2018-06-27 Special Meeting Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA           27 JUNE 2018




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SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA                                                              27 JUNE 2018

                                                                         ATTACHMENT 2
                                                            Officer Name: Wayne Schafer
                                                            Officer Email:
                                                            Phone No:  07 5329 6500
                                                            ECM Ref:   20605396

   27 June 2018

   Directions Paper
   Strategic Environment and Waste Policy
   Department of Environment and Science
   GPO Box 2454
   BRISBANE QLD 4001

   RE:   RESPONSE TO THE DIRECTIONS PAPER “TRANSFORMING QUEENSLAND’S
         RECYCLING AND WASTE INDUSTRY”

   PART 1.       RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
   Support for Introduction of the $70 Waste Levy
   Noosa Council agrees with the introduction of a waste levy provided the money is
   hypothecated for improvements in waste management and waste diversion.
   Full hypothecation of revenue from the waste levy
   Council believes that full hypothecation of the levy should go towards improvement in waste
   management, diversion and advanced waste treatment facilities. One of the significant failings
   of the levy in other states has been the diversion of waste levy revenue to fund projects that
   are not related to waste management, resulting in minimal improvement in the development
   of significant infrastructure for zero waste to landfill.
   In New South Wales, the reported return to local government from the waste levy is 18% of
   the revenue paid. Noosa Council is unsupportive of a similar situation developing in
   Queensland over time and requests the government to:
   (i) | ensure that all funds collected via the waste levy are required to be applied to waste
         management and reduction strategies; and
   (ii)  provide a commitment that the percentage of funding that will be available to local
         government is not reduced in coming years.

   It should be noted that the full hypothecation of the waste levy was supported by 90% of
   respondents to an LGAQ community survey conducted recently which shows exceptionally
   strong support for the waste levy provided it is used exclusively for improvements in waste
   management.
   Enabling legislation to facilitate mid-year revision of Revenue Statements
   Noosa Council also requests the State government to ensure that in implementing the
   proposed waste levy, Councils are not disadvantaged due to the timing of the finalisation of
   the State's policy on the waste levy. As the State government would be aware, Councils adopt
   their budgets around the end of June to enable the issue of rates notices to our ratepayers.

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