Page 1414 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 1 May 1990
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location where people can take wastepaper when they have accumulated too much or missed that collection.
No doubt Mr Duby will make much in his speech of the proposed recycling facility at Mitchell. All I can say is that he had better; I am dying to hear about it. But some future new service does nothing to make up for the fact that this transfer station has been closed and that there is currently no alternative. The lack of a convenient alternative could well mean that some people will simply give up recycling. It is a matter that needs constant encouragement.
Then we come to the Government's defence of this decision as being necessary on budget grounds. Once again, we have the accountant mentality appearing. The fact that, in their view, a few dollars can be saved on paper by this decision is what matters most to Mr Kaine and his Government. The Chief Minister completely ignores the fact that government exists to provide services to the community. This decision may, in their view, save the Government $200,000, but what about the cost to the community and the environment?
When we look at those issues it is clear that the cost of this decision will be greater than the proposed savings. Firstly, there is the cost to north Canberra residents - the cost of driving 40 kilometres to and from a tip. Then there is the cost to the Government, because the Ainslie Transfer Station is used by the Government itself. Litter patrols and other government services will now have to go a considerable extra distance to unload waste material. Either there will have to be more of them to do the same amount of work or the amount of work that they do will be reduced. Either way, the community pays. Then there is the cost of cleaning up the garbage which some people undoubtedly will leave on the streets or in the nature reserves around north Canberra.
There is the environmental cost. It is very difficult to quantify that cost in dollar terms. But of course Mr Kaine would not be too concerned about that because the sand mines which will be stripped to make the extra bottles and the native forests that will be felled to make the extra paper are not in the ACT. Mr Collaery, I notice, is very disturbed by that fact. Perhaps he should have considered it before he was a party to this ridiculous decision. Of course, as we all know, it is only the tinkle of the cash register, the hard dollar, that concerns the Chief Minister and the Government.
This Government stands condemned for a stupid decision. It stands condemned for an arrogant, very short-sighted decision. The people of north Canberra certainly will not forget it. It is my belief that this Government will live to regret it at the next election.
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