MOUNT Gambier City Council will apply for funding through the State Government’s $12.4m support package for the recycling industry and local government following China’s ban on foreign waste imports.
The package responds to China’s enforcement of its National Sword policy, which restricts the type of recycled material the country will accept.
Formerly the world’s largest importer of recyclable materials, the policy has thrown the international waste processing industry into disarray.
A delegation of council staff and elected members will also attend a waste strategy summit in Sydney next month.
“The State Government announced this package on Saturday and we became aware of it when it hit Sunday’s papers,” chief executive Mark McShane explained.
“This was moving so fast that until Tuesday there was no criteria available for the grant funding.
“Now the criteria has been released there is one fund in particular, the Regional Transport Relief Fund, that is worthy of us having a crack at.”
The $500,000 fund for transport subsidies recognises the barrier of high transport costs for recycling in regional areas.
“The fund is limited to that $500,000 amount and it is basically first in, best dressed – it has been made quite clear that once the fund is expended there will be no more,” Mr McShane said.
“Out of that half-a-million, I’m not sure how much we might get.
“This is a once-off fund open for a six month period to relieve financial pressure on regional councils and it is worth applying early.”
Cr Frank Morello put forward a motion to send a delegation of council representatives to the waste strategy summit from June 26 to 28.
“We all know what we face in terms of trying to sort out the implications of this locally, nationally and internationally as well,” he said.
The delegation will share information gathered at the summit at a council workshop in July.
