Tasmania's Waste Levy soon to come into effect, concerns over costs

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"In the absence of a state wide levy, Tasmanian landfill prices have been amongst the lowest in the country and low landfill prices equate to poor resource recovery, resulting in limited economic benefit from the waste and recycling sector and the loss of the value of recoverable resource," Mr Lester said.

The landfill levy will seek to decline landfill disposal of about 210,000 tonnes per annum by 2030-31 as well as supporting up to 130 new full-time ongoing jobs in the waste and resource recovery sector once the maximum levy rate is reached.

The Waste and Resource Recovery Act 2021 will come into effect on July 1. The waste fee will introduce an initial levy of $20 a tonne for disposed waste and will increase to $40 a tonne two years later and $60 a tonne two years after that.

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It is estimated to cost households around 35 cents per week or around $18 annually.

Tasmanians can reduce the impact of the levy by sorting their waste, ensuring recyclables and organic wastes are taken to a collection point or recovery facility instead of to landfill, and households are encouraged to make these changes where they can.

Less waste in kerbside garbage bins means less waste levy to be paid by councils, hence less levy cost to be passed on to ratepayers.

The Container Refund Scheme means a household could cover their levy costs by returning about four drink containers per week for the 10-cent refund.

Grants of up to $100,000 were available for equipment, upgrades, or changes to systems when the new act was passed.

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The two LGA's who have received government grants are City of Launceston and Meander Valley.

Launceston City Council Software received $13,300 for a cloud-based system and computer hardware. The council will also contribute $20,000 to these projects.

Meander Valley Council was granted $86,632 for a weighbridge, software, training, traffic lights, remote display, boom gate and computer hardware. The council will also contribute $86,632.50 to the projects.

"The costs of disposing of waste to landfill will increase, however greater diversion of recyclables and organics will reduce the cost and environmental impacts of waste management and improve sustainability," Meander Valley Council infrastructure director Dino De Paoli said.

"Future revenue generated from the Landfill Levy will be governed by a Tasmanian Waste and Resource Recovery Board. It is the intention of the board to use levy funds to deliver a state-wide waste management strategy and foster growth in the resource recovery sector in Tasmania."

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Mr Lester said LGAT did have some concerns over the levy.

"There are some outstanding issues that our sector would like to resolve prior to the levy commencing next month. These are the regional waste group funding model and how remote communities are supported," he said.

"When the levy commences on July 1 this year, the three regional waste groups will no longer be able to charge regional waste levies to support the important resource recovery work they do.

"While the government has committed to supporting these groups going forward, but it is yet to provide important details on when this funding will commence and how it will work.

"With July 1 fast approaching the regional waste groups need more information from the government on what is proposed so they can be confident to continue their resource recovery programs."

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