EVERY second, 159 single-use plastic bags are used across Australia.
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Of the five billion plastic bags used by Australians every year, it is believed about 150 million end up as litter.
Single-use plastic bags are still readily available at retailers across the Eastern states of Australia (New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria), despite being banned in Canberra, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. But that could all change.
Recently, Nambucca Shire Council voted to make representations to the Mid North Coast Regional Organisation of Councils (MIDROC) and/or the proposed North Coast Joint Organisation – of which Bellingen Shire Council is a part of – to lobby retailers and the NSW Government for legislation and other action to discourage single use plastic shopping bags.
They resolved further to make representations to the Minister for the Environment and the Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, in relation to supporting legislation to discourage single use plastic shopping bags by for example only making them available for 10 cents.
Nambucca Shire Council said they want to galvanise thoughts from other councils and communities to make it happen: “If everyone is of a similar mind, then the state government should act”.
And it looks as though they have the support from Bellingen Shire Council.
“The issue of single use plastic bags has had a long focus in the Shire. Going back around 20 years ago, council supported a local campaign to distribute calico bags,” council’s general manager, Liz Jeremy said.
“The issue was again picked up in 2010 where council supported Bellingen EYE, which actively campaigned around the issue.
“More recently a local campaign has been under development around local environmental sustainability issues to be known as ‘Waste not Bellingen’, which includes single use plastic bags.”
The Courier-Sun understands that the (Waste not) campaign will be launched on March 4 at the Bellingen Sustainability Centre with a free plastic-free living workshop.
Joining in on the issue, mayor Dominic King said as an active member of MIDROC and a slated member of the North Coast Joint Organisation Council, council actively works on and regularly supports regional advocacy initiatives and projects.
“Both MIDROC and the JO offer a great opportunity for one strong voice generally and around this environmental sustainability issue,” Cr King said. “I look forward to the debate on the matter and to find constructive way forward particularly given the Shire’s focus on this issue over a long period of time.”