Levitzke, Mr V.

The Hon. T.T. NGO (16:02): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Can the minister tell the chamber about Mr Vaughan Levitzke, Chief Executive of Zero Waste SA, and his outstanding contribution to the public sector in general and the waste and recycling sector in particular?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (16:03): I am very grateful to the honourable member for his very important question. We have fantastic people working for us in the Public Service in this state, serving the South Australian public on a daily basis and making a real difference for all of us.

One way that outstanding public servants are recognised is through the Public Service Medal. I am very pleased to inform the chamber that one of the recipients announced on Australia Day was Mr Vaughan Levitzke, Chief Executive of Zero Waste SA, for outstanding public service in the area of waste management reform and policy. Only 100 public sector medals are awarded nationally each year, making this a very prestigious award, and what an incredibly deserving recipient we have in Mr Levitzke.

With over 33 years’ experience across government in environmental science, innovation and industry development, Mr Levitzke is a noted expert in waste, recycling and container deposit legislation, to name a few areas. He has held the role of Chief Executive of Zero Waste SA since it was established in 2003. He quickly developed a reputation as a passionate leader who has guided the organisation to become a respected, innovative and effective agency. Most importantly, Mr Levitzke has positioned South Australia as a national and international leader in recycling and waste management.

Mr Levitzke’s achievements are really too numerous to list in their entirety, but I would like to highlight those that have resulted in real and tangible improvements for South Australia. Through his leadership and innovation, this state has invested in state-of-the art infrastructure which has stimulated new ventures across South Australia in electronic waste, composting and recycling of construction demolition waste, and it has improved regional waste planning and infrastructure, invested in world-leading research and waste management and reduction and recycling and resource efficiencies and introduced industry resource efficiency measures that are not only making businesses greener but also saving them money.

Through his leadership, it became the first state in Australia to ban checkout-style plastic bags in May 2009, with a considerable amount of help from my parliamentary leader, the Hon. Gail Gago, who led this wonderful change. All these initiatives and more, overseen by Mr Levitzke's leadership, have resulted in remarkable reductions in the amount of waste sent to landfill.

We are the only Australian jurisdiction, as far as I know, to show steadily reducing waste to landfill since 2003. In 2003-04, South Australians were diverting about 61 per cent of materials from landfill, and this figure has now increased, I am advised, to over 77 per cent. These rates are not only the highest in the country but among the world's best.

Mr Levitzke's achievements, however, are not just confined to this state. Zero Waste achievements under the leadership of Mr Levitzke have been recognised in the UN habitat report, entitled Solid Waste Management in World Cities. Mr Levitzke is a member of the Advisory Board to the International Partnerships for Expanding Waste Management Services of Local Authorities, an initiative of the United Nations Centre of Regional Development in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In February 2012, he was invited by the United Nations to advise on earthquake and tsunami reconstruction for sustainable communities, where he provided advice on waste and sustainability in respect of disaster recovery and planning.

I know that Mr Levitzke is highly respected by his peers, and in particular by the hardworking staff at Zero Waste South Australia and the industry and community that he and that agency support. I have particularly appreciated his outstanding communication skills, his integrity and honesty and his willingness to fight for what he believes is in the best interests of the state, based on the best available scientific evidence. I congratulate Mr Levitzke and all the staff at the Zero Waste SA on this well-deserved acknowledgment of their talent, skills and hard work on behalf of the citizens of South Australia.