Page 271 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 7 March 2007
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These are just a few of the projects that have been undertaken in our schools. The government would like to see this approach expanded across all our schools. A major component of the record $90 million capital investment over the next four years will be the retrofitting of older schools to make them more ecologically sustainable. We will be taking advice from groups such as the Green Building Council of Australia, which is developing a green star rating tool, in order to fund projects within our schools that improve energy efficiency.
It is not just our schools that are becoming more ecologically sustainable. The Canberra Institute of Technology has also embraced the need for environmental sustainability. Over the past decade, it has progressively implemented strategies to reduce energy and water consumption and to recycle waste. I am pleased to advise the Assembly that these measures have reduced energy consumption at the CIT by over 35 per cent; water consumption has been reduced by 40 per cent and waste disposal by 45 per cent. The CIT seeks to continue to improve on these outcomes. It is undertaking further audits on electricity, gas and water consumption, to identify further areas of saving in terms of energy consumption and maintenance costs and seeking to deliver greater efficiencies in these areas. The CIT is also teaching students about emerging sustainable technologies, particularly in areas such as engineering, automotive, construction and plumbing.
As previous speakers have identified, we all have a responsibility here. It is important that our education system takes the lead in these areas. We take this responsibility very seriously through all of our educational institutions and will continue to educate our students on the importance of respecting the environment.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Barr, I apologise for the point I raised with you earlier. I had not realised that you had not spoken on the motion.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (12.12): I am glad you clarified that, Mr Speaker. I was wondering in what way Mr Barr’s speech was a comment on the amendment. He has had his say now. I acknowledge all those things. I acknowledge everything that is being done to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. I also acknowledge, as Mr Mulcahy said, that there are great gains to be made by no-regrets actions: those gains not only are good for our greenhouse gas emission reductions, but also make business sense.
But it is simply not enough. It is always very interesting to see the way Mr Mulcahy has a bit of a go at the Greens. He said that Bob Brown sat in an igloo. It is an interesting image, and I can imagine him doing it, but I do not really see its relevance, except as part of a belittling and demeaning process that I guess we will continue to see in the lead-up to the federal election.
Mr Mulcahy’s motion and speech raise some questions for me. For a start, has Mr Mulcahy read the Stern report? Does Mr Mulcahy know that Stern is a World Bank economist who comes from probably the same neo-liberal background as Mr Mulcahy.
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