Waste levy rates increase

8 June 2022

From 1 July 2022 waste levies will increase, and be divided across two new zones – metro and regional.

Levies will increase at different rates in the two new zones to reflect differences between the zones in terms of waste volumes and resource recovery.

The metro zone will be made up of the following 12 local government areas in South-East Queensland:

  • Brisbane City Council
  • Gold Coast City Council
  • Ipswich City Council
  • Lockyer Valley Regional Council
  • Logan City Council
  • Moreton Bay Regional Council
  • Noosa Shire Council
  • Redland City Council
  • Scenic Rim Regional Council
  • Somerset Regional Council
  • Sunshine Coast Regional Council
  • Toowoomba Regional Council

For 2022-23 the metro general levy weight will be $95 per tonne. Metro zone levies will increase annually by $10 per tonne, each year, until the general levy rate reaches $145 per tonne on 1 July 2027.

The regional zone will be the remaining 27 local government areas in the current levy zone. Regional zone will increase in line with the consumer price index each year.

Changes to waste levy exemptions from 2023

From 1 July 2023, the levy exemption for clean earth disposed to landfill will be removed. From this date, disposal of clean earth into landfill will be charged at the general waste levy rate of the levy zone it is generated in. This start date allows business and industry time to build capacity and processes to divert this resource away from landfill.


More information is available via the Queensland Government website.

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