Page 2 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 15 February 2011

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Petition No. 115 lodged by Ms Le Couteur MLA, concerning the establishment of a convenient, community drop-off system across the ACT for battery recycling. Mr Stanhope has referred your correspondence to me as responsibility for this matter falls within my portfolio.

I am pleased to note the level of community interest in waste management practices demonstrated by this petition. For the ACT Government, waste management is one of the key strategic areas for creating a sustainable Canberra.

On 8 December 2010, a draft ACT Sustainable Waste Strategy was released for public comment. Managing hazardous waste is one of the many issues being considered in the new ACT waste strategy.

The ACT Government provides services for particular types of batteries:

• Car batteries may be dropped off at the Mitchell and Mugga Lane Resource Management Centres and Parkwood Recycling Estate.

• Mobile phone and mobile phone battery collection facilities were established in 2008-2009 at the Mitchell and Mugga Lane Resource Management Centres and at the Regional Recycling Centres. Including Scollay Street in Tuggeranong, Botany Street in Phillip, Bailieu Court in Mitchell and Jolly Street in Belconnen.

While batteries and fluorescent globes comprise less than 0.25 per cent of domestic waste sent to landfill. Ways to create additional places for residents to drop off batteries are currently under consideration by the Government. Consideration is being given to suitable containers for collection, markets for batteries, the willingness of businesses to receive or collect batteries for recycling, risks for installing collection facilities in public places and whether additional drop-off facilities are the best use of limited resources available for recycling.

I trust that this information is of assistance.

By Ms Burch, Acting Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, dated 28 January 2011, in response to a petition lodged by Ms Le Couteur on 7 December 2010 concerning fluorescent bulb recycling.

The terms of the response will be recorded in Hansard.

Recycling—batteries and light bulbs—petition No 114

The response read as follows:

I refer to your letter of 7 December 2010 to Mr Jon Stanhope MLA, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, regarding petition No. 114 lodged by Ms Le Couteur MLA, regarding the establishment of a convenient community drop-off system across the ACT for the disposal of fluorescent light globes. Mr Stanhope has referred your correspondence to Simon Corbell MLA as responsibility for this matter falls within his portfolio. Minister Corbell is on leave and I am replying on his behalf.

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