Levy waived for taking flood waste to landfill

THE usual fee for dropping flood waste off at landfills will not apply in some local government areas, including the City of Greater Geelong and the Colac Otway Shire, until the end of the year.

The Victorian government says it has waived the flood waste levy to help flood-affected communities clean up and recover.

Landfill operator gate fees are also being covered.

“We’re not wasting any time to clean up flood-affected communities – we’re working with councils and communities to remove any barriers to getting on with our recovery,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.

In collaboration with councils and the waste industry, the state government says it will work to ensure all communities affected by the flooding, which began earlier this month, have access to a facility or site to dispose of their waste quickly and safely.

According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Victoria, flood-affected waste refers to any material deposited on a property by the floods or damaged by the floods that needs to be disposed at a landfill.

The waste levy for flood waste and the gate fee usually charged by the site operator is being waived for the 46 worst-affected local government areas.

Other municipalities affected by floods will be added to the list as required, which is aimed to ensure affected communities can carry out clean-up and recovery activities without paying for the disposal of their waste.

The rebates will make sure all flood waste can be disposed of at landfill free of charge, with the waste levy usually between $62.95 per tonne and $125.90 per tonne, depending on the type of waste and the location of the landfill.

EPA Victoria will work with councils and landfill operators to implement the waste levy waiver.

The environmental regulator is reminding people cleaning up that floods can cause harmful materials to shift or react, and they should be cautious when assessing and working with flood-affected property.

Asbestos can be found in some fibre cement sheeting and pipes, vinyl floor tiles, electrical parts and vehicle brake pads. It is not always possible to tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it.

If in any doubt, do not disturb the material, and take steps to prevent others from disturbing the material. It is projected at least 300,000 tonnes of waste will be sent to landfill as a result of the October 2022 floods.

“We’re helping clean up flood-impacted communities by waiving fees for flood waste, working with local government to get recovery under way,” Minister for Environment and Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio said.