A debate erupted at Parramatta City Council’s Ordinary Meeting on Monday, over a motion which would see a reduction in single-use plastics at Council-led activities and events.
First initiated back in September 2018, the motion suggests ways of reducing Council’s impact on the environment, such as using temporary water re-fill stations, biodegradable cutlery and reusable bags.
The motion divided Councillors, with Mayor Bob Dwyer’s deciding vote siding with the conservatives, who wished to see the matter deferred.
Liberal Councillor Steven Issa, who initially called for the deferral of the motion, detailed his own rough estimate of what the initiative was costing Council and said the report presented was not a clear representation of that.
Cr Issa also noted the Council’s recent efforts to cut costs in the wake of COVID-19 and said this motion couldn’t be justified, given the current financial strain.
“We went through a very significant effort to reduce the costs of the Council to make sure that we were financially sustainable,” he said during the meeting.
“But at the same time as us doing that to really stop people from getting sacked and let off, we’re now doing things that we can’t assist.”
His comments were supported by fellow Liberal Councillor Bill Tyrrell who too called for further detail on the report.
“I haven’t seen something so ludicrous in all my life; this is the left pulling the chain,” he said.
But Greens Councillor Phil Bradley said you can’t put a price tag on environmental responsibility.
“I’m quite appalled that some of the Councillors don’t recognise the importance of reducing the use of single-use plastics,” he told Parra News.
Cr Bradley, who volunteers to clean up local creeks and rivers, said the amount of waste is appalling and “costs a considerable amount to Council in terms of cleaning it up, as well as landfill.”
A number of community groups such as Litter Free Parramatta River, ParraParents and Plastic Pluckers volunteer their time to pick up litter around waterways.
Labor Councillor Patricia Prociv said it shouldn’t be the responsibility of volunteers to keep Parramatta clean.
“It’s our obligation as the big people in this city to make sure that those things don’t get into our waterways in the first place,” she said.
“It’s not all about the money, it’s about the environment and it’s about the community not having to spend their spare time cleaning up after the Council.”
A revised report will be put forward in two weeks.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.