Regional Resource Recovery Centre Fire

REGIONAL RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE FIRE

678. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Minister for Environment:

Further to my question without notice on Thursday, 4 June in relation to the fire at the Canning Vale recycling plant two weeks ago—it might be a bit more than that now—I ask —

(1) Can the minister confirm that 1 000 tonnes of local recyclables are being sent to landfill every week, as stated in the Fremantle Herald of Saturday, 20 June?

(2) How long should the south metropolitan community expect to wait before the existing plant in Coogee is reopened?

(3) What are the long-term solutions to the lack of recycling infrastructure in WA?

(4) Does the state government accept responsibility for providing adequate funding and infrastructure solutions when regional waste management facilities fail?

Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:

(1) I have been advised that some of the material has been sent to other recycling centres since the fire at the Canning Vale facility. However, the department cannot confirm the exact amount of recycled material that has been sent to landfill at this stage.

(2) I have been advised that if the current planning approval process, which rests with the City of Cockburn, allows for the plant to operate as a recycling facility, processing of kerbside recycling may start again as soon as 1 July.

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  The Department of Environment and Conservation has also advised me that it has been working with the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council and its member councils to assist in identifying processing options for their recyclables. I am advised that individual councils are also putting in place arrangements for processing of their materials in accordance with the contracting arrangements of the Local Government Act 1995.

(3) Western Australia has made considerable progress in establishing recycling infrastructure that separates urban waste into its components and in diverting green waste away from landfill. Further work is required in increasing the portion of bulk waste diverted from landfill and into recycling. The announcements made by government to significantly increase the landfill levies will provide much stronger economic incentives to divert waste from landfill.

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  I am also soon to release for public input the draft waste strategy for Western Australia. That document will chart the way forward. I look forward to strong public and industry input to its development. In the meantime, I have also asked the Waste Authority of Western Australia to chart action now for issues such as electronic waste, and I hope to make some further announcements very soon on that.

(4) Waste and recycling facilities are operated as businesses and, as such, operate outside the direct control of state government. However, the state government, through the Waste Authority, does provide funding and policy support to the waste and recycling industry to encourage the diversion of waste from landfill.