Waste Fees & Levies – Requirements

Monday 1st May 2023

Summary:

The fourth round of industry engagement is focused on understanding and facilitating the calculation, reconciliation and payment of waste levies and fees. The project team conducted 6 one-on-one sessions this round focussing on understanding data and admin requirements of QLD waste tracking fees and NSW liquid waste levies and agreements. Find the summary of focuses and key takeaways below.  

The slide presentation and video below provide an overview of sprint scope and detailed findings from the one-on-one interviews. 

Key Takeaways From 1:1 Sessions: 

NSW Liquid Waste Levies 

• Opportunity for a system that identifies and prompts actions based on the different state requirements for levies, tracking certificates, Cas.
  
  
• Current NSW liquid waste levy agreements differ depending on size/waste type/organisation – there doesn’t appear to be a standard structure or formalisation around agreements. The ability to set up ‘Agents agreement’ within the system would be helpful.  

• Some situations are levy exempt. Electronic system needs to allow for easy adjustments and have flexibility for edge cases such as paper dockets used by emergency services to determine what is being carried on a truck if it has been in an accident.  
  
  
• NSW waste levies and current tracking practises aren’t a big pain point, if the system is going to address these, it needs to be simple and be as easy as what these facilities are using otherwise this could affect take up - “It’s just easy, we don’t spend that long on this part of the process”. 

QLD Waste Tracking Fees: 

• In QLD, there is a sense of reluctance and lack of awareness of general public that Tracking Certificates are required to dispose of waste.
  
  
• For QLD councils, many customers aren’t generating a Tracking Certificate before arriving at waste/recycle facility. Meaning queues are longer as they take time to complete on site. 

• Books used to create Tracking Certificates on the spot (often at weighbridge) can be seen as expensive by some, especially if the cost isn’t being passed on to the generator.  
  
  
• Councils are conscious that enforcing a single process and not factoring in leniency could deter people from using the waste facility and they don’t want to turn these customers away and encourage illegal dumping.
  
  
• A new online process needs to sufficiently support the user and be seen as easy and less burdensome than current processes or we risk an increase in illegal dumping.  

Have your say: 

Please take the time to provide your insights as industry experts on your experience with waste fees and levies.  

This quick survey will capture your feedback to inform the platform development.