The Nationals in government will end household waste going to landfill by 2035 with a bold plan that will also secure new, reliable, clean energy for Victoria.
In the largest environmental overhaul in Victoria in decades, the $120 million Zero to Landfill plan will invest in energy-from-waste technology that will use Victoria’s household waste to generate low-emission energy.
The Liberal Nationals will also support our recycling processing industry to upgrade so that Victorians’ recycling goes to market, instead of going to landfill as it is under Labor.
Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said regional communities wanted to see a solution to Labor’s worsening waste crisis.
“We all want to do our bit to make sure our children can live in a state that is cleaner than the one we inherited from our parents which is why local people diligently recycle as much as possible,” Mr Walsh said.
“We have a unique opportunity in Victoria to utilise the waste that’s currently being sent to landfill and use it to benefit all Victorians by securing a more reliable baseload power supply.”
Interim targets will see a 33 per cent reduction in household waste to landfill by 2025, a 66 per cent reduction by 2030 and a 100 per cent reduction by 2035.
“Victoria desperately needs to reduce the waste we send to landfill and we need new, low emission sources of energy,” Mr Walsh said.
“But Daniel Andrews’ do nothing agenda is seeing Victorians’ efforts to recycle wasting away in landfill.
“Energy-from-waste technology is an opportunity to make a real difference for the next generation and the Nationals in government will bring it to Victoria to solve today’s problems and help future generations.”
Background
The Zero to Landfill policy:
- commits $120 million over four years from the states’ Sustainability Fund to create a Zero to Landfill Fund. This Fund will have a Recycling Futures stream to help upgrade recycling facilities and an Energy from Waste stream to deliver energy-from-waste projects in Victoria;
- commits government departments to work with industry to expedite approvals to get Victoria’s waste management and recycling back on track; and
- sets an ambitious target to eliminate household waste going to landfill by 2035.
Earlier this year, the Liberal Nationals announced if elected it would require government agencies such as Parks Victoria and the Victorian Schools Building Authority to prioritise fully recycled plastic products as part of their purchasing policies.
This would take plastic waste and uses it to create recycled plastic products, such as park benches, bollards, walkways and playground material, which can then be enjoyed by the community.