranong bus depot, ACTION’s compressed natural gas refuelling station is capable of filling up to 30 buses an hour continuously.
Further, the ACT government is committed to having 10 per cent of its fuel-efficient low emissions equated by 2008. Currently about 10.5 per cent of the ACT government rates four stars or better on the green vehicle guide. This will, in effect, mean that the election commitment has been met more than two years ahead of schedule. This move is expected to bring about a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of about two tonnes a year for each vehicle in the fleet, as well as overall savings of about $200,000 a year from the next financial year.
The ACT no waste initiative is another means by which the ACT government is fighting climate change. Since methane is one of the gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, methane from the Mugga Lane and West Belconnen landfills is captured and used to produce green electricity. More than 1,800,000 tonnes of organic material has been diverted from landfill since the introduction of the no waste strategy. Last year alone almost 250,000 tonnes of organic material was diverted. This is the equivalent of saving more than 490,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Whilst there are many welcome government policies with regard to tackling climate change, educating the Canberra community on what they can do individually and collectively to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions is very important. We saw Mr Mulcahy just the other day changing to neon globes at the front of his house. Congratulations. A significant aspect of the new climate change strategy will be community education and awareness initiatives. As well as this being included in the
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