THE ACT Liberals will overturn the territory’s controversial ban on plastic bags should they win the October election, Opposition Leader Zed Seselja said today. 

The ACT Labor/Greens Coalition banned the distribution of lightweight plastic bags in retail environments in November.

At the time, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development Simon Corbell said the ban was in place to reduce the estimated 64 million plastic bags sent to ACT landfill every year, which take an estimated 1000 years to break down.

But Mr Seselja says Labor’s environmental evidence doesn’t “stack up.”

“When asked whether shopping bags were an environmental issue, our own local Environmental Protection Agency responded they ‘cannot say it has been one of any great significance,’” he said.

“The Productivity Commission found that ‘based on the evidence available to the Commission, it appears that the Australian, State and Territory Governments do not have a sound case for proceeding with their proposed phase out of plastic retail carry bags.’

“That’s why today I’m giving Canberrans back the choice they deserve. If businesses have adapted to the ban and would like to continue charging for bags, they are welcome to do so. But if they don’t, they won’t be lumped with a $27,500 penalty.

“This is about bringing sense and evidence back to government decision making.”

Mr Corbell hit back, calling the Liberal party “hypocritical.”

“Today Mr Seselja has finally revealed an environmental policy position, saying he would repeal the ban on plastic bags, despite the Liberals saying in 2004 that shopping bags would be made illegal by 2006, if they had won that election,” he said.

“It is hypocritical of the liberals to now say they would repeal the ban and in fact this is another backwards step
by the opposition on the ACT environment.

“It is disappointing to see the next instalment of environmental backward-thinking from the opposition leader
who seems intent on wrecking any attempts to better protect the local environment in the ACT.”