Notice given 15 May 2003

1465  Senator Brown: To ask the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage—With reference to the 2003-04 budget:

(1) For each of the financial years from 2002-03 to 2006-07: can a breakdown be provided of the ‘Greenhouse - meeting the challenge of climate change’ program in Table A1 of the Environment Statement, in the same format as was provided in Table A2.1 of the 2002-03 Environment Statement (i.e. give the expenditure for each individual activity within the greenhouse program and show the adjustment for the discontinuation of the Capital Use Charge (CUC)).

(2) For each of the financial years from 2002-03 to 2006-07: how much has been allocated to the Natural Heritage Trust and what effect does the discontinuation of the CUC have.

(3) For each of the financial years from 2002-03 to 2006-07: how much has been allocated to the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and what effect does the discontinuation of the CUC have.

1466  Senator Brown: To ask the Minister for Health and Ageing—

(1) What are the contingency plans for the provision of medical services, particularly obstetrics, if general practitioners, obstetricians and gynaecologists and other medical specialists withdraw their services as threatened on 1 July 2003.

(2) How will public hospitals cope if risky services such as obstetrics, gynaecology and neuro-surgery are transferred to the public hospitals, if they agree and cover visiting medical officers for all procedures performed under their roof.

Senator Brown: To ask the Ministers listed below (Question Nos 1468-1469)—

(1) Is the Minister aware that logging is being conducted on private property at Black Tier near Woodbury and Bowsden Hill at Lake Tiberias, Tasmania.

(2) Is the Minister aware that the area in which these logging operations are taking place is suffering serious tree decline.

(3) (a) How much Commonwealth funding has been given to individuals and agencies in Tasmania to research or combat tree decline in the past decade; and (b) can a list of all projects and recipients be provided.

(4) Has any Commonwealth funding been spent on the private properties at Black Tier or Bowsden Hill where the logging is taking place; if so: (a) how much; (b) when; and (c) subject to what conditions.

(5) Is Commonwealth funding related to tree decline specifically, or land and water degradation generally, in Tasmania contingent on the state and/or landholder protecting native vegetation from logging or clearing; if not, why not.

(6) Does the Minister agree with the Chief Practices Officer of the Forest Practices Board who was quoted in the Mercury , of 27 April 2003, as saying, ‘the selective logging that was going on at the two sites would not impact on tree decline’ and ‘the logging would help the trees to survive by promoting regeneration’.

1468 Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage

1469 Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage