O'Rourke Denis: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Rourke Denis: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 13 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:15923. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First) to theMinister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Is he aware of any proposals to transport asbestos-contaminated material from the Christchurch rebuild to sub-standard landfills?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery): No. The Government has been very clear that from a Government perspective our expectation is that all asbestos-contaminated material recovered in the rebuild of Christchurch will be properly dealt with at properly accredited sites.Denis O’Rourke: Is the Minister aware of the very troubling rumours circulating in Canterbury and Southland about plans by some parties to transport asbestos-contaminated waste—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the supplementary question. I ask the member to start that question again.Denis O’Rourke: Is the Minister aware of the very troubling rumours circulating in Canterbury and Southland about plans by some parties to transport asbestos-contaminated waste as far as Southland?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No. What I am aware of is that throughout New Zealand there are numerous sites that are accredited for the receipt of asbestos-contaminated waste. There are 19 contaminated waste sites in Southland and all of them are accredited. Some of them may well be accredited for receiving asbestos waste but I am not aware that there is any contract let for such a proposal. What I would suggest to the member is that he should not be troubled by rumours particularly those relating—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not think that part is going to help the order of the House.Denis O’Rourke: Is the Minister aware of the serious potential danger posed to the public by not transporting asbestos waste properly especially over long distances or in unsuitable rail wagons and by not disposing of asbestos in fit for purpose landfills?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Yes and that is why I gave the answer I did at the start. I would refer the member to both the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’sWorkSafe website and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority’s website where the protocols for dealing with asbestos-contaminated waste are clearly spelt out. All asbestos waste that has come out of Christchurch to date apart from one shipment has gone to the Kate Valley landfill—a landfill that the member will be very familiar with—which is quite some distance from the city. So there will always be some transport required. It is important that it is transported in secure vessels.Denis O’Rourke: As the Minister is aware that Christchurch has a class A landfill at Kate Valley capable of the safe disposal of hazardous materials including asbestos and serviced by a properly designed transport system will he now give an unqualified assurance that all asbestos-contaminated material from Christchurch will be permanently disposed of in that facility?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I am familiar with that facility. It was a great addition to Canterbury and I take my hat off to the member for his involvement in getting it there. But what I would say is that there is a gate fee for any disposal that is located inside Kate Valley. If it is found to be too expensive for some of this waste to be disposed of there then we would require it to go to an accredited waste site and that would need to be transported in a way that is safe.Denis O’Rourke: Is the Minister saying that considerations of cost or expense are more important than the safe disposal of asbestos at Kate Valley?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No and it would be an extraordinary effort on his part to extrapolate that from any of the answers I have given.