Council pushes for national solution to recycling issue

Published on 22 June 2018

Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s call for federal government action on the future for the recycling industry has received national support from municipalities around Australia.

Mayor, Cr Jennifer Anderson and Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dale Thornton attended the annual Australian Local Government Association National Assembly 2018 in Canberra this week and presented a motion which pushed for a national solution to the problem.

The motion was passed and will now be considered by the board of the ALGA, which is the national body representing more than 560 local Councils from across Australia.

Council’s motion asked the Federal Government to hold an enquiry into the future of the waste and recycling sector in Australia and to review the current practice of recyclables being sent overseas for processing, which is no longer sustainable or viable.

Macedon Ranges is one of many shires which has had to increase its waste charge to residents in response to higher costs associated with recyclables no longer able to be processed offshore.

Cr Anderson said the event helped local government to engage directly with the federal government to develop national policy on important issues such as waste, resource recovery and recycling.

"There's power in numbers and in us all working together rather than working in isolation," Cr Anderson said. "It's not just Victoria - some of the issues we face are the same as in other states and territories and the more people work together and advocate for change and improvement, the more we can get done.

“Waste and resource recovery is not just a local problem, or a state problem, it’s a national issue.

“Don’t forget every individual can do their bit by reducing the amount of waste produced by their household and reusing and recycling wherever possible.”

As well as advocating for a solution to the recycling crisis, the shire’s motion asking for greater coordination by the federal government in the planning and location of infrastructure required for NBN and telecommunications was also passed.

Speakers at the ALGA conference included Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. While in Canberra, the Mayor and Acting CEO met with many Members of Parliament and their staff and advocated for funding for the shire’s many priority projects, including the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct in New Gisborne and Macedon Ranges Trails project.