Page 556 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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their existing operations by partnering with licensed clubs and restaurants to collect and return eligible containers.
It is also worth mentioning that trash pack operators do still operate in other jurisdictions that have green bins and that the initiatives we are looking into for trash pack operators may help to grow and transform their business model.
In the lead-up to the pilot there was much public commentary around the risk of contamination in the green waste collected from households through green waste bins. The territory already has a highly successful self-service drop-off facility, which the government provides at no cost to users. Local governments around Australia typically charge a gate fee for such green waste drop-off. This is not the case in the ACT. In the ACT, Corkhill Bros and Canberra Sand and Gravel generate a high quality saleable compost from this material. There were suggestions that the introduction of the green bin service could adversely impact this.
The pilot program was designed with a strong focus on minimising the risk of contamination. Since the introduction of the pilot and the recent expansion to Tuggeranong, just over 1,500 tonnes of clean green waste has been collected as at January this year. In particular, Weston Creek and Kambah have experienced an exceptionally low contamination rate of around 0.01 per cent, or approximately 15 grams, per participating household. This is a credit, as I have said before, to residents participating in the service.
Certainly it is the case that the community has spoken clearly and the ACT government has listened. The community unequivocally want green waste bins. Feedback from recent surveys and other groups illustrates the high demand for this service across the city. It has been popular in Weston Creek and Kambah and now in Tuggeranong, and we also look forward to its being popular as the program rolls out to all Canberrans by mid next year.
We continue to demonstrate our commitment to waste management in a range of different areas. The rollout of green bins earlier than expected is part of our commitment. As my motion notes, and as I discussed with Mr Wall and outlined today, we, like Mr Wall, do take seriously the concerns of trash pack operators. As I have outlined, there are a number of initiatives underway, in close contact with trash pack operators, through ACT NoWaste, TCCS and other arms of government.
Like Mr Wall, I have received messages from people who are no longer receiving the service of a trash pack operator but instead have green bins. We are responding to those. We are also responding to the concerns of trash pack operators. I have outlined a number of measures that we are looking towards, so it is simply incorrect for the opposition to claim that we are doing nothing. I accept that they would like us to do more and that that is also the case for the trash pack operators. We will continue to work with them, as I said we would. We will also find new opportunities for them. Their business model clearly has been impacted, but there are opportunities for them and we will continue to explore them directly with those operators.
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