Mr WOOD - 2013-12-03
You said in your media release on 11 October that the government is managing a balanced environment by resurrecting the Cash for Containers program. Further, you said you are committed to improving the legislation to encourage further operators to join the market. It does not look like your improved legislation is working, as Territory Metals in Alice Springs has just closed. Although Envirobank stepped in, it is open for such short hours – Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 am to 2 pm – that people have to wait for ages to recycle their containers. Where is the improvement in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson. I appreciate the question. It has taken quite a while. I think I said last week in this House that the mop required to clean up a mess is often described as being as big as required to clean up the mess. The mess with the legislation the former government rolled out for cash for cans is taking quite a bit of time to get through.
We know we have issues. We had to step through the process of getting the Mutual Recognition (Northern Territory) Act in place. We are now working on the draft legislation. The first draft came to me for consideration. I was not happy with that legislation; it did not go far enough. Mind you, we have to be very careful we do not turn an apple into an orange because we have so far we can take legislation in the Northern Territory.
I can assure you there was a commercial decision made by the operator in Alice Springs, who closed down after the Territory government stopped funding the scheme whilst it was in the courts. When we were funding the scheme, whilst it was in the courts, that company remained open, but the moment we stopped the funding, it made a commercial decision to stop.
Government was working hard to find other operators, because for quite a while, Alice Springs went without a recycling facility. There are now five additional sites across the Territory compared to when the former Labor government was in charge.
In future, I see this improving because as the legislation is rolled out – I am certain that legislation will get support from the Labor Party because they know there could be improvements in the system.
The new legislation will go as far as we possibly can in the Northern Territory to make it a more efficient process. The more efficient we can make the process, the more inviting it will be for operators to open. I would like to see a day where Alice Springs has three, four or even five operators and reverse vending machines around town. That could be right across the Northern Territory, but the legislation needs to be more efficient than it was.
The news we had out of Victoria only last week was fantastic. They are working towards looking at introducing cash for cans in Victoria. If we have Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory using the cash for cans system, we are closer than ever to getting a national scheme.
We are working to improve the legislation to make it as efficient as possible so operators will be encouraged to enter the market. It has to be commercially sustainable, and that is what we are working on.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson. I appreciate the question. It has taken quite a while. I think I said last week in this House that the mop required to clean up a mess is often described as being as big as required to clean up the mess. The mess with the legislation the former government rolled out for cash for cans is taking quite a bit of time to get through.
We know we have issues. We had to step through the process of getting the Mutual Recognition (Northern Territory) Act in place. We are now working on the draft legislation. The first draft came to me for consideration. I was not happy with that legislation; it did not go far enough. Mind you, we have to be very careful we do not turn an apple into an orange because we have so far we can take legislation in the Northern Territory.
I can assure you there was a commercial decision made by the operator in Alice Springs, who closed down after the Territory government stopped funding the scheme whilst it was in the courts. When we were funding the scheme, whilst it was in the courts, that company remained open, but the moment we stopped the funding, it made a commercial decision to stop.
Government was working hard to find other operators, because for quite a while, Alice Springs went without a recycling facility. There are now five additional sites across the Territory compared to when the former Labor government was in charge.
In future, I see this improving because as the legislation is rolled out – I am certain that legislation will get support from the Labor Party because they know there could be improvements in the system.
The new legislation will go as far as we possibly can in the Northern Territory to make it a more efficient process. The more efficient we can make the process, the more inviting it will be for operators to open. I would like to see a day where Alice Springs has three, four or even five operators and reverse vending machines around town. That could be right across the Northern Territory, but the legislation needs to be more efficient than it was.
The news we had out of Victoria only last week was fantastic. They are working towards looking at introducing cash for cans in Victoria. If we have Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory using the cash for cans system, we are closer than ever to getting a national scheme.
We are working to improve the legislation to make it as efficient as possible so operators will be encouraged to enter the market. It has to be commercially sustainable, and that is what we are working on.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016