The Queensland Liberal National Party’s welcome $35 million commitment for installing stormwater filters will help stop plastic pollution entering Moreton Bay through our waterways, said the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
The LNP says filters will be placed on 100 major stormwater drains flowing into the bay, saving 6,000 wheelie bins of plastic and other rubbish escaping into the bay. This measure would help protect the important marine life of Moreton Bay and must lay the platform for broader government regulations to help stop plastic pollution at the source by reducing the mountains of needless plastics we are producing and using.
AMCS Plastics Campaign Manager Cip Hamilton said: “Stormwater filters are an effective short-term solution to prevent plastic pollution from infiltrating our precious coastlines, bays and waterways. Importantly, we also need measures to stop plastic pollution at the source by reducing how much needless plastics we are producing and using. We will be encouraging the next Queensland government to improve regulations to hold businesses to account for their production of waste, to complement this welcome immediate action to protect our marine life.
“Our oceans are already choking in plastic, which is killing our marine life and even turning up in our food. A turtle has a 22% chance of dying if it eats just one piece of plastic. An estimated 145,000 tonnes of Australia’s plastic leaks into the environment every year – about 250 kilograms every minute. Plastic packaging is one of the worst offenders, with soft plastics, food packaging and beverage litter accounting for nearly 70% of all plastics found by Clean Up Australia volunteers.”