Jodi McKay calls on Government to support one-use plastic bag ban
The NSW Government’s failure to ban single-use plastic bags is polluting the inner west’s waterways, the Opposition leader has said.
Inner West
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The NSW Opposition Leader says the government sold out the Inner West environment by refusing to ban one-use plastic bags.
Strathfield MP Jodi McKay and Canterbury MP Sophie Cotsis today called on the Government to pass the one-use plastics bill when parliament returns in the next few weeks.
They made the case while standing besides the murky Cooks River, which divides their two electorates and runs through much of the inner west.
Although industrial pollution no longer flows through the Cooks River, rubbish still severely pollutes the catchment, according to the Cooks River Alliance.
Labor’s ‘ban the bag’ bill passed through the upper house 18 votes to 16 last month after two Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MPs failed to show up for the vote.
However, it is expected the NSW Government will reject the bid to ban single-use plastic bags, instead launching a discussion paper on the issue.
“It revolves very much around Liberal MPs voting to support the bill in the upper house,” Ms McKay said about the lower house vote.
The Opposition Leader spent part of yesterday at Campsie encouraging inner west residents to sign Labor’s petition to ban single-use plastic bags.
“I think there’s huge community support for it, specifically in the inner west,” she said.
Ms McKay’s said the Berejiklian Government has red-faced its own Environment Minister by not supporting the bill.
“Environment Minister Matt Kean knows exactly what needs to happen but the Government simply doesn’t have the guts to do it,” Ms McKay said.
“I think it’s an ideological decision (from the Liberal party). Matt Kean has met obstacle after obstacle.
“He indicated in parliament that he supports banning the bag but it’s about him not being able to get it through his Cabinet.
“The Premier should show some leadership, back her Minister and do the right thing.”
The two MPs rejected the ‘plastics discussion paper’ that would be drawn up by the Berejiklian Government in place of the policy.
But Environment Minister Matt Kean said the Government understands the plastics problem and is planning its own “comprehensive” strategy.
“By the end of the year the NSW Government will release a discussion paper on a comprehensive plastics plan that will consider plastic waste holistically,” he said.
“Single-use plastic bags are a major contributor to waste but they are only one part of tackling plastic waste and pollution in general.
“We know that plastic waste and pollution is entering our natural environment and we need to do something about it.”
Single-use plastic bags are banned in all states except NSW, with a ban in Victoria set for November 1.
Woolworths and Coles have also banned one-use plastic bags.
Ms Cotsis said it was anti-intuitive to not ban one-use plastic bags in NSW.
“People in my community have been taking action for years to help clean up local
waterways like the Cooks River,” she said.