9/1/01
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes today announced more than $600,000 worth of recycling grants for local authorities, under the Waste Management and Recycling Fund’s municipal recycling services scheme.
Mrs Edwardes said $604,410 had been distributed to local authorities in the current round of grants, bringing the total that has been paid to councils under the scheme to more than $2.2 million.
“These payments are made to support local authorities that are improving recycling services to the community and are linked to the achievement of specific targets for reducing waste to landfill,” Mrs Edwardes said.
“In this round, the grants reflected a combined local government recycling effort of 69,059 tonnes.
“This is an 18 per cent improvement over the previous period.”
The Waste Management and Recycling Fund is drawn from a levy on waste disposed to landfill.
The fund was established in 1998 to help reduce disposal of waste to landfill. The Municipal Recycling Services rebate scheme is one of eight programs in the Fund.
Payments of Municipal Recycling Services scheme grants are based on claims submitted by local councils every six months.
“This scheme is having an important impact on recycling in this State by rewarding councils on their recycling performance,” Mrs Edwardes said.
Mrs Edwardes said the State Government remained committed to reducing waste to landfill and recognised the importance of providing direct support for local government recycling services in order to achieve this result
Media contact: Steve Manchee on 9421 7777
