Arthur Gorrie
New state government waste reduction laws have been linked in state parliament to negative side-effects including, ironically, a big blip in Gympie region waste statistics last year.
They have also been branded as self-defeating and irrelevant.
The new laws will increase pressure for a planned “circular economy,” involving recycling and renewable electricity.
But Gympie MP Tony Perrett said this contrasted with revelations of recycling material exported rather than recycled.
And renewable power had led to the disposal of “truckloads” of non-reusable solar panels late last year, after severe storm damage to solar farm infrastructure at Woolooga.
The new Waste Reduction and Recycling Act will also ban helium balloons outdoors, with a maximum fine of more than $7000 for breaches, and a clampdown on local councils accused of misinforming citizens about government waste management charges, as well as a time limit on exemptions for bans on single-use plastic components in “shelf-ready products.”.
The new rules won heavily qualified LNP support, including from Mr Perrett and Gympie region’s other state representative, Nanango MP Deb Frecklington, whose electorate includes much of Gympie’s west. including the Woolooga solar farm precinct.
Mr Perrett said government moves on the environment were “spin over substance,” including as one example the recently revealed export of “popper” continers previously said to be destined for recycling.
It will also clamp down on local authorities complaining about government levies, with rules outlawing “misinformation.”
New Environment Minister Leanne Linard said the Government was “strongly committed to reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating more good jobs in our state’s recycling and resource recovery industry.”
She said the industry now supports “some 12,000 jobs and contributes $1.5 billion to the state’s economy annually.”
“By 2030, we want to stop 80 per cent of material from ending up in landfill and recycle 65 per cent of our rubbish,” she said.
Important elements included “behaviour change campaigns” and more recycling infrastructure, including co-investments with councils.
The ban on outside use of lighter-than air balloons would apply from 1 September and involve a 50-penalty unit fine for breaches.
At $154.80 a unit from the beginning of next month, this means a maximum $7740 fine.
Exemptions will include indoor use and “the release of a lighter-than-air balloon for scientific research.”
“While I thank the LNP committee members for their deliberations and support for the passage of the bill, I would like to address several of the issues raised.
“In relation to the suggestion of censoring councils from making public any concerns about potential waste levy impacts, the purpose is not to restrict councils from talking about the costs and benefits of delivering improved services for communities.
“The purpose of provisions to prevent misinformation in relation to an annual payment, as it has always been, is to ensure that councils do
not misinform householders about the application and impact of the levy on household waste.
“The Palaszczuk government made a commitment that there would be no direct impact to households as a result of the levy and has delivered on this commitment by providing councils that dispose of household waste at a levy or waste disposal site with an annual
payment.”
Ms Frecklington said recycling of solar panels was “a must for the future” but the state government had been doing less recycling under Labor.
Mr Perrett said solar farms covered “hundreds of hectares of good quality agricultural land in the Gympie electorate with more on the drawing board.
“On 8 December last year there was a major hailstorm which damaged hundreds of solar panels at the Woolooga Solar Farm. There were local reports that the storm caused between $23 million and $28 million worth of damage and that 68 truckloads would be required to replace the damaged panels.
“One constituent wrote to me, stating that if there are 68 loads of equipment coming into the area to potentially replace equipment damaged in the hailstorm, then that would mean there will be 68 loads of damaged equipment going out.
“Where and how are these damaged solar panels going to be disposed of? Will they contaminate soil and waterways?
“I have observed thousands of panels being replaced at the site.
He said it had been recently revealed that “tens of millions of poppers Queenslanders have collected have been shipped overseas because the government failed to figure out how to recycle them here.
“Our recycling system should not rely on sending items overseas and hoping for the best,” he said.