Page 173 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 1990
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He had planned, I understand, to spend a long and happy retirement with his family, after a very long period of public service. It is sad indeed that he had little opportunity to spend that long retirement that he had long planned. But we are grateful for the fact that he was able to spend so much of that short retirement working in the service of the people of the ACT. His passing is much regretted.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (10.43): Mr Speaker, we join with the Government in regretting the passing of Mr Woods. His service to the community, through so many roles as Mr Humphries has outlined, has been a particular feature of his life in Canberra and is very much valued within our Canberra community.
We also have the benefit here of senior public servants with long years of experience in giving service and advice to governments making themselves available to work for the community, often in unpaid and unmarked capacities and often after they have retired from their working lives or their careers. I think Mr Woods was such a man. We join with the Government in offering our condolences to his family and in regretting his passing.
Question resolved in the affirmative, members standing in their places.
CLINICAL WASTE BILL 1990
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (10.45): I present the Clinical Waste Bill 1990. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Clinical wastes are those wastes arising from the treatment and care of people and animals. These wastes include such things as hypodermic needles, scalpels, human tissue and fluid specimens, some drugs, and material such as bandages and dressings that have been in contact with these sorts of substances.
Clinical wastes can pose a serious risk to public health and the environment if disposed of through conventional garbage disposal methods. This risk has received increased attention in recent years, and there is now great concern about the risks presented by used needles and other clinical waste, particularly in these days of great community concern about such public health issues as AIDS.
In 1987 a number of incidents concerning the disposal of clinical waste at household garbage tips became the source of considerable industrial action by the workers exposed to this waste at those sites, which I feel typifies the extent of the problem. Existing ACT legislation does not adequately regulate the disposal of such material.
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