ENVIRONMENT
The Andrews Labor Government has stood by for years as Victoria's waste crisis, quite literally, stockpiled. Earlier this year at the Public Accounts and Estimates (PAEC) hearings, I exposed Labor for allowing household recyclables to be sent to landfill as waste, hearing that over 22,000 tonnes of household recycling has been sent to landfill this year. Victorians deserve better.
Victorians deserve leadership on this issue. So, in November, the leader of the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, Michael O’Brien announced our landmark, forward-looking policy to fix the waste management crisis in Victoria.
The Zero to Landfill policy will:
- commit $120 million over four years from the states’ Sustainability Fund to create a Zero to Landfill Fund. This Fund will have a Recycling Futures stream to help upgrade recycling facilities and an Energy from Waste to stream to deliver energy-from-waste projects in Victoria;
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commit government departments to work with industry to expedite approvals to get Victoria’s waste management and recycling back on track; and
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set a target to eliminate household waste going to landfill by 2035.
This plan will deliver clean, green, base load energy production, taking pressure off power bills and turning waste from a problem into an opportunity for our economy and environment.
Our plan under the leadership of Michael O'Brien is about doing the right thing, solving today's problems and looking after future generations. For more details please visit the website http://zerotolandfill.com.au/
CASH FOR CANS PLEDGE
To complement our Zero Waste to Landfill policy to end landfill by 2035 and create a new low emission, reliable energy source, the Liberals have pledged a cash for containers scheme that will allow Victorians to cash-in by depositing their used containers.
A container deposit scheme aims to encourage the use of recycling and the reduction of litter and landfill waste by allowing the community to collect and return their empty cans, bottles and other containers for a 10 cent refund.