Page 2989 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


Emergency Services): For the information of members, I present the following paper:

Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission—Report 4 of 2009—ACT Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme—Compliance and operation of the Scheme for the 2008 compliance year, dated June 2009.

I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.

Leave granted.

MR CORBELL: I am pleased to table today the fourth annual report on the operation of the ACT greenhouse gas abatement scheme for the 2008 compliance year.

The challenges posed by climate change affect all of us and require concerted action if we are to avoid critical environmental, economic and social consequences. Rising greenhouse gas emissions pose a significant threat to the social, environmental and economic welfare of ACT citizens, present and future. Tackling our emissions from electricity use is key to reducing the ACT’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The greenhouse gas abatement scheme was developed to reduce or offset greenhouse gases associated with the production of electricity used in the ACT. The scheme was established in the ACT under the Electricity (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) Act 2004 and commenced on 1 January 2005 to operate as part of the New South Wales greenhouse gas abatement scheme.

The New South Wales and ACT schemes are, in many respects, operated as a single scheme. The scheme requires retailers of electricity in the ACT to procure an increasing component of their product from cleaner and greener means, thereby effecting large reductions in associated greenhouse gases. Under the act, the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission is the scheme regulator in the ACT. One of the commission’s functions as regulator is to determine the greenhouse gas reduction target or benchmark for the ACT in any given year.

The fourth annual report again presents us with significant savings in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the ACT being involved in the scheme. In fact, the report shows that 2008 has been the most successful year to date. Members will recall that, in November 2007, the Assembly agreed to extend operation of the scheme from 2013 to 2020 or until such time as an effective national emissions trading scheme was put in place.

Given the current debate concerning the carbon pollution reduction scheme and its associated measures, I will keep the Assembly informed of future developments that may trigger significant change or cessation of the current greenhouse gas abatement scheme. I commend the report to the Assembly.

Supplementary answer to question without notice

Schools—bullying

MR BARR: In question time today Mr Doszpot asked me how many times the behaviour management team had visited the Kingsford Smith school. I can advise the


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .