Tuesday 17 October 2023
MINISTER MUST STEP IN TO END BUREAUCRACY’S PLAN FOR MORE FEES
The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) is calling on the new Victorian Environment Minister Stephen Dimopoulos to intervene and put a stop to the bureaucracy’s plan for another fee on the Victorian waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry.
In February 2020, Victoria adopted its Recycling Victoria strategy that included encouraging investment in waste to energy in Victoria. Today the Victorian Government has introduced the Environment Legislation (Circular Economy and Other Matters) 2023 Bill to parliament to place a new annual charge on any new energy from waste facilities in the State.
And where is the money that would be raised going? In to funding more bureaucrats.
“Besides the fact that after three (3) years there is still no legislation to gain approval for new energy from waste facilities currently in Victoria, we now have proposed legislation to put more costs on industry - sprung on us today with no prior warning and no consultation,” WMRR Chief Executive Officer Gayle Sloan said today.
“If the department had spent these three (3) years developing legislation for these facilities, we could be creating real jobs and real investment in Victoria, instead all we have is a schedule of fees to pay for a new department.
“Three (3) years ago Victoria expanded to four (4) the number of government agencies and departments directly dealing with the WARR sector - creating more bureaucracy than any other state.
“After those three (3) years – what do we have – proposals for more recurrent charges on industry… to fund even more bureaucrats. There is more regulation in Victoria than any other jurisdiction in Australia, and we are now told we need to pay for that privilege.
“The public service has clearly used the cover of the change of Premier to try and slip this one through a new Minister.
“Instead of working with the WARR sector to invest and create green jobs, cut greenhouse emissions and transition to a circular economy, these bureaucrats are making it even more difficult and expensive to operate in Victoria.
“The Minister must step in, over-rule the bureaucrats and put an end to this new charge today,” Ms Sloan said.