State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, rebuked the State Government for leaving Wallsend off the recycling scheme collection point map (view the map here). From Friday, the residents of Wallsend found themselves paying more for drinks without having a single quick and convenient place to get their refund.
Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton promised there would be 800 reverse vending machines across more than 500 collection points for the scheme, but this week’s figures show there are just 45 reverse vending machines across 249 collection points, with no timetable for the rest of the rollout.
While a carton of beer has increased by $4 due to the introduction of the scheme, most people will not have convenient access to a location to get their 10c refund for each bottle or can, while the price increase on drinks puts extra pressure on bottle-shops, retailers and their staff.
Soft drinks, juices, flavoured milks, and bottled water have all gone up in price, but without convenient places to get a refund it means people will pay more without any reimbursement from the scheme.
To add to the stuff-up, just 45 convenient reverse vending machines will be operational statewide, so in desperation the Government has turned to slower, manual, over-the-counter collection points at places like corner stores, takeaway outlets and car washes, which now make up 80% of collection points.
In Wallsend, there are NO collection points. The nearest machines are at Mayfield or Mt Hutton, or an over the counter collection point is operating at Bonnells Bay.
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton had one job: launch a scheme to help reduce litter and enable consumers to get back some of the cost – and she has failed miserably.”
“Wallsend residents will be paying more for every drink, but will have nowhere convenient to get their refund.”
“Labor strongly supports this scheme but the Minister has completely botched the rollout. Businesses, bottlers and the public will pay the price for this Government’s incompetence.
“This is totally unfair to local residents, businesses and their staff across Wallsend.”
“It will almost cost more in petrol than you will get from recycling a carton of beer.”
“The Berejiklian Government must get the rollout right so that, as summer and Christmas approach, family budgets aren’t slugged a few dollars on every case of beer, water or soft drink without being able to get that money back.”