Page 123 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 December 2008
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Along with our nation-leading feed-in tariff for renewable energy production, the solar power plant project gives Canberra the potential to become the national leader on renewable energy production and climate change amelioration. Not only will a large-scale solar power facility help the ACT to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets; it will create sustainable jobs for the ACT and provide opportunities for collaboration with other innovative commercial and research organisations in the ACT.
The ACT government also understands that sound forward planning has a central role to play in creating a more sustainable economy. Good planning increases the energy and water efficiency of homes and buildings, more effectively links people, employment centres and services and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
This government’s commitment to sustainable planning is clear. We have adopted contemporary sustainable planning practices in Bonner, east Gungahlin and Molonglo. We have mandated five-star energy ratings for new single residential buildings and encouraged new building owners to achieve even higher energy efficiency ratings. And we have introduced water-sensitive urban design guidelines applying to all scales of development.
Developing a truly sustainable economy does not, of course, happen overnight. The government has a good record to date, but importantly, we continue to refine our sustainability credentials and examine ways in which we can do better for Canberra and, indeed, for all Australians.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (5.33): The Chief Minister finished his speech by saying that the government has a good record to date. For members of the crossbench who were not here when we had a debate about this on 7 March this year on a motion by Dr Foskey, I just want to read something from Mr Hargreaves. At the conclusion of his speech Mr Hargreaves said:
However, I do not have the faintest idea what Dr Foskey is talking about when she says she wants the government to “establish the ACT as a centre of sustainability industries”.
Dr Foskey retorted, “Come and ask me.” Mr Hargreaves said:
I would not waste my time. I am afraid that I do not have a clue about what she is talking about and I suspect that there are many people around this town who share my bewilderment with respect to this proposal. As I mentioned before, I think the ACT has been doing some very positive things.
We have a minister in the Stanhope government who does not have the slightest idea about sustainability industries. We have a man who travels around this country and, I assume, attends conferences around the world as a minister who is responsible for delivering municipal services in this city and he has no idea. What is more, he does not care. That is the measure of the effectiveness of the Chief Minister, the former Minister for the Environment—a position which he has now abandoned—and the Minister for Business and Economic Development in respect of sustainability industries in the ACT. He cannot even get his cabinet to come on board.
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