Page 83 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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part of the management planning process. We will consider proposals for the possible extension of Namadgi National Park to the north. Any additions will need to be consistent with the National Capital Plan. The aim would be to provide increased protection to the significant environments in the northern Cotter catchment, the Gibraltar Range and the Blue Gum Creek-Mount Tennant areas.
No native forests will be cleared for establishment of pine plantations in the ACT. Any new plantations to be developed will be in marginal farmlands and other areas already cleared of forests. Strong action is needed to ensure that the quality of the environment for our residents and visitors is maintained and improved. Our waterways, particularly the Murrumbidgee River, can be polluted by urban run-off. Good work has already been done in controlling run-off at the subdivision stage, but it is also necessary to control the soil loss from individual building sites. This is being pursued.
I noted yesterday my intention to bring forward legislation to control pesticides and other hazardous chemicals and to ensure their safe disposal. The ACT is the only place in Australia without these controls. These chemicals can pose serious risks to the health of workers who handle them and members of the general community who may be exposed to them.
The effective disposal of clinical waste from hospitals and doctors and veterinary surgeries has been a problem for some time. We cannot have a situation where potentially dangerous materials, including needles, end up on public tips.
The risks to the public and workers are simply unacceptable, and I will be pressing ahead with legislation to control the disposal of such waste, with severe penalties for breaches.
The new legislation, allied to the existing Dangerous Goods Act, will ensure that dangerous materials are labelled, handled, stored, transported and disposed of properly. Air and water pollution legislation has been in place for some time now and, while the legislation has generally been effective, experience has shown that it can be improved. I will be bringing forward proposals to make the Water Pollution Act more efficient and to provide for the issue of pollution abatement notices under both Acts.
On the other hand, the Noise Control Act has been in place for less than a year, and it will be reviewed after 12 months of operation. The recycling of materials is particularly important for maintaining our environmental standards. There is considerable scope for recycling paper, glass, metal and oil, and I will be examining ways of increasing the proportion of these materials which are recycled. I should also remind members of the Chief Minister's commitment to investigate the use by the ACT Administration of recycled and unbleached paper products.
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