2019-04-09 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     9 APRIL 2019


Waste Levy
In July 2019, the Queensland Government will introduce a $75-per-tonne levy on waste disposed
of to landfill. The Queensland Government has committed to ensuring that the introduction of the
levy will have no direct impact on households. To deliver this, the State will make prior payments
to Council to offset the cost to households, i.e. the levy should not impact householders’ rates, or
charges at the landfill gate. However, businesses will incur the waste levy. For businesses to
minimise paying the levy, they will need to reduce their waste generation and recycle as much as
possible.
It is proposed that some wastes will be exempt from the levy, such as waste produced from
declared natural disasters. It is also proposed that application for exemptions or discounts can be
made for some categories of waste such as waste dumped by charities and residual wastes from
recycling processes.
The Waste Section is currently working with senior officers of the Finance and Rates Sections of
Council on how the levy will be administered and costs recovered. The Waste Section is also
working with officers of the Queensland Government to ensure that Council’s waste facilities and
systems meet the new standards for administering the levy and accounting for all waste that is
landfilled or recovered.
Council is required to make application to the Queensland Government for approval of the
existing landfill and resource recovery areas prior to 30 June 2019 to comply with obligations
imposed under the Waste Levy legislation. The application process requires Council to submit
volumetric details of landfill capacity used and remaining and stockpiles of recyclable material
held on site. Volumetric surveys must then be submitted annually to support auditing of waste
received, levy charges imposed and landfill airspace consumed.

Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting Minutes, 16 August 2018, Item 14, Page 8
That Council note the report by the Waste Coordinator to the Services and Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 7 August 2018, providing an update on the activities of the Waste
Management Section for the financial year 2017/18.

Finance
Refer to Section 1 – Finance.

Risk
Council officers have again noted potential Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) risks around
areas of public interface at the Eumundi Road site, particularly in the resource recovery area.
The Waste and Environmental Health Manager has now written to Cleanaway’s senior
management on the issue. Cleanaway are now working with Council and the other third party
contractors on a short and long term solution. Council should note that solutions are likely to
mean increased restrictions on where, how and when the public may access certain areas of the
site and lead to some unavoidable delays during busy periods.
The Waste Section are also in the process of obtaining independent legal advice on Council’s
WH&S obligations as they relate to management and control of waste sites and various
contractors and sub-contractors. This will be followed by a third party WH&S audit of Council’s
waste contracts and contractors’ documentation and processes.

Business Continuity
It is planned to review, test and update the Waste Section’s Risk Management Program and
Business Continuity Program.



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