Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. I am advised that the government will not impose a Commonwealth levy on plastic bags. I am also advised that this government, along with other members of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council, is committed to phasing out free, single-use plastic shopping bags, and that such phase-out should be under way by 1 January 2009. I understand that the council expects to make a decision on the plastic bag phase-out mechanism at its meeting of 17 April 2008, and the Commonwealth government is working with the states and territories to examine options for phasing out plastic bags. As I said at the outset, my advice is that the government has not determined what form a phase-out should take but we have been clear that we will not introduce a Commonwealth levy on bags. There are other options that the council may consider.

I do want to make the point that Australians, I would think, are concerned about the 40 million plastic bags that litter our bushland and waterways, and harm our wildlife. The community has made it very clear that they want this problem solved. This is an issue which first came onto the agenda of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council in 2002; however, unfortunately, under the previous government we saw nothing but dithering and inaction. Whilst making vague noises about the problem, the former government had no position on how to take this issue forward. Mr Garrett is working with the states through the EPHC, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council, to come up with a solution. All environment ministers, state, territory and Commonwealth, are meeting on 17 April to examine a range of options, and any solution that is agreed will take into account rigorous analysis of practical options, and public and industry views on this issue. Whilst I will not speculate on the outcomes of that discussion, the Australian government has made it clear that the introduction of a federal government plastic bag levy is not on the table.