Page 1153 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 24 March 2009
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As you can imagine, we looked at the chiller for the Legislative Assembly. We were pleased to hear that the replacement unit is expected to be more technologically and environmentally efficient, thus reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. We also thought consideration should be given to the implementation of less energy-intensive building cooling methods, such as awnings and blinds. We noted that more than 50 per cent of the total amount to be spent on the new chiller represents the purchase cost of the equipment, and to this extent this spending will do little to stimulate the ACT economy. In recommendation 10, the committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, in addition to the replacement of the chiller, give consideration to the implementation of less energy-intensive building cooling options.
We then moved on to the arboretum. In recommendation 11, the committee recommends that the Chief Minister’s Department prioritise the progression of the Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens access strategy to ensure that the various types of recreational opportunities provided by the arboretum are open and accessible to all Canberrans.
We then looked at the stormwater issues. The Department of Territory and Municipal Services stated:
… we have put a proposal to government last year for additional funding for stormwater augmentation, and that has resulted, through the capital upgrade program, in $3.4 million in each year. To address the 40 cases, we are talking about two to three years, depending on the actual capital cost of the final project. Beneath that there are other stormwater projects that need attention, too.
This led to recommendation 12, in which the committee recommends that the Department of Territory and Municipal Services be appropriately funded in the 2009-10 ACT budget to prioritise work under the stormwater augmentation program for all 40 sites at extreme risk of stormwater damage as long as it is within the department’s capability to supervise the expenditure.
Recommendation 13 deals with the bill poster silos. The committee recommends that the Department of Territory and Municipal Services should ensure that the expenditure for the proposed construction of the bill poster silos is (a) informed by the report of the Standing Committee on Planning, Public Works and Territory and Municipal Services inquiry into the issue and (b) expedited once this has occurred.
Recommendation 14 deals with upgrades to rural fire sheds. The committee commented that the minister had noted that some RFS sheds require more major work than had been provided for this initiative and that their needs would be considered as part of the 2009-10 budget process. The committee also noted that some RFS sheds, especially Tidbinbilla, had safety issues, and we welcomed the minister’s advice that concerns regarding the Tidbinbilla RFS shed were noted and that the issues raised would be dealt with. This led to recommendation 14, which was that the committee recommends that the 2009-10 ACT budget provide funds for the planning of relocation and construction of the Tidbinbilla Rural Fire Service.
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