Newman Government removes waste levy

The Newman Government has officially closed another damning chapter of the Labor government’s history after passing legislation to remove the Bligh government's waste levy. 

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection said the waste levy was simply an extra cost that put strain on economy at a time when the government needed to foster growth.

“Last year, in line with our election commitment, we amended the regulation to ensure the levy was $0 from July 1, today we removed that legislation for good.”

“While the state cannot control the gate fees of individual disposal sites, by removing this poorly managed waste tax we are doing what we can to help business and local councils lower their costs.”

“This was simply a cash-grab by the former government that delivered no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping.”

“As we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees.”

 “Rather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.”

“We will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry,” he said.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 also introduced further measures to reduce green tape and streamline environmental approvals.

“Again I stress this is not about lowering environmental standards, it is about streamlining processes and increasing transparency within our regulatory framework.”

 “These amendments will give greater flexibility for industry to grow, but they also ensure that it is also easier for regulators within EHP to identify any parties who fail to meet those standards,” Mr Powell said.

“As we have seen with recent prosecutions, we will strongly pursue any company that does not comply with any environmental conditions.”  

“The Newman government is unashamedly delivering a mandate that supports economic development but we will not allow development that is not environmentally sustainable.”

“We will continue to work with all industries to ensure the highest environmental standards are met.”

ENDS-

Media contact: Brooke Hargraves 0458 689 043