WA to look at levy on plastic bags

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The West Australian Environment Minister says he will look at trialling a levy on plastic bags after a national meeting of minsters failed to secure agreement yesterday.

The federal Minister Peter Garrett had called for plastic bags to be banned by the end of the year.

But the meeting failed to reach any agreement, prompting criticism from environmental groups while Victoria decided to go it alone with a plastic bag levy.

The Environment Minister David Templeman says he's interested in the Victorian model.

"I'm keen to look at what Victoria's proposing," he said.

"I've had some preliminary discussions with the Victorian minister last night about what discussions he's had with the retailers and I'll look that information and see whether we can look at something like that for WA."