Page 2317 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 29 August 2007
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placed on the notice paper earlier we could have discussed it and I suspect that we might have found ourselves more in agreement with it. So Dr Foskey should not get all antagonistic about it. I move the amendment circulated in my name:
(1) commends the success of the ACT Government’s No Waste strategy in achieving a best practice recycling and resource recovery rate of 76% of all waste generated in the ACT; and
(2) notes that:
(a) the ACT continues to lead the way in the development of sustainable waste minimisation and management initiatives;
(b) the current No Waste strategy Turning Waste into Resources—Action Plan 2003-2007 is coming to an end;
(c) a review of the NoWaste achievements and progress to date has commenced and will include an examination of what opportunities may exist for further sustainable waste minimisation; and
(d) the aim of the review is to provide a sound foundation for the development for the No Waste Action Plan 2008-2011; and
(3) supports the Stanhope Labor Government’s aspiration of achieving international best practice of 95% resource recovery and 5% residual non-recyclable landfill”.
Dr Foskey moved a motion that outlines a program for waste minimisation and recycling initiatives in the ACT. I welcome Dr Foskey’s motion. I have moved an amendment to it but I still welcome it because I think it is something we need to talk about. I am pleased to report to members that the ACT government already has a very successful waste minimisation and recycling program, namely, our no waste strategy. I do not take kindly to people denigrating the achievements we have made through that strategy. However, I will proceed.
This strategy has made significant progress and is leading the way both nationally and internationally. The government has already achieved great success with its no waste strategy. Currently, 76 per cent of all waste generated in the ACT is diverted into recycling and resource recovery. Dr Foskey said it is a shame that our waste recovery level was not at 79 per cent, a three per cent differential. I suggest that members could be a little more reasonable about that.
While we are quite proud of the achievement there is no room for complacency and there is room for improvement. The ACT continues to lead the way in the development of sustainable waste minimisation and management initiatives, including free household and commercial green waste recycling, with over 208,000 tonnes per year of garden waste recovered and turned into valuable mulches, composts and soil products that are returned to our soils and agricultural production systems. That picks up one of the recommendations in Dr Foskey’s motion.
Household and business recycling at the Hume Materials Recycling Facility recovers around 55,000 tonnes per year of standard recyclables including paper, cardboard,
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