Page 4872 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 October 2010
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packaging division. They provided a grant to assist Exhibition Park with the installation of some new equipment. This included a—
Mr Hanson: Opening of a wheelie bin but no time to talk to disabled children and their parents.
MR SPEAKER: One moment, Mr Barr. Mr Hanson, thank you. That is enough interjecting. Mr Barr.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. This included a machine that assisted those working at Exhibition Park with the unloading of the recycling. In effect you are able to put the wheelie bin into this machine and it lifts it up and tips it into a centralised recycling facility. It is a useful labour-saving initiative that was indeed supported—
Mr Hanson: Will it run in the Canberra Times and the CityNews or do you get on WIN with that one?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, I have just asked you to stop interjecting. You are warned for continual interjection. Mr Barr, you have the floor.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think it shows the complete disregard that those opposite have for important recycling initiatives in the city. Whilst the Exhibition Park initiative is but a small step, it is another small and important contribution that a major event venue is making towards recycling more and more product. It was interesting that the anticipated amount of soft drink bottles, for example, that will be recycled, I am advised, over the course of the year could be laid out in a line from Exhibition Park all the way to Floriade—something like seven tonnes of additional material recycled.
The Exhibition Park Corporation is working in partnership with an industry association to deliver a practical outcome on the ground at one of our major event venues. Those opposite can cat call and be as cynical as they like. They are demonstrating this afternoon their complete cynicism on this. Meanwhile, the government will continue to work in partnership with industry to achieve these sorts of outcomes. Whilst I acknowledge that the Exhibition Park initiative is only a small component of a larger program that is occurring across ACT government, nonetheless it is important, as I say, that a major event venue like Exhibition Park shows leadership in this area.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Le Couteur, a supplementary question?
MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, what other sporting and event venues in the ACT now have this type of permanent recycling infrastructure, how has the government supported them and are there any further event venues where the government is working to implement this system?
MR BARR: Obviously, I do not have that detail in front of me. There are hundreds of sporting venues around the city. I am happy to take the detail of that question on notice in relation to other facilities. I know that, through the territory venues and
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