Page 2502 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 23 August 1994
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when it comes to money, but they decided that they would look at how they could recycle this material. About 90 per cent of it is green waste; it is some sort of plant material. They came up with the idea of sorting out anything that could not be recycled and mulching the rest of it. Obviously, you cannot do that with a backyard mulcher, and the cost of doing it with the existing huge industrial equipment is prohibitive. They needed a medium sized mulcher or shredder, if you like, and they have been working on developing one. They have bought a couple, which were quite expensive, and the project is going very well.
The project was first thought of a year ago, in August 1993. It is a very good idea, but there have been some problems in getting it under way. It is still, after a year, in a fledgling state. I do not want to go into the details of why they have not been able to move forward and get the necessary permits, agreements, et cetera, that are required to get it under way fully. However, I make the point that, particularly in an area such as recycling, let alone new business development in Canberra, we should be overtly looking for any project that is worth while and, when we find one, grabbing it and running with it. It should not be up to the people working on the project; we should get out there and say, "What help do you need? What about doing this? What about doing that? Let us get this up as quickly as possible".
This is one that should not take much time at all. It is not like a normal business development. It could have been done in a matter of months, and huge amounts of waste that is going into the tip could have been recycled. This could also be done by us in a general recycling situation. The idea is brilliant, but the necessary help has not been there. There have been eight applications requesting approval for a site. With one thing or another, it has not come about. Let us cut through this red tape. Let us push through ideas such as this. That is why I have brought up the matter of public importance. The potential is enormous. Let us create a mind-set, an environment, where not only Canberra businesses but businesses throughout Australia will look to Canberra as the invention, the recycling, the energy use community in Australia, the place to get such business development off the ground. It is certainly hard in Australia at present. I think we should give these people the red carpet treatment - or, in this case, the green carpet treatment. Let us make sure that this industry is up and running within weeks, or months at the outside.
I mention another phenomenally beneficial business we could have had in Canberra if we had had the forthrightness to go after it. There is a company that is recycling newspaper - and other paper can be used - and making pump-in cellular fibre newspaper insulation, chemically treated. They have been in the field for a long time. They developed a glue spray that could be sprayed over the top of the ceiling joists to hold this material in place. Over a period, because of the limited use of that blow-in insulation, they developed an insulation batt made from chopped up, recycled newspaper. The uses for this product have become widespread. It can be used as thermal panels in cold rooms and in exterior wall insulation sheeting, wall panelling and ceiling lining board. It can be used for tiles in suspended ceilings, in acoustic doors, screens and panels, and for wall infill material.
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