Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697643672266.pdf (Australia)
Senate Inquiry: The Threat of Marine Plastic Pollution in Australia Terms of Reference The threat of marine plastic pollution in Australia and Australian waters, with particular reference to: a. b. c. the review of current research and scientific understanding of plastic pollution in the marine environment; sources of marine plastic pollution; the impacts of marine plastic pollution, including impacts on species and ecosystems, fisheries, small business, and human health; d. measures and resourcing for mitigation; and e. any other relevant matters.
Submission I am choosing to make a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the threat of marine plastic pollution in Australia as an individual, but based upon my work as the Coastal Coordinator with NRM North (Tas), and with the knowledge of the organisation.
I am fortunate in having the opportunity to work with community volunteers in Tasmania’s Northern Region, as they contribute their time and labour to improving our coastal environment, not only for habitat values, but also for recreation and tourism outcomes.

We undoubtedly live in God’s Own Country and anyone would be excused for thinking that there isn’t much to be done that could make this part of Australia any more stunningly pristine, and clean-and-green, than it is.
However, this is very much not the case.

There are currently a range of human impacts that are seriously threatening the natural (and highly marketable) character of our coastal zone, with plastic pollution of our marine and coastal environment being high on this list.

I recently spent a number of days with school students collecting marine debris washed up on local beaches and recording this using the data collection sheets made available by the organisation Tangaroa Blue.
Of the total number of items that were collected, over 70% of these were plastics, while the next most common items (aluminium, mostly cans) were about 10% of the total.

Of the plastics counted, just over a quarter of these were pieces or remnants, although, as the students discovered during counting, these readily break into smaller pieces.
Within the remainder, (that is, plastic items that could be identified), the most common items were food and drink-related, mainly packaging, bottles and lids, with some cutlery and foam cups and trays as well.

These were followed by plastic bags (sadly including plant guards used in revegetation projects), rope and a small number of fishing line pieces.
Despite recreational fishing occurring in the area, and commercial fishing being undertaken offshore, the proportion of items related to these activities was low compared with more urban and domestic sources.

The occasional tennis ball, cigarette lighter, lonely plugger, mobile phone and fridge (not technically marine debris, but dumped in the dunes) rounded out the experience.
NRM North has also supported the volunteer work of CONT (Conserve Our Neighbours in the Tamar) – a group of divers based at UTAS, who undertake marine debris collection within the Tamar Estuary.

Because they retrieve items that have settled on the bottom of the estuary, the nature of what they collect does differ from what floats throughout the water column and ends up on our beaches, but still contains some plastics.
One of my greatest concerns arising from involvement with these activities is the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that they can instil.

It is rewarding for a young person to help clean up a beach and feel proud of what they have done, but even if they do everything they can to ensure that the litter they produce doesn’t end up in our oceans, we still have marine areas of plastic soup.
Plastics adsorb toxins and carry them into the food chain, so while a volunteer diver might spend half a day pulling someone else’s trash from the water, they can still find themselves consuming contaminated seafood.

We are likely to lose a number of sea bird species because of human impacts, particularly marine plastic pollution, and no number of beach clean-ups may mitigate this.

This is not a problem that can simply be solved by goodwill and the enthusiasm of youth.
Threat of marine plastic pollution in AustraliaSubmission 43 We need a coordinated approach - one that insists on eliminating the sources of plastic pollution into our waterways and oceans, not just cleaning up what is already there.

This includes overcoming council reluctance to install and maintain water sensitive urban design (WSUD), not only on new developments and infrastructure, but retrofitting for best practice.
This also means manufacturers being held accountable for cradle-to-grave responsibility for their products.

If producers of plastic containers oppose self-funding programs such as recycling schemes, then the full cost of their products to our society should be recovered from them, and not left to a handful of volunteers to attempt to repair.

(And how do we put a price on species extinction, potential damage to our commercial fisheries, or loss of recreational values?)
Branded litter should not be considered a free advertising opportunity for irresponsible producers, and if they are insistent that the responsibility lies with the consumer, then the consumer should be allowed to be provided with opportunities and incentives for changing current behaviour.

A token contribution to an annual clean up does nothing for the real problem.

Something needs to be done.


There is no feel-good benefit to be had from encouraging a class full of students to spend their day picking up someone else’s rubbish knowing that it will be back in no time, without having the support of our federal government to really move towards change.

One of the largely unrecognised impacts of marine pollution is the message it sends.
Three of the four locations that I visited with my school groups were to the Georgetown area – a beautiful place nevertheless characterised by a high proportion of welfare-dependent and other low income families.

While it might be easy to dismiss the litter on their foreshore as a symptom of the area’s social issues, it should also be seen for what it says about the lack of responsibility that anyone wants to take for the problem – and trash attracts more trash.
This isn’t just about plastic – it’s about people and places, and we need to put them first.

Threat of marine plastic pollution in AustraliaSubmission 43