Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to commend the handing down of a very important report called From rubbish to resources: building a circular economy. In recent decades Australians have progressed in leaps and bounds in understanding, educating and actioning recycling principles and consciously working to make sustainable choices in our daily lives. Any member of parliament knows, when they go to a local school, how great kids are at recycling and getting on board with this issue.

However, there is still much work to be done. Currently, just over half of our waste is recycled. We can do better and as a nation we want to do better. Going forward we need to have more efficient, effective and sustainable ways of dealing with the rubbish we create. It's good for customers, but it's also good for the planet. This requires a rethink of material management as cyclical, not linear. This requires a complete shift in the mindset of waste—in fact, not seeing waste as waste at all but more as a resource that can be used again and again. Hence, the name of this important report: From rubbish to resources. The Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources, on which I sit, has considered this dilemma and handed down some important recommendations in our report titled From rubbish to resources: building a circular economy. I encourage all members of parliament to read this important report.

Achieving a circular economy will require a coordinated and national approach. This will require the Commonwealth government to work with our state and territory counterparts to develop a pathway to a national circular economy with consideration for, firstly, the design and composition of products that allow better recycling, and, secondly, regulation incentives to encourage recycling. A national approach will be required particularly for things like transport and infrastructure to manage waste across the states and territory borders. In fact, we heard during the inquiry of businesses that were shipping waste across jurisdictions to take advantage of nonstandardised government incentives. It's very important that we work together as a country on this important issue. The National Waste Policy Action Plan should be updated to include this issue. Further, waste management and resource recovery is a serious intergovernmental priority, and that is why it should be included as a standing agenda on the National Federation Reform Council's agenda.

Accountability and transparency will be key to achieving a national circular economy. The From rubbish to resources report recommends that the minister responsible report annually to parliament on the progress of the targets and actions set out in the National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019. Likewise, recipients of Commonwealth waste and recycling funding should be required to report on their outcomes as a result of the funding so we can track what is working and what is not. It is, of course, most important when you give out funding to make sure people are transparent and accountable about the way they spend it. It is no secret that making it easy to recycle will make it easier to achieve a national circular economy. This will involve working with states and territory governments to improve container deposit facilities and collection points. It was clear in our inquiry that these sorts of successful initiatives should be shared across the different states. This should be alongside good public education and awareness campaigns that emphasise avoiding waste, the impact of waste and how consumers can better manage it. Like Norm's 'Life. Be in it' advertising campaigns of my childhood, we really want campaigns for kids of today with messages such as 'Trash is treasure'.

Technology, not taxes, is key to meeting and beating our international climate change goals. Innovating our waste management and the recycling industry supports these goals. As the Prime Minister has said, it's our waste, it's our responsibility. But we can go further. Energy from waste is the treatment of residual waste to harness energy from material that would otherwise go to landfill. The energy created by either processing waste at high temperatures and using the heat to make steam or digesting organic material to produce gas can be used for fuel, electricity generation or heat. Again, the inquiry heard some amazing technologies that were innovating in this space. We know this is happening around the world. During this inquiry we heard how small- and large-scale anaerobic digestion technology has been developed across Australia and makes a meaningful contribution to resource recovery and renewable energy generation. Right here, that is the way of the future. We should work with state and territory governments to ensure national consistency across planning approval and operational processes to support this exciting and promising work.

As a medical professional, I know the massive amount of waste that hospitals, clinical practices and medical facilities produce. In the past, this was key for infection control. However, it is clear now that we should undertake further research into improving waste management and resource recovery in the medical sector. The inquiry heard of the massive amounts of waste that are occurring in hospitals around the country and the desire of medical practitioners and medical administrators to do something proactive about this. There were many pilot trials undertaken, and we heard from many who were working in this exciting area. I commend the people who are taking the initiative in this way. One aspect could involve establishing a unit similar to that of the National Health System in England, the Sustainable Development Unit, to harmonise Commonwealth, state and territory regulation, as we heard during the inquiry.

Waste and recycling may not be the sexiest topic under consideration in this place, but it is importance, both now and in the future, cannot be understated. I actually believe that there are a lot of waste warriors out there in Australia and I know they care about this topic deeply. As the Prime Minister said recently, it is our waste and it is our responsibility, and I do believe Australians back that in. I commend this inquiry to the House. I ask that the House take note of this important inquiry. As a country, let's ensure that we can turn our rubbish into resources to help keep our planet safe and our people prosperous.

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