CONTAINER DEPOSITS BONANZA SUPPRESSED

Monday, 28 June 2010 11:28

Crucial information that shows $650mpa of significant economic benefits from the introduction of container deposits into Australia is being hidden from the public, environmentalists alleged today. 

“Our FOI has been rejected: the NSW government has opposed its release to the NSW Parliament, and now the Federal Government has refused a demand by the Senate.  With environment ministers due to meet next week to decide the future of container deposits it’s essential such information is released to the public,” said Jeff Angel, Director of Total Environment Centre. “What do they have to hide?”

“We understand the report proves the public is willing to support container deposits (CDS) and estimates the economic value of reducing litter and saving resources at over $650m.   Further, the public is not inconvenienced by having to return bottles and cans to get the deposit back.  If you apply this to recent economic studies* of the costs of having a CDS, then a CDS would be worth several hundred million dollars a year to the nation.”

“We challenge the ministers to release the report before they meet instead of hiding it.  There are claims it is only a final draft but this is just another ploy to prevent its release,” Mr Angel said.

The Ministers are meeting in Darwin on 5 July to decide whether to commission a regulatory impact statement into container deposits, the final formal step before its introduction. 

* Environment ministers commissioned BDA consultants to examine benefits and costs last year – ‘Beverage Container Investigation’ BDA (2009)