The LGAQ continues its intense lobbying of the Palaszczuk Government to agree to defer the start of its waste levy until 1 July 2019, commencing at a fee $75 a tonne for municipal solid waste.
We are also arguing for at least a moratorium on charging the levy on road scalpings.
We are working hard to secure as many concessions as we can to make the road ahead for the 39 member councils affected by the waste levy easier to traverse.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad and Environment Minister Leanne Enoch and their senior staff have taken a pragmatic and reasonable approach to negotiations so far. It’s been a long process but one done with the environment at heart and the focus firmly on the future we leave generations to come. This is a long-term game plan.
Another long game is the firm focus we have taken in achieving a zero-waste future for Queensland by no later than 2035, the position that councils adopted at annual conference just a fortnight ago.
To that end, your Association held our second Waste Forum for 2018 over Wednesday and Thursday this week. Some 90 delegates from 30 councils listened to state representatives speak on the waste levy and the associated waste strategy.
We also heard from UK based firms SLR and Ashurst Lawyers and JRMA from California, all very experienced waste to energy experts. There were detailed feedback sessions from those of us who took part in the LGAQ’s international waste-to-energy study tour back last August and September. It was a really productive few days.
Finally, I hope everyone has seen the “Proud to be your Council” television and digital ads campaign which went to air this week. After a huge amount of quantitative and qualitative research we nailed it.