New Environment Minister Peter Gutwein must act quickly to avert the collapse of the recycling system in Southern Tasmania following the closure of SKM.
When concerns were first raised about the future of SKM a few weeks ago, Peter Gutwein admitted in Parliament he had not met with the company.
Shadow Minister for the Environment, Alison Standen, said the Government had been too slow to act.
“Peter Gutwein must explain whether he has now met with SKM and what he is doing to avert the collapse of recycling in Southern Tasmania,” Ms Standen said.
“It is clear that the government has been so consumed by chaos and dysfunction that they have dropped the ball on this important issue.”
Ms Standen said Tasmanians needed to have the confidence to keep recycling while a long term solution was found.
“The scaremongering of Green groups such as the Tasmanian Conservation Trust is not helping. They are dealing in rumour that is not necessarily grounded in facts.
“If people are worried about recycling going into landfill then they may stop recycling altogether.
“We know that recycling habits are hard to re-establish once they are broken.
“That is one sure way to guarantee that this material ends up as waste.
“There is only so long that councils can implement alternative arrangements so the Government needs to act, and they need to act today.”
Alison Standen MP
Shadow Labor Minister for the Environment
