Senator Brown asked the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 1 December 2003:

With reference to the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gases Account:

(1)  Will the funding from this account be used to assist and advance the natural refrigerants industry.

(2)  Will funding from this account be used to assist and advance techniques to improve the energy efficiency of building and reduce the need for air conditioning.

(3)  (a) Who are the members of the advisory committee for the existing Ozone Protection Reserve; and (b) who will advise on the distribution of funds from the new account.

Senator Ian Macdonald —The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1)  The Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Account, which is provided for under the new Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act, includes provision to fund projects that phase-out ozone depleting substances and reduce emissions of synthetic greenhouse gases. It is designed to fund industry innovation, which could include projects that trial or promote the uptake of natural refrigerants. Projects will be individually assessed on their merits.

(2)  No. The purpose of the Account is to cover the costs of administering the Act, phase-out programs for ozone depleting substances and emission minimisation programs for both ozone depleting substances and their synthetic greenhouse gas replacements. Energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, which is promoted and supported through other Australian Government programs, is outside of the scope of this Account.

(3)  (a)  When last constituted in 2001, the membership of the advisory committee to the Ozone Protection Reserve was as follows:

Greg Groppenbacher

Vice-President, TRANE Air Conditioning

Member, Australian Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association

Milton Catelin

Director, Ozone Protection, Environment Australia

Steve Anderson

Executive Director, Association of Fluorocarbon Consumers & Manufacturers

Michael Bennett

General Manager, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia Ltd

Tony Dunkerley

Managing Director, Ariel Industries

Chair, Polyurethane Rigids Division, Plastics & Chemicals Industry Association

James Galloway

Technical & Regulatory Director, Australian Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers Association

Jennifer Pelvin

Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating (AIRAH)

Dr Jonathan Banks

Chair, Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee to the Montreal Protocol

(b)  With the recent passage of the legislation, Government is yet to determine how applications for funding from the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Account will be considered and what mechanisms will be established to obtain stakeholder input.