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Legislative
Council |
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| Sandra Kanck Deputy Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
Parliament Index |
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|
Legislative
Council |
|
| Sandra Kanck Deputy Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council |
Parliament Index |
|
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney- General, representing the Minister for Minerals and Energy, a question concerning the need for an energy audit of state government buildings, including Parliament House.
Leave granted.
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: This week the World Solar Congress is meeting in Adelaide to discuss ways and means of generating greater amounts of energy from the sun. Developing sources of sustainable energy is only half the battle regarding energy consumption: conserving energy is the other half of the equation. This building, Parliament House, is a profligate user of energy. Lighting in the corridors is opulent. The number of corridor lights could be halved with no discernible impact upon safety or security. Parliament House's air- conditioning produces conditions ranging from balmy to chilling on the same day in different parts of the building.
The Hon. A.J. Redford: It's a bit like Melbourne weather, really.
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: It is a bit, yes. That indicates an excessive reliance upon artificial temperature control. The use of photocopiers, computers and other electric appliances, which are often left on overnight and over the weekend, also needs to be assessed. The absence of dual flush toilets is another example of this building's waste of resources. The failure to recycle cardboard is another black mark on the operation of this building. The failure to minimise the use of resources in Parliament House-indeed, in any state government building-is a waste of taxpayers' money.
When I was the administrative officer of the conservation council back in 1992, I directed that all of the lights had to have the transparent covers removed, and we removed every second fluorescent globe. We had more light at the end and, in the process, we saved $600 per annum on electricity rates at the time as well as contributing a great deal to reducing greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. An energy audit of our state government buildings is a way for this parliament to demonstrate commitment to meeting-
The Hon. L.H. Davis interjecting:
The PRESIDENT: Order!
The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: -South Australia's commitments under greenhouse gas protocols. My questions are: will the minister initiate an energy audit for Parliament House? If not, why not? Will the minister initiate a program to ensure all state government buildings are subject to energy audits? If not, why not?
The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN (Attorney-General): I will refer the questions to my colleague in another place and bring back a reply.
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