STEVE KAMPER MP 
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Thousands of wholesalers and retailers will be left sitting on millions of unused single use light-weight plastic bags after the NSW Government failed to properly communicate changes that will come into effect on June 1.

After voting against two Labor bills to bring NSW in line with the rest of the country and ban single use light-weight plastic bags, the NSW Government only passed legislation late last year.

The government promised education and behaviour change information to assist the transition, but the campaign was left far too late and was nowhere near adequate to reach all businesses.

Many retailers are reporting they only found out about the changes last week and are now facing massive fines or having to dispose of thousands of dollars’ worth of bags to landfill.

Proper consultation would have allowed these businesses to switch their orders to paper and cardboard products months ago and these plastic bags would never have been manufactured.

Small businesses have been under enormous pressure throughout the pandemic, and a massive fine for changes to a law they didn’t know about would be devastating for many.

The Minister for Small Business has been missing in action again and needs to step in and assist by extending a grace period to allow businesses to use bags they purchased before June 1.

NSW Labor is also calling on the government to step up the public awareness campaign, particularly ahead of further changes in November.

Shadow Minister for Small Business, Steve Kamper, said:

“This is a disaster for both the environment and small business. NSW Labor strongly supports the ban on light-weight plastic bags, but the government has completely failed to properly communicate with businesses.”

“No one told these small businesses that plastic bags are banned from Wednesday so now they’re sitting on thousands of dollars’ worth of bags they can’t use. These businesses will have to write that money off – straight down the drain.”