Page 4733 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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MRS DUNNE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, if TOC 2 was $310 million, or $299 million, whichever you choose, what was TOC 1 and what elements were the main contributors to the change?
MS GALLAGHER: I am happy to come back and give those details to Mrs Dunne. I do not have all of that detail on me. The cost—and you say whatever it may be—is $299 million. I do not think we need to sit there and pretend that there is any confusion around that figure.
Health—asbestos
MS BRESNAN: My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations and is in regard to government plans for an asbestos register. Currently, legislation requires that commercial buildings be assessed for asbestos in order to be placed on an asbestos register. Is the government considering expanding this requirement to include non-commercial buildings and residences?
MS GALLAGHER: I have not been able to have a briefing from Industrial Relations this morning but I understand the issues of asbestos. Some of the concerns about the asbestos register and, indeed, how we as a community manage the risks posed to us as a community through the harmful effects of exposing the community to asbestos have been raised with me as well. I think these are matters that are going to remain for some time. I am happy to take some further advice on that—I have not had the opportunity to have a briefing this morning—and come back to the Assembly.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Bresnan, a supplementary?
MS BRESNAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. What enforcement measures has the government taken to ensure that asbestos is handled safely at non-commercial work sites such as home renovation sites or knockdown-rebuild sites?
MS GALLAGHER: That probably goes in to the Office of Regulatory Services, but when I was previously Minister for Industrial Relations, we did overhaul all of our responses around asbestos and management of asbestos in the community, particularly if asbestos was going to be moved or removed. So there is a regulatory framework that exists for handling asbestos. That is managed through the Office of Regulatory Services.
I have just forgotten the first bit of your question—or the second bit. I am happy to come back, essentially.
MRS DUNNE: I have a supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, can you assure the Assembly that the regulations in relation to industrial and commercial buildings are being complied with and that there are now assessments of all appropriate buildings built before 2003; that there is an asbestos
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