❓ Hon. Sally Talbot questions the Minister for Environment regarding the government's lack of support for a container deposit scheme and the preference for an industry-run scheme over a Waste Authority-run scheme. The Minister cites constitutional concerns and a national investigation as reasons for the government's position.
AnsweredQoN 81Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME
81. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to the failure of the Barnett government to support a
container deposit scheme in Western Australia, despite the fact that empty
drink bottles and cans top the list of rubbish strewn around our beaches,
streets, bushland and schools.
(1) Can the
minister explain why he said in a radio interview on 8 February that he
personally favoured the South Australian scheme because ''I don't
want taxpayers' funds to run a scheme that industry could run''?
(2) Can the
minister provide details about why he thinks that an industry-run scheme is
better than a scheme run by the Waste Authority as proposed in Labor's
bill?
81. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to the failure of the Barnett government to support a
container deposit scheme in Western Australia, despite the fact that empty
drink bottles and cans top the list of rubbish strewn around our beaches,
streets, bushland and schools.
(1) Can the
minister explain why he said in a radio interview on 8 February that he
personally favoured the South Australian scheme because ''I don't
want taxpayers' funds to run a scheme that industry could run''?
(2) Can the
minister provide details about why he thinks that an industry-run scheme is
better than a scheme run by the Waste Authority as proposed in Labor's
bill?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1)–(2)
The Western Australian government is supporting investigation through the
Council of Australian Governments' Standing Council on Environment and
Water into a national approach to container deposit systems and other options
for managing packaging waste. The validity of any state legislation
establishing a container deposit scheme and imposing a fee collected by a state
government, which could be characterised as a duty of excise, may be
susceptible to challenge under the commonwealth Constitution. An industry-run
scheme may not be susceptible to the same challenge. The minister anticipates
that these matters should be addressed by the national investigation.
(1)–(2)
The Western Australian government is supporting investigation through the
Council of Australian Governments' Standing Council on Environment and
Water into a national approach to container deposit systems and other options
for managing packaging waste. The validity of any state legislation
establishing a container deposit scheme and imposing a fee collected by a state
government, which could be characterised as a duty of excise, may be
susceptible to challenge under the commonwealth Constitution. An industry-run
scheme may not be susceptible to the same challenge. The minister anticipates
that these matters should be addressed by the national investigation.
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