Mr. Tallentire asks the Premier about the container deposit scheme's impact on waste reduction and job creation. The Premier outlines the scheme's rollout, expected benefits in recycling, landfill diversion, litter reduction, and job creation, particularly for disadvantaged groups.

AnsweredQoN 629Legislative Assembly
Asked
14 August 2019
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME
629. Mr
C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Premier:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented commitment to
reducing waste across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how this government's container deposit
scheme will divert significant waste and rubbish from landfill?
(2) Furthermore,
can the Premier advise the house how the scheme will support jobs and
employment across the state?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Thornlie for
the question.
(1)–(2) As part of our priorities, we have set a target to
reduce waste in Western Australia, but at the same time we wish to
create jobs for our citizens. With our container deposit scheme, we are
successfully doing both. The containers for change scheme will begin on 2 June
next year, just after the Western Australia Day long weekend. It will mean that
Western Australians will be able to return and recycle those eligible
containers from the middle of next year.
Initially, there will be 170
collection machines and collection points across Western Australia. By the end
of next year, we expect that to grow to 229 collection points across our state.
There has been an enormous amount of
consultation. I congratulate the Minister for Environment, who has been working
on this. Indeed , meetings are still going on with industry, local
government, community groups and environmental groups. We wish to avoid the mistakes made by the New South Wales
government when it failed to deliver enough collection points and there
were problems with implementation.
The
scheme will go a long way towards achieving our aim of 75 per cent of waste generated
to be re-used and recycled by 2030. As a result of the scheme, we are expecting
that over the next 20 years, 6.6 billion containers will be recycled,
5.9 billion containers will be retrieved from landfill, and 700 million
containers will not be littered. Another
thing about the scheme is that it will create approximately 500 direct jobs
across Western Australia, especially expected to support those with
disabilities and the long-term unemployed. I must say that community groups
that wish to fundraise and the like across the state will be welcoming this
scheme. It is long overdue. As members might recall, we moved legislation to
this effect when we were in opposition. It was rejected by the Liberal–National
government. I am pleased to say that this Labor government is introducing a container
deposit scheme and I am sure that Western Australians across the board will welcome another initiative by this
government to create jobs and improve our environment in WA.

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