Labor is reintroducing the QLD waste levy (tax), that was scrapped by the Newman LNP government in 2012. Their aim is to generate revenue and deter interstate businesses dumping their rubbish in Queensland and dodging charges in southern states. The $70.00 per tonne charge will apply from New Year’s Day (1/1/19) and is expected to raise $1.3 billion over four years for the QLD government.
The proposed new QLD waste levy is less than the $81.60/t levy imposed in regional NSW, or the $141.70/t NSW Metro is slugged with and will raise $100 million in revenue during the 2018/19 financial year.
Apparently Queenslanders will be spared the cost of a reintroduced tax on rubbish disposal through a rebate scheme for councils, budget papers show.
There is no mention of using any of the levy money for recycling and waste reduction initiatives in QLD. With more than 70 per cent of those proposed funds to be used to subsidise councils in advance for the costs they incur, pay for the running of the program and support new rubbish disposal programs during that time. The rest is earmarked for school, hospital and infrastructure funding.
