Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:56): (2329) My constituency question is for the Minister for Environment. My constituent is a Seaford resident who volunteers with Seaford Beach Patrol and has raised concerns about polystyrene waste. At Kananook beach in Seaford local volunteers conducted repeat audits of the same 9-square-metre area of sand. In this small area polystyrene was found 91 per cent of the time. Seaford Beach Patrol estimates that there are over 20,000 pieces of polystyrene littering Kananook beach alone. My constituent notes that this reflects a broader issue, with significant volumes of expanded polystyrene going into landfill each year. Expanded polystyrene is recyclable when collected and kept separate. However, there is currently no requirement for businesses to recover or take responsibility for this material. My constituent asks: will the minister consider a mandatory take-back and recovery scheme for clean expanded polystyrene packaging, so that businesses are responsible for its recovery?