David Quirk MHK fails to delay implementation of DLGE kerbside recycling initiative

In yesterday’s sitting of Tynwald (Tuesday 17^th May 2008) Onchan MHK, David Quirk failed in a bid to get the DLGE to reappraise their waste management strategy. He wanted them to do this before launching into a kerbside collection of recyclables in the eastern area of the Island.

Mr Quirk, who asked a series of written Questions, wanted the DLGE to provide more information before they asked Tynwald to vote on the £750,000 to fund the pilot scheme.

He put to the Court that the department should be providing more support to the civic amenity sites, and providing a larger number of bring bank sites, before embarking on a costly household collection service.

He used the debate as a further opportunity to have a dig at the Minister over the eastern C. A. site debacle, again painting the picture that all the problems were the department’s fault; and that the operator was an innocent victim of the department’s incompetence.

Mr Quirk also appeared to be opposing the department’s decision to allow the three local authorities involved, Douglas, Onchan and Braddan, to agree on Douglas being employed as the ‘contractor’ for the collection of the material.

The former Douglas Corporation employee appeared to be suggesting that the private sector should have been offered the opportunity to tender for the service.

However, the DLGE Minister, John Shimmin clearly frustrated by Mr Quirk’s, and a few other doubters’, comments pointed out that it was a function of the local authorities to collect ‘waste’. He added that it had been open to the local authorities, and the private sector, to provide the service, but apart from some small scale trials, this had not happened.

He said that the Island, which is generally affluent, had developed into a throwaway society and much of the blame for this lay in the easy option, currently provided, of throwing everything into a bin and sending it for ‘mass burning’ in the incinerator at Richmond Hill. However, he said residents were facing the stark reality that - if we continue to fill our bins at the rate we are currently doing - the incinerator would be at capacity in the next few years; and that, he said, couldn’t be allowed to happen.

Mr Shimmin’s stance was bolstered by the maiden Tynwald speech of the new Bishop, Robert Paterson, who said he had been amazed that the Island did not already provide a collection service for recyclables. It is the first place he has lived in for fifteen years, he explained, that didn’t offer a set of recycling boxes as part of the welcome pack.

Overall, he thought the price was small price to pay, and that doing something, even if wasn’t perfect, was better than doing nothing.

The Bishop’s contribution, for Onchan MHK, Mr Karran, was like waving a red rag at a bull. The Bishop received both barrels from an indignant Mr Karran who gave the Bishop a potted Manx ‘capital project’ history lesson.

Continually referring to the Bishop as ‘your Grace’, he raged against previous extravagant follies such as the incinerator, the MEA and the IRIS project – claiming they had started out on the premise ‘something had to be done’.

He like Mr Quirk thought perhaps more time should be given to allow a review of the proposal, and suggested a Select Committee should be formed; which, to the relief of many, was not universally welcomed or supported.

Newly elected MLC, David Callister also expressed some doubts about the proposal and seemed destined to oppose the motion; but then adopted more of a ‘fencing sitting stance’.

East Douglas MHK, Mrs Cannell took the chance to remind people how she had promoted the idea of greater recycling prior to becoming an MHK, and had lobbied the then DLGE Minister, now Chief Minister, Tony Brown to embrace the policy. She said this was one of the issues that spurred her on in her successful bid to become an MHK.

Mr Brown, in his contribution, joked about how he was being held responsible for Mrs Cannell’s political career but - having been a major supporter of the policy of incineration as part of the waste management strategy - he now gave his full backing to the DLGE’s imitative.

 Although it appeared, during the debate, that the doubters may persuade some of the few waivers to come over to their side, the call for a reappraisal of the strategy was heavily defeated; and the original motion sailed through with only Mr Quirk opposing it.