Page 3106 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009
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forward to substantial improvements on the complete inaction we have seen under successive ministers in the Stanhope governments. Mr Wood and Mr Hargreaves have let this policy languish for too long and there are many things that we need to do.
I also note that there was a disappointing lack of success in the rollout of the revolving fund for environmental works in agencies. I think that there is much more potential in that fund. I would encourage the minister to look closely at the way in which the revolving fund operates and encourage his ministerial colleagues to take advantage of that. It is very disappointing that only three loans have been given out under that policy, which has proved so sucessful in other areas. I would recommend to the minister that he go up the road to the Penrith City Council, which has had—and Ms Porter might recall this—a revolving fund for some time. It is highly regarded and considered highly successful there. It is a model which has had great success in a whole range of jurisdictions. I cannot imagine why it does not work here. Perhaps it is due to lack of will.
I look forward to the release of the energy policy. I hope that in rolling out the energy policy the minister does not fall into the besetting problem that we see with the Stanhope government of coming up with a whole lot of tiny initiatives that give a nod here and a wink to somebody else, but we do not actually turn out a comprehensive value-for-money, cost-effective program that will improve our energy status in the ACT.
This is an important area. There is a lot for this department to do over the next few years. I look forward to a big ramp-up in its performance. It necessarily has to start from a low base. I do not want that to sound critical. This is a new organisation; it necessarily starts from a low base. There is much that needs to be achieved in this area and I look forward to considerable work in energy policy. Could I take the remaining two minutes—
MR SPEAKER: You have a further one minute and 15 seconds, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: I have got a couple of minutes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. In that minute I want to dwell on what I hope will be a much more expeditious rollout in relation to the solar farm. I am very disturbed at the slowness with which this policy is being rolled out. There is a great deal of fanfare about consultation over a couple of blocks of land which may not ever be used for it. I know we are doing something, but the really important issue of coming to a preferred tender is the best part of a year down the track. I am deeply dissatisfied with that. I am starting to become extremely suspicious that we will be having sod turnings for this just before the next election so that we can show what a great solar future we have for us, and we will have missed many opportunities in doing so. In conclusion, I am also looking forward to the minister reporting to the Assembly on the second phase of the feed-in tariff.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.31): This is the first full budget year for the new Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water. It is a small but important new portfolio for the territory, designed, as I think Mrs Dunne has acknowledged, to
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