MACEDON Ranges Shire Council voted at its May meeting to implement a single-use plastic policy, supporting the state-wide ban that came into effect on February 1.
The new policy is a key item of council’s Towards Zero Single-use Plastics Investigation and Action Plan, which was first introduced in 2018 when council decided to phase out single-use plastic across council operations.
Council has been actively working in recent years to reduce plastic use in the community, taking a multi-stage approach to develop the Towards Zero Single-use Plastics Action Plan through planning and wider community engagement.
Cr Anderson, who moved the motion at the meeting, said while the policy had been in the works for a while, it showed leadership of the staff and the wider community.
“It’s a real testament to our staff that has taken time, but we have looked at it thoroughly, and it’s a really easy to read, clear document and hopefully it’s got that transition period so our community can get on board, understand it, and learn about all the benefits of not using single-use plastics,” she said.
“It ticks all the boxes of what our community has told us they want, and it allows us to be leaders in this space.”
Mayor Annette Death said the Macedon Ranges landfill diversion was at 74 per cent – one of the highest in the state.
Cr Death thanked the staff who worked on the policy for their support and innovation.
“This is great as council to be seen as leaders in this space. Yes, it’s a State Government policy, but we go above and beyond here at the Macedon Ranges. This is a real area we can be proud of and our residents can be really proud of,” she said.
