Waste levy capped for 2019-20

  • Review of levy to ensure it meets new Waste Strategy objectives
  • Five-year schedule to provide more certainty and drive investment
  • Environment Minister Stephen Dawson has today given confidence to the waste and local government sectors, with the announcement that there will be no increase to the State’s waste levy next financial year.

    As part of the State’s recently released Waste Strategy 2030, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation will review the levy to ensure it meets the new strategy’s objectives.

    The department will establish a schedule of future waste levy rates and look at expanding the geographic extent of the levy, which currently only applies to the Perth metropolitan region.

    A minimum five-year schedule of waste levy rates will be published to provide certainty to local governments in planning their waste services, and to drive investment and employment in the waste sector.

    Western Australia has seen significant increases to its waste levy in recent years.

    In January 2015, fees for sending putrescible waste to landfill increased from $28 to $55 a tonne and inert waste went up from $8 to $40 a tonne. By July 1, 2018 fees for all waste reached $70 per tonne.

    As noted by Environment Minister Stephen Dawson:

    “To ensure the waste levy framework is robust, and to allow time for the review to be completed, the McGowan Government will not increase the waste levy for 2019-20.

    “I will publish the schedule of rates beyond these years as soon as our review of the scope and application of the waste levy is complete.

    “The State Government recognises the waste levy acts as an important lever to reduce disposal of waste to landfill and to encourage recycling.

    “This will be one of the strategies we engage to achieve our waste strategy target that aims to reuse or recycle at least 75 per cent of waste generated in WA by 2030.

    “The Our Priorities program – announced recently by Premier Mark McGowan – identifies better waste management as key to delivering a cleaner, more sustainable environment.”

    /Public Release. View in full here.