A fine goal with some tough hurdles to overcome. That is how advocates are seeing the idea of a plastic bag-free Ballarat and they hope a statewide ban will give impetus to the cause.
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Victorian Greens MP Nina Springle has introduced the private members’ bill, which includes banning the distribution and sale of plastic bags, single use plastic packaging of fresh fruit and vegetables, and products containing microbeads.
The bill is currently the subject of a state parliamentary inquiry that will continue over the summer.
Ballarat City Council candidate Belinda Coates said a statewide ban would make enforcement easier.
“It’s difficult from a local laws point of view to mandate and enforce a ban,” she said.
“It would be much easier to get the big corporate businesses on board if there was state legislation - then we would have to do it.”
However David Twomey from Plastic Bag Free Ballarat said most of the community supported the initiative.
“Even the supermarkets are pretty happy to give up plastic bags because it costs them money,” he said.
Ms Coates said a plastic free city was not too far away as long as the state inquiry demonstrated a lot of cities like Ballarat wanted the ban in place.
“There is a growing momentum within the community and local businesses, such as the farmer’s market, but there is more that we could do in getting businesses on board.
“We will follow up with the new council to push it at a local level, so promoting the environmental benefits and looking at whether the City of Ballarat can put in a submission to the inquiry.”
Ballarat is also happy to lead the way if the inquiry doesn’t achieve the desired outcome, Mr Twomey said.
“If we can’t achieve it at a state level, we’ll certainly try to achieve it at a local level.”
Submissions to the inquiry close on Friday, October 21.