June 21, 2021
The Local Government Association Of Queensland (LGAQ) is concerned the State Government intends to shift the cost of its waste levy on to households.
The LGAQ noted that in the recent State Budget, waste levy rebates to councils will expire in June next year.
The rebates were introduced in 2018 to ensure the cost of the levy would not be passed on to households.
At that time, the State Government promised it would ensure the levy had no direct impact on households by giving councils annual payments to offset the levy’s direct costs.
“When the State announced it would introduce this levy in 2018, it made repeated promises that householders would not be left paying a wheelie bin tax as a result,” LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam said.
“What the State Budget has confirmed is that the advance payments will continue until June 2022. However, the forward estimates contained no allocation for advance payments after that.”
Mr Hallam said the LGAQ had always known that a legislative review was planned before June 2022.
“However, we have never been told, or received in writing, any suggestion that the State Government’s promise not to tax household wheelie bins would expire after just three years.
“The LGAQ had understood this review would consider the efficacy of the waste levy, rather than being a budget/monetary review that places those advance payments under threat.”
The LGAQ said removing the household subsidy without first fostering the industries and technologies needed to divert more material from landfill would be premature and would work against what both the State Government and councils wanted.
“We are all on the same page in wanting to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and increase recycling rates,” he said.
Mr Hallam said the LGAQ would not accept anything that would cost households more.
And after a recent Auditor-General report highlighted financial sustainability issues for up to one third of Queensland’s councils, it would not accept anything that put a further financial burden on Queensland councils.
Last Thursday and Friday the LGAQ held teleconference meetings with all Queensland councils to alert them to the issue.
The group is now seeking an urgent meeting with Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon to discuss the levy’s future.
[UPDATED]
