'Not one brass razoo': Councillor slams waste levy funds

A TOOWOOMBA councillor has slammed the State Government for its dispersal of funds raised by the controversial waste levy, saying it was not fair on councils.

TRC Water and Waste Committee chair Cr Nancy Sommerfield in front of the area where the Vertical Expansion Project is progressing.

A TOOWOOMBA councillor has slammed the State Government for its dispersal of funds raised by the controversial waste levy, saying it has potentially pushed back more than $10 million worth of projects.

The Toowoomba Regional Council missed out on key funding from the Resource Recovery and Industry Development program, which was raised through the next levy imposed on businesses using council landfills.

The first recipients from the $100 million fund were announced last month, with just two councils across Queensland earning a combined $355,000 from it.

The other four recipients were private projects.

Water and waste chair Cr Nancy Sommerfield said this flew in the face of the government's commitment that 70 per cent of the levy would go back to local councils.

"We're not getting anything out of the RRIDP. The whole idea of the waste levy was it was going to provide funding for infrastructure," she said.

"We were preparing to build more of our waste infrastructure. They were really keen to support us, knowing what we've got in place with our waste strategy.

"We want to see some transparency, because we're concerned where the hell the funding is going."

Cr Sommerfield said while the TRC wasn't promised funds from the RRIDP, the council's waste strategy had earned the interest of the government.

"We were banking on getting upwards of $10 million. Even if we got $5 million, we would find a way to make it work," she said.

"I've lost trust in the process altogether. This is why I'm calling for transparency.

"They didn't promise it but they were very impressed by our waste management strategy.

"This is a significant concern for all local governments that this bucket of money is sitting there and not going to councils - we're not getting one brass razoo from this money."

The levy is expected to raise $400 million for the State Government this year, $280 million of which is supposed to go back to councils, scheme start-ups, waste industry programs and environmental programs.

The council will push for a motion at the Local Government Association of Queensland's annual conference in October on the matter.

A spokesman for the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning said more recipients would be announced in the coming months.

"Six recipients have so far received Resource Recovery Industry Development Program funding," he said.

Originally published as 'Not one brass razoo': Councillor slams waste levy funds