Page 2658 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990
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is not only a way to conserve our natural resources but also it is a way of protecting our environment. By minimising the amount of waste oil which is discarded, our rivers and waterways are protected from pollution. Again the Government is showing the way in creating a market for re-refined oil. Re-refined oil is being trialled in a number of Government vehicles, and should this prove successful it is proposed to expand the use of the product within the Government fleet.
The Government will not be confining its energies simply to promoting recycling. We will be exploring with the State, Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments the possibility of introducing mandatory requirements that newspapers contain a certain amount of recycled newsprint. Currently the overwhelming majority of shredded paper from the ACT Government Service is recycled. The Alliance Government will, however, be taking paper recycling in the ACT one step further by asking the Commonwealth Government to review its policy on shredding and disposal of sensitive documents with a view to maximising their recycling potential.
The Government will be aiming to reduce the generation of waste in the community in conjunction with the other State, Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments. Discussions will be held with the New South Wales Government on the possibility of banning biodegradable plastic shopping bags until it is proven that they are environmentally sound. Discussions will also be held with these other governments as well as private industry on the possibility of limiting plastics used in food and beverage containers to those types which can be more readily recycled. As packaging is an important issue in waste minimisation, the Alliance Government will be consulting with the other State, Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments on ways to reduce the amount of packaging materials now used throughout the community, including Government agencies.
Consultation will also be undertaken with these other governments on the possibility of introducing a green spot labelling program. This program would be used to identify environmentally friendly goods, aiding consumers in their endeavour to help the environment. Liaison will be carried out with these Governments, especially with New South Wales, to ensure that any such scheme is uniform across State boundaries. We will also be seeking to reduce litter in the ACT through cooperation with other bodies. We will be entering into discussions with the New South Wales Government, the Litter Research Association and other beverage and packaging bodies about participating in an anti-litter campaign in the ACT.
Mr Acting Speaker, the Alliance Government plans to move towards cost recovery measures to pay for the clean-up cost of littering. Arrangements designed to progress nearer to cost recovery are already being negotiated with the
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