Page 1307 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 2012
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Ms Le Couteur: It’s okay. Ms Gallagher is finally getting to the answer.
MS GALLAGHER: Yes. So that is the decision that we took. We have seen significant increases of TVs and computers in the last year or so being taken to landfill as people make the switch to digital TV and indeed update their TVs. We have not been in a position to advise people to stockpile, essentially, which is the question you are asking, as the arrangements for the national scheme are being put together. We are confident that that national scheme will start in the ACT, with two locations, in June, I believe.
Now we have that date. Indeed, I think in a media comment I provided last week—if people are wanting to keep their TVs and computers till that date and then access the scheme, we have provided them with that advice. But I am also conscious of the fact that there have been thousands and thousands of TVs disposed of. I do not think it would have been fair for us to have that level of demand when the scheme kicks off either, because there are still costs. We have still got to pay at some point for the recycling of that material. Whether it has been paid up front by the person disposing of it or whether, through the new scheme, it is being paid for by people when they purchase their equipment, it is really neither here nor there.
But I am conscious of it. We have been looking at ways to even encourage Tiny’s, under the bulky waste scheme, to look at something that we could do there, particularly for pensioners and concession card holders, about removing this if they are switching over. We are genuinely trying to minimise illegal dumping and support people to make the right choice. When the national scheme comes in, hopefully it will not be a problem any longer.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Ms Le Couteur.
MS LE COUTEUR: Given that earlier this year you met with representatives of organisations that have charity collection bins to look at solutions to the problem of illegal dumping near the bins, what progress have you made on this issue?
MS GALLAGHER: Quite a lot of progress has been made. We have been working with each individual operator, each individual charity, and the charities that have decided not to have the charity bins at the shopping centres anymore, about some of the solutions. I have a follow-up roundtable with them I think in early April, to look at the work that has been done since we last met, and some of the ideas that were given. Essentially those were around reducing the numbers of bins that there are available; that was one of them. Highlighting areas where there are significant problems has been the first part. I think there are well-known areas around Canberra that are the worst areas for that problem. Looking at how the charities can share some of the responsibilities around clean-up around the bins—all of that work is being undertaken and I think we will have some good outcomes. But we needed to do it in consultation and in agreement with the charities as well.
There were some other complicating issues. Koomarri, for example, employs people who deal with the clothing coming out of the bins. So there are jobs linked to it. There
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