A Hobart alderman calls proposed plastic ban a disgrace which will hurt businesses

UPDATED: A Hobart City Council committee has voted on a proposed bylaw to ban plastic containers and utensils from Hobart food retailers.

UPDATE: A HOBART City Council committee has rejected a proposed bylaw to ban plastic containers and utensils from Hobart food retailers.

Instead, an alternative motion will be put forward at the next council meeting.

The motion to support the draft bylaw failed 3-1 on Wednesday night at the city infrastructure meeting with Aldermen Tanya Denison, Jeff Briscoe and Simon Behrakis voting against it.

Only Deputy Mayor Helen Burnet supported the bylaw.

“(As a council) we had an opportunity to be bold,” Cr Burnet said.

“I am a bit disappointed with this outcome.

“It’s a fairly limited impost and more and more businesses are making the choice anyway.”

The alternative motion council will vote on next month is that:

COUNCIL lobbies the State Government to support the LGAT motion to introduce a statewide ban on single-use plastics.

COUNCIL work with businesses to implement a voluntary scheme.

CONSIDERATION of the bylaw be deferred for 12 months.

The meeting also noted that 100 out of 300 businesses have already stopped using single-use plastic items.

Ald Denison, who chaired the committee, supported the alternative motion.

“I think bringing along businesses with us through the transition, rather than the ‘big stick’ approach of bylaws and fines, will result in a much better outcome,” she said.

The law would have banned single-use, petroleum-based plastic containers and utensils from next year.

It would apply to plastic cups, lids, utensils, straws and sachets.

Infringement notices would have been set at $326. If the matter was prosecuted, a $1300 fine may have applied.

Councillor Mike Dutta, who owns Macquarie Street Foodstore, said he supported the bylaw in principle but had concerns over the fines and the flow-on effect of costs for small businesses to implement the measure.

EARLIER: A HOBART City Council alderman has slammed a push to fine businesses for not using “politically correct cutlery and crockery” as ridiculous.

Hobart food retailers may be hit with fines of up to $1300 if they offer plastic food containers and utensils under a proposed new bylaw banning the use of single-use plastics.

The proposed Hobart City Council single-use plastics bylaw will ban single use, petroleum-based plastic containers and utensils by 2020 as the council wages its war on waste.

BIG FINES IN THE WIND FOR OUTLETS THAT USE PLASTIC

Greens Alderman Bill Harvey has been championing a ban on single-use plastics for years and does not anticipate too many businesses being hit with fines.

But Ald Simon Behrakis said council’s latest “harebrained attempt to force a radical environmental agenda on the community is an absolute disgrace”.

“The business owners I’ve spoken to are telling me this is nothing short of a new tax on business that will increase costs and do absolutely nothing to address the issues,” Ald Behrakis said.

“This is another sign that there are people on council who are clearly out of touch with

reality.

“Jacking up costs to businesses that are already operating on razor-thin margins is

going to hurt.”

Hobart City Council Alderman Simon Behrakis has launched a broadside against the council’s platics ban plan. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

A regulatory impact assessment from Blue Environment, commissioned by the council, found the cost to food retailers moving from single-use plastics to biodegradable food packaging may involve an increase of 8-12 cents per unit for average-sized food containers.

Ald Behrakis also questioned how the council would police this.

“Are they going to unleash a wave of ‘coffee cup inspectors’ onto the streets of Hobart, fining businesses and hassling customers that aren’t woke enough for the Lord Mayor?” he said.

“If businesses want to make these changes themselves, that’s a matter for them.

“Instead, it looks like the Council wants to pull out the big stick and belt businesses until they submit to its ideological viewpoint.”