Page 1845 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 April 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Environment—cigarette littering
(Question No 90)
Ms Le Couteur asked the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, upon notice, on 26 February 2009:
Has the department done any work on changing bin design, or providing ashtray bins, in order to address Canberra’s cigarette littering problem.
Mr Stanhope: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
Yes. The Department of Territory and Municipal Services has worked to develop a cost effective approach to the cigarette littering problem. The majority of bins in public open spaces have a surface available to stub out cigarettes and the butt can then be placed in the bin. This approach collects all waste with one receptacle and the waste pick up with just one operation.
Provision of separate butt receptacles would require additional capital works funds for installation and operational funds for regular servicing and repairs.
Dedicated butt bins, in addition to rubbish bins, can create visual clutter to the public realm and would be an added tax payer expense to supply, empty and clean.
Lease holders and property managers are encouraged to provide and maintain butt receptacles at the entry/exit points to their building.
Butt littering is a behavioural problem that can be addressed only partially by the installation of bins or specific butt receptacles.
To address this behavioural component of the problem, Parks, Conservation and Lands, in partnership with the Butt Littering Trust, conducts an annual Butt Free City campaign in March. During the campaign educators visit the City Bus Interchange, Garema Place and part of City Walk approaching smokers about their butt littering behaviour, gaining pledges from smokers to place their cigarette butts in bins or use the give-away personal ashtrays.
Housing ACT—facility management contract
(Question No 99)
Mr Coe asked the Minister for Disability and Housing, upon notice, on 26 February 2009:
(1) In relation to the Total Facility Management Contract between the Commissioner for Social Housing and Spotless P & F, on what day did the Commissioner for Social Housing extend the Total Facility Management Contract for a Further Term, the Initial Term having now expired.
(2) What is the status of the contract extension.
(3) Was there any market testing for other providers; if so, what form did this take.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .