Page 3314 - Week 11 - Thursday, 22 September 1994
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Environment - Monitoring
MR MOORE: I must say that I was a bit disappointed that Mrs Grassby did not ask the obvious supplementary question, which was: How do the local people feel about the Planning Authority? My question is also to the same Minister, and I refer to the document he tabled yesterday on behalf of the Commissioner for the Environment, the State of the Environment Report, which starts by pointing out in its general assessment that no State in Australia has legislation in terms of a commissioner for the environment - and I have congratulated the Minister on that before - but it also goes on to say:
It is nevertheless appropriate to acknowledge that at this stage, ACT Government responsibility for, and monitoring of, the environment is diverse and not adequately coordinated. The processes and procedures, which would allow reliable and efficient monitoring of indicators of the state of the environment are not yet in place in a manner that allows ready assessment of the state of the environment of the ACT.
Minister, no doubt this is quite embarrassing to you, but what are you going to do about it?
MR WOOD: Not at all, Mr Moore. I go back a point, because Mr Moore wanted to score his cheap shot off the Planning Authority. Mr Moore has put his hand up time after time in this Assembly in support of what the Planning Authority has done. On the Territory Plan he had his hand up in the air time after time in support, and now he wants - - -
Mr Moore: What about the reservations I expressed time after time?
MR WOOD: Yes, time after time, and they were attended to. In the end, the final result is one that you always agreed with. But, come election time - and this was the case three years ago - when Mr Moore wants to run a few issues, he sets out to be the hero of some parts of the community; he wants to be the hero and take a stand on some issues. In fact, Madam Speaker, there is no substance to Mr Moore's stances in front of the community as he sets out to be the local hero.
To come to his question today: I have that underlined in the document in front of me. Let me point out the good news of this Environment Commissioner's report. The good news predominantly is that this Government has said, "We are open to a critical evaluation. We want this critical assessment of the state of our environment". The commissioner has done that. We asked for it, and we got it. Let me repeat what Mr Moore said:
In the five years since self-government was introduced, the ACT Government has taken a number of environmental initiatives, and has made considerable legislative progress towards better protection of the environment.
Mr Moore: I quoted that.
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