Crisafulli Government acts after scathing inquiry into Labor’s Container Refund Scheme failures

• Crisafulli Government tables response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Queensland’s Container Refund Scheme.
• Action follows damning findings into Labor’s mismanagement of the scheme, with matters under the former Government now referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission. 
• The Crisafulli Government backs the scheme and is fast-tracking legislation to strengthen its operations. 

The Crisafulli Government has tabled its response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Queensland’s Container Refund Scheme and introduced legislation to strengthen the scheme’s governance after a scathing report exposed serious failures under the former Labor Government. 

The response supports, either fully or in principle, 20 of the 21 inquiry recommendations, ruling out one recommendation on the basis it risked Queenslanders being hit with extra costs, and includes:  

• Stronger governance of the Scheme, with increased oversight of the board.
• Greater transparency, with strategic and operational plans to be made public.
• Clarity that the Scheme coordinator functions include investment in strategic recycling infrastructure.
• Cost relief for small Queensland businesses, including exempting small beverage manufacturers - such as micro‑breweries and distilleries - from Scheme contributions for their first 20,000 containers. 

The Inquiry marked the first comprehensive review of the scheme since its establishment in 2017, after the former Labor Government failed to undertake any meaningful evaluation of how the program was operating.  

The Inquiry also exposed serious governance concerns, including allegations of bullying, intimidation and potential corrupt conduct during the period the scheme was overseen by the former Labor Government, with matters referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission. 

The Waste Reduction and Recycling (Strengthening the Container Refund Scheme) Amendment Bill 2026 delivers on the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to restore integrity to the scheme by strengthening governance arrangements, boosting transparency and improving performance. 

Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the Crisafulli Government had carefully worked through the Inquiry’s damning findings and was acting to fix the problems Labor created. 

"The Parliamentary Inquiry delivered a damning indictment on how this scheme was established and allowed to operate under the former Labor Government,” Minister Powell said.

“Queenslanders support the Container Refund Scheme, and so do we - but the governance failures under Labor exposed by this Inquiry could not be ignored.

“Labor set this scheme up and then walked away from it. They failed to fix problems as they emerged and allowed serious issues to fester.

“That is why the Crisafulli Government has tabled its response and introduced legislation to strengthen oversight, boost transparency and ensure the scheme delivers the recycling outcomes Queenslanders expect.” 

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: Marshall Leeson 0419 976 438