Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My adjournment is to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, and the action I seek is that the minister encourage Darebin City Council to participate in the rollout of the four-bin kerbside recycling system.
Minister, as you know, the community of Northcote care deeply about our environment and have been innovators in reducing waste, re-using and recycling, and building sustainability into our way of life. For this reason the announcement last week to massively reform Victoria’s recycling sector was welcomed, and people have been eager to hear the details of the big changes. I have been incredibly proud to tell them about the Andrews government’s investment of more than $300 million to transform our waste and recycling sector to create local jobs, encourage innovation and incentivise the private sector to reduce waste. I have been very excited to let them know that we are introducing a container deposit scheme as well as a new four-bin household recycling system. Together these reforms will see Victoria leading the nation in recycling innovation and significantly contribute to our work to drive sustainability and protect our environment.
Central to these reforms is the introduction of the new four-bin system. It will improve the quality and collection of recycling and mean more material is diverted from landfill and made into valuable end products—like roads and footpaths. So, Minister, my community has been eager to get cracking with the new purple bins.
It was with deep concern then that I learned that Darebin City Council will at this stage not be participating in the new kerbside recycling system. I am informed that Darebin council recently locked itself into a long-term contract with Visy that will need to be renegotiated. Given the shifting landscape of the recycling sector over the last two years and the loud indication from the Premier that reform was imminent, it is difficult to understand why Darebin council would sign a deal with a waste contractor which limits its ability to stay nimble in a changing market and to get a better deal for ratepayers and the environment. Already many local residents have contacted my office struggling to understand why Darebin will not be participating. Nevertheless, this is where we find ourselves, to the dismay of many.
While Visy may be collecting glass in Darebin together with other recycling, when it comes to getting the best for our environment we know that separating glass at the kerb yields the greatest benefits. Earlier this week I wrote to the mayor of Darebin to strongly urge council to work with the state government to expedite Darebin’s involvement in the reform. I know from speaking with you, Minister, that the state government stands ready and willing to support them in this.
Council can be part of it; they can renegotiate their contract, and they can do what is best for their constituents, for the environment and the economy. They just need to want to. And for a council that purports to care deeply for our environment I would think that this is a no-brainer.
Minister, I have seen the success of the four-bin system in the Yarra municipality. I just want my constituents in the Darebin area to be able to benefit in the same way that Yarra has. For the sake of my Darebin constituents and for the sake of our precious environment, I look forward to seeing the swift rollout of this vital reform.
