Released 07/06/2016
New legislation was tabled in the Legislative Assembly today to modernise Canberra’s waste industry, achieve better resource recovery rates and make the ACT a cleaner place to live.
The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill 2016 will encourage and promote responsible waste management practices, innovative waste industry opportunities and help make our waste sector carbon-neutral. It has been developed following extensive industry and community consultation.
“The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill 2016 will help to reduce waste generation, increase recycling and resource recovery, and improve the overall management of waste practices in the ACT,” Minister for Transport and Municipal Services Meegan Fitzharris said today.
“This legislation will replace the Waste Minimisation Act 2001. Since the Act was introduced, waste management practices and technology have changed significantly, Canberra’s population has increased and there is more pressure on our landfill capacities.
“The Bill introduced today won’t impact on day-to-day household waste collections, but it will change the way the commercial waste sector operates by introducing incentives to manage the collection, storage, recovery and reuse of waste in the ACT.
“Importantly, it will require the commercial waste industry to provide data on their waste activity to government agencies so that we can better understand what happens to our waste and develop strategies to minimise it and encourage more resource recovery.
“It will encourage investment in waste facilities in the ACT to cater for waste streams, such as mixed commercial waste and household residual wastes, which are sent to landfill.
“The legislation also encourages waste transportation businesses and waste treatment facilities to recycle or reuse their waste, rather than simply sending it into landfill. Landfill should only be a destination for waste that cannot be recovered and recycled. We want to make it clear to our waste industry that there are savings to be made by changing their practices to recycle and recover waste.
“Ultimately, businesses that recycle and recover their waste rather than sending it to landfill will pay less, making it more attractive for waste operators to recycle and contribute to resource recovery.”
Minister Fitzharris said that over time waste charges will change and be aimed at sending effective price signals to industry and the community, and charges will be re-invested in the waste industry. The Bill is due to come into effect on 1 July 2017.
The new legislation provides a framework for the review of waste management in the ACT currently being undertaken by the ACT Waste Feasibility Study. The ACT Waste Feasibility Study aims to identify future options to redesign waste management in the ACT to maximise recycling and minimise waste to landfill.
Minister Fitzharris said the Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment and Territory and Municipal Services for inquiry. “I look forward to working with the Committee to report to the Assembly before the August sitting period.”
- Statement ends -
Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases
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