Waste and recycling management
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:27): (931) My question is for the Minister for Environment in the other place. In 2022 the annual cap on the amount of waste that could be burnt in Victoria was set at 1 million tonnes. Since then the cap has steadily increased and, pending the outcome of recent consultation, it is likely to rise again to 2.5 million. This represents a 150 per cent increase in just three years. The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office recently reported, in Recycling Resources from Waste, that once the four waste-to-energy facilities that are currently under development in Victoria come online and reach full operating capacity, up to 87 per cent of waste in Victoria will be burnt. My question is: is the government planning to abandon a circular economy to make way for large-scale waste incineration?
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:28): I thank the member for the question and her interest in this particular issue. This matter will be referred to the Minister for Environment for a response.
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:28): Thank you, Minister, for referring my query on. By way of supplementary, the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report warned that Victoria is not on track to meet its target of diverting 80 per cent of waste away from landfill by 2030. In fact the proportion of waste going to landfill has not changed in the four years since the Victorian government started their circular economy policy. It was also unclear if the government is meeting their target to halve the amount of organic material that is going to landfill. Can the minister advise what they are doing to address these failures?
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:29): Again, I thank the member for her question, and I will refer the matter to the Minister for Environment for a written response.