Parliamentary record : Part I debates (27 February 1990)
Debates for 5th Assembly 1987 - 1990; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 5th Assembly 1987 - 1990
1990-02-27
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Darwin
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Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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https://hdl.handle.net/10070/220388
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/699398
DEBATES - Tuesday 27 February 1990 Australia signed that protocol in June 1988. The Montreal Protocol has called for a 50% reduction in the consumption and production of certain CFCs by 1988. The protocol calls also for a freeze in halon usage at 1986 levels beginning in 1992. It was framed in the light of the current knowledge available in mid-1987. However, by March 1988, an international group of scientists released a report showing that a 3% decrease in stratospheric ozone had occurred already over heavily-populated portions of North America and Europe. A revi ew of the protocol is to be comp 1 eted by 1990, and there is a strong possibility that the new requirements may be more stringent and may include more chemicals than did the original version. As a consequence of the reportedly deteriorating situation, the ANZEC, with full agreement of the Commonwealth and all' state and territory governments, has prepared a national strategy to provide for advancing a timetable for the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances in Australia. This strategy requires a consistent approach to be adoRted by the Commonwealth, states and territories for its effective implementation. The national strategy was adopted by the then Australian Environment Council at its meeting of ministers held in New Zealand in July 1989. The national strategy aims for a total phase-out of all ozone-depleting substances in Australia by 1998. Legislation has been implemented to control the import and export of CFCs and halons by the Commonwealth government. Legislation to control the manufacture, sale, disposal and emission of ozone-depleting substances has either been implemented or is in the process of being implemented by all states and territories. The Territory bill for ozone protection provides for the control of the manufacture, sale, disposal and emission of chemical substances which destroy ozone. The Territory bill is modelled on similar legislation introduced in New South Wales. It provides a legislative framework wHhin which regulations can be developed for specific activities, such as controlling or prohibiting manufacture, sale, disposal and emission of chemical substances which destroy ozone. Regulations may also be made prescribing offences and penalties, in addition to prescribing offences to be dealt with as infringement offences which could be actioned by an infringement notice if the person concerned did not wish to have the matter determined by a court. The regulation-making provisions of the bill would provide also for the licensing or registration of persons and premises engaged in activHies authorised to be regulated and, in the event of serious offences, for the suspension or cancellation of such licences or registration. The bill allows also for the making of regulations to require or control the recovery, recycling and destruction of controlled substances and controlled articles, with controlled substances being defined as those substances which have a potentia 1 to dep 1 ete ozone. These substances are specifi ed in the schedule. These controlled substances may be amended, added to or deleted by regulation in accordance with any new agreements at international or national levels. A controlled article includes plant or equipment which contains, uses or is designed or intended to use ozone-depleting substances. The regulation-making powers of the bill are extremely broad. They allow for the development of codes of practice and for the incorporation of these in the regulations, together with provisions for ensuring that these codes of practice are complied with. The bill allows for the formation of an ozone protection consultative committee, with representation drawn from the retail, wholesale, manufacturing, recycling and service sectors of industry, together with 8819