Page 2461 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 17 June 2009
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MR BARR: I will table my notice of decision under the merit track for each of the development applications. That notice of decision contains a range of information. The rest of the information in relation to these development applications has been available online on the ACTPLA website, and, in fact, I understand even more detail in relation to these applications is available on the Health website. It has been discussed ad nauseam. What we come back to is the fundamental opposition of the Liberal Party to investment in public health, and that is why this is an issue. That is why this is an issue: the Liberal Party oppose investment in public health. It would appear now that the Liberal Party oppose addressing car parking on the Canberra Hospital campus.
Environment—air pollution
MS BRESNAN: My question is to the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and concerns air quality in the Tuggeranong Valley. Minister, the Assembly has previously been advised that part of the TAMS strategy to address wood smoke includes a campaign called “don’t burn tonight”. Can you please advise the Assembly what the don’t burn tonight campaign consists of? What actions under this campaign are being taken this winter?
MR CORBELL: This is actually a question I think most properly directed to me, given my responsibilities for the Environment Protection Authority. The government continues with a range of policy measures to discourage and reduce the amount of smoke pollution in the Tuggeranong Valley caused by wood burning fires. That is a matter that is being pursued through measures such as the wood heater rebate scheme where we encouraged people to replace their wood heaters with cleaner forms of heating such as gas and provide a subsidy to assist them with that.
In relation to the don’t burn tonight program, I am not immediately familiar with the details of that program. I will not be able to answer that question today, but I will take the question on notice and provide details to Ms Bresnan.
MS BRESNAN: I was wondering if the minister could also provide some details on whether it is the government’s position that the don’t burn tonight campaign is successful, or does the government recognise that it needs to improve its public education program in relation to wood smoke in the Tuggeranong Valley?
MR CORBELL: Don’t burn tonight is quite obviously and explicitly a voluntary education program that encourages Canberrans to have regard to the impact that wood heaters may have on the air pollution in a particular location such as the Tuggeranong Valley due to the inversion layer that is created there. I am not aware of any assessment that has occurred in relation to its effectiveness, but again I will provide those details as part of my response to Ms Bresnan.
Environment—climate change
MS PORTER: My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water. Can you please advise the Assembly on the progress and development of
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