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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-18 Daily Xml
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Container Deposit Scheme

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (15:25): Today I wish to talk about a survey that has been carried out over a three-year period by the CSIRO, along with Earthwatch Australia, TeachWild and Shell. It is a survey that looked at pollution and debris along the Australian coastline. This survey was conducted at sites approximately 100 kilometres apart along the Australian coastline. What this survey has shown conclusively, and in doing so has dispelled a myth, is that debris washed up along the Australian coastline is as a result of careless littering and less than appropriate, indeed illegal, fishing practices.

It had previously been argued by many that a lot of this debris had originated well beyond our shores and had washed up onto our coastline. This myth was well and truly debunked. The report states:

The majority of coastal debris in Australia is from Australian sources, not the high seas.

It goes on to say:

Consumer behaviour and illegal dumping are the primary causes of marine debris in Australia.

What we do know is that this debris, particularly plastic and discarded commercial fishing nets and material, is having a devastating effect on our marine life and in particular our sea birds. It is reported that around 43 per cent of sea birds have plastic in their guts. It is also thought that up to 15,000 turtles have been entangled in illegally disposed of fishing nets.

Particularly telling is the reference to South Australia and our container deposit legislation and our ban on single-use plastic bags. While our coastline in South Australia is still suffering pollution from the inappropriate behaviour of residents and fishers in this state, our results, due to the controls we have in place, are having a more positive impact than elsewhere in Australia. We all, including the fishing sector, can do much better in this regard.

This brings me to the main point I wish to make; that is, the idea of a national container deposit scheme. For many years, South Australia has fought the Eastern States and the federal government and I pay particular attention to the former member for Schubert for bringing this matter to attention at a national level to say: why is it that we do not have a national container deposit scheme? We have always fought against the other states. The other states succumbed to strong lobbying by major beverage producers to scuttle any national scheme at a federal level. In doing so, it was a refusal by the states and the commonwealth government over many years to use South Australia as a basis for, if you like, exploring the possibilities and benefits of a national container deposit scheme.

The benefits of recycling in South Australia are obvious. We have over 100 depots that collect not only containers that have deposits on them but we have created an industry where a whole lot of material can be recycled at these particular venues. We have no deposit containers in the litter scheme. I was in Sydney on the weekend and had a look at their three-bin system along Bondi Beach. To me, it shows that it is not having as positive an impact as it could have if they did have container deposit legislation in place. It is time, more than ever before, to revisit genuinely the benefits that will arise from a national container deposit scheme and I call on the states and the federal government to genuinely revisit this issue.

With the little time I have left, I read with interest recently an article detailing the impact the federal government policy on e-waste will have on our recycling industry in South Australia. It appears that the federal government made a decision to award export permits for e-waste from South Australia to be shipped overseas despite a financially viable recycling e-waste sector in this state. This decision will not only create a loss of jobs in South Australia but it also appears that a significant amount of this exported e-waste will find its way to landfill in the foreign country of destination.

I do not think that any of us should be surprised by the federal government's decision given its lack of commitment and denialist approach to anything that is about helping and protecting our environment. To that extent, I call on the federal government, I call on the state government in South Australia, and I think they are doing that, but I particularly call on the federal government to abandon this ridiculous policy to ship e-waste to overseas countries and allow for this material to be appropriately recycled in South Australia to further show the people of Australia and the rest of the world how much we are leaders in this particular area.

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