Container Deposit Scheme

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (14:44): I ask the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation whether he will inform the house about the effect the increase in deposit from 5¢ to 10¢ has had on the return rates for the container deposit scheme?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and I will try not to fall into the Hon. Mr Parnell's trap and use those terrible puns, as they are wont to use over there. When I do puns they are excellent ones.

In South Australia we have many examples of world's best practice when it comes to waste management and recycling. In fact, just under 80 per cent of all waste is diverted from landfill for recycling in this state. This is a fantastic outcome. It reflects the two key objectives of our waste management strategy: to avoid or reduce the amount of overall waste and to maximise the useful life of materials by making them last longer through reuse and recycling.

The container deposit legislation (CDL), introduced in 1977 in South Australia, has played an important role in achieving these results. In fact, the CDL was declared a heritage icon in 2006 by the National Trust SA in recognition of the role it has played in contributing to South Australia's cultural identity. This is reflected in the results of independent research undertaken in September 2012. This research shows that 98 per cent of South Australians are supportive of the scheme, making it perhaps the most successful legislation ever passed in this state.

Thanks to our container deposit legislation the overall return rate for beverage containers in South Australia is currently 81 per cent, I am told. In fact, beverage containers make up less than 2 per cent of our litter stream. Despite these successes, in the mid to late 2000s a slight downturn in CDL return rates was noticed. There could be many reasons for this decline, but a contributing factor was likely to have been the diminishing value of the 5¢ return deposit, the amount paid for returning the container.

As most people in this place are aware, in 2008 the refund amount was increased from 5¢ to 10¢, and I am pleased to advise now that this has led to a consistently higher rate of return for beverage containers. The 2012-13 return rates show an increase of over 15 per cent compared with the 2007-08 period, when the refund amount was just 5¢. It is worth noting that in 2012-13, 594 million containers, which equates to around 43,000 tonnes of material, were returned for recycling and potentially diverted from landfill. These are incredibly impressive numbers.

The container deposit scheme is such a success in this state, and held in such very high regard by the majority of South Australians, that we are now the envy of the country, and other jurisdictions are looking to copy what we have done. The Northern Territory has sought to do so and has now done so. We want to make sure that the scheme and its supporters keep growing and expanding, and that we all continue to reap the rewards from this astounding scheme.

The South Australian government supports the implementation of a national container deposit scheme. I believe that, if given the opportunity, the rest of Australia could achieve similar environmental and community outcomes as those that we experience in our state. This is why I was particularly frustrated when the scheme ceased in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory is now pursuing a permanent exemption through the Council of Australian Governments process to the Commonwealth Mutual Recognition Act 1992. South Australia has supported and will continue to support the Northern Territory and other states, and my understanding is that that agreement has been reached for the Northern Territory to pursue its own container deposit legislation.

The Labor government in this state will continue to promote our container deposit scheme and its successes, and will continue to fight for its implementation across the nation. We will do this because our experience here in South Australia has taught us that it is the right thing to do. What I am hearing from interstate is that at least two other jurisdictions, if not more, are very interested in moving on this scheme very soon.