Page 6093 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010
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Mr Smyth: And why has it taken nine years?
MR CORBELL: it is the case that they can achieve—
Mr Smyth: Almost no waste by 2025. That is a good catch line.
MR CORBELL: a very high level of separation and certainly comparable with the level of contamination—
Mr Smyth: Almost.
MR CORBELL: that you would see in terms of what people would put into their bins if there was a third bin.
Mr Smyth: We used to lead this around the world. Now we have to follow it.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, you are sailing close to the wind. Ms Le Couteur, a supplementary?
MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, given that the Sydney council has had significant glass contamination problems because it uses a similar mixed MRF system instead of third-bin separation, what would the ACT do to deal with these issues?
MR CORBELL: These are the issues about a third bin versus a dirty MRF. We need to have the discussion about this, and that is exactly why the government has outlined, in its draft strategy, that these are the issues that we are seeking feedback and comment on.
What we do know is that the third-bin system is not without contamination itself. Not everybody complies with the separation into the third bin. We know that the third bin does have contamination problems itself in terms of people putting inappropriate waste into that bin. We also know that not everyone will use a third bin and that therefore there will remain a component of organic waste that will still go into the general household bin. Not every household will separate its waste. We know that is the case. Therefore we will face the dilemma, if we have a third bin, that a component of organic waste will still be ending up in the household bin. And then how do we deal with that? Do we simply put that into landfill or do we still have to construct some other facility to separate that waste?
That is the issue before us as a city. That is what the government is setting out as the issues that we have to consider in the development of our new waste strategy. We look forward to further discussion on that.
MR COE: Supplementary, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Coe.
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