NSW's green failure?

Are there any success stories in NSW, or must its weary citizens wait for a change of government from tired Labour led by "Freckles" Rees to the policy-free zone of the Lib's "Barrell" Barry O'Farrell? Inside Waste Weekly reports that Green groups, local councils and private industry have rallied under the National Recycling Initiative (NRI) banner to pressure the NSW Government into providing better support for the recycling industry. They claim the state economy is missing out on a $600 million injection of private funds, and the creation of 2,000 ‘green’ jobs, because of bureaucratic inaction and a policy agenda that has degenerated into a “one trick pony”.

Around 30 leading figures from the waste and recycling industry participated in an NRI Forum at NSW Parliament House yesterday. While there was plenty of debate on finer details of required action on the national front, there were many points of agreement when it came to frustration with the NSW Government. One was that comments in March by then Environment Minister Carmel Tebbut, claiming the state “was on track” to meeting its recycling targets, were an insult to the intelligence of industry members.

Meanwhile it has been reported that Lake Maquarrie City Council has stockpiled a surplus $14.2 million collected from ratepayers through the domestic waste charge. Some council insiders believe the money should have been returned to ratepayers, but the council has defended its decision to keep it.

Under local government law, the council can use the surplus to reduce domestic waste charges or stash it to decrease future waste costs. The domestic waste charge is for the collection of garbage from properties. A council source described it as a "cash cow" and said the surplus should have been handed back to ratepayers.

But a council spokeswoman said the money had been stored to reduce future waste costs and charges. The Awaba tip would close in four to five years and the NSW Government was "forcing councils away from landfill", the spokeswoman said. This meant a new waste operation to replace Awaba tip would be "more expensive to provide". The stockpile would help offset the cost of a new operation and subsidise charges, rather than enacting an increase in charges in one year.

A council report on "the future direction of waste management" will be made public this year.