Page 643 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 11 February 2009

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Recycling more waste at the tip face is not very sexy. The $4.7 million is about employing people to stand at the tip face to manually separate wood from metal, from paper and from cloth. The $4.7 million is essentially all wages. It is not a particularly attractive job or pursuit. It is not particularly sexy. It is not something that one can actually utilise the same way, perhaps, as street-level recycling bins in terms of “yes, this is our commitment”, but it is probably more effective in terms of the next step than street-level recycling bins.

So what have we taken from previous trials? I think some of the messages we have taken from previous trials in relation to organic waste is, yes, it can be made to work and, yes, it is a next and important step. But this is the cost, and this is the overall reduction that one achieves. I do not doubt or dispute for one second that the next major investment by the ACT government will almost certainly have to be in relation to organic waste and a third bin, but we do need to work towards it, and we need to make some other decisions around capacity and resourcing on the way.

These are all initiatives which we will have to pursue in order to reach our no-waste target or aspiration. We are committed to doing that, but we will have to sequence the steps and we will have to look at the overall budget position in order to determine how and where to sequence these different initiatives.

I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

Supplementary answer to question without notice

Schools—Telopea Park

MR BARR: Madam Assistant Speaker Le Couteur, yesterday in question time you asked me a question in relation to the Doma Group development of apartments and other buildings in Barton. Further to my answer yesterday, I would note that height limits on this site in Barton were the subject of considerable community consultation through the section 27 Barton section master plan, October 2006 planning process.

I am advised that, under the old territory plan, the section 27 Barton section master plan of October 2006 only had the status of a guideline on the Register of Planning Guidelines. However, under the new territory plan, the Barton master plan is incorporated into the CZ5 mixed use zone development code. This gives it greater status. The current territory plan, that was agreed to, I believe, unanimously in this place, requires that development on that site be consistent with the master plan.

Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2008

[Cognate bill:
Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2008 (No 2)]

Debate resumed.

MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (3.03): When she was shadow attorney-general in the federal parliament, Nicola Roxon described conclusive certificates as “get out of jail free when we’ve stuffed up again” cards. She was absolutely right. Conclusive