- A Perth council has voted to ban balloons being released in the air
- Residents could face fines if they are caught by ranger releasing balloon
- Comes weeks after WA Premier announced a plastic bag ban for 2017
A Perth council has voted to ban balloons being released into the air.
The beachside suburb of Cottesloe unanimously voted to stop mass balloon releases and called on the State Labor government to include similar provisions in their proposed ban on plastic bags.
Residents caught by rangers releasing balloons will be given the opportunity to stop, and if not will face heavy fines.
A Perth council has voted to ban balloons being released in the air
Environment spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said mass balloon releases were akin to illegal dumping and should be treated as such by law.
‘Every single one of those balloons will eventually come back down to earth as litter, many of them landing in our oceans where threatened marine life such as turtles see them as food,’ Mr Chapple said.
‘A single balloon, even one made from natural latex to the highest industry standards, will take at least 5 years and potentially many more to break down whilst a balloon release is enjoyed for just a few fleeting moments.’
The WA Greens has supported the move and has now called on the government to introduce it state wide.
The beachside suburb of Cottesloe unanimously voted to ban mass balloon releases and called on the State Labor government to include similar provisions in their proposed ban on plastic bags
Residents caught by rangers releasing balloons will be given the opportunity to stop, and if not will face heavy fines
This comes only weeks after Premier Mark McGowan announced the Government’s plan to phase plastic bags out by July next year.
Mr McGowan broke the positive news on ABC radio on September 11 before attending a media event at Perth’s Kewdale Primary School.
‘Very pleased to announce that from July 1 next year that single-use plastic bags will be banned in Western Australia,’ he declared.
‘We’re following on from the lead of other States who have already done it; we want to make sure our marine life, our wildlife (and) our very special environment is protected.’
This comes only weeks after Premier Mark McGowan announced the Government’s plan to phase plastic bags out by July next year