Page 2162 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 5 June 2019
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In relation to recycling solar panels, Minister Steel has already discussed the cooperative national efforts being made in this area. Solar panel recycling is already quite a mature market. While there are no solar panel recycling providers currently based in Canberra, there are a number elsewhere in Australia and around the world. I expect that local industry-led solar panel recycling services are likely to appear once there is sufficient local demand. Given the long operating life of solar panels, it has not yet occurred.
Participants in the Actsmart solar for low income and solar for business programs are currently encouraged to contact their providers for more information on recycling or take-back programs offered by manufacturers. The environment directorate is also liaising closely with TCCS and the solar industry to ensure that our approach reflects current best practice.
Let me touch briefly on zero-emission vehicles. Members will know that the ACT government have ambitious zero emission vehicle targets embedded in our strategy. Electric battery vehicles are a key part of this. Battery electric vehicle end of life is not yet a major issue in Australia, as most EVs are relatively new and still in operation on the road. I ran into somebody today who had just sold their 15-year-old Prius. They were proudly telling me that the battery was still going well and the car was still going quite well, but they were just in the fortunate position of upgrading to the 2019 model. They were very pleased that their 2004 model was still going strong.
I can inform the Assembly that Australia has two processing plants that will soon be ready to process EV batteries at the end of their life into their re-usable components. These will be shipped to South Korea, where they will be recycled into the next generation of batteries. If Australia invested in local EV battery manufacturing, this would create opportunities for local recycling. Currently there is no regulation in Australia requiring EV batteries to be recycled at the end of their life. However, that is being considered nationally as part of the development of a national battery stewardship scheme, for which I look forward to hearing support from all members of this chamber.
I am quite keen for the federal government to take some action on this issue and would strongly encourage them to provide investment in local recycling industries and product stewardship schemes—batteries, solar panels and other electrical products included. We do have some distance to go with some of these industries. It is well time that Australia sought to address these issues. I will be supporting Minister Steel’s amendment and I look forward to the work that has been outlined in that amendment, including his report back. These are very interesting topics and ones that we all need to be mindful of.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (5.13): I thank my Assembly colleagues for their comments on this important topic today. I would like to reassure the minister that, whilst I would love to take responsibility for it, this motion actually came from Ms Lee, before her unexpected absence due to the birth of her baby over the weekend. I would like to place on record my congratulations to Ms Lee and her family on the arrival of their daughter, Mia.
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