Mr WOOD - 2014-02-20
In October last year, you announced ‘We are resurrecting the cash for cans program across the Territory’. You have since foreshadowed changes to the legislation which are intended to make life easier for depots by reducing the number of splits.
Where are the changes promised? How will these changes resurrect cash for cans across the Territory and not only in the major centres? What moves have been made towards a national Cash for Containers scheme, as raised in the media recently?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Nelson.
The Country Liberals picked up where the previous government dropped the ball. They basically crushed any chance of a - sorry, a play on words. We have worked damn hard on this side trying to fix up a broken piece of legislation the previous government left us. We worked damn hard to secure state and territory support to continue that legislation - done. We have been working very hard behind the scenes getting information from the industry to find out how we can make this legislation more effective, being very careful we do not take it too far. Remember, we faced a challenge in the federal court by a major beverage manufacturer and I do not think, morally, it has the environment at heart.
The Territory Country Liberals government is making changes to that legislation. I anticipate in the March sitting the changes will be introduced to this House. We have finished a number of consultations with the industry to ensure we have covered off as much as we can. Things like the splits were causing a number of concerns, making it a very complicated and costly system. We are reducing this from around 24 splits and are aiming for around eight or nine splits.
The legislation will be introduced, I hope, in March. We are still waiting on two key components and one piece of legal advice before we can continue. Once we have ticked it off, we will ensure we get the legislation up.
I will not rush this; I want this to be right. We have worked too damn hard to save a system loved by Territorians and with great environmental outcomes for the Northern Territory. I am very hopeful at this stage it will be the March sittings.
One thing we are also looking at - in the same legislation was the old plastic bags. I distinctly remember the former minister saying the reasons they introduced the 15c or 20c plastic bag levy - another levy on Territorians - was the weight of plastic going into landfill. I am asking about what measures we have put in place over the last few years to measure how successful the plastic bag ban part of that legislation is, because it is part and parcel - cash for cans and plastic bags – of whether or not we have really made substantial savings in plastic which goes into the landfill.
I can assure you, member for Nelson, at this stage we are hopeful to get the legislation up in the March sittings.
Where are the changes promised? How will these changes resurrect cash for cans across the Territory and not only in the major centres? What moves have been made towards a national Cash for Containers scheme, as raised in the media recently?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Nelson.
The Country Liberals picked up where the previous government dropped the ball. They basically crushed any chance of a - sorry, a play on words. We have worked damn hard on this side trying to fix up a broken piece of legislation the previous government left us. We worked damn hard to secure state and territory support to continue that legislation - done. We have been working very hard behind the scenes getting information from the industry to find out how we can make this legislation more effective, being very careful we do not take it too far. Remember, we faced a challenge in the federal court by a major beverage manufacturer and I do not think, morally, it has the environment at heart.
The Territory Country Liberals government is making changes to that legislation. I anticipate in the March sitting the changes will be introduced to this House. We have finished a number of consultations with the industry to ensure we have covered off as much as we can. Things like the splits were causing a number of concerns, making it a very complicated and costly system. We are reducing this from around 24 splits and are aiming for around eight or nine splits.
The legislation will be introduced, I hope, in March. We are still waiting on two key components and one piece of legal advice before we can continue. Once we have ticked it off, we will ensure we get the legislation up.
I will not rush this; I want this to be right. We have worked too damn hard to save a system loved by Territorians and with great environmental outcomes for the Northern Territory. I am very hopeful at this stage it will be the March sittings.
One thing we are also looking at - in the same legislation was the old plastic bags. I distinctly remember the former minister saying the reasons they introduced the 15c or 20c plastic bag levy - another levy on Territorians - was the weight of plastic going into landfill. I am asking about what measures we have put in place over the last few years to measure how successful the plastic bag ban part of that legislation is, because it is part and parcel - cash for cans and plastic bags – of whether or not we have really made substantial savings in plastic which goes into the landfill.
I can assure you, member for Nelson, at this stage we are hopeful to get the legislation up in the March sittings.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016