In 2001 the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) received a Waste Management and Recycling Fund grant to investigate and determine options to best manage litter in Western Australia (WA). WALGA commissioned Nolan ITU, a sustainable resources management consultancy, to undertake the investigation under the direction of a stakeholder-based representative Project Steering Group, of which the Keep Australia Beautiful Council of Western Australia (KABC), Department of Environment, was a part.
In September 2002 the commissioned report, Litter Management Options in Western Australia, was released. The Report:
Concluded that litter was considered a genuine issue in WA, with real environmental, social and economic impacts;
Estimated that over $16.5 million per year (a very conservative estimate) is currently being spent on litter abatement in WA;
Stated that there is a current lack of objective data about the litter issue in WA;
Identified an apparent lack of coordination of litter management initiatives in WA; and
Recommended a forward path for the development of litter prevention strategy for WA.
As the statutory authority for the State's premier litter legislation, the KABC was seen to be well-placed to undertake the development of a litter prevention strategy for Western Australia, and subsequently they established the Western Australia Litter Prevention Taskforce to undertake this task.
