Page 3652 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 23 August 2011
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advise ACTPG on progress. ACTPG mentioned that this would build a good case to issue several tenants with an ‘improvement notice’ pursuant to the relevant section of the Emergencies Act 2004.
Dr Bourke: A point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes. One moment, Mr Coe.
Dr Bourke: Questions are supposed to be brief, according to standing orders. He has been going on for a minute and he still has not asked the question.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Let’s just close up the question, Mr Coe. Come to the question, thank you.
MR COE: Minister, was “a thorough risk management plan” conducted?
MR CORBELL: Yes, a thorough risk management arrangement is in place.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary?
MR COE: Minister, will you table the risk management plan? Are you confident that the risks were appropriately managed at Parkwood? And are you confident that there are no other tenants that require a clean-up?
MR CORBELL: The previous concerns regarding risk hazards at premises located at the Parkwood estate were identified and resulted in the issuing of improvement notices in October 2007. The estate is monitored by the ACT Fire Brigade, with appropriate action taken when required. The concerns at that time related to a tyre pile posing specific risks to the community, mainly a threat to the west Belconnen substation which obviously is a key piece of critical infrastructure for the territory. The risk report produced stated that the smoke from a tyre fire would have the potential to shut down the substation due to the oily coating that would be deposited on capacitors and other equipment. The substation would be required to shut down to allow the cleaning of all equipment in such a circumstance.
As a result, an improvement notice was issued by the then deputy commissioner of the ESA on 29 October 2007. This was revoked on the completion of work to the satisfaction of the ESA in relation to the tyre pile on 14 November 2007.
In March 2011, the ACT Fire Brigade received an inquiry regarding a pile of timber pallets at the same site. Following a site visit by the ACT Fire Brigade, it was determined that the pallets were not a significant immediate risk and a meeting was scheduled between the ACT Fire Brigade and the ACT Property Group to discuss and address Parkwood issues as a whole.
The ACT Fire Brigade has worked with the ACT Property Group to draft a Parkwood licence agreement that addresses waste material stockpiles and compliance authority guidelines when determining stockpile limits. And this agreement is in the process of being finalised.
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