❓ The WA Minister for Environment responds to a question regarding the government's ban on promotional film, including political bunting, highlighting its contribution to reducing single-use plastic waste and building upon the existing Plan for Plastics.
AnsweredQoN 573Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SINGLE-USE PLASTICS —
BUNTING BAN
573. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to phase-out the use of single-use plastics.
Can the minister outline to the
house how the ban on promotional film, which includes political bunting used at
elections, will reduce unnecessary waste, and can the minister advise the house
how this importance change builds on the government's Plan for
Plastics, which has saved millions of single-use plastics from landfill?
BUNTING BAN
573. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to phase-out the use of single-use plastics.
Can the minister outline to the
house how the ban on promotional film, which includes political bunting used at
elections, will reduce unnecessary waste, and can the minister advise the house
how this importance change builds on the government's Plan for
Plastics, which has saved millions of single-use plastics from landfill?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member and acknowledge her advocacy for protecting the environment.
We were at Yellagonga Regional Park the other day enjoying the
environment in the member's community. I understand why the member is
very protective of it.
Members know that this government
leads the nation in transitioning away from single-use plastics that are used
once or twice and quickly find their way into landfill, creating terrible
problems for the environment, adding to greenhouse gasses and just being a waste
of a resource that we should be using. With that in mind, the government has
announced today that we will become the first state in the nation to ban what
is known as promotional film and which is
better known in here as bunting. Members will be very pleased to know that.
Early on election mornings , after the alarm clock, members hang off the
edge of ladders and try to get the clip on those reels of plastic. We all used it and we all hated it. Now we will not have
to use it and we will not have that waste any more. Political bunting is used for a very short period—usually a day—and
then there is no other use for it. It is rarely used between elections because it contains a single message. I hope that my colleagues across the way
will join with me in rejoicing at this announcement today that they will no
longer have to endure and invest in plastic bunting and can help save the
environment and the community from some of the images we have seen on bunting
over the years. I know that our opponents often get the best angles of us on
the photos they use. It will be a shame to see the end of that, but it will be
good for the environment.
As a government, we appreciate that when we ask the community
to do the right thing by their use of single-use plastics, we have a responsibility
in government to do the same, not just as a government but as political
parties. I hope that my friends across the way, particularly the Nationals WA,
will get on the phone very quickly and cancel that order for ''MetroNat''
bunting that they were planning to roll out across the densely populated parts
of Perth. They do not need it any more. The ''MetroNat'' bunting
is no longer required. That will be good for all of us.
The thing to remember about our legislation that proposes to
bring this into law in March 2024 is that it will not impact on other thin
plastic film that is used outdoors. The police minister can be reassured that
police tape and other emergency tape that is
reeled out for public safety purposes will not be impacted. We will also
consult producers and political parties to let them know that this
change is coming. This government has again led the nation in the transition away from single-use plastics. We have
already saved millions of plastic bags, cups, plates, cutlery, straws and containers from ending up in landfill. We know
that there is huge community support for our initiatives and that they
are accepted. People want to be part of the solution and they support these
changes. The World Wide Fund for Nature Australia recently named this state government
as number one for its action against single-use plastics. Once again, the Cook Labor government is leading
the way on single-use plastics, and this important announcement will
play a very big role in continuing that well-earned reputation.
thank the member and acknowledge her advocacy for protecting the environment.
We were at Yellagonga Regional Park the other day enjoying the
environment in the member's community. I understand why the member is
very protective of it.
Members know that this government
leads the nation in transitioning away from single-use plastics that are used
once or twice and quickly find their way into landfill, creating terrible
problems for the environment, adding to greenhouse gasses and just being a waste
of a resource that we should be using. With that in mind, the government has
announced today that we will become the first state in the nation to ban what
is known as promotional film and which is
better known in here as bunting. Members will be very pleased to know that.
Early on election mornings , after the alarm clock, members hang off the
edge of ladders and try to get the clip on those reels of plastic. We all used it and we all hated it. Now we will not have
to use it and we will not have that waste any more. Political bunting is used for a very short period—usually a day—and
then there is no other use for it. It is rarely used between elections because it contains a single message. I hope that my colleagues across the way
will join with me in rejoicing at this announcement today that they will no
longer have to endure and invest in plastic bunting and can help save the
environment and the community from some of the images we have seen on bunting
over the years. I know that our opponents often get the best angles of us on
the photos they use. It will be a shame to see the end of that, but it will be
good for the environment.
As a government, we appreciate that when we ask the community
to do the right thing by their use of single-use plastics, we have a responsibility
in government to do the same, not just as a government but as political
parties. I hope that my friends across the way, particularly the Nationals WA,
will get on the phone very quickly and cancel that order for ''MetroNat''
bunting that they were planning to roll out across the densely populated parts
of Perth. They do not need it any more. The ''MetroNat'' bunting
is no longer required. That will be good for all of us.
The thing to remember about our legislation that proposes to
bring this into law in March 2024 is that it will not impact on other thin
plastic film that is used outdoors. The police minister can be reassured that
police tape and other emergency tape that is
reeled out for public safety purposes will not be impacted. We will also
consult producers and political parties to let them know that this
change is coming. This government has again led the nation in the transition away from single-use plastics. We have
already saved millions of plastic bags, cups, plates, cutlery, straws and containers from ending up in landfill. We know
that there is huge community support for our initiatives and that they
are accepted. People want to be part of the solution and they support these
changes. The World Wide Fund for Nature Australia recently named this state government
as number one for its action against single-use plastics. Once again, the Cook Labor government is leading
the way on single-use plastics, and this important announcement will
play a very big role in continuing that well-earned reputation.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.