Page 1626 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 May 2017
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However, despite the enthusiasm expressed by one Labor member in government at the time, Mr Stanhope as Chief Minister of a Labor government did not continue with either the trial or the expanded citywide program because of high levels of contamination of non-biodegradable materials towards the end of the trial. The trial showed that the recycling started off well but people became lax as the trial went on. This made the whole process of sorting and recycling expensive, much of the waste ending up in landfill anyhow.
Even I have played a part in this colourful tapestry of green bins. Shortly after my election in 2012 I asked Mr Corbell whether he had misled the community in regard to the costings of the Liberals’ 2012 election policy. Mr Corbell’s response simply stated that yes, he believed our policy was much dearer than we claimed at the time. However, the government’s own costings were revised 3½ years later, when Mr Corbell had lost relevance after failing to get preselection, and it seemed to be a good project again. But of course Mr Corbell’s comments back in 2012 were:
Of course, the other question that arises here is about cost-effectiveness. Is the Liberal Party’s proposal going to increase recycling rates? Is it going to see more green waste recycled? And we know the answer to that is no. The reason it is not is that we are already achieving a recycling rate for green waste of over 90 per cent, and we do that at no cost to taxpayers. So the real question for the government is: does it make sense to spend taxpayers’ money to achieve no net benefit, no increase in the recycling rate? The government’s answer to that is, no, it does not make sense.
It is ironic to now see Mr Steel having a slap at—I think his words were something along the lines of—for-profit enterprises running a cash-for-service scheme. I think that that is what they call small business, small enterprise: the driving force of the economy in the ACT that employs many, many thousands of people.
There is obviously a very interesting and colourful history of green bins in this place. I think that each side has weighed it up, has varied positions on this issue—to have green bins or to not have green bins—to go it alone as a government, to lean on industry to provide the service.
Where we have landed at the moment is that we have got a green bin trial that is now ever likely to be rolled out across the territory and the real question needs to be asked, particularly when you get into the new areas like Molonglo Valley and parts of Gungahlin where blocks are postage stamp size—they are minuscule compared to what I am lucky enough to have in Tuggeranong, my 1,300-metre block which I love, it has got a great garden and generates a considerable amount of green waste which goes to Corkhills for recycling—for a small block, say, in Bonner or Gungahlin—
Ms Fitzharris: So what? People in Molonglo and Gungahlin do not deserve it? Is that what you are saying?
MR WALL: I am not saying that. I am saying the question here is about the efficiency of the scheme, rolling out a green bin to every home in the ACT for many blocks that do not have a yard at all and whether or not in the midst of winter it is
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