Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Recycling and Waste Reduction (Fees) Amendment (Export of Regulated Waste Material Fees and Other Measures) Rules 2024, made under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, be disallowed [F2024L00850].

I don't think any responsible party here moves a disallowance motion on fees with joy or happiness. This is something that has come about through inattention to a serious problem that saw commodity based recyclables heading to landfill, which is a perverse circumstance and not what we try to do in the renewables industry.

As part of Senator Whish-Wilson's very well-run recycling inquiry, we had industry coming to us and saying it wasn't working and something had to be done. The putting up of this disallowance and the subsequent delays and putting off in the vote were to give time for the government to get together with industry and other stakeholders and come to a commonsense opinion that everyone would think they could work with. So we have no joy in being here, and we are not saying, 'This is a great day for Australia; we've rolled something.' It is sad that the minister's office and the department couldn't meet with industry and come to a compromise.

I will speak very briefly about that. I note that, in my office, I did not have success in getting through to the minister's office on the phone. Two of my staff went across to the minister's office seeking someone and were given the business card of someone who would potentially call us later. That has not happened. To this day, we have had no ability to sit down and discuss this at length. The industry tell me, very similarly, that they haven't been consulted or worked with to make these things happen. At the estimates, we had an answer, but we couldn't pursue that further to get to a position where this motion would not be put today. It could very easily not have been put today. It could very easily have disappeared into the ether with a happy industry and a happy conversation. It hasn't happened. It is a disappointment that we are here, but we will be voting for this motion today, simply because it is wrong that good recyclable products end up in landfill, and it is wrong that an industry that wants to work on a full circular economy is being held back because of that. I commend the motion to the Senate.