XN000022-1993-06-17 — Page 11

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1993

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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY URGED TO TAKE PART IN

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

THERE IS BROAD SCOPE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO PLAY A MAJOR PART IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, AT THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF BUILDING CONFERENCE TODAY (THURSDAY).

MR EASON SAID ONE OF THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH THE INDUSTRY COULD PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE WAS TO PREVENT THE MISUSE OF LANDFILLS.

HE SAID OF THE ROUGHLY 20,000 TONNES PER DAY OF WASTE DISPOSED OF AT LANDFILLS IN 1992, SOME 60 PER CENT OR 12,000 TONNES PER DAY WAS CONSTRUCTION WASTE WHICH SHOULD BE DISPOSED OF AT PUBLIC DUMPS.

WASTE AT A OF THE $500

BASED ON THE AVERAGE DISPOSAL COST PER TONNE OF LANDFILL, THIS MEANS THAT SOME $300 MILLION WORTH OUT MILLION WORTH OF SPACE WAS USED UP BY INERT CONSTRUCTION WASTE.

"IF THIS CONTINUES, WE WILL BE WASTING VALUABLE DISPOSAL FACILITIES IRRESPONSIBLY. MORE SERIOUSLY, WE WILL BE USING THEM UP MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN WE SHOULD, AND INCREASING AND ACCELERATING DEMAND FOR NEW FACILITIES, HE SAID.

"

THE

то

MR EASON SAID TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED IMPOSE A CHARGE ON THE DISPOSAL OF WASTE AT LANDFILLS AS CHARGING WOULD MOTIVATE WASTE PRODUCERS TO REDUCE OR REDIRECT THEIR WASTE.

"IT SHOULD ENCOURAGE MORE ON-SITE SORTING OF CONSTRUCTION WASTE, SO

THAT THE BULK OF THE MATERIAL CAN BE ACCEPTED AT PUBLIC DUMPS WHERE DISPOSAL WILL CONTINUE TO BE FREE OF CHARGE.

ON

CONSTRUCTION NOISE

NUISANCE, HE SAID THE NOISE CONTROL (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE ENACTED IN MAY WOULD GO A LONG WAY ΤΟ HELP CONTROL THIS PROBLEM.

MR EASON SAID THERE WAS A NEED FOR GREATER COMMITMENT TO CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE TO ACHIEVE REAL PROGRESS ON IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

SOME OF THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SECTORS WERE UNDERTAKING THIS STEP THEMSELVES THROUGH IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT PROCEDURES AND HE HOPED THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WOULD TAKE THIS ON BOARD.

BY WAY OF EXAMPLE AND ENCOURAGEMENT, MR BASON SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SHORTLY COMMISSION CONSULTANTS TO UNDERTAKE SUCH AUDITS WITHIN SELECTED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR EVENTUAL EXTENSION TO ALL PARTS OF GOVERNMENT.

SIMILARLY, THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDERTAKING ENERGY AUDITS OF ITS OWN BUILDINGS TO REVIEW HOW AND HOW MUCH ENERGY IS CONSUMED AND WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO USE LESS TO ACHIEVE THE SAME LEVEL OF OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE.

/AND IN-DEPTH