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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-01 Daily Xml
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ELECTRONIC WASTE

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. What initiatives are underway to improve the management of electronic waste in South Australia?

The Hon. I.F. Evans: You asked this eight weeks ago!

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:50): I don't believe so.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: No, I don't believe so.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: I thank very much the honourable member for Little Para for his question. The responsible management of electronic waste is a high priority for—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: That still remains; it might be a different answer and a different question, but is a high priority for the South Australian government and is quite simply an issue of national and international concern. Old televisions, computers and other unwanted electronic items known as e-waste contain valuable resources such as tin, nickel, zinc, aluminium and copper. However, they can also contain material such as lead and mercury, which are potentially very harmful to the environment if not managed and disposed of appropriately.

Households often generate e-waste when they replace or upgrade old and unwanted equipment such as analogue televisions with newer digital televisions—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: I find it very interesting that the newly elected deputy leader hasn't asked a question in his role for three days, and the reason he hasn't asked—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: The reason he has not asked a question, Madam Speaker, is that he believes he is the answer.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order: standing order 98, Madam Speaker. The minister is now referring to the newly elected deputy leader and not to electronic waste, which the question was about.

The SPEAKER: Thank you; I will uphold that point of order.

The Hon. P. CAICA: He will be waste at some time, just not electronic waste. Recognising these products as a potential source of contamination, the government has introduced a landfill ban—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: —well, you are aware of the landfill ban; I know that, Iain; I am glad that you listen to things—on computer monitors and televisions, including components, subassemblies and consumables that are part of the equipment when discarded, which took effect in metropolitan areas in September this year. A statewide ban will occur in 1 September 2013.

Under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme—and I suppose it is interesting that we talk about recycling in the context of the opposition as well—but, Madam Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: They are interjecting, Madam Speaker, and I wish they would—

Ms Chapman: No, we're not; we're going to sleep over here. We have heard it all before.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, so have we. 'Ho-hum ho-hum,' that's right, from all of you. That's right. Under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, producers will be required to take responsibility for the management and recycling of end-of-life televisions and computers. This scheme, set for implementation by the end of 2013, is being regulated by the Australian government under the Product Stewardship Act and the Product Stewardship (Televisions and Computers) Regulations.

The organised collection and recycling of these products has already started in South Australia, with six sites established at North Plympton, Wingfield, Pooraka, Beverley, Trinity Gardens and Heathfield. Madam Speaker, services—

The Hon. I.F. Evans: That's five; Heathfield's a dump.

The Hon. P. CAICA: —will expand to the rest of the state by the end of 2013. At the state level, I have committed to supporting our communities with opportunities to recycle e-waste responsibly—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: It's six.

The Hon. P. CAICA: They do have trouble counting; that's right. The government, through Zero Waste SA, has provided funding to local councils for e-waste collection events to help recover unwanted e-waste and these programs have been highly successful. The state government's free e-waste drop-off program, held during May this year, in partnership with 13 inner regional councils, was an outstanding success, with a total of 1,039 tonnes of e-waste collected from 13 drop-off points, which included 16,583 TVs and 6,196 computers.

In September 2012, I announced $200,000 in funding for infrastructure projects to support the safe collection, storage and handling, and recovery of e-waste. In addition, we are planning for an increase in the disposal of unwanted televisions in the lead-up to the digital television switchover in April next year and immediately afterwards. I have written to the commonwealth in regard to the need to have adequate collection sites available under the national recycling scheme for e-waste and also to seek its assistance to ensure that we can appropriately cater for the expected influx of e-waste.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! You went two seconds over, minister.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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