❓ The Minister for Environment details a new roadside litter prevention project, including partnerships, signage, and the return of litter bags with QR codes, funded by the state government and partners.
AnsweredQoN 584Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROADSIDE
LITTER PREVENTION PROJECT
584. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the Minister for
Environment:
The minister announced a regional
roadside litter prevention project yesterday. Can he please explain how this
project will address the issue of littering on our roadsides?
LITTER PREVENTION PROJECT
584. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the Minister for
Environment:
The minister announced a regional
roadside litter prevention project yesterday. Can he please explain how this
project will address the issue of littering on our roadsides?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Swan Hills
for this question. The Liberal–National government is committed to
tackling the problem of litter in our community. We are doing this through a range
of initiatives, some of which we have had the opportunity to talk about in this
house in recent days. However, the latest round of the National Litter Index
has come out. Although it shows that for five of the eight categories, Western Australia
is now showing an improvement in litter rates, for the other three categories
we are still, unfortunately, tracking downwards. The worst of those is roadside
litter, which is why we are targeting it.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the third time!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I had the opportunity yesterday to launch a new program, which
fits in very well with the other range of programs we are running at the
well-known Gingers Roadhouse and cafe, in the electorate of the member for Swan
Hills, and I thank him for being there for yesterday's announcement.
The program is a regional roadside litter prevention project centred on the
theme of ''WA naturally thanks you''. It is a branded program
that will run across three key arterial roads: the Brand Highway going to the
north, the Great Eastern Highway going to the east, and the Forrest Highway
going south. It is targeted at those three roads so that we can see whether
such a campaign—we have done them in the past—can make a marked
difference to littering along those three roads. We will be auditing this
program over the coming four months to compare it with similar roads to see
whether we make a difference. This program is funded by the state government in
partnership with Main Roads Western Australia, the Keep Australia Beautiful
council and also the Australian Packaging Covenant. Funding to the amount of
$185 000 will go into this program. It will include informational signage along
all those roads branded along the lines of the ''WA naturally thanks you''
theme. It will also include signage on bins along those highways. Importantly,
this program is being done in partnership with private sector stakeholders.
Some 20 service stations along those roads will partner with us on this project,
16 of which have already signed up, and more are interested. These service
stations will also include signage and branding.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the third time!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : If the member was here yesterday, I do not think he would have
made that interjection. I would love to take an interjection if he wants to ask
a question.
The most important part of this
project is a small thing but it harks back to the container deposit scheme
legislation. Many members will remember that for many years we used to be able
to get a free Keep Australia Beautiful litter bag for the vehicle at service
stations. We are bringing that back as well. Not only are we facilitating
drivers to collect their litter, it is also a great way to communicate our
message. The bags will have QR codes on the back, which will lead people to
other initiatives.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I have called you to order three times! If
you shout out again, you are going out.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : We will use technology on the bags as well. Three individual QR
codes will point users to the Keep Australia Beautiful website and other
programs such as the Adopt-a-Spot program and the program that enables a person
to become a litter reporter. We have nearly 10 000 litter reporters in this
state, which makes it a fantastic program. This new roadside litter prevention
project fits in very well with the container deposit scheme set up by the
Liberal–National government—the first government to bring it
into place in this state. It is good to see that members opposite are catching
up and I welcome their support. It is a government decision —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : The member is not listening. The second way —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! You have 30 seconds, minister.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I really want to focus on this program, which obviously fits in
with the container deposit scheme, our illegal dumping task force that specifically
targets higher level dumping with significant penalties under the Environmental
Protection Act, and also other initiatives such as a waste levy increase, which
drives recycling, and our Better Bins program around our construction and
demolition recycling program. It all fits together like a big puzzle. It is all
coming together to drive recycling in Western Australia and to drive down
litter rates.
for this question. The Liberal–National government is committed to
tackling the problem of litter in our community. We are doing this through a range
of initiatives, some of which we have had the opportunity to talk about in this
house in recent days. However, the latest round of the National Litter Index
has come out. Although it shows that for five of the eight categories, Western Australia
is now showing an improvement in litter rates, for the other three categories
we are still, unfortunately, tracking downwards. The worst of those is roadside
litter, which is why we are targeting it.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the third time!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I had the opportunity yesterday to launch a new program, which
fits in very well with the other range of programs we are running at the
well-known Gingers Roadhouse and cafe, in the electorate of the member for Swan
Hills, and I thank him for being there for yesterday's announcement.
The program is a regional roadside litter prevention project centred on the
theme of ''WA naturally thanks you''. It is a branded program
that will run across three key arterial roads: the Brand Highway going to the
north, the Great Eastern Highway going to the east, and the Forrest Highway
going south. It is targeted at those three roads so that we can see whether
such a campaign—we have done them in the past—can make a marked
difference to littering along those three roads. We will be auditing this
program over the coming four months to compare it with similar roads to see
whether we make a difference. This program is funded by the state government in
partnership with Main Roads Western Australia, the Keep Australia Beautiful
council and also the Australian Packaging Covenant. Funding to the amount of
$185 000 will go into this program. It will include informational signage along
all those roads branded along the lines of the ''WA naturally thanks you''
theme. It will also include signage on bins along those highways. Importantly,
this program is being done in partnership with private sector stakeholders.
Some 20 service stations along those roads will partner with us on this project,
16 of which have already signed up, and more are interested. These service
stations will also include signage and branding.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the third time!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : If the member was here yesterday, I do not think he would have
made that interjection. I would love to take an interjection if he wants to ask
a question.
The most important part of this
project is a small thing but it harks back to the container deposit scheme
legislation. Many members will remember that for many years we used to be able
to get a free Keep Australia Beautiful litter bag for the vehicle at service
stations. We are bringing that back as well. Not only are we facilitating
drivers to collect their litter, it is also a great way to communicate our
message. The bags will have QR codes on the back, which will lead people to
other initiatives.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I have called you to order three times! If
you shout out again, you are going out.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : We will use technology on the bags as well. Three individual QR
codes will point users to the Keep Australia Beautiful website and other
programs such as the Adopt-a-Spot program and the program that enables a person
to become a litter reporter. We have nearly 10 000 litter reporters in this
state, which makes it a fantastic program. This new roadside litter prevention
project fits in very well with the container deposit scheme set up by the
Liberal–National government—the first government to bring it
into place in this state. It is good to see that members opposite are catching
up and I welcome their support. It is a government decision —
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : The member is not listening. The second way —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! You have 30 seconds, minister.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I really want to focus on this program, which obviously fits in
with the container deposit scheme, our illegal dumping task force that specifically
targets higher level dumping with significant penalties under the Environmental
Protection Act, and also other initiatives such as a waste levy increase, which
drives recycling, and our Better Bins program around our construction and
demolition recycling program. It all fits together like a big puzzle. It is all
coming together to drive recycling in Western Australia and to drive down
litter rates.
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