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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-03-18 Daily Xml
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Green Industries SA

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Can the minister advise the chamber about the consultation process for the establishment of Green Industries SA in mid-2015, and how this new body will help propel South Australia into playing an even greater role in the recycling and green sector?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:57): I would like to thank the honourable member for his very important question. He must be reading my media releases and hearing, through The Advertiser articles, about the wonderful work of Zero Waste SA and the movement towards green industries.

We have made great strides in waste management and resource recovery in this state through the great work of Zero Waste SA, and have become a national and international leader in this area. For example, I am advised that as of April last year our combined efforts have resulted in about a 25 per cent reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill. South Australia's recycling efforts are also amongst the world's best, with a resource recovery rate of more than 77 per cent.

Through this fantastic effort we have also seen the enormous economic potential inherent in the waste management and resource recovery sector. This sector has grown substantially over past years and has become a significant sector within our state's economy. I am told it employs up to 4,800 people, has an annual turnover of about $1 billion a year and contributes about half a billion dollars to gross state product, directly and indirectly.

In recognition of this sector and its potential growth and the need to diversify our economic activity and drive growth in high-value sectors, the state government wants to establish a new statutory authority to drive that transformation through this part of the economy. Green Industries SA (GISA) will be established, and will take on the job of increasing South Australia's capabilities and leadership in this green economy. Green Industries SA will build on past achievements, of course, but wants to continue to reduce waste to landfill, achieve greater water and energy efficiencies, and increase the state's capacity for recycling.

GISA will also have a strong focus on South Australian businesses and industries. In broad terms, Green Industries SA will help South Australian businesses to reduce their costs through more efficient use of raw materials, water and energy. It will administer grants to local government and industry to explore new technologies, and it will have a strong focus on supporting and growing our green economy by, for example, helping businesses find new and local overseas markets for their waste management knowledge and skills.

This is an important initiative that could unlock great opportunities for our state, with the potential to contribute to each of our government's 10 economic priorities. As we know, the successes we have achieved in this sector have only been possible because of the broad community acceptance of the importance of recycling and waste management.

It is vital, I think, that as many sectors are given the opportunity to have their say on the establishment of GISA. A consultation paper was distributed at the end of 2014 to targeted stakeholders, including relevant government agencies, the Waste Management Industry Association of Australia, the Australian Council of Recyclers, Business SA, the Australian Industry Group and the Local Government Association of SA.

The aim of the paper is to canvass ideas and feedback regarding how Green Industries SA can be best placed to achieve its goals. The paper poses a number of important questions regarding GISA's scope, establishing strong partnerships within the green economy and how they can be best established, GISA's potential role in the delivery of education and waste services, its governance and its financing.

I am very pleased to note that the feedback so far has been quite strong, with a number of parties expressing interest and making a contribution through the consultation process. The paper has been released for public consultation, I am told. I encourage members to download and have a read of the consultation paper, which is available on the Zero Waste SA website. Submissions closed on Monday 16 March 2015.

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