New fees for Council tips

New dumping limits and fees will be introduced at Moreton Bay Region waste facilities after a Council review found some people were abusing the free system.

From July 1, residents, community groups, sporting organisations and charity organisations who take more than three tonnes of waste in a year - or make more than 26 visits to a tip – will have to pay for the privilege.

An analysis of waste facility visits in the 2020-21 financial year found 2.6 percent of the total number of users disposed of more than three tonnes of products and 1.7 percent of users visited more than 26 times.

Prolific dumpers

As well, Council found that of the 163,394 visits during the period, 38 vehicles disposed of more than 20 tonnes of waste at no cost, 230 vehicles disposed of more than 10 tonnes free and 1384 vehicles threw out more than five 5 tonnes of waste at no cost.

In total 4314 vehicles dumped waste over the new three tonne limit that will be introduced in the revised policy.

A report from Council officers said those quantities far exceeded the 600kg average for household waste per person per year, including kerbside collections in Queensland.

They said the current policy did not encourage landfill diversion or resource recovery set out in local, State and Federal targets.

Cr Mick Gillam (Div 8) said the change would have a limited impact on residents.

“It’s not really going to affect the vast majority of people in our community who do the right thing,” he said.

“That’s a huge amount of waste coming from a household.

“Those sorts of figures do not come from average usage from residential properties – it’s forced us to get this in so they’re not rorting the system any more.”

General waste, green waste, clean concrete and clean soil are included in the new three tonne/26 visits per year limits, with only residents who do not receive a kerbside collection exempt.

How much it will cost

Once the new annual limit has been reached, visitors to waste facilities will be charged a commercial fee, less the 2022-23 waste levy of $95 per tonne – $151 per tonne for General Waste.

A new fee for clean concrete and clean soil once the annual limit has been exceeded will also be introduced - $28 per tonne and $23 per tonne respectively, with a minimum charge of $20 and $17 respectively.

An uncontaminated green waste fee of $76 a tonne will be introduced after customers reach the annual limit, with a minimum charge of $26.

Owners of vacant land will require a Waste Disposal Authority and will only be able to dump green waste, up to two tonnes or 16 loads.

For waste facilities without a weighbridge, the annual limit will be 26 visits a year and fees calculated based on vehicle size, with cars charged $17, car and trailer $40, ute or van $40 and ute or van with trailer $60 for General Waste and cars charged $22, car and trailer $34, ute or van $34, and ute or van with trailer $49 for Garden Waste.

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