Page 3572 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 18 September 2019
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I commend the ACT government for replacing the Ingledene Forest which will clean up the equivalent of 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 25 years. This is a perfect example of some of the positive benefits that forests and the use of sustainable building materials will have on our environment. And I commend the government’s continued effective action to reduce the ACT carbon footprint.
Another great aspect of this motion is its focus on supporting Australian businesses. On various occasions I have mentioned my passion of supporting businesses both small and large. The ACT has experienced an exponential increase in the amount of private and government infrastructure projects in recent years due to increased demand for buildings. In the March quarter alone the total value of construction activity in Australia was over $50 million, with a notable amount of this taking place in the ACT. This is an exponential injection into our local economy, providing local jobs as well as increasing the liveability of our city. With such a large volume of construction happening now and into the future there is a clear opportunity to support Australian businesses and industry through using locally made, sustainable products.
Currently in Australia construction materials such as concrete and steel are imported from overseas countries that can manufacture these products at a low cost. Not only does this take vital business away from Australian industries but also, as I mentioned earlier, the transportation of these materials to Australia has tangible and negative environmental effects.
Working with the building and construction industry to promote the use of Australian forestry products will benefit the Australian forestry industry and boost the economy as well as reduce costs of building materials for construction companies through lower transport and manufacturing costs. I commend this motion calling on the ACT government to promote the use of sustainable Australian products.
In conclusion, I am pleased to speak in support of this motion moved by Ms Bec Cody as its environmental and economic benefits are evident and far reaching. This government is prioritising tangible action on climate change and this motion is an effective solution to reduce the negative and environmental impacts of the public and private construction industry and is building a sustainable future. The actions in this motion also fundamentally support Australian businesses, increasing economic growth and creating local jobs, which the ACT government is committed to doing. I commend this motion to the Assembly.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (4.11): I thank Ms Cody for bringing on this motion today and for the opportunity to discuss what I think are really interesting and important issues. My appreciation for the motion is extensively about sustainability and about reducing carbon emissions. The ACT Greens have some issues with the way it has been framed and do not agree to it in its current form. The principal problem is that the motion tries to closely link forestry operations with sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, painting forestry as a key initiative in the battle against climate change. That is not the case. Forestry operations can be quite problematic. It is inaccurate to attempt to link forestry to sustainability in climate change action. There are various other environmental problems associated with forestry of course.
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