Page 6137 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010
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The 2010-11 budget allocated $1.3 million over four years and new funding to increase the amount of renewable energy the government purchases from 30 per cent to 32.5 per cent. In November 2009 construction of the enlarged Cotter Dam began. The project will increase the capacity of the dam from four to 78 gigalitres. In March 2009 the government introduced the gross ACT feed-in tariff scheme. The scheme has been an outstanding success, with a 520 per cent increase in the number of solar installations on Canberra’s homes.
On 12 May the government announced the target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions for the territory by 2060. On 26 October the Assembly passed the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act. The Plastic Shopping Bags Ban Bill was passed in the Assembly this week. The bill bans the supply of bags of 35 microns or fewer.
In 2008-09 our bus fleet was augmented by 16 wheelchair accessible, low emission, compressed natural gas buses. In 2009-10 ACTION’s fleet replacement program saw the delivery of 46 wheelchair accessible Euro 5 clean diesel buses, including eight high capacity buses, as part of a $49.5 million replacement bus program. The delivery of 100 new buses is expected to be completed by June 2012. Some 194 ACTION buses now have bike rakes fitted, with a further 65 to be fitted by the end of this financial year.
Housing ACT continues to address climate change through the retrofitting of properties and the building of new ones. In 2009-10 the government embarked on an investigation of stormwater harvesting from Lake Tuggeranong to irrigate district playing fields. Planning and design work is continuing for major stormwater pilot programs in the north, Tuggeranong and Weston Creek.
Unlike any other government in the nation, the ACT government combines the functions and responsibilities of a state government with the municipal functions of a local council. The ACT government places great priority on these municipal functions. The delivery of high quality services to the people of Canberra has always been a priority for Labor.
Over the past two years new initiatives have included: a $97 million investment in transport for Canberra, including $6.1 million for improved ACTION transport services; in 2009 ACTION commenced a trial of Redex, a high frequency service from Gungahlin through the city to the Kingston railway station, now extended to Fyshwick; in 2008-09, $1.25 million in new facilities for cyclists; a further $2.9 million invested in 2009-10 and $4.6 million on maintenance of existing facilities; in 2009 the Emergency Services Agency completed the revision of the strategic bushfire management plan; and a boost to the emergency services vehicle replacement program has seen two new intensive care ambulances, five new heavy pumpers, a new storm response vehicle, a special purpose access vehicle and off-road rescue vehicles for the fire brigade.
Labor knows the value of a world-class public service and works to make our own small service a model for others. Regrettably, my time is exhausted and I am not yet halfway through my speech. I will look for an opportunity, hopefully presented by the Liberals, to comment again on the great record of this government. (Time expired.)
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