Greens string along as balloon ban takes off

The Greens have declared war on balloons in Western Australia.

The Greens have declared war on balloons in Western Australia as the blue-ribbon Perth suburb of Cottesloe extends its balloon ban to all public parks and one of Perth’s most popular wedding venues.

The Cottesloe council, which covers a seaside patch of real estate in Perth’s leafy western suburbs, last year vowed not to allow helium balloons at council functions on environmental grounds.

Initially there were concerns about extending that ban to other people’s events, including questions about whether council rangers would burst into children’s parties to confiscate the contraband. But councillors were won over and now balloons are banned from all council land at all times, including the grassed foreshore and the picturesque Cottesloe Civic Gardens where several weddings are held each weekend in spring, summer and autumn.

The Greens in WA have been buoyed by Cottesloe council’s decision, and yesterday state party leader Robin Chapple announced he would introduce a bill in parliament to place severe limits on balloons statewide.

Mr Chapple said the proposal would extend to plastic straws, plastic bags and certain plastic packaging.

At a Cottesloe council meeting last month, the Conservation Council of WA’s Piers Verstegen told councillors the protection of marine life was a responsibility for coastal suburbs and “balloons were a large contributing factor currently impacting on the lives of marine animals”.

Yesterday Mr Chapple said “we absolutely must make drastic changes now to cut down on our state’s impact” through use of plastics.