INDEPENDENT NEWS

Waste Bill set to stay the course

Published: Thu 31 Aug 2006 04:50 PM
31 August 2006
Waste Bill set to stay the course
Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos is confident he has the numbers necessary to get his Waste Minimisation Bill eventually passed into law.
"Labour, the Maori Party, New Zealand First and the Greens voted for it at first reading. That comfortable majority can be sustained, and possibly increased, if we can iron out some of the potential problems," Nandor says.
"Frankly, I can't wait to hear the submissions to the select committee and get stuck into the debate over the details. There are clauses that need rewriting, but there are also some misunderstandings about what the bill actually contains."
"The National Party has been a bit mischievous, spreading misinformation around the country about the bill and what it might cost businesses. At the same time, I'm the first to admit that the bill, as drafted, is an imperfect document. I look forward to the select committee hammering out a more workable form of this bill, which could be passed into law in 2007.
"There are misgivings about the bill that are unfounded. There are also areas where the misgivings do have validity. I'm open to suggestions about how it can be improved, for instance, about the amount of any waste levy. I'm also very keen to clarify what sanctions would be seen as reasonable for those businesses that refuse to take responsibility for the costs they impose on ratepayers and others.
We're now heading into the phase where we can work through the impacts - real and imaginary - of this proposed legislation. It is also a time to tease out any potential unintended consequences, and to then find ways of avoiding them," Nandor says.
ENDS

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