The recycling crisis has rightly been described as a slow motion train wreck.

It has, like the energy and water policy, become a testament to failed state and federal policy development.

Politicians with a vision that is restricted to the next election and a cowered public service have created voids in policy that have stopped the ongoing adaptation to the changing landscape we need and have expected of government.

If the outcome wasn't as serious, and though policy neglect become suddenly unavoidable, it would be comic to watch the paralysis of the Andrews government unable to match the rhetoric of their cost neutral circular economy of waste to the reality in front of them.

READ MORE: Ballarat council recycling plan in action

There is no magic bullet, we will have to put money into the system at some point.

The half billion dollars the state government has charged Victorians in waste levies that forms the sustainability fund would seem the logical source of cash to adapt our current systems. The fund was never meant to shore up our credit rating of purely fund regulators.

The changes may include European-like waste to energy incineration, and should certainly include community re-engagement to better separate especially glass contamination but let's just get on with it.

The net result may still need ongoing consumer contribution and I have no doubt at this moment a policy adviser has prepared a proposal for Minister D'Ambrosio to make local government the apparent villains by giving it the "option "of increasing the Waste levy to households.

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Their narrative will then be then that councils are greedy polluters and state government the crusading eco-warriors of a regulatory environment that shores up there greener inner city seats.

All perfect politics but a manifest abrogation of governance.

Could we instead focus on getting this right? We have a community who are understandably losing faith in government policy with recyclables being dumped in landfill that are keen to engage more in real answers.

Minister D'Ambrosio, stop thinking about the next election, give your advisors a week off to confer in Stockholm and sit down with real public servants and sort this out.

Cr Mark Harris, Ballarat.