Major Victorian charities, community organisations and sporting clubs have swung their support behind a Community (Producer Responsibility) model for the state’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).
The Good Friday Appeal, Scouts Victoria, Netball Victoria, YMCA, Football Victoria, The Alannah and Madeleine Foundation and St Kilda Football Club are backing the Community model for Victoria, which operates successfully in WA, QLD and SA.
The Victorian Government has stated its current preferred CDS is what operates in NSW, which sees community organisations and charities receive around half the benefit compared to QLD, SA and WA.
“When the Government makes its final decision, we’re hopeful it will prioritise Victorian jobs and benefits for community organisations,” said VicRecycle Director Jeff Maguire.
“Under the NSW scheme, community organisations, small businesses and charities forfeit a large part of their container handling fees to TOMRA-Cleanaway to take part as Refund Point Operators.
“This doesn’t occur in the Community (Producer Responsibility) Schemes operating in QLD, SA & WA.
“What this means is that hundreds of community organisations, charities and sporting clubs taking part as Refund Point Operators in WA, QLD and SA gain 6.5 cents per container collected.
“In NSW, its just 3.5 – 4.5 cents, with the remainder being retained by TOMRA-Cleanaway, the NSW Government’s monopoly Network Operator.
“Either the Victorian Government chooses a scheme that maximises Victorian jobs and economic benefits for community organisations, or it chooses one that prioritises profits for big waste companies, at the expense of the community.
“Victoria should have a scheme that maximises recycling, maximises jobs and maximises benefits for the community.
“The community will be paying for the CDS, so the community should get the full benefits.
“The Community (Producer Responsibility) Schemes in QLD, SA and WA prove states can have both the strongest environmental outcomes and the strongest benefits for jobs, community organisations and regional economies.”
More information about the differences and benefits of the various schemes for community organisations is available at vicrecycle.com.au or via this Quick Facts factsheet.
Ryan Fritz
Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.
