Dean Jacqui: Waste Minimisation Bill — In Committee 
Dean Jacqui: Waste Minimisation Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:648;Page:17572] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Otago) 
: 
 I rise to speak on the Waste Minimisation Bill. There is a lot of concern in our community about the management of waste and this bill has changed considerably from the bill as introduced to Parliament. I acknowledge that there has been a lot of work on this bill and although I sit on the Local Government and Environment Committee I made way for Nicky Wagner and I am quite glad I did because she has done an excellent job on this bill at the same time keeping the other members of the committee—from National at least—informed on how the bill was going. 
It is interesting is it not that in this instance the community organisations that have long been concerned about management of waste have in effect led to this bill. Although this is a member’s bill I believe that it is the small voluntary community organisations in the main who have really led the way in bringing the public of New Zealand along with them in their desire to be responsible stewards for our community on behalf of our environment. It is interesting to note that those community groups are incredibly successful and growing. For this legislation to come in to support and validate their work is I hope cause for celebration amongst them. 
The public now expect a level of waste stewardship and I believe that this bill begins to address that issue. I will turn to Part 2 “Product stewardship” in particular. What this bill does with product stewardship really is akin to when we used to return our milk bottles and get 4c for them. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Yes that’s about right. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: And beer bottles who would know— 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Bottle drives; there used to be a lot of bottle drives. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: Yes I did a number of bottle drives at intermediate school as did a number of others which was fantastic. It was unheralded I might say. Nobody knew it was good for the environment we just thought we were making a buck for our local schools and kindergartens but I guess that is the genesis of product stewardship. I understand that that issue was looked at as part of the examination process of this bill and discarded but in its place we have this clause in the bill under Part 2 which provides for product stewardship. 
This provision provides for an accreditation process and a regulatory process to encourage and foster product stewardship schemes. My colleague Nicky Wagner mentioned Fisher and Paykel as particularly good pioneers in product stewardship. I understand that the New Zealand Packaging Accord 2004 has also made good progress with product stewardship. These product stewardship schemes take responsibility for the environmental impacts and environmental harm of disposing of a product after its useful life. It is encouraging to see on the television news cellphones being voluntarily recycled—I understand that is part of a voluntary product stewardship scheme—and whiteware of course. Whenever we visit our local recycling depot there are always piles of whiteware. I do not mind paying a fee to drop off old whiteware knowing that it will be dismantled and the harmful gases captured. I think that is a fair trade. 
The spirit of product stewardship which is already done on a voluntary basis will be encouraged through this bill. Some other examples of disposing of products after their useful life would be the collection and disposal of used oil and other items. Thank you.