WARD TO MINISTER: GIVE US BACK OUR RETURN AND EARN

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has launched a petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to re-establish a Return and Earn facility in Kiama following the suspension of the service during the Kiama Woolworths redevelopment.

Mr Ward has launched a petition to provide the community an opportunity to support these calls. The petition can be found here.

In letter to Mr Ward, the NSW Government has said that the Kiama Electorate has several Return and Earn Facilities including “Stockland Shellharbour, PCYC Lake Illawarra and Port Kembla Golf Club.”

“I’m sorry to break it to NSW Labor, but Stockland Shellharbour, Lake Illawarra and Port Kembla aren’t in the Kiama Electorate. I’ve always said Labor didn’t understand our community, but it seems they don’t even know where it is,” Mr Ward said.

“Data obtained from a Question on Notice indicates that the Kiama Electorate recycles more than 2 million items per year with more than $200,000 returned annually to charities, causes and individuals. This is a popular service and Kiama should have its service back.

“This is not a case of a call for a facility that we’ve never had. I’m simply calling on the NSW Labor to give us back our Return and Earn.

“This is yet another service cut to our community from a government that thinks the definition of NSW is simply Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong.

“I look forward to taking up this cause when Parliament returns next month,” Mr Ward concluded.