TRANSCRIPT:
I rise today to speak on the Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Bill 2023. This is a bill that makes amendments to pieces of existing legislation to provide a more enhanced framework for the transition of waste and recycling in Victoria. Amendments to the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021 include imposing operational costs for operating the container deposit scheme (CDS) incurred by the regulator, Recycling Victoria, on the beverage industry; introducing new periodic licence fees that will allow Recycling Victoria to recover costs when administering the waste-to-energy scheme; establishing the Recycling Victoria Fund and special purpose accounts to transparently fund their operations; granting the authority to set variable fees through regulations for applications and submissions under the act; and aiming to reduce the operational risks for CDS Vic through the clarification of earlier legislative provisions. There are also amendments to the Environment Protection Act 2017 that extend the powers of protective services officers and the Game Management Authority.
This bill is quite topical. There has been a lot of passion and puns that we have heard, and a few terrible sledges as well. The Labor government’s container deposit scheme has made headlines both in the lead-up to its launch and since going live on 1 November. From what we are hearing, and I am certainly hearing in my electorate, there have been mixed reviews on the rollout of this scheme. Five of these refund points for the container deposit scheme are located within the 12,000 square kilometres of my electorate of Euroa, although we are seeing varying levels of success so far. This is something that many people within my community have been looking forward to for quite some time. The implementation has left many of these people reaching out to my office with concerns as to whether or not it will be worthwhile.
The Tallarook Hotel has also reached out to my office, talking about their decision to pull out from the program. Here is what they said about the scheme. I would like to quote publican Tim. I am quoting him verbatim:
… due to issues that became evident … on roll out, I have ceased being a collection point.
Overall the rollout roll out was poorly communicated, and slow.
… staff training and organising the workflow could not start until the scheme was live.
… bins arrived on site on 25 October … with no notice, requiring access to the property. Luckily I was on site to take the bins as it is unclear what would have happened if I was not here.
… I support the goals of the scheme, but the rollout and implementation is a shit show.
All of these collection sites in the Euroa electorate are located within private businesses, who as usual are stepping up where the government often fails. In Benalla there is a Foott depot. While there have been some concerns about it being open in time, it seems to be up and running. In the town of Euroa, the Euroa Timber Company has an over-the-counter location. The Avenel Cafe, an iconic part of the local community and a genuine hidden gem, will also serve as an over-the-counter location, as will the Railway Hotel in Murchison – and a quick shout-out to Mitch Golding and Emilia, you are legends. Speaking to the Avenel Cafe this morning, they were optimistic that this project will be of benefit to them and local residents but have had just two people come through so far. Seymour is home to another over-the-counter facility with J & J Equipment Hire store, and the Bottlemart in Broadford will also have this option, although neither of these have been able to open yet. Speaking to J & J, they say they are yet to receive all the necessary materials to run the scheme and have only received a bunch of containers that were dumped in a pile. They are aiming to open on the 8th but are still not sure when the remaining equipment will arrive. There are also reports of machines in car parks not working and locations for drop-off sites disappearing off the website. There are also some broader concerns with this bill in the implementation, operation and costs associated with the CDS.
This bill and the implementation of the container deposit scheme reflect other shortcomings when it comes to environment policy, including the seed targets outlined in the Biodiversity 2037 strategy. The Labor government has been at serious risk of failing to meet seed targets under this strategy. The plan was developed in 2017 with the overarching vision to ensure our natural environment is healthy and valued by Victorians. The plan is also slated to stop the decline of native plants and animals while protecting the natural environment. Part of this involves the availability and supply of native seeds for environmental restoration, with the current trajectory set to meet just 10 per cent of the 2037 target. I have met with members of the fantastic Euroa Arboretum to discuss the current state of the sector. The crew at the Euroa Arboretum are passionate about protecting the local environment and put in an incredible amount of volunteer work. There are serious concerns that underinvestment in seed strategy will result in targets being massively undershot. Effective seed strategy will see secure supply of climate-adapted and genetically diverse seed for large-scale restoration. A lot of time has been invested by the Euroa Arboretum into alternative solutions to meeting seed procurement targets across the Goulburn Broken catchment.
They have completed a funding proposal to develop large-scale seed production areas and seed bank facilities for the Goulburn Broken catchment, but unfortunately the rate of return on wild seed harvest is negligible and there are regulations around what can be harvested from wild populations. The proposal put forward by the Euroa Arboretum includes 20 hectares of seed production across three local sites, a new seed bank facility and upgrades to existing facilities at the arboretum. This plan could be adapted and utilised across catchments across eastern Victoria. They are hard workers who are very passionate and have a strong vision for our environment, and I hope the Victorian government is taking their concerns seriously.
This seed project is not the only one in my region that would benefit significantly from some interest by the Minister for Environment and investment by the government. Greening Euroa is an innovative community-driven project that will use recycled water to irrigate public green spaces during the summer months. The proposal is the first of its kind in Victoria. It is climate smart, cost-effective and community inspired. For the Euroa township the Greening Euroa project will keep our school ovals, sporting fields and parks and gardens green in the dry summer months. It will use recycled water to irrigate our public green spaces, something that is essential to our community’s health and wellbeing during times of drought. Drought-proofing Euroa is something that is critically needed. In 2007 the town ran out of water, leaving 2500 local residents, businesses and community organisations in genuine trouble as the taps would not turn on. Bottled water and carted-in water from neighbouring areas became essential. The Greening Euroa plan will tap into the excess water from the Euroa wastewater treatment plant. With the support of Goulburn Valley Water, this wastewater will be safely upgraded from class C to class B before being piped underground to storage tanks throughout the township. The Greening Euroa project is a win for everyone – community, children and the environment. It needs $3.8 million in funding from the state and federal governments, and I look forward to the environment minister and the Treasurer supporting this.
I also want to take the time to recognise local Landcare groups, who continue to do exceptional work. I am sure many will be assisting community members interested in participating in the container deposit scheme. In particular I want to thank Gecko CLaN. They are a community Landcare network which supports 14 Landcare groups stretching from Yarrawonga to the Strathbogie Ranges to Nagambie. The Gecko CLaN implements network-scale projects around the themes of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. My farm and my family have been closely involved since becoming adults. The Gecko CLaN is proudly independent but enjoys strong working relationships with government agencies and other community organisations. Their role is to support local Landcare groups to carry out their projects, including sourcing funding, project management and administrative assistance. They also develop network-level projects across the whole Gecko CLaN area.
To finish up on this bill, I want to support the Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change’s reasoned amendment. A commitment to publicly releasing the progress of the CDS will be of significant benefit to the community. Providing more clarity on the rollout and implementation of this scheme should not be too much to ask. With the reasoned amendment in mind, we do not oppose this bill.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I will quote again Deputy Speaker McGrath:
Unparliamentary language is not acceptable and quoting such language from another source does not make it acceptable. Members need to be selective and perhaps substitute other words.
On that note, it is a good time to break for lunch.
Sitting suspended 12:58 pm until 2:01 pm.
Business interrupted under standing orders.