Local MPs say the State Government has badly bungled the container deposit scheme’s rollout in South West Sydney.
Even a map of collection point locations shows that people will be paying more for drinks without having quick and convenient places to get their refund, say Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong and his fellow Labor colleague, Campbelltown MP Greg Warren.
In the Macquarie Fields electorate there are just five collection points, with four manual over-the-counter points and only one convenient reverse vending machine.
On the morning of Friday, December 1, the only reverse vending machine – in an Ingleburn car park – was not operational, further highlighting the government’s bungled start to the scheme.
Of even more concern, for people in Glenfield, St Andrews, Raby and Edmondson Park, there are no collection points at all, says Mr Chanthivong.
“Once again, the Berejiklian Liberal Government has failed to deliver for our community,’’ he said.
“The rollout of this scheme has been disastrous. People are paying more for every drink, yet are hard pressed to find a convenient collection point and get their refund, which they deserve.
“This is unfair for local residents and businesses, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas.
“The Liberal Government has botched the scheme so badly, it even failed to open the only reverse vending machine in my electorate on the very day the scheme is meant to be up and running.
“This highlights the contempt this government holds for our local area – they simply don’t care,” Mr Chanthivong said.
Further south in Campbelltown, Mr Warren says there are just three collection points, consisting of two manual over-the-counter points and just one convenient reverse vending machine.
He says that of even more concern is that all three collection points are located in the Campbelltown CBD within a few hundred metres of each other, meaning that residents are unable to drop their containers off at their local suburban shopping centre.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton had one job: launch a scheme that can help reduce litter and enable consumers to recoup the cost – and she has failed miserably,’’ Mr Warren said.[/social_quote]
“Everyone will be paying more for every drink, with nowhere convenient to get their refund.
“Labor is a strong supporter of this scheme but the minister has completely botched the rollout. Businesses, bottlers and the public will have to pay the price for this government’s incompetence.
“This is totally unfair to local residents, businesses and their staff in Campbelltown.
“The Berejiklian Government have to get the rollout right so that in the lead-up to Christmas people aren’t slugged a few dollars on every case of beer, water or soft drink without being able to get a refund,” Mr Warren said.
