The electorate of Maitland is now without a single collection point for the NSW Government’s Return and Earn Scheme, with the Hotel Tudor in Woodberry the latest to pull the plug.
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The Hotel Tudor’s withdrawal comes just weeks after Tenambit Takeaway also quit the scheme, citing issues with trash pick up, and a week after the Kurri Golf Club severed ties with the program as well.
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The only remaining collection points in the region remain at Cessnock Woolworths and at Huntlee.
Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison, a vocal critic of the delivery of the scheme, called on the Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton to immediately intervene and ensure that a reverse vending machine is installed in Maitland.
“Maitland is the fastest growing city in NSW outside of Sydney and is now without any Return and Earn collection points,” Ms Aitchison said.
“Businesses across NSW have been forced to store thousands of cans, bottles and other recyclable material as the company contracted to pick up the containers has failed to collect the material in a timely manner.
“The Berejiklian Government and Minister Upton should be condemned for failing to support small businesses across NSW in the bungled roll out of the Return and Earn scheme.”
The state government’s main man in the Hunter, Legislative Council member Scot MacDonald, said he “strongly rejected” the notion that the Return and Earn roll out had been a failure in Maitland.
“I think we fully expected there to be a settling in period as businesses worked out if (participating in the scheme) was for them,” Mr MacDonald said.
“I’m not at all perturbed about it.”
Mr MacDonald said that although Maitland had no collection points at the moment, he was confident some would come as the “settling in” period was worked through.
He also fired a broadside at political rivals Labor, claiming criticism of the scheme was “more negativity from Labor” about a “serious, practical and pragmatic” plan to cut down on litter.
