Plastic straw sucks: KAP
MINIMISING plastic pollution and other “tangible” solutions should be the focus of efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef and not land clearing laws, say Katter’s Australia Party members.
Traeger MP Robbie Katter joined his colleagues Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto and Hill MP Shane Knuth for a pina colada with a paper straw at The Ville yesterday to raise awareness for reducing the use of plastics.
“On the back of the announcement by Rockhampton, that they are going to ban the release of helium balloons into the atmosphere, we’re announcing real, tangible things to help the reef,” Mr Katter said.
“Without question there is a lot of waste going out there that shouldn’t be there. KAP are about real solutions for the reef and environment, not those make- believe solutions by Labor with their tree clearing laws,” he said.
Mr Katter said it was “disingenuous” for the Queensland Government to claim its proposed vegetation clearing laws would help the reef.
“This tree clearing business has more impositions on the cane farmers – they are barking up the wrong tree. Switching from plastic to paper straws is a practical way,” he said.
“If other regional Queensland members ... aren’t prepared to cross the floor on these vegetation laws, they should be voted out.” Mr Dametto said he had seen a large increase in the amount of plastic in the water when he was a tourism operator.
“If you’ve ever seen a plastic bag or straw in the water it looks just like food to a turtle and we will support anything that reduces the number of straws in the ocean,” he said.
“We intend to introduce an amendment to the law that banned plastic bags to see the phasing out of plastic straws.”
Mr Knuth said banning plastic straws would ensure beaches were kept clean for tourism, commercial and recreational uses.