Queensland councils stand ready to work with the Palaszczuk Government on its review of its waste legislation but will not accept any proposal that will cost households more.
Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Greg Hallam said any move by the State to penalise households and tax wheelie bins without properly investing in the industries and technologies needed to help Queenslanders divert more waste from landfill would be strongly opposed by the sector.
Households will be more than $80 a year worse off if the Premier’s promise is broken.
“When the Premier and her Ministers promised Queenslanders the waste levy would not impact households, they never said that promise was time limited,” Mr Hallam said.
“It is in black and white on the Palaszczuk Government’s own website that the advance waste levy payments were specifically introduced to keep that promise.
The Queensland Government website states: “The Queensland Government has committed to ensuring the levy has no direct impact on households. To deliver this, councils receive annual payments to offset the direct costs of the waste levy.”
Mr Hallam said at no time did the Palaszczuk Government ever indicate that its promise to protect households would expire after three years, following a State Election.
“What was discussed and agreed to was that the Government would use some of the proceeds of that levy to invest in industries and technologies to give Queenslanders alternatives so less waste ends up in landfill,” Mr Hallam said.
“This has not happened.
“Rather than using the regular legislative review process to break a promise to Queenslanders, the LGAQ calls on the Government to use that review to identify concrete ways to increase recycling, reduce landfill and achieve a zero waste future.”
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Vogler, Media Executive
Local Government Association of Queensland