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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-03-04 Daily Xml
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PLASTIC BAGS

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:15): Can the Premier please inform the house of the government's policy on reducing the environmental impact of single use plastic bags in South Australia?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:05): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am very pleased to inform the house that, once again, South Australia is leading the nation by example when it comes to environmental policies. People will be aware of a series of initiatives, including maintaining the moratorium on GM crops, what we have announced in terms of the container deposit legislation, as well as the new round of climate change legislation.

Single use plastic shopping bags are one of the worst problems this country faces in terms of litter management. An estimated 4.24 billion plastic bags enter circulation every year, and of that number—and this is very important because there are all these sorts of urban myths being floated around about how they are all being recycled—less than 5 per cent is being recycled.

I am advised that Australians use more than 10 million plastic bags a day, and throw away 7,150 bags a minute—that is 7,000-plus bags a minute. These bags contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, clog up landfill, litter our streets and streams and, according to Planet Ark, kill at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles each year. Last Sunday, on Clean-Up Australia Day, I announced, with environment minister Gail Gago, that the state government will go it alone and ban free single use plastic shopping bags by the end of the year if the nation's environment ministers cannot reach a consensus on this issue.

Obviously, we want to work together, but this is an area where South Australia took the lead. I want to congratulate the Minister for Health in his former role as minister for the environment for putting this matter on the national agenda. It also, as I have said, follows a recent incentive for South Australians to keep recycling by doubling the current 5¢ deposit on drink containers. I am advised that legislation is now being drafted to be introduced in parliament next month.

Last year minister Gago wrote to all states restating South Australia's preference for a complete ban. While a nationally consistent solution to this problem remains the ultimate goal, if the other states cannot agree on what action to take, South Australia will go it on its own. However, in the interests of national consistency, our legislation will be drafted so that it can be easily adapted to suit a national strategy, just as we have done with the feed-in legislation. I am advised that banning—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Oh, you're not opposed to this one too, are you?

Mr Hamilton-Smith: Is this a world first?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: He is now opposing this.

Mr Hamilton-Smith: Is now a first time in the history of mankind?

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Here we go. This is what people say about you: you will say anything to any group, but when are you going to say what you mean and mean what you say? I am told that the Leader of the Opposition read The Advertiser yesterday, and read about a 'mood for change'. He was absolutely exhilarated by what he read until he got down to the numbers: 57 per cent to 43 per cent. There was a mood for change; it has gone up since the last state election and since he became Leader of the Opposition.

I am advised that banning single use plastic bags in South Australia will divert more than 400 million bags from landfill—an astonishing 1,600 tonnes of plastic a year. In this state we will see 400 million bags that were going to landfill—1,600 tonnes of plastic—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Now he is disputing The Advertiser's polling. How could anyone do that? How could anyone dispute the scientific methodology of an Advertiser poll? Just yesterday, Ian Kiernan, chairman and founder of Clean-Up Australia Day, was congratulating South Australia. He stated—and because I am modest I will not say this myself; I will read it out:

I think the Rann government model has been very well thought out, and congratulations to South Australia on taking this leadership position, which will certainly have some influence on a federal decision.

Of course, South Australians have a history of embracing environmental initiatives that minimise landfill, increase recycling rates and reduce carbon footprint. I am sure that this ban will once again receive broad support from the community. Please do not ever doubt that Advertiser methodology the other day. I know that it is done incredibly scientifically.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No, but we read what it said about you.

The SPEAKER: Order!

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