Page 3374 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
toxic than some of our other waste. I note that the resource recovery rate has increased by 315 per cent in the 12 years since the no waste strategy was introduced, but all this tells us is that more things are being recycled. At the same time our overall landfill waste levels are also increasing. This is because we are, per capita, consuming more, and this is the commissioner’s point exactly.
Like the commissioner, I want to see real targets and actions from the government. We could use resources more wisely by, firstly, developing and implementing a sustainability community awareness program that emphasises waste minimisation avoidance as a fundamental first step in effective waste management and, secondly, requiring all ACT government agencies to report annually on their waste generation and actions that they propose to undertake to use resources more efficiently.
This is really radical stuff—asking people to minimise their waste and avoid producing waste! Does this mean that we are also asking people to think about their own annual waste generation and about how they could undertake to use resources more wisely? It sounds harsh, doesn’t it? It could bring down the economy, couldn’t it? If we stopped going to shops and buying useless stuff that we do not need, it might actually bring down the economy as we know it. And yet this is what has to happen. I do not see any government preparation for us to make these changes.
If we cannot ask people to translate these ideas to their own households, then we will not be reducing our waste levels in the ACT. This need not be a scary idea. There are many things that we can do, beginning by changing our own and our household’s habits. For a start, we could reduce and perhaps even stop our use of plastic bags. Take an eco bag with you wherever you go. This is so simple and yet so effective. Although my motion today does not propose that the ACT phase out plastic bags, the Greens have certainly suggested it before.
Wangaratta and a few other Victorian towns are trialling a 10c charge for plastic bags in all supermarkets and there are other places in Australia where plastic bags have been banned altogether. In 2003 the Tasmanian village of Coles Bay became the first town to ban plastics altogether. The South Australian government has passed legislation to this end and from May next year lightweight polythene plastic bags will not be available from any shop in South Australia. So it is not impossible. We have all seen the pictures of thousands of plastic bags blowing around near the tip here at Mugga Lane. You can also see plastic bags hanging off the trees on Mugga Lane. If you have not seen them, just have a look at the picture in my office window or have a look at the picture on my website.
There are many ways to develop sustainable shopping. At the ANU food co-op and similar supermarkets customers bring in their own bags and containers and take their share from bulk bins. You can buy rice, flour, oats, oils et cetera without taking all that plastic packaging. You can buy fruit and vegetables without plastic bags. Just bring your own bags from home. This is a good idea for the next time you go to the farmers market or other fresh food markets.
Mr Speaker, you and I and anyone who is aged around 50 or more would remember a time when waste was not generated at such a tremendous volume. There was a lot less to be discarded. String and paper could be re-used. Things came wrapped in
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .