Page 3788 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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Back in June 2002 we released the discussion paper Towards a Sustainable ACT. This process engaged the people of the ACT in developing our sustainability policy called People Place Prosperity: a policy for sustainability in the ACT. In April 2004 we released our sustainable transport plan as well as the “Think water, act water” campaign, aimed at helping Canberrans reduce their use of this precious resource. And in January 2005 the ACT greenhouse gas abatement scheme was introduced, clearing a path for the ACT’s fight against climate change at a time when other jurisdictions were waiting for that path to be made clear to them.
The reality is that each Canberra household produces 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year; so we each need to do our bit to contribute to a more sustainable future. We have set our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 60 per cent of 2000 levels by 2050. In everyday terms, that is like taking 566,000 vehicles off ACT roads each and every year until 2050. As a government, we are leading by example and by encouragement. Future generations will of course judge us on the efforts we make today; so we are providing opportunities for and assistance to individuals to make a contribution to the overall goal of reducing our carbon footprint as well as pursuing sustainability in our own operations.
Weathering the Change, the ACT climate change strategy, builds on the successes and lessons of the ACT greenhouse strategy and outlines how the ACT community, with strong leadership and the support of the government, will address climate change over the period 2007 to 2020.
We are encouraging Canberrans to switch their thinking on water and energy use. We have introduced the ToiletSmart program to assist ACT residential property owners replace single-flush toilets with water-efficient, dual-flush toilets. Replacing an 11-litre single-flush toilet suite with a four-star dual-flush toilet which uses just 4.5 litres for the full flush and three litres for the half flush will result in a saving of 6.5 to eight litres of water per flush. Over one year this could add up to a saving of around 36,000 litres of water for an average Canberra household of between two and three people. So far 358 dual-flush toilets have been booked.
We have established the GardenSmart program to help ACT residents have a healthy garden without using too much water, by providing expert horticultural advice on plant choice, garden design and maintenance, mulching and watering techniques. Since the program began, 3,600 tune-ups have been completed. We have given away 10,000 grey water diversion hoses free of charge to ACT residents. We are offering rebates for the installation of rainwater tanks with an internal plumbing connection to inside the home. So far 1,377 water tank rebates have been issued.
The ACT energy wise program offers complete home energy audits for $30. Homeowners who spend at least $2,000 on energy efficiency improvements during the audit are eligible to receive a $500 rebate from the ACT government plus a refund of the audit fee. The ACT energy wise program was a national first. While there are several home energy audit and rebate programs around the country, this was the first to offer a combined home energy audit and a flexible rebate package.
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