Investment in waste management is important to help the State reach its net-zero goal by 2050 and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. WALGA’s State Budget Submission sought a review of funding for waste management, to direct all funds collected by the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Levy to strategic waste initiatives focussed on waste avoidance and maximising resource recovery.
Overview
The Government has announced an additional $3 million for the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account to spend on waste management programs.
This increase is due to higher revenue for the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Levy (Waste Levy). As flagged by the Government in May 2023, and now confirmed in the 2024/25 Budget, the Waste Levy will increase to $85 per tonne as of 1 July 2024. This is the first increase in the Levy since 2018.
As identified in the WALGA Budget Submission, the Government is projecting decreased waste tonnage from 2025-26 onwards due to the two Waste to Energy facilities becoming operational and the consequential reduction in waste to landfill.
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WALGA Comment
The increase in the Waste Levy will add to the costs imposed on Local Governments and the communities they service.
The need to review funding allocations for waste management and the Department of Water and Environment Regulation will become even more pressing once the Kwinana and Rockingham Waste to Energy Facilities start operating in late 2025, as revenue from the WARR Levy is expected to decline due to reduced waste going to landfills.
By directing the full amount of WARR levy revenue to waste activities, a range of programs could be funded, such as:
- Covering the entire cost of FOGO implementation for Local Government, including funding to Local Governments that have already introduced FOGO.
- Regional Waste Management Planning and Infrastructure investment to ensure all regional waste management facilities are operating to meet better practice standards by 2030 (a target in the Waste Strategy).
- Funding for Material Recovery Facility (MRF) infrastructure upgrades to ensure maximum recovery from the kerbside bin.
- Increased funding for the WasteSorted Bin Tagging Program to support Local Governments to educate and engage the community in how to maximise resource recovery and reduce contamination.
- Funding to establish and maintain a Commercial and Industrial Waste Program to engage and assist small to medium businesses to reduce their waste and improve their environmental performance.
- Funding for the continuation of existing programs, including the Household Hazardous Waste Program and waste education.
