Page 3234 - Week 11 - Thursday, 12 September 1991
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the trace-back system is complemented by a stock tail tag register and also by provision for government inspectors to have access to the records of producers, transporters and processors in the livestock industry.
The proposals in the Bill are supported by the New South Wales Government and the ACT Rural Lessees Association. The proposed Bill will update the Stock Diseases Act 1933 to meet contemporary requirements for animal disease control in line with comparable legislation in the States and the Northern Territory. I commend the Bill to the Assembly and I present the explanatory memorandum.
Debate (on motion by Mr Duby) adjourned.
ELECTRICITY AND WATER (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 2) 1991
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (11.24): Mr Speaker, I present the Electricity and Water (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1991. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Electricity and Water (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1991 forms part of a package with the Water Rates (Amendment) Bill 1991 and the Sewerage Rates (Amendment) Bill 1991 which I will also introduce today.
The purpose of this package of Bills is to permit the ACT Electricity and Water Authority to set the basic water allowance and to streamline the procedure for setting charges for electricity, water and sewerage services. It is intended that the basic water allowance be reduced from 455 kilolitres to 350 kilolitres, as was announced by the former Minister, Mr Duby, during the term of the Alliance Government. This reduction is aimed at promoting water conservation. It will also bring the ACT into line with the practice adopted by major water authorities elsewhere, where water payments are matched more closely with consumption, that is, moving to user pays.
Mr Speaker, the ACT is growing. If we do not focus now on water conservation, a new dam is likely to be needed about the turn of the century, imposing a severe cost burden on the community. The interest bill alone on a new dam could add over $100 to each water rates account in the ACT. The Government believes that a lower basic water allowance will help reduce average water use per head and defer the time at which our next water supply dam is needed. The Government is satisfied that this will be in the long-term best interests of all ACT water users.
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