Page 1926 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 May 2010
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Of course, another task for that $2.6 million is to undertake audits of all government departments in regard to their energy use, and therefore greenhouse emissions, which we of course welcome. It has certainly been clear in the last couple of years, when Ms Le Couteur has consistently asked questions in both estimates and annual report hearings, that departments currently do not know what their energy profiles or emissions profiles are. We have not been able to get any sort of consistent answers. However, once these audits have been done, I sincerely hope that this is accompanied by a requirement for all ACT government departments to meet efficiency targets for energy consumption. I say this in part because I believe that, once this happens, there can be no excuse for the government dropping the ball on their use of green power for all ACT government operations.
This year, the ACT government failed to deliver on their commitment to increase the purchase of renewable energy by 10 per cent, an annual target, delivering just a 2.5 per cent increase in this year’s budget. Yet if they had implemented energy efficiency targets and programs in their departments, such a commitment to increase the purchase of green power by 10 per cent could actually have been cost neutral.
With regard to water, an ongoing area of disappointment for us is the government’s failure to expand the ToiletSmart program to include a visit by a plumber to offer a home tune-up. This is a program that has been running in Queanbeyan. While we understand the government’s reluctance to have all the same terms and conditions as the Queanbeyan program, it is a real shame that the service of providing a tune-up for those who access the dual-flush toilet rebates has not yet been included.
An update from the National Water Commission indicates that the ACT, per household, uses more water than Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide or Brisbane. While we have done a good job in cutting our water use by 20 per cent since 2003, we clearly still have some work to do. This, along with setting high standards for water efficiency for new developments, is another example of investing small amounts that will continue to save money and water in the future. Too often we have been focusing on big-ticket, expensive items such as the $363 million Cotter Dam upgrade, yet forgetting to implement the smaller, cheaper options that will lead to better water saving in the years ahead.
On the management of national parks and reserves, the Greens welcome the announcement by the government of funds for weed management for Jerrabomberra wetlands of $200,000 as well as the $150,000 for Mount Painter, which will support the very active community that has been working there for a number of years now. Jerrabomberra wetlands in particular I have visited quite regularly over the last few months, and I know from firsthand experience what a job there is to do down there. It is somewhat heartening that, with a new interim board and, hopefully, a new management plan, the government has allocated $2.3 million for upgrades to the site. It certainly needs some attention. With the development at East Lake on the cards, it will be important to ensure that the protection of the wetlands is paramount in the process of that development. They are a truly world-class asset right here almost in the heart of our city. It is extraordinary on any kind of global consideration to have such a natural wonder right in the middle of our city.
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