❓ Hon Jock Ferguson questions the effectiveness of the increased landfill levy in WA to improve recycling rates, referencing NSW and Victoria's approaches. Hon Donna Faragher defends the decision, citing consistency with Victoria and anticipated industry investment.
AnsweredQoN 607Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
LANDFILL LEVY INCREASE — PLASTIC RECYCLING RATE
I refer the minister to the government’s recently announced increase to the waste avoidance and resource recovery levy. Given the fact that New South Wales, which uses only a small portion of its waste levy on actual waste reduction, has a plastic recycling rate of only 28 per cent, compared with Victoria, which has a recycling rate of 45 per cent and uses its levy funds exclusively for environmental protection activities, including fostering the sustainable use of resources and best practice in waste management, what evidence does the minister have that the increase in the levy will lead to an uptake in recycling in Western Australia? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
I refer the minister to the government’s recently announced increase to the waste avoidance and resource recovery levy. Given the fact that New South Wales, which uses only a small portion of its waste levy on actual waste reduction, has a plastic recycling rate of only 28 per cent, compared with Victoria, which has a recycling rate of 45 per cent and uses its levy funds exclusively for environmental protection activities, including fostering the sustainable use of resources and best practice in waste management, what evidence does the minister have that the increase in the levy will lead to an uptake in recycling in Western Australia? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of his question. The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of his question. The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
I thank the member for some notice of his question. The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of his question. The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
I thank the member for some notice of his question. The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
The government’s recent decision to apply funds collected through the landfill levy to the range of environmental and conservation programs carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation is consistent with the approach in Victoria, where only a proportion of funds raised are spent directly on waste management. Overall, New South Wales has a much higher recycling rate than does Western Australia, and I am advised that an increased landfill levy will provide an incentive for industry to invest in services in WA to lift its current recycling rate. Furthermore, advice from recyclers, in particular construction and demolition waste recyclers, is that the levy needed to be increased substantially to make recycling more cost competitive compared with landfilling.
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