Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity to inform the Senate of some of the initiatives in the Australian Capital Territory to combat climate change. I think the Howard government should take note of this in the context of the debates going on in this place at the moment. I would like to start by outlining the scientific evidence of climate change and how irrefutable it is.

In Australia we have seen emissions rise by a disastrous 25.1 per cent between 1990 and 2004. The CSIRO predicts that climate change means more hot days, fewer frosts, more floods, increased bushfire risk, longer droughts and poorer crop quality for our farmers. It is pretty obvious that action needs to be taken now if we are to secure a sustainable environmental future for future generations to enjoy. To put the ACT initiatives into context, I will comment on federal policy with respect to climate change. It is easy to observe that the Howard government have shown extreme neglect on climate change. They have known about the threat for a long time but have chosen to ignore it and failed to act.

In contrast, Labor’s concerns were once again validated by the Stern report. It contained a particularly harsh warning of a clear and present danger—not just to our environment but also to our economy—if we do not act. What Stern says is that early action will be far cheaper—perhaps five, 10 or 25 times cheaper. The Stern report also says that we cannot afford to wait any longer. It is very clear that the only way we will tackle climate change in Australia is with a change of government. So 10 interminably long years of no planning and no eye for the needs of tomorrow are coming home to roost for a government which has cynical, short-term thinking.

In contrast, as I said, Labor does have a plan. It is serious about tackling climate change, and I would like to outline some specific initiatives. We will of course ratify the Kyoto protocol—I think everyone knows that; we have been calling on the government to do that for a long time—and adopt emission reduction targets. This would mean that we can meet our international obligations and be in a better position to fight climate change. We will work towards a long-term national target that has been laid out. This is a challenging goal, but one that a Labor government would be committed to achieving.

We also believe that, to achieve significant reductions in emissions, we need to have a national emissions trading system. This will reward companies who are restraining their use of carbon and will give companies a real incentive to be responsible for their environmental impact. We are also committed to delivering a genuine and substantial increase in the percentage of Australia’s energy generated from renewable sources. This will require working very closely with industry, scientists and NGOs to come up with a target that provides a genuine boost for the renewable energy industry. Without this focus, there is no hope for achieving change.

We also understand the need for a climate change trigger. The former environment minister, Robert Hill, understood the need for a climate change trigger. Back in 1999 Senator Hill released a consultation paper on the possible application of such a trigger under the EPBC Act. At the time he stated:

Introducing a greenhouse trigger would provide another measure for addressing our international responsibilities in relation to climate change and ensuring Australia meets its Kyoto target.

Obviously he failed to win that argument in cabinet. Instead of best practice, we have had years of inaction. Now we have seen the current minister’s rejection of such an approach and rejection of a trigger in the current debate on the EPBC Act.

Tonight I want to focus on my own constituency. The ACT government and many Canberrans recognise that climate change is a serious threat. As such, the ACT has not only acknowledged the threat but also acted on it. In 2005 the ACT joined with New South Wales to implement the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme. This scheme requires retailers of electricity to supply an increasing percentage of their product each year from cleaner generation sources. In its first year of operation the scheme achieved emission savings of 316,360 tonnes in the ACT alone. That is the equivalent of taking 73,570-plus vehicles off the roads for an entire year. I think that is quite an achievement.

We ought to be considering other initiatives to facilitate corporate investment in renewable energy production in the ACT and continuing to work closely with the ANU to find practical application for photovoltaic and other solar cell initiatives. The ACT Labor government has also taken a lead on green energy. The ACT government is a foundation member of GreenPower, the only accredited green energy product in Australia. The ACT government itself has shown a genuine commitment to tackling climate change, with 23 per cent of the government’s own electricity supplies derived from renewable sources.

Residents in the ACT have also been keen to take up green energy options in their own homes. ActewAGL, a local energy provider, has established a comprehensive green energy program, called GreenChoice. GreenChoice enables ACT residents to buy electricity that comes from sources that do not harm the environment, such as minihydro, wind power and biomass. Over 6,000 households in Canberra have already made the GreenChoice this year. It is estimated that this will help prevent more than 18,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from pouring into the atmosphere. That is roughly equivalent to taking over 9,000 cars off the road for a year.

Speaking of taking cars off the road, I would like to highlight Canberra’s cycleways and the fact that they have received funding of about $8 million from the ACT government. The usage of scooters and motorbikes has risen. The use of bicycles and motorbikes raises the issue of safety. I, along with my ACT colleagues, urge diligence and greater attention to rider and driver safety education to ensure that the commuter’s intent, which is to use less fuel in getting to and from work on a daily basis, does not result in a massive rise in safety risks. We have had quite a disturbing surge in motorbike accidents in recent times, and I think that is indicative of the popularity of that mode of transport but also indicative, unfortunately, of the increased risk to people’s health and safety and, indeed, life.

The other matter I would like to talk about is public transport. Obviously, it is not just good enough to make it difficult to use cars and then hope people will use public transport. I certainly urge the approach where public transport provides the pull and has the appeal for commuters to want to use those services. I think much more can be done to create that incentive and to have a strong public transport system so that people are inclined to use it.

Further, the ACT is the only jurisdiction that has in place mandatory disclosure of house energy ratings at the point of sale. This plays an important role in informing prospective buyers. Obviously, there is a water shortage in the local region. We do have water restrictions, again, in place already for this summer. We expect them to escalate if we continue to get no rain in our catchment area. I acknowledge that a local school, Rosary Primary, in conjunction with ActewAGL, have led the way in the community by conducting research on how to keep our sports ovals and sports fields alive, whilst observing strict water restrictions. I am certainly in favour of anything that can be done because the remediation post drought for these ovals is far more expensive and there is a social disbenefit of not being able to use those facilities through a drought.

In conclusion, I outline the nomination of the ACT to be recognised as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The nomination is an exciting prospect and clearly demonstrates the ACT’s commitment to global environmental standards and sustainable development. If the nomination is accepted, Canberra could become the first national capital to be an internationally recognised biosphere reserve. Biosphere reserves are declarations of a commitment to sustainable development and are one of the few international environmental mechanisms that can be applied in urban areas. If the nomination is successful, there are many benefits for the ACT. These include fostering sustainable scientific endeavours, ecotourism,  marketing of local products and raising public awareness about the environment—all with the aim of promoting sustainability.

A biosphere reserve would facilitate sustainable economic and human development, while protecting and restoring our landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic resources. I have no doubt that this nomination will be supported, given that just about everyone in Canberra is very conscious of the unique environment we have here. It is very clean, it is very different and we are extremely proud of it. This initiative would help encapsulate it and help us to market it to the rest of the world.