What you need to know about Queensland's Waste Levy

In 2016-17, 912,000 tonnes of waste were transported from other States for disposal in Queensland. In response, the Queensland Government has passed legislation to introduce a waste levy commencing in July 2019.

What is the Queensland State Government Waste Disposal Levy? The Queensland State Government will be introducing a $75 per tonne Waste Disposal Levy (Waste Levy) on all waste disposed at landfills. The purpose of the Waste Levy is to minimise waste being sent to landfills and divert recoverable items for reuse, repurposing and recycling. When does the Waste Levy begin?

The Waste Levy will start from 1 July 2019. Who does the Waste Levy apply to? The Waste Levy will apply to all businesses, organisations and commercial operators who generate waste and dispose of waste in Queensland (either directly or through service providers). This cost will be passed to commercial customers who dispose of waste at City landfills and Waste Recycling Centres. The waste management charge will increase for commercial customers who use these facilities and/or waste collection services. I’m a business utilising the City’s waste collections service. How will I know how much I’ve been charged? The waste to landfill levy contribution made by commercial entities is calculated by the City as the average weight determined for your bin type and size x weekly collection frequency x levy. You will notice this as a two-part waste management tariff in the ‘Council Rates and Charges’ section of the rates notice. Bin sizes for your business and the number of collections per week will impact on levy costs. All commercial customers are encouraged to review service needs to ensure you are not being over-serviced. Will residential customers be impacted? The Queensland Government has committed to ensuring that the introduction of the Waste Levy will have no direct impact on households. To mitigate the impact of the new Waste Levy on residential households, the Queensland State Government has paid the City of Gold Coast $20.7m for the 2019-20 financial year. This payment will be used to cover waste disposal levy costs we incur when disposing of residential waste. Will the Waste Levy cover all of Queensland? The Waste Levy zone includes 39 out of 77 local government areas. This covers around 90 per cent of Queensland’s population and is where the majority of waste is generated and disposed. Will the price of the Waste Levy increase from $75 per tonne? The Waste Levy for all classifications will increase by $5 a year (on 1 July each year). For more information on regulated waste categories, view the Environmental Protection Regulation 2018.