RECYCLING, REGIONAL COMMUNITIES

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:15): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Will the minister inform the chamber about how the South Australian government is assisting regional communities deal with and recycle waste?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:15): I thank the honourable member for her most interesting question and also for her ongoing involvement and interest in areas dealing with recycling and local communities. The government recognises that recovering and recycling waste in regional communities presents a number of challenges that are often not shared by larger metropolitan communities. Dispersed population centres, fewer people and considerable transport distances create difficulties for achieving a viable recycling outcome in many regional areas.

In recognition of these difficulties, South Australia's Waste Strategy 2011-15 does not set specific recycling targets for regional South Australia. Instead, the strategy allows for flexibility for rural councils. Through a regional implementation program, Zero Waste SA is working with councils to progressively implement waste reforms to continue to improve the recovery of materials from country areas. Most regional councils in South Australia have, with funding from Zero Waste SA, developed regional waste management plans. The plans provide a blueprint for the commissioning and decommissioning of infrastructure, including landfill sites, and services across the state.

Seven rounds of funding have been awarded under a regional implementation plan since 2004, with a total state government funding commitment of $6.79 million for 102 regional infrastructure projects. On 18 February 2013, I released an eighth round of funding for projects that will stimulate further improvements in regional areas, such as the development of transfer stations and sorting operations that divert recyclable material from landfill. Innovative projects that achieve additional diversion of waste from landfill are encouraged to apply for this funding source. Applications for funding are open until Friday 5 April and will be assessed by regional assessment panels that include local government and industry representatives.

In the past few years, we have seen this significant investment transformed into infrastructure across various regions of our state. Some examples include:

$300,000 to the Berri Barmera Council for a Riverland regional resource recovery facility. This has provided an effective resource recovery option, including opportunities for re-use of unwanted goods;

$138,200 to the District Council of Loxton Waikerie for the establishment of a transfer station on council's site to ensure the recovery of scrap metal, green organics, recyclables and concrete;

$140,000 to the City of Victor Harbor for a resource recovery facility to assist in the recovery of larger recyclable materials, including concrete, scrap metal, green organics and other recyclables;

$122,000 to the Kangaroo Island Council for an auto baler for the KI Resource Recovery Centre to improve freight efficiencies;

$140,000 to the District Council of Robe to establish a waste transfer station and resource recovery facility; and

$126,000 or thereabouts to the Flinders Ranges Council for a transfer station at Quorn.

For many regional communities this funding has made a big difference in the processing and recovery of waste across regional South Australia.

The regional waste support program has been so successful that it has been able to evolve over the past few years to place a focus on establishing waste transfer stations, as councils have begun to rationalise and close landfill sites. As I said, this government recognises that resource recovery in the regions presents a number of challenges, but that does not mean that it is impossible for regional communities to reduce, re-use or recycle their waste.

Thanks to a collaboration with councils, we are able to see firsthand results in the reduction of waste going to landfill and increases in the recovery of resources. I think it is fair to say that our results speak for themselves. When we are utilising, for example, the waste levy in terms of recycling for local government, these funds are used generally for providing grants and incentives for a diverse range of world-class recycling and leading-edge waste reduction projects. They have provided grants and incentives to councils to improve kerbside recycling systems. They are also used to support businesses and industry to improve waste management practices, provide regional communities with new or upgraded transfer stations using state-of-the-art technologies, sorting equipment and improved waste management. They are used to support school educational programs, litter reduction initiatives and free household collection services for hazardous waste, including e-waste.

As I have outlined previously, the waste levy revenue also funds a range of EPA priority projects and programs, including the development and implementation of waste policy, the management of site contamination legislation and the establishment of the illegal dumping unit, and we know that this expenditure has produced results. That is why South Australia has reduced the amount of waste going to landfill by 17.32 per cent since 2003-04 and that is why South Australia's recycling rate is among the world's best, diverting more than 70 per cent of all waste generated from landfill. We have spent over $68.9 million of waste levy revenue on initiatives that have generated a cultural change in South Australia, and it is something we should all be very proud of.