Councils to make landfill last resort with waste levy to increase

• Local governments encouraged to use landfill as a last resort
• New rate of existing waste levy to commence 1 July 2024
• Perth councils are being encouraged to divert waste from landfill, with the waste levy to increase from July next year.

The levy is imposed on waste disposed to landfill in Perth or on waste generated in Perth and disposed of elsewhere in the State.

Western Australia's waste levy rate will be $85 per tonne from 1 July 2024. It is the first increase to the levy since 2018 with a catch-up rise in line with inflation.

The levy is an important tool for encouraging better waste management and its role will be further considered in a review of WA's 2030 Waste Strategy.

Local governments and regional councils have embraced FOGO bins for food and garden organics, turning kitchen waste into compost for farms, parks and gardens.

The McGowan Government has a target for all local governments in the Perth and Peel regions to adopt the service by 2025, contributing $20 million to support councils in the rollout. Seventeen WA councils are now using the service and a further 12 have committed to making the transition.

The State Government will also consult later this year with businesses and the community on a proposal to expand the levy boundary into regional areas.

A rolling five-year schedule of levy rates will be published periodically to reflect changes and encourage early adoption of preferred waste recovery options.

The decision on the levy follows a review by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. A summary of the review is available at: https://consult.dwer.wa.gov.au/waste-policy/review-of-the-waste-levy/.

Comments attributed to Environment Minister Reece Whitby: 

"We need to reduce, reuse and recycle and the waste levy helps to discourage sending recoverable materials to landfill.

"This is a necessary catch-up increase in line with inflation. We are giving local governments and industry time to plan for the change, which comes into effect on 1 July 2024.

"We're ultimately striving for a low-waste, sustainable State. Landfill should always be the last resort and this is an important step towards achieving our recovery targets."

Minister's office - 6552 6300