Mr DEAN ( Windermere ) - I support the bill. I rise to talk on the access to gas for all people around this State. We talk about consumers and their ability to access gas. I raise this issue because it is extremely important for Launceston, in particular. Launceston is unique when we start to look at the environmental issues currently confronting that area.

It is in the press, unfortunately too often, in relation to the environmental issues, atmospheric problems, that they suffer. As a result of that there is currently a motion before the Launceston City Council for the council to approach the State Government with a view to having the State Government put a special case forward for gas to be made available to all users in and around Launceston. Currently, there is only access to gas in certain areas which is discriminatory when you think about it, because the cost of other energy, including electricity, is now getting beyond many people.

I recently went to the house of two elderly people. Both were on pensions and they live in a modest house, to say the least. They were sitting wrapped in rugs. They had a wood fire as well, but it was not alight. I asked them why they were doing what they were doing. Their answer was that they could not afford the electricity for their heater; they had a certain amount to live on from week to week; they had run out of wood and were waiting for a wood supplier to come in; and they did not give a damn about the pollution laws - if they had wood they would have their fire going.

I raised the situation of gas with them and asked whether they would connect to gas. They said, 'Of course we would, it is a much cheaper form of energy, why wouldn't we?'. They made that very clear. I do not want to bring relatives into this but I went to my in-laws' place recently and found them doing a similar thing. Apart from chastising them, I took the matter a bit further for them and their situation. Again they said they were unable to pay the high electricity bills, and that they had to conserve their money as best they possibly could.

Mr Parkinson - Incidentally - this is unrelated to the bill, too, and so is what you are talking about, but while we are on it - has your council had similar issues with the gas rollout as the Hobart City Council? There is a stalemate here in the rollout because the Hobart City Council has put its foot down and I presume it relates to the area of making good diggings, trenches and things.

Mr DEAN - I am glad you raised that because the Launceston City Council did have some issues in relation to the roads being returned to their former state.

Mr Parkinson - But presumably they were resolved.

Mr DEAN - It was settled fairly quickly. There were discussions between the two parties and I think there was some extra attention or care given to restoring the streets to their former situation. Now there are no longer any concerns, as I understand it.

Mr Parkinson - I suppose you've no idea why the Hobart City Council has taken so long to reach a similar agreement.

Mr DEAN - It makes me wonder because it is to the benefit of their ratepayers, so it does surprise me somewhat that they did not come to an agreement much quicker. You are right.

Mr Parkinson - I understand the GPO made arrangements to connect and at the moment they are without heating.

Mr DEAN - Yes. It is a pretty ordinary situation.

I realise that this is to do with the regulation of it and so on, but I thought this was an opportunity at least to put that position forward because Launceston is a special case. I think Launceston does have a strong position to put forward as to why it ought to be singled out for a much wider distribution of gas in that area.

Mr Parkinson - I think most people on the Eastern Shore would agree with you.

Mr DEAN - You are right, I guess they could put up a good case as well but the pollution levels are not the same or even similar in this area to what they are in the north of the State, in the Launceston area, that zone.

Mr Parkinson - I know what you're saying.

Mrs Rattray-Wagner - Does the Launceston City Council subsidise gas because of their pollution controls?

Mr DEAN - The Launceston City Council currently do not do that, but if it were available to those areas where most of the pollution is being created - the lower socioeconomic group area as has been demonstrated to be the case - then the council, I think, would be likely to consider something like that.

Mr Parkinson - I know what you are saying, though, and it's a matter of the best way of achieving the widest possible rollout of the pipeline so that the greatest number of people can have access to it.

Mr DEAN - You are absolutely right and I guess that is what we are saying, that the sooner it happens the better. If you look at petrol and diesel costs, it will not be long before you will be able to refuel your car, if you have natural gas, from a connection inside your home. In that case, there will be no need to go to a gas outlet to refuel your car if it is a gas-fuelled vehicle. I guess that will occur in the not-too-distant future.

Mr Parkinson - California has it already.

Mr DEAN - That is right. There are places in the world that have it and it seems that we will move that way in time, particularly with the rising fuel costs I think it is inevitably going to happen. I raise that as an issue and ask that Launceston be given some special treatment.

Mr Hall - Through you, Madam President - I came in while you were talking about compressed natural gas for vehicles - is that what you were talking about?

Mr DEAN - Yes, it was.

Mr Hall - That requires a lot of infrastructure to set it up.

Mr DEAN - Having spoken to those that supply gas and are involved in it, they indicated that it is not too far away, that you will require a special connection within your home and it will be connected to your vehicle in the right way to refuel it overnight. It takes a while to fuel apparently because of pressure and all the rest of it.

Mr Hall - The point I was making is that it needs special infrastructure to compress natural gas, which requires a significant capital investment either by the State Government prior to it going public or a private -

Mr Parkinson - No, I think the honourable member for Rowallan is missing the point. He has obviously only just come in and he has missed the point you're making that these home-filling apparatuses are already available. They are being sold in California and in other places, too.

Mr DEAN - That was indeed the position that was made clear to us at a briefing I was at in relation to gas and where it is going and what it will provide. Reference was made to some of the other countries around the world who are already connected and using that system.

Mr Parkinson - Honda have a natural gas Civic coming off their production lines. If they bring it to Tasmania they will sell a lot of them.

Mr DEAN - Excellent. It is the way to go into the future.

Bill read the second time.