Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The northern beaches of Sydney are home to some of the most pristine and beautiful waterways in the country. From the sandy shores of Avalon Beach to the creeks of Bantry Bay, we are very fortunate to live where we do. With that fortune comes a great responsibility. We are responsible for protecting and preserving these waterways and the flora and fauna that call them home. It is our responsibility to preserve them for future generations.

It is estimated that between one and 2½ million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from our waterways. More than half of this plastic is less dense than the water it is entering, which means it will float on the surface. You may have heard of the great Pacific garbage patch. This is a collection of marine debris which the currents have pulled together in the northern Pacific ocean between California and Japan. This garbage patch is largely made up of microplastics and is three times the size of France. It is the result of poor management of our waste, and it is what we should be working hard to avoid.

Australia generates around 67 million tonnes of waste each year, of which 37 million tonnes is recycled. Only 12 per cent of the 103 kilograms of plastic waste generated per person in Australia each year is recycled, and most of this recycling happens overseas. The government is taking this problem seriously. Let me commend the Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, who is leading the government down the path of smarter waste management. (Time expired)