Bundaberg, Fraser Coast ratepayers to pay price of waste rebate

Ratepayers across Bundaberg and the Fraser Coast will feel the pain as their councils cry foul and reveal the massive financial hole the state government has left them to fill.

The Maryborough material recovery facility

A state government waste tax rebate set to be rolled back on the Fraser Coast and in Bundaberg kicks in on July 1, and could cost ratepayers a combined $38million-plus over the next six years.

The waste levy is part of a statewide plan to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill from large regional councils and metropolitan areas such as Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Councils ineligible for the full refund, including the Fraser Coast and Bundaberg, will only receive 70 per cent of the tax back in this financial year.

By 2031, they will only be refunded 20 per cent of the initial tax paid by home and business owners.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the state government’s cost-shifting would force his council to pass on $1 million in extra costs to local households this financial year alone, and more than $22 million over the next six years.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour

“The Queensland government says the waste tax helps reduce landfill and support recycling, but they’re cutting funding before regional councils have the infrastructure or support to meet their waste reduction and recycling targets,” he said.

“We strongly support better recycling, and we have already invested $31 million in a new state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility in Maryborough, without a single dollar of support from the Queensland or Australian governments.

“Now we’re being asked to do more, with less, and pay more for it.

“That’s simply not fair to our community.”

Bundaberg Regional Council estimates suggest the rollback of rebates will cost ratepayers $1.3 million this year and $15.7 million overall by 2031.

In May, Mayor Helen Blackburn said there was no “commercially viable way” for Bundaberg to get to zero waste.

Bundaberg Regional Council Mayor Helen Blackburn

“We wholeheartedly agree that waste should be diverted from landfill wherever possible however we’d like to be working with our community to achieve this, not against them,” she said.

“Imposing millions of dollars of additional taxes on a community that is already struggling with the cost of living isn’t fair.”

Mr Seymour agreed with Ms Blackburn’s statement, saying governments should “work together to reduce landfill, improve recycling and protect the environment”.

The Local Government Association of Queensland launched a media campaign on Tuesday featuring an ibis named Chooky, in a move to raise awareness of the added fees to ratepayers and to keep the rebate status at 100 per cent until waste systems are reviewed.

A #binthetax social media tile with Chooky to be used on council pages.

Chooky has already made his first appearances on the LGAQ’s social media pages using the hashtag “bin the tax”, where he is flying around looking to “help sort the mess”.

Originally published as Bundaberg, Fraser Coast ratepayers to pay price of waste rebate