Council to Ask for Increase to Containers For Change Scheme

Published on 28 July 2025

Council will put forward a motion at this year’s Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference recommending that the Queensland Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) be increased from 10c to 20c per eligible container.

Council will assert that since the Containers For Change scheme was introduced in late 2018, it has fallen short of the State Government’s legislated target of 80% of eligible drinks containers – including aluminium cans and glass bottles – being recycled.

At the July Ordinary Meeting on Wednesday, July 23, Council resolved to be represented at the LGAQ Annual Conference by Mayor Peta MacRae and Deputy Mayor Kim Coghlan as voting delegates, with Councillor Travis Crowther to attend as an observer.

Speaking in support of the motion at the Ordinary Meeting, Cr MacRae said the Containers For Change scheme had helped improve the level of cleanliness in Mount Isa.

“People are not dropping things that potentially can get them 10 cents, and people are going around picking up [containers] to get that 10 cents,” Cr MacRae said.

“With inflation, everything else is going up, and I think it’d be great and make our MRF [Material Recovery Facility] more viable as well, if that was increased to 20 cents to move with the time.”

Council’s motion to the LGAQ Annual Conference says increasing the CDS to 20c would provide a significant means to increasing container recovery and support the scheme in achieving its legislative targets.

The Annual Conference – which also includes the LGAQ’s Annual General Meeting – provides an important opportunity for councils to not only network and learn, but to also debate issues of importance to their communities.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Pathways to Liveability”, with the program to explore how councils are shaping more connected, sustainable, and inclusive communities across Queensland. It will be held from October 20 to 22 on the Gold Coast.