Wednesday, 8 February 2023

 Kat THEOPHANOUS (Northcote) (14:50): (10) My question is to the Minister for Environment, and I ask: how will the Victorian government’s ban on single-use plastics directly benefit constituents in Northcote? Northcote is known for its leadership in sustainability. We know how harmful single-use plastics are and the problem waste they create. As the member for Northcote I am proud to represent people like Amelia Trompf. Amelia volunteers her Sundays to run a reusable cup wash station at Alphington farmers market and works on Project Pair Up, reuniting rogue Tupperware containers with their long-lost lids. We have had long conversations about reducing plastic pollution, and I know she and other locals have many ideas for future reform. Minister, we need to move on from a culture of take, use, dispose. We need a genuinely circular economy, and Northcote is at the heart of that mission. I will keep doing everything in my power to promote local initiatives like Amelia’s as well as support statewide reform like our plastics ban, container deposit scheme and glass bin rollout. We look forward to hearing the minister’s response.