SPP Amendment - 02/2024 - Container Refund Facility

What is this about?

Draft amendment 02/2024 of the State Planning Provisions (SPPs) will let Container Refund Facilities be located in convenient locations, such as commercial or light industrial areas.

The State’s Container Refund Scheme (CRS) is proposing to create five or six drive-in container refund facilities. The proposed amendment means that these could be located in more places than currently.

The proposed changes include:

• Adding a definition for a container refund facility
• Including them in the Commercial Zone
• Creating a Permitted assessment pathway for them in the Commercial Zone and the Light Industrial Zone
• Clarifying the car parking requirements
• Additional provisions to clarify the operation of the proposed amendment.

Who is involved?

The State Planning Office provides support to the Minister who starts the amendment process. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) operates the State’s Container Refund Scheme (Recycle Rewards). Local councils and relevant State agencies and authorities are consulted during preparation of the draft amendment. The Tasmanian Planning Commission will assess it and provide a report to the Minister.

How long will it take?

It is expected that this will take approximately twelve months. If proposed as an interim amendment, with the Commission’s advice the proposed changes can become effective immediately while the assessment process continues.

Background

The proposed Interim SPP Amendment 02-2024 has been prepared in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas), which is responsible for the administration of the Container Refund Scheme Act 2022 and Container Refund Scheme Regulations 2023.

A network operator for the CRS has been appointed. It is expected that the CRS will provide a minimum of 40 CRS refund points of different types. They manage bulk beverage container returns and administer refunds. Facilities are staffed to ensure processes run smoothly with public users, and automated using counting and sorting technologies. Where these refund facilities are set up is expected to be similar to what has occurred in other states of Australia.

Previously, the SPPs were amended to support the CRS rollout. The earlier amendment (SPP amendment 01-2022 made on 24 January 2024) permitted a range of CRS refund point types that were known in 2022. At that time, it was thought that locations in the Light Industrial Zone, Industrial Zone and Utilities Zone would provide suitable opportunities for the larger container return facilities. That is why SPP amendment 01-2022 did not contain any specific elements for drive-in style container refund facilities.

However, experience in other states has shown that they tend to be sited within existing small-to-medium warehouse sheds in more convenient locations, including commercial areas. An amendment is needed to provide an assessment pathway for planning approval of drive-in container refund facilities in these areas.

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