Page 538 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 June 1989
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Those of us with young children may recall that during major litter campaigns that have been run on television and in the media we are often reminded of our responsibilities to the environment when we were careless in disposing of items of rubbish.
However, just to bring the issue into perspective, the people of Victoria generate more than 800 kilograms of waste each year per man, woman and child, with an increase of 25 per cent over the last decade. All round Australia municipal councils are grappling with the problem of where to put the ever mounting mountains of garbage that are an increasing cost to our society. You will note, Mr Speaker, that not only am I using recycled paper, but my notes are written on both sides of the paper so that I make maximum use of the facility.
The Rally supports the contribution by Mr Duby to the effect that we have here in Canberra an opportunity to set the scene for good waste management, to have a modern system operating that is the envy of all other organisations similar to us in Australia. It is good to see that the Chief Minister herself has set the scene by seeking to have the Administration examine a trial use of recycled paper. I trust that this will be a full trial, and not just a brief trial. I would think it not inappropriate for the Administration to provide a report to the committee on the results of that trial. I commend that idea to the Administration.
If the Government is unable to cause the Federal Government to change the policy on sales tax or if we are unable to encourage it to do that, it may consider some form of incentive to encourage the use of recycled paper and other items. I would suggest, Mr Speaker, as my colleague Dr Kinloch has already suggested, that it is our responsibility as consumers to ensure that we think before we dispose of something. Our educators may consider, for example, the setting up of a competition at various levels in our schools to design an appropriate logo for an education campaign on this very important issue. This may be something that the committee may like to look at from the point of view not only of education of our people in this important subject, but also on the committee system that we are operating in this House.
That leads me to express support for the "Minister for Committees", who I notice is not present at the moment. I refer to Mr Wood of the Labor Party, who is committed to this particular activity as we are. It is important that the work of our committees and their effect on the development of good legislation and efficiency of government operation be fully disseminated to the population of Canberra. However, I digress.
On the subject of efficiency, the committee should consider the cost to the Administration of the operation of our collection system. The Rally understands that there is a
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