How new waste levy will cost ratepayers as council in the dark about collection

The State Government has asked the Gold Coast City Council from next year to collect a new landfill waste levy. Council remains in the dark. Ratepayers face increased costs.

ROGUE operators are gearing up to break the law and dump huge amounts of waste around the city to avoid a new Government levy — and Gold Coast ratepayers will be left to pay for the cleanup.

Ratepayers are facing millions of dollars in extra costs when the waste levy is introduced, as well as the cost of cleaning up the mess when illegal loads are dumped in the bush, in parks or on the roadside.

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Gold Coast City Council cleaners at work in Surfers Paradise. Picture Glenn Hampson

The State Government is demanding the council collect the levy. It also claims ratepayers will not have to cop the cost.

But the council will also have to send out teams and machinery to clean up the massive mess when commercial and even private operators dump loads of waste fill and garbage to avoid a general waste levy of $70 a tonne and a regulated waste fee of up to $150 a tonne that would be charged if they went to council landfill waste collection centres.

In more bad news, Opposition environment spokesman David Crisafulli yesterday revealed residents in Gold Coast retirement villages using private garbage collectors will pay extra costs.

The Broadwater MP warned businesses were certain to pass on the extra charge to clients and the council would likely impose higher rates for administering the levy.

“It is going to bite,” Mr Crisafulli said.

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Changes ahead for collection of City waste. (Pizzey Park).

But confusion reigns, with a city council officer’s report revealing a directive from the Government to introduce the landfill levy in March next year has the local authority perplexed.

The waste levy is to apply to all landfill.

On the one hand the Government promises it will not impact on householders because councils are to be reimbursed “105 per cent’’ of the levy payment.

With general waste to be billed at $70 a tonne and regulated waste up to $150 a tonne, the council has been told it must collect the levy and calculate all waste at its landfills.

“The State Government has provided no directions on how the waste levy is to be collected or how the reimbursed funds are to be utilised,” the council report said.

So the council and therefore ratepayers face cost “challenges’’ in upgrading recycling facilities and resource recovery areas.

The estimated preliminary cost for the waste levy is $2.3 million, which covers administrating about 600 tonnes of waste dumped each year in the city.

“Introduction of the waste levy will almost certainly increase illegal dumping of waste,” the report warns.

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LNP MP for Broadwater David Crisafulli has concerns about the levy. Picture: Jerad Williams

A spokesman for Environment Minister Steven Miles said the council’s application for a local grants program, which could provide $5 million to help with waste disposal facility infrastructure upgrades, was being considered.

“In addition, the Government is also providing advance payments to councils of 105 per cent of the projected levy payments on their municipal solid waste, which includes kerbside wheelie-bin collections,” the spokesman said.

“Each local government must use the advance payment to make sure there is no direct impact on households.”

The spokesman said proposed laws would increase the penalties for illegal dumping to ensure there was a deterrent for anyone trying to avoid paying the waste levy.