Page 2265 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 June 2018

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Recycling—demolition material
(Question No 1276)

Ms Le Couteur asked the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, upon notice, on 13 April 2018 (redirected to the Minister for Urban Renewal):

(1) In relation to the demolition of ACT Government assets, particularly Northbourne Flats, where the construction materials have heritage or other value, and noting that the bricks used in the construction of Northbourne Flats are Old Canberra Bricks from the Yarralumla Brickworks, how will the bricks be reused or recycled.

(2) What other materials from the demolition will be reused or recycled.

(3) What proportion of materials from demolition of the Northbourne Flats will be reused or recycled.

(4) Will any of the materials from the demolition of Macarthur House be reused or recycled.

(5) How is the value of reusable or recyclable materials assessed before demolition.

(6) What is the value of the bricks in (a) Northbourne Flats and (b) Macarthur House.

(7) Does the ACT Government have regular contractors that undertake demolition works regularly for government buildings.

(8) What criteria are used to assess which demolition companies to engage.

(9) Does the ACT Government give consideration to what extent the demolition company reuses or recycles materials in engaging those companies.

(10) What is the ACT Government’s policy on recycling materials from demolished buildings.

Mr Gentleman: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) A Request for Tender for the demolition of the Northbourne Flats was released on 1 May 2018 (RFT 52106.11) with the physical demolition of the Northbourne Flats expected to commence in July/August 2018. Bricks from the demolition of ACT Government buildings are sent to resource recovery facilities where they are either crushed and used as construction materials or cleaned and resold as used bricks. What happens to the bricks will depend on the commercial decisions of the recycler.

(2) All building material from the demolition are recycled unless it is contaminated or a non-recyclable material. The Development Application for the demolition of Northbourne Flats contains a Waste & Recycling Management Plan form that estimates the quantities of waste and recyclable materials for Northbourne Flats. Example of non-recyclable material include old carpet, insulation, chipboard, glass and hazardous wastes such as asbestos pipe lagging.

(3) It is expected that over 90% of the demolitions material from Northbourne Flats will be recycled or reused.


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