News

Environment and Water | December 04, 2019

Landmark Zero to Landfill environmental policy

The Nationals, in government, will end household waste being sent to Victorian landfill by 2035.

In the largest environmental overhaul in Victoria in decades, the visionary Zero to Landfill policy will bring energy-from-waste technology currently being used in central Paris, Amsterdam, Germany and Singapore to Victoria along with reforms to recycling.

The policy comes as an all-party parliamentary committee tabled its inquiry into recycling and waste management in the Victorian Parliament.

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy said The Nationals’ policy would upgrade recycling processing so that Victorians’ recycling goes to market instead of landfill as it is under Labor.

“Victoria needs to reduce the waste we send to landfill, and we need new, low emission sources of energy,” Ms Kealy said.

“Creating energy from waste is clean technology in use all around the world and it’s time that we brought that technology to Victoria and into our own backyards.

“By investing in energy-from-waste facilities and upgrading Victoria’s recycling technology, The Nationals will eliminate household waste going to landfill by 2035.

“Interim targets will see a 33 per cent reduction in household waste to landfill by 2025, a 66 per cent reduction by 2030 and a 100 per cent reduction by 2035.”

Ms Kealy said the Zero to Landfill policy:

- Commits $120 million over four years from the state’s Sustainability Fund to create a Zero to Landfill Fund. This fund will have a Recycling Futures stream to help upgrade recycling facilities and an Energy from Waste stream to deliver energy-from-waste projects in Victoria;

- Commits government departments to work with industry to expedite approvals to get Victoria’s waste management and recycling back on track; and

- Sets an ambitious target to eliminate household waste going to landfill by 2035

“This plan means less waste going to landfill, better recycling and new clean energy for Victoria,” Ms Kealy said.

The inquiry found that the Andrews Government, which is hoarding more than $500 million in levies from landfill, had failed to take sufficient oversight of recycling and the waste management system in Victoria.

“Recyclables are being buried while Daniel Andrews continues to collect hundreds of millions of dollars in landfill levies to prop up a state budget that is now in deficit,” Ms Kealy said.