Electoral (Regulation of Corflutes) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

Received from the House of Assembly and read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (18:28): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading explanation and detailed explanation of clauses inserted in Hansard without my reading them.

Leave granted.

Mr President, I am pleased to introduce the Electoral (Regulation of Corflutes) Amendment Bill 2021.

This Bill amends the Electoral Act 1985 and makes a related amendment to the Local Government Act 1999 to regulate the use of corflutes on public roads.

As Members are aware, corflute is the name given to corrugated polypropylene, a fluted plastic which is lightweight yet rigid. Through election periods across the State we see corflutes posted on stobie poles advertising election candidates, and being used as A-frames at shopping centres.

Mr President, I won't go into too much detail, as this has been raised in this House previously, but corflutes are detrimental to the environment as there are limited recycling options for them. Polypropylene is not widely recycled, with only two main recycling methods: either mechanical recycling which is complicated due to concerns around food contact and in separating types of plastic, and recycling through chemical methods to break the corflute down. While all political parties encourage their candidates to reuse and recycle corflutes, or repurpose or donate, this is often difficult and sees a continual cycle of new corflutes being printed each election.

Not only is the corflute detrimental to the environment, but to attach corflutes to stobie poles they require cable ties and other fixings which often get cut and left for local wildlife to consume.

Earlier this year South Australia's most significant environment policy came into effect, the Government introduced a single use plastic ban. With the huge success of this policy, I would hope that this Bill will receive the full support of the Parliament.

Mr President, many of these corflutes quite often remain on stobie poles much longer than anticipated, with candidates and their volunteers not removing them in the required timeframe. Local councils have then had to follow up to have them taken down. Councils also further raised concerns about diminished roadside safety, distracting drivers and the preservation of roadside public amenity.

Corflutes are costly to parties and do little to educate voters about a candidate, their policy or their platform beyond name identification. With modern campaigning methods, corflutes are quickly becoming redundant.

The Government appreciates that not all voters will have access to the internet, or particularly social media, where much political communication occurs about candidates and policies of the political parties of the day.

The Government also appreciates that people may need to be reminded of election day and of polling place locations. The Bill permits a limited number of four corflutes to be exhibited by candidates or groups within 50 metres of an open polling booth. The clause also provides for an exception to the ban of putting corflutes on roads when those roads are within the 50 metre zone.

Regulations will be made to set out requirements that must be followed in displaying these corflutes.

If a candidate authorising the display of corflutes breaches the legislation they commit an offence and any person displaying unauthorised corflutes also commits an offence. The presiding officer of a polling booth has broad powers to direct or undertake removal of corflutes which are exhibited in contravention of the legislation.

The Bill also provides that other exceptions to the ban of corflutes on roads are permitted by regulation.

Mr President, it's a shame that we are here once again debating the removal of corflutes. It is clear to me that this Labor opposition doesn't care for the impact and damages corflutes have on our environment.

Kangaroo Island is already ahead of us, in the 1980's the community and the candidates agreed to not have corflutes at all. Banners continued to be displayed only at polling booths.

I note that the Member for Waite has also attempted to introduce his own Bill to remove corflutes, however this has not progressed.

The community dislike them, the volunteers get caught up in the midnight rush of getting the perfect stobie pole and plastering faces all over the main roads, and it's intimidating for voters on polling day.

Mr President, I commend the Bill to Members and I seek leave to insert the Explanation of Clauses in Hansard without my reading it. I hope to see this Bill progress through Parliament as a priority.

EXPLANATION OF CLAUSES

Part 1—Preliminary

1—Short title

2—Commencement

3—Amendment provisions

These clauses are formal.

Part 2—Amendment of Electoral Act 1985

4—Amendment of section 115—Limitations on display of electoral advertisements

An offence of exhibiting an electoral advertising poster on a public road (including any structure, fixture or vegetation on a public road) during an election period, except in circumstances prescribed by the regulations, is provided for. A definition of electoral advertising poster is inserted—being a poster displaying electoral advertising made of corflute or plastic. The limitations under the section would also apply to posters made of other materials or kinds of materials prescribed by regulation (if any).

5—Amendment of section 125—Prohibition of canvassing near polling booths

Limitations on the number of electoral advertising posters that may be exhibited within 50 metres of an entrance to a polling booth open for polling are provided for. The presiding officer at a polling booth is authorised to remove posters that are not exhibited in accordance with the limitations.

Schedule 1—Related amendment to Local Government Act 1999

1—Amendment of section 226—Moveable signs

Currently, a sign related to a State election may be placed and maintained on a road during an election period without an authorisation or permit under Chapter 11 Part 2 of the Local Government Act 1999. That general exemption in relation to State elections is deleted as a consequence of the insertion of the offence into section 115 of the Electoral Act 1985 by the measure.

An exemption is provided for in relation to a sign that relates to a State election and is an electoral advertising poster that is authorised to be exhibited under section 115(2a) of the Electoral Act 1985 or section 125(1a) and (1b) of that Act (during an election period under that Act) (so that such a sign may be placed and maintained on a road during an election period without an authorisation or permit under Chapter 11 Part 2).

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.