Major Containers for Change reforms have been passed by the Queensland Parliament.
The reforms have been designed to strengthen accountability, lift performance and ensure money in the scheme is allocated accordingly, after a Parliamentary Inquiry delivered a scathing report on the scheme.
The Inquiry found serious problems with the scheme’s design, governance, transparency and oversight.
Since the scheme began, it has generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue, but the Inquiry found less than 40 percent had been returned to Queenslanders through container refunds.
It also found surplus funds had been used to offset beverage industry costs, rather than being reinvested to improve the scheme or support environmental and charitable programs.
The reforms support in-principle 20 of the Inquiry’s 21 recommendations. These include:
- Driving better performance and more container returns;
- Developing a clear plan for how money is managed, invested and used;
- Backing local communities and the environment by enabling greater investment in charities, community programs, recycling infrastructure and environmental initiatives;
- Making the scheme more accountable through independent audits, stronger reporting and greater Ministerial oversight;
- Introducing stronger independence and accountability requirements for the scheme coordinator and its Board;
- Providing relief to small beverage manufacturers; and
- Recycling more containers and materials by strengthening the scheme and expanding what can be recovered (including container lids).
