{"id":210455,"date":"2018-06-05T13:06:34","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T03:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=210455"},"modified":"2018-06-06T22:27:48","modified_gmt":"2018-06-06T12:27:48","slug":"cash-for-cans-plan-postponed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/06\/05\/cash-for-cans-plan-postponed\/","title":{"rendered":"Cash For Cans Plan Postponed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Enoch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 5, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The introduction of the State Government’s proposed container deposit scheme has been pushed back from July to November.<\/p>\n

The scheme will see consumers charged a 10c deposit on specified drink containers that can be redeemed at a collection depot, or by placing the containers into a reverse vending machine.<\/p>\n

The program has been under discussion by the State Government since mid-2015 after a Newspoll showed 86 per cent of Queenslanders wanted a container deposit scheme introduced to reduce litter and expand recycling.<\/p>\n

It was originally planned to be introduced on July 1.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the rollout of the new scheme in Queensland was postponed after the introduction of a similar scheme in NSW last December ran into difficulties due to a lack of collection points.<\/p>\n

In February, the NSW Opposition claimed consumers had paid $110 million in higher beverage prices in the first three months after the scheme was introduced, but only $8.3 million had been returned to them.<\/p>\n

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted her government’s program had suffered “major teething problems”.<\/p>\n

Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said it was clear there were lessons to be learned from the NSW experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The five-month delay in the scheme’s introduction is aimed at ensuring there will be more than 200 refund points across Queensland when the scheme comes into operation.<\/p>\n

“It’s important we get the scheme right from day one so that its full community, environmental and recycling benefits are realised,” Ms Enoch said.<\/p>\n

The state-wide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags – including compostable, degradable and biodegradable bags – will still come into force on July 1 as planned.<\/p>\n