Page 3795 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
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whatever reason, to pollute our public places with dangerous rubbish. Naturally, the Rally will be expecting the full support of members, not only to bring the Bill back to the Assembly but also to allow it a speedy passage.
Before leaving the issue of glass, it would seem to me that, with changes in packaging from glass to aluminium and to PET plastics for soft drink and other non-alcoholic beverages, a large amount of potential for glass to wind up in public places has been removed. Hence the predominance of glass stubbie beer bottles in the litter stream. I know that there are some who consider that nothing beats a beer out of a bottle, as opposed to an aluminium can. I happen to prefer a draught beer myself, if I have a choice.
It would seem that, while certain elements in our community are not able to take their community responsibilities seriously, the community and the packaging industry may well have to work together to remove what, after all, is a very dangerous item from the litter stream.
I know that there will be many who say, "Bring back the deposit". Certainly, that was one way that many people - many, I am sure, in this place - earned additional pocket money. However, the ACT is an island, surrounded by New South Wales, which has a far greater market and far more production centres. South Australia has deposit legislation. There are many who see the costs of storage and transport, both to the retailer and, indirectly, to the community or consumer, as a problem.
There is also the potential for environmental problems as the detergents used to wash bottles for reuse are often not friendly to the natural environment. However, the Rally is sure that the community and the packaging industry will have to work together to find alternatives to potential litter streams that pose a hazard to the wider community. It may well be that in the future we will have glass-like products that do not pose the same hazards. But I suspect that, if that does not happen - and if we see more stories such as the one in the Tuggeranong Valley View this week - community pressure will eventually demand that glass products used for alcoholic beverages, particularly beer, be banned.
Before closing, I would like to briefly comment on other items in the litter stream which will fall within the provisions of the Bill. I am referring, of course, to needles which have become an unfortunate part of our modern culture. Danger from hepatitis and the HIV virus - the latter is less virulent than hepatitis out in the open air - is ever present in some parks.
Members may recall my concerns, expressed some time ago, about the installation of a needle deposit container in the new toilet block at the Fadden Pines regional park. This was not because I objected to the proposal for such an installation but because of the area that it was proposed
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