HORSHAM Rural City Council will ask Premier Daniel Andrews to introduce a statewide drink container deposit scheme to combat roadside rubbish.
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Cr Sue Exell successfully moved a motion at a meeting on Monday night that council write to the premier and ask him to follow the NSW government’s lead in starting a deposit scheme for drink bottles and cans next year.
South Australia has run the scheme since the 1970s, where residents receive a 10-cent refund for returning containers to nominated depots
Cr Mark Radford said it made sense for Horsham to lead a push for the initiative, given the city was named Victoria’s tidiest town in 2015.
“I think it’s timely we do stick our hand up and say something,” he said.
“It’s something that’s been talked about over many years, that we should be under a similar set-up to South Australia.
“For young people it’s not a bad idea either, because it gives value to what otherwise is an item of rubbish.
“I think the idea of this being a bit of a roadside solution might get a bit of traction.”
Cr Exell said if the NSW government introduced the scheme, the Queensland government would follow.
“I’d like to see Victoria come into line as well,” she said.
“South Australia’s program works really well.”
Cr Pam Clarke supported the motion, but said the scheme was a complex issue.
“We have a recycling contract – does this jeopardise the profitability of our recycling teams?” she said.
“I’m going to support the motion, but it’s not as clear cut as ‘let’s get money for a bottle and it won’t be thrown out’.
“The idiots who throw rubbish out on our roads are idiots – they have no understanding of the environmental impact they have.
“If this helps in some small way I’m happy to do it, but I do believe we have to go into very carefully.”
Cr Tony Phelan said he anticipated some Victorian councils would not be happy with the suggestion.
“They actually gain revenue from the recycling collections from their bins,” he said.
“In NSW, four per cent of drink containers end up as litter. But of that four per cent, 44 per cent constitutes roadside litter.
“I think there will be financial losses from some councils, but when we look at the financial advantages to councils over environmental advantages, I support the environment.”
