SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
221. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to implement its Plan for Plastics and
protecting the environment from the impact of plastic litter.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's decision to
fast-track its Plan for Plastics will help reduce the impact of single-use
plastics on our environment and wildlife, and ensure that WA is a leader in
this space?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the government will support businesses in
transitioning away from single-use plastics?
Ms A.
SANDERSON replied:
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Scarborough for his
question. I thank him for hosting the Premier and I in Scarborough on
Sunday to announce the fast-tracking of the Plan for Plastics. I have to credit
my predecessor in this portfolio, Stephen Dawson, for developing the most
comprehensive plan to phase out —
The SPEAKER: Hon Stephen
Dawson. We need to refer to members in the other house by that title, thank
you.
Ms A.
SANDERSON: Thank you for the advice, Madam Speaker.
I thank Hon Stephen Dawson for
developing the most comprehensive plan to phase out single-use plastics. The
government has made the decision to bring that plan forward by about four
years, because we think the community and businesses are ready for this.
The acceleration of this policy
will mean that hundreds of millions of single-use plastic materials will now
not end up in our landfill and in our oceans as litter. The first stage, which
will be implemented from 31 December, includes plastic plates, bowls, cups,
cutlery, stirrers and straws, thick plastic bags, polystyrene food containers
and helium balloon releases. We are
committed to working with business and the community to implement this really
important policy. We will not enforce compliance for at least six
months. Leading up, we will take the same approach we took for the plastic bag
ban and work with the community to provide resources and education. For the
first tranche of materials that will be
banned, there are existing and readily available environmental alternatives for
the same price. The second stage will essentially be for coffee cups that
cannot be recycled or composted, cotton buds with plastic sticks, polystyrene
packaging and microbeads. That will be from the end of 2022, again, with a minimum
six-month non-enforcement phase, so we are looking at two years for businesses
to readjust to not using those coffee cups.
This
is a great plan and the community wants this. The community is ready for this,
and other states and territories are implementing very similar plans. I contrast
this government's Plan for Plastics with the Liberal Party's
championing of and positioning on plastic bags. When the former government was
in power for eight and a half years, in 2013 and 2015, the City of Fremantle
passed local laws to ban the use of single-use plastic bags. On both occasions,
the Liberal–National government
moved to strike down those laws. Those parties voted together to strike down
those laws.
Several members interjected.
Ms A. SANDERSON: Members
will remember the former member for Hillarys and former member for North Metropolitan
Region Peter Katsambanis—I was also in the Council —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER: Can I just
point out, member for Cottesloe, if you keep interjecting, it is your member
who will miss out on getting a question.
Ms A. SANDERSON: When he was
in the Council moving this disallowance, he gave a lengthy defence of the
humble plastic bag—a lengthy defence of plastic bags. He said, ''I
consider the humble plastic bag to be a very, very good friend.'' At the
time, Hon Stephen Dawson remarked that the Liberal Party must have been a very
lonely place if members were turning to plastic bags as their friends! It is
fair to say that the WA community has made the Liberal Party a very lonely
place!