I would like to highlight some of the potential unintended consequences of this bill in regards to local government. While we all want to ensure that minimal waste ends up in landfill, there needs to be a continuing dialogue by the government with local governments across the state. Many local governments have invested significantly in landfill sites—utilising their ratepayers' funding—to meet strict environmental regulation, as they should do, but there will be ongoing unintended consequences around their assets, the life of those assets, the depreciation of those assets and how local governments raise revenue through the collection of waste. It is important that the government continues to have an open dialogue there. I know local governments are committed to reducing waste to landfill, but there will be an impact on the balance sheets of local governments.

I would also like to highlight, as other members have highlighted, the benefits that will be delivered by this legislation in a local context. I look forward to welcoming my colleague the shadow minister for environment to the Whitsundays in the very near future. He will be meeting one of my amazing stakeholders and community organisations Eco Barge Clean Seas. If members have not heard of Libby Edge, you need to Google her because she is an amazing woman. As their founding chair, she is dedicated to protecting the local marine environment. She established the organisation after realising the effects of marine debris on the local marine life. The project initially began through the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program in the Whitsundays. The group also protects our local waterways through the Clean Streets and Clean Creeks program, as well as caring for turtles at the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre, and it is fantastic.

Eco Barge also runs education and awareness activities in the local community about marine debris and the importance of thoughtful waste disposal. It is important to note—and I certainly urge the Minister for the Environment to come and meet with Libby Edge—that when she announces on her Facebook page that she is heading out on Eco Barge to one of the beautiful Whitsunday islands, less than three hours later it is fully subscribed with volunteers. On their last trip out to Border Island on 8 February, which was trip No. 349, six volunteers removed 90 kilograms of marine debris from that island.

Libby does not receive state government funding. It is a registered charity that has some loyal corporate partners but she is always looking to increase the number of partners. Her team comprises a dedicated committee along with 55 members and over 1,600 volunteers. Their efforts to protect the natural environment have so far seen 208,483 kilograms of marine debris and litter removed from the Whitsunday Islands since July 2019. It is just a fantastic community organisation.

As this amendment bill outlines the exemption for schools, I would like to encourage the government to continue the dialogue, as we do as local members in our communities, with our schools and P&Cs, in particular P&C run tuckshops, to further engage and encourage schools to participate in initiatives where they can reduce their single-use plastics. I know many of them already are doing that. I would like to highlight Cannonvale State School, a wonderful school in our local community.

The sustainability efforts of Cannonvale State School to ensure that the reef remains healthy and continues to thrive. They have a project that is led by year 6 students who encourage recycling, nude food and reduced electricity consumption. The school has also adopted the local Cannonvale Beach and participates in events such as World Tree Planting Day, which is also fantastic.

I would also like to highlight the impact on our natural environment and in particular our turtle populations across the Whitsunday community but more broadly globally. The Mackay and District Turtle Watch Association is a volunteer group that dedicates their time to the cause. They do amazing things across the northern beaches of Mackay. They tag turtles, maintain records and undertake citizen science around our turtle species. During the nesting seasons members have to excavate turtle nests and relocate them. They are very mindful of our beaches and the community. While we do not focus on Clean Up Australia Day in North Queensland, we participate later in the year as part of our ‘clean up the north' initiatives. I know that this amendment bill is going to be very much welcomed by the Mackay and District Turtle Watch and Queensland turtle conservation groups across the state.

I would also like to highlight the impacts that single-use plastics has had on birdlife across our community and recognise an outstanding advocate, Daryl Barnes. He is a former president of Mackay Birdlife and was recently awarded the Environmental Achievement Award for his contribution to environmental conservation and education. I have spoken at length with Daryl about the impacts of single-use plastics, on both our native birds across the community but, more importantly, the shorebird population and species that visits our shores each year from all over the world, from places like Serbia and Russia. This legislation will ensure that many species that are somewhat vulnerable will be supported in such a way that they can remain sustainable across the globe.