Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (21:03): (2355) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I am seeking is for the government to properly fund and support the rollout of the four-stream waste management system for Victorian councils, in particular in regional and rural areas. When the four-stream waste management system was recommended by the Greens-initiated inquiry into recycling and waste management in 2019, the committee’s final report on that inquiry stated that the government should provide funding and support to councils to implement a separate municipal glass recycling bin. Clearly that support has been inadequate. Last year a group of over 30 councils came together to form the local government glass advocacy group, a group aimed at pushing back against the one-size-fits-all approach to the fourth bin rollout. As recently as last month, some councils have passed motions to halt the rollout altogether, with several arguing that we should scrap the separate glass bin and just expand the container deposit scheme. That should be ringing alarm bells for the state government.

We all know councils throughout Victoria are feeling the economic pinch, and while a glass-only bin will ultimately be a positive, this government needs to help councils get it over the line or find a suitable alternative. If councils are experiencing pushback against their request for flexibility, or worse, they do not even know that flexibility is an option, that is concerning. The failure to address this, despite persistent advocacy from local government for some time now, really brings into question the government’s interest in making this work, and the evidence suggests they do not actually care. The reality is that the Victorian Labor government’s commitment to their own circular economy policy has been a complete dumpster fire: from waste-to-energy incinerators being the new crown jewel of Victoria’s waste management plan to their failure to invest in circular economy infrastructure and systems and to the disastrous way they have approached this glass bin rollout. If this government are at all serious about a genuine circular economy, they need to have a long, hard look at themselves.

We have a serious waste and recycling problem here in Victoria, and there is not a quick fix. It is going to take investment, proper partnership and engagement and a genuine commitment to reduce waste and see a truly circular economy. We have got a long way to go. This government urgently needs to get its act together and start working in partnership with local government. This includes listening to councils and providing adequate resourcing and flexibility to support the rollout of a four-stream waste collection.