CONTAINER DEPOSIT SYSTEM

Mrs ARMITAGE ( Launceston ) - I will not speak for very long as I think the matter has been quite adequately covered.

I commend the member for Western Tiers for the motion he has put before us. While I accept what the member for Windermere has said about there being lots of litter, and while perhaps bottles and cans might not be as prolific as the number of cigarette butts, when we are driving down to Hobart or driving back, we see a proliferation along the roadsides quite regularly.

Cans, of course, are already being collected and you can gain quite a lot of money from them. I know a family in Launceston - and the young girl I am thinking of is about 23-24 years old now - and she put a deposit on a house from collecting cans over the last 20 years. Her family go around and collect cans everywhere and you can make quite a lot of money.

I also note, as was mentioned, that the Northern Territory are looking to do this and I do not see that we have to wait in Tasmania for a national scheme. I would see Tasmania as being leaders, not followers, and I would hope that today this motion gets up and that we pursue it. While there are always going to be those against it for their own reasons, as we know, figures can be slanted whichever way you want. Anyone can make figures look the way the person wants, so while I notice that the members for Windermere and Western Tiers have very different figures, to me what is more important is that we actually try to do something about littering.

It was mentioned that goods may cost more. I think goods are costing more for the carbon tax and I have heard a lot of people saying, 'Hey, it's good', but some saying it isn't. If we said that we did not do anything purely because the cost was going to be greater, I think we would not be doing anything at all, so I certainly support the motion before us.

I was interested to read that in the Northern Territory they were calling it a government cash for container scheme, and I thought maybe our State Government might look at it because they could certainly do with the cash. There might be another way that we could help fund some of our budget shortfalls.

It is also interesting to look at hotels and the number of bottles there. I am wondering whether we might not get the bottle-oh to pick them up; there would probably be hundreds every day.

I commend the member; I think it is a great initiative. As the member for Windermere has said, the Launceston City Council has been looking at this as well and has written to the Government asking them to pursue it with a bit of vigour so that we can hopefully clean up our streets.

Mr Dean - Not the Government but LGAT.

Mrs ARMITAGE - Yes, I know, but it was to go to the Government eventually. I do recall the motion as well, Alderman Dean, but the fact is -

Mr Dean - No, I'm not an alderman and I never was.

Members laughing.

Mrs ARMITAGE - I do apologise. Old habits die hard, Madam President - it was over the last six years.

I support the motion before us and I commend the member for bringing it forward. I hope that the Government take notice and move on this as a matter of urgency because littering does not do anything for any of us. The more that can get picked up the better, even if there is more cost associated with it. South Australia do it quite well and obviously they are not going to do something that fails them. I look forward to debate.