City of Bayswater discontinues use of single use plastic at City buildings and events

BAYSWATER Council has banned the use of single use plastics including balloons, plastic water bottles and straws at its premises and events.

At tonight’s meeting, councillors supported Councillor Giorgia Johnson’s motion for the City to recognise the “devastation” plastic had on the environment, marine life and water supply and make efforts to discontinue the use of single-use plastics and reduce plastic.

Clauses included City officers to investigate and promote alternatives to single use plastic items at all community events held in the City and investigate the provision of water bottle refill stations at City events and premises.

The council passed Cr Elli Petersen-Pik’s amended clause for the City to amend its local laws to prohibit the release of balloons at the City premises, events or in parks within the City, during the local law review program.

All councillors except Deputy Mayor Chris Cornish voted for the City to support the State Government’s plastic bag ban and write to Premier Mark McGowan and Environment Minister Stephen Dawson to request the ban be extended to other items including plastic straws and balloons.

The council also agreed to support the Federal Government’s stance on microbeads and request the City to write to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg about banning the manufacture, distribution and sale of personal care products containing microbeads.

The City will continue to investigate ways to reduce the use of other single-use plastics at a local level, as part of its waste reduction strategies.

Cr Johnson said it was no secret that plastic was “causing damage”.

“With this motion, I am not proposing restrictive timelines and policies,” she said.

“I am not proposing radical behaviour as it does not affect private businesses as it is.

“I am proposing that we do what we can and lead by example and set some principles for our future.

“We are not Indonesia, we don’t have rivers of plastic running into our oceans, but it only takes one discarded plastic straw to harm a turtle or one stray, plastic bottle to wash into our river and disintegrate and get into our food and water.”

Cr Petersen-Pik said the ban would not extend to private businesses at City events, such as food vans.

Cr Cornish said the Federal Government should implement a ban on microbeads in cleansing products, following the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand

According to an officer’s report, although the use of certain bags such as dog waste bags were exempt from the ban, the City was currently trialling biodegradable and compostable dog waste bags at Riverside Gardens and a review would be undertaken.