Polling conducted by the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has found that the state’s communities are near unanimous in their support of reducing waste and increasing recycling, but the majority say they don’t want their rubbish bins taxed to do it.
The Association says the findings give strength to its call for the State Government to dump the ‘bin tax’ being applied to households across 19 council areas while it conducts a statewide waste review.
The polling showed that around 7-out-of-10 Queensland residents oppose households being slugged with a levy on the rubbish in their bins.
“These statistics show that although Queenslanders are in near unanimous support of reducing waste and increasing recycling but the majority do not support household waste being taxed to achieve it,” said LGAQ chief executive officer, Alison Smith.
“Councils and communities are speaking with one voice – bin the tax.
“Residents don’t want councils to be forced to choose between passing the bin tax cost on to ratepayers, or having less money for council services like parks, libraries and community facilities.”
Key insights from the polling were:
- There is broad support across Queensland for the State Government’s plan to reduce waste and increase recycling, with nearly 9-in-10 residents (88%) in favour;
- However, approximately 7-in-10 residents (68%) believe that households should not pay a levy on the amount of waste in their bins;
- 91% of residents statewide agreed the State Government should be doing more to reduce landfill waste in their communities.
From July 1, millions of Queenslanders will be forced to pay a state waste levy – a ‘bin tax’ – for the waste they send to landfill.
Some councils are already being slugged with the bin tax, while others will join them from July 1, because councils in waste levy zones will no longer receive the 100% offset which has previously been paid by the state. That offset has been paid to councils in order to prevent the levy being applied to household bins.
“We need to work with the State Government on ways to divert waste from landfill but look at new technologies as well, not by introducing a tax, but by working with councils to look at ways that we can both work on the same outcome by reducing waste to landfills and improving our environment,” said Rockhampton Mayor, Tony Williams.
“This unfair multi-million-dollar tax on our community is hurting our residents. It is taking money from what could be spent on parks, roads and libraries,” said Fraser Coast Mayor, George Seymour.
“It is unfair and discriminatory the way it impacts communities like ours and a community that has done everything it can to reduce what’s going to landfill.”
Across Queensland, the 19 councils and their communities face an almost $30 million reduction in offset payments from July 1 are: Brisbane City Council, Bundaberg Regional Council, Cairns Regional Council, Gladstone Regional Council, Gold Coast City Council, Ipswich City Council, Logan City Council, Mackay Regional Council, Noosa Shire Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Toowoomba Regional Council, Townsville City Council, Somerset Regional Council, Moreton Bay City Council, Redland City Council, Rockhampton Regional Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, and Fraser Coast Regional Council.
“The waste levy is part of the State Government’s plan to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill and to increase recycling,” Ms Smith said.
“However, when the former State Government first introduced plans to reduce the levy offset paid to councils, it made two promises – ensuring the levy has no direct impact on households, and that a $2.1 billion investment into recycling options and other markets for kerbside waste occurrs to ensure households had the options they needed to divert waste out of their bins in order to avoid the tax.
“That investment and those options are not in place, meaning households don’t have appropriate waste diversion options,” she said.
This financial year, the State Budget showed an estimated $477 million in revenue will be generated by the state government from the waste levy.
“Councils are calling for a reset,” Ms Smith said. “We welcome the launch of a new Queensland Waste Strategy that is currently out for public consultation, but we are calling for a pause on any reduction to the waste levy offset payments to councils until this review is completed.”
The LGAQ #BintheTax campaign is being spearheaded by Queensland’s iconic and ironic waste expert, Chooky the Bin Chicken, who is joining the chorus for the State Government to “Bin the Tax”.
