Australia's peak waste and resource recovery industry body has welcomed the Tasmanian government's proposed statewide landfill levy, announced as part of a broader draft waste plan at the weekend.
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Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia chief executive Gayle Sloan said the plan, now open for public consultation until October, showed the government acknowledged waste management was a responsibility shared by the government, private sector and community.
Ms Sloan added former Environment Minister Elise Archer - who lost the portfolio to Treasurer Peter Gutwein in Sunday's cabinet reshuffle - should also be congratulated for listening about the importance of a levy as an "economic tool for prioritising resource recovery".
"As well as working with industry and the community to design and set the levy. This is a show of great leadership," she said.
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"WMRR genuinely looks forward to working with government on both the strategy and the levy as we strongly believe Tasmania has a great opportunity to create resource recovery jobs and a circular economy."
The levy, proposed to replace the mix of those already in existence under local governments by 2021, would direct money toward future waste and recycling infrastructure and programs.
The plan also includes container refund scheme announced earlier this month, estimated for delivery by "the end of" 2022, while also setting a number of nationally aligned waste reduction and resource recovery targets.
After long advocating for a statewide waste levy, the Local Government Association of Tasmania welcomed the plan as an "important initiative".
In a statement, LGAT president and Clarence City council mayor Doug Chipman said the sector had been calling for action and leadership on waste and recycling. He described both the waste levy and broader draft plan as "pleasing to see".
But the plan was missed chance to make a "bold statement and tangible difference" according to the Greens environment spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff, who labelled the plan an "industry-led response" with targets which were "woefully inadequate".
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Matt Dennien
Matt Dennien is a journalist at The Examiner, based in Launceston. Contact him via email at matt.dennien@examiner.com.au, or more securely via Signal on +61 437 672 994.
Matt Dennien is a journalist at The Examiner, based in Launceston. Contact him via email at matt.dennien@examiner.com.au, or more securely via Signal on +61 437 672 994.
