Container deposit scheme: it's all go!

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir –  The Territory’s Container Deposit Scheme has cleared the final hurdle following the Federal Executive Council’s decision to grant national recognition yesterday.
 
I have been advised that ExCo yesterday ratified the Territory Government’s bid for the Container Deposit Legislation to be exempt from the operation of the Commonwealth’s Mutual Recognition Act
 
Without those amendments, the Territory would have been unable to operate the scheme in isolation from other jurisdictions.
 
This outcome involved a great deal of negotiation on the part of the Territory Government and we are proud to have secured the future of this popular environmental measure.
 
It was quite an achievement to secure the agreement of all State Premiers and the ACT Chief Minister to support our bid for exemption under the Mutual Recognition Act.
 
It is disappointing that the previous Labor Government, despite warnings from the Country Liberals when in Opposition, were too incompetent to obtain support for the scheme from their interstate counterparts.
 
The Department of Lands, Planning and the Environment will write to all stakeholders once the ExCo decision is placed on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments in the next few days.
 
The scheme was under threat after the beverage industry successfully challenged the Territory legislation in the Federal Court.
 
The Territory Government showed its commitment to the scheme through provision of funding of an estimated $1 million a month to subsidise the scheme since February. This was Labor’s million-a-month legacy of financial failure to Territorians.
 
The scheme will now be returned to Territorians – which is where it should have been in the first place.
 
Peter Chandler
Environment Minister
 
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3 COMMENTS

  1. This is very welcome news! Those of us who are in a position to do so, or who can be bothered to do so, can now continue to keep Alice a bit clearer of drinks containers and pick up a bit of spare change by way of compensation.
    Well done and thank you to both the previous ALP government for initiating the scheme, and the current CLP government for assuring its future.

  2. It’s about time. I have said since 2002 that it can work in any state. Creates jobs and cleans up the parks, streets, road sides etc. If South Australia can do it, successfully, then why couldn’t all states and territories not be able also. About time.

  3. Well done to all those that have done so much for this to happen. All of the Northern Territory thanks you.
    Also a big thank you to the multinational takeaway company for highlighting the fact that when you put a small monetary value on litter in our towns, people will go to great lengths to drag it out of storm drains, cash it in, and buy a burger.

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