Page 4734 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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assessment and an asbestos management plan in accordance with the regulations for all of those buildings?
MS GALLAGHER: There is a regulatory framework and I think the issue that has arisen lately and is under investigation is about whether there was compliance within that regulatory framework. The government has established a task force to work through all the issues relating to what occurred out at Pickles in Fyshwick. We are receiving some submissions through that. I know that health have received some submissions around amendments that might need to be made in the future around how we manage that issue as a community. But I think that the proposed way forward, which was established by Minister Corbell after receiving a thorough briefing on what occurred at Pickles, is that we can always learn when situations like this occur and ensure that our frameworks are adequate and, if they are not, make sure that we make changes to ensure they are adequate.
The risks of asbestos are going to be around for some time. It is in buildings. Many of those buildings in the near future will be renovated and it does present challenges and risks to the community. Although we did overhaul our response around asbestos in 2004 and then again in 2006, it is timely that we have another look at it in light of this incident at Pickles and make sure that we are doing everything that we can do to ensure that exposure to the community does not occur.
MS LE COUTEUR: A supplementary?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. What measures will the government put in place to ensure that the asbestos waste which is generated from home renovations, knockdowns et cetera is actually handled safely at government waste facilities?
MS GALLAGHER: That area is already covered under our regulatory framework. Home renovators and contractors doing work on homes are required to fill out an asbestos management plan, essentially. That clearly indicates how that waste should be handled and disposed of. We have got the framework out there. If that framework is not adequate, that is the question, I guess, that has been put through some of our analysis of what occurred at Pickles, even though that did not relate to home renovation and disposal. But I think the issue of disposal of asbestos waste will be examined through this review that is currently underway.
Energy–feed-in tariff
MS PORTER: My question is to the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water. Can the minister please inform the Assembly on the progress of the Labor government’s nation-leading feed-in tariff?
MR CORBELL: I would like to thank Ms Porter for the question. I am very pleased to advise the Assembly that last week, indeed last Friday, we saw the one thousandth
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