Federal Labor is wooing environment-conscious voters with a $3 million package to stop single-use plastic bottles ending up on Australian beaches.
Opposition environment and water spokesman Tony Burke will announce on Sunday the Clean Our Oceans Program to run over four years to stop plastic pollution on beaches
Under the package, the Nippers Education Program will get up to 600,000 reusable water bottles, while Surf Life Saving clubs score help to put in up to 600 water-refill stations at beaches and procedures to move towards zero waste.
"Labor will allocate up to $3 million over four years to the Clean Our Oceans Program and work with other government jurisdictions and stakeholders with the ultimate goal of zero waste on our beaches," Mr Burke said in a statement.
"Single-use plastics, including PET water bottles, are some of the most wasteful and environmentally damaging products, with thousands of them ending up in our oceans every day, polluting our pristine beaches and choking our marine wildlife."
Mr Burke said the party planned to work with surf clubs and the Clean Ocean Initiative, which supports projects to reduce pollution, to "eventually eliminate single-use plastic water bottles from our beaches".
Labor hopes to build on COV's education and infrastructure programs already rolled out to nippers at 10 Surf Life Saving clubs and primary schools in Australia.
