The new Queensland State Government commercial waste levy may have an impact on your business in relation to waste disposal.
About the Queensland Waste Levy
Since December 1, 2011, the Queensland State Government began charging a waste levy for commercial and industrial waste (inc. construction and demolition waste) that is deposited at the Mount Isa City Council refuse tip.
Following the gazetting of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 Levy on October 28, 2011, Council is required to record, weigh the waste going to the landfill and charge a waste levy for the different classes of waste, effective December 1, 2011. Council is also required to remit the waste levy to the State Government.
If you have any further questions regarding the waste levy and how it may affect your business, please do not hesitate to contact the Mount Isa City Council on (07) 4747 3200, or contact the Queensland State Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) at 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or by email at wastelevy@derm.qld.gov.au
Alternatively, you can find out more on the levy by visiting the DERM website here.
The State Government’s levy charges begin at $35 a tonne for construction and demolition wastes, while lower-hazard regulated wastes such as treated timber and food processing waste would attract a $50 per tonne levy. Higher-hazard regulated wastes, such as by-products from foundries and chemical and fertiliser manufacturing would attract a $150 per tonne levy.
Council has reviewed the impact of the waste levy on Council's budgets and operations, and has developed outcomes to recover the costs incurred from the waste levy implementation. These cost recovery fees were calculated to ensure that the impost to businesses would be minimal.
Council collects the State-imposed levy in two ways:
1. Council measures applicable waste at the weighbridge at the Mount Isa Refuse Tip and invoices customers affected by the levy.
The following table lists the waste classes and the levy rates that apply to each of them as prescribed by the Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation 2011, Schedule 4, Part 1-3 that may be found here.
Levyable waste delivered to site | $ per tonne |
Acid sulphate soil or contaminated waste | 35 | |
Commercial and Industrial waste | 35 | |
Construction and demolition waste | 35 | |
Green waste directly disposed of as landfill or mixed with other types of stockpiled waste | 35 | |
Municipal solid waste | nil | |
Regulated waste- high hazard | 150 | |
Regulated waste- low hazard | 50 | |
Regulated waste- other | 35 | |
Levyable waste delivered from resource recovery area | | |
Regulated waste- high hazard | 150 | |
Regulated waste- low hazard | 50 | |
any other type of levyable waste | 35 | |
Stockpiled waste disposed of as landfill | |
Regulated waste- high hazard | 150 | |
Regulated waste- low hazard | 50 | |
Separately stockpiled green waste | 35 | |
Any other stockpiled waste ( including green waste that has been mixed with other waste in a stockpile) but not including separately stockpiled disaster management waste or clean earthen material. | 35 | |
The above cost recovery fees are effective from December 1, 2011.
2. The commercial garbage unit charge has been amended from $66.64 per unit to $74.44 per unit.
- The commercial garbage charges issued half yearly will be issued on February 3, 2012 with a due date of March 6, 2012.
- The proposed increase will result in an increase of the following amounts for base service during the seven-month period (December 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012).
1 X 240l bin service: | $31.85 |
1 X 360l bin service: | $45.50 |
1 X 1.5m3 service: | $150.15 |
1 X 3.0m3 service: | $227.50 |
More Information
More information on the Queensland Waste Levy and waste reforms is available on the DERM website here, and via the following links:
Media
141211 Council's Cost Recovery Fees from Waste Levy
Media Release
141211
Council's Cost Recovery Fees from Waste Levy
Following the introduction of the Queensland Waste Levy made effective on December 1, Council has voted to amend the 2011/12 Revenue statement to collect the State-imposed levy in two ways: invoicing self-haul waste delivered to the tip, and amending the commercial garbage unit charges to business operators.
Read more here.
Media Release
101111
Council to be dumped with waste levy
From December 1, Mount Isa City Council will be forced to collect a waste levy from commercial and industrial businesses when the State Government begins to charge Council for disposing waste in its own landfill. Council will lobby the Queensland Cabinet over its ability to meet the deadline for compliance with the demanding requirements of the waste levy.
Media Release
090611
Council advises possible State Government changes in relation to commercial waste
The Mount Isa City Council recently received some $350,000 from the Queensland State Government to purchase and install a weighbridge at the local refuse tip. The investigation of suitable solutions is currently under way, and progression on the project is expected in the coming months.
This development is due, in part, to draft legislation currently awaiting review and decision by the Queensland Government which may significantly impact upon costs for commercial operators making use of landfill facilities.The Mount Isa City Council recently received some $350,000 from the Queensland State Government to purchase and install a weighbridge at the local refuse tip. The investigation of suitable solutions is currently under way, and progression on the project is expected in the coming months.
This development is due, in part, to draft legislation currently awaiting review and decision by the Queensland Government which may significantly impact upon costs for commercial operators making use of landfill facilities.
