Gerald Lynch
Hume council is demanding answers about the growing cost of the state government’s compulsory waste levy.
The waste levy has cost Hume $48 million since 2020.
Councillor Joseph Haweil said rises in the levy rate has meant council is spending far too much, without seeing the benefits.
“Our contributions to the levy have increased from $2 million in 2017-18, to $8.3 million in 2021-22,” he said.
“During our council term, we have now paid approximately $48 million in residents’ money to the state government as part of this levy.
“So when our residents complain that it is too costly to go to the landfill to dispose of waste, they should know – 30 to 40 per cent of the entire charge you pay out the gate is not council revenue, it’s a tax… that goes and flows directly to the state government.”
The Municipal and Industrial Landfill Levy Trust currently contains $456 million, and exists to fund and support councils to manage landfills and waste, but Cr Haweil labelled the fund “severely underutilised”.
The council also spent $4.7 million in 2022-23 on cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish.
“While there is never an excuse for dumping, and we have made it very clear that we’ll crack down in the strongest way possible on those who engage in disgraceful conduct,” Cr Haweil said.
“It is interesting to draw a correlation as to whether we would have a different outcome if the 30 to 40 per cent of all fees collected were actually invested to support local councils… and the work we do to drive behavioural change.”
Hume has also had to pay the state government $6.8 million to import soil into the Sunbury Landfill as intermediate cover before the site enters remediation.
Cr Haweil called the payment a cash grab.
“I am struggling to get my head around why we need to pay the Victorian Treasury $7 million to bring soil into a facility we own,” he said.
“It’s not contributing to landfill, it’s actually improving environmental outcomes by closing the landfill in the short and long term.
“I know of very many other good uses for $7 million across Sunbury and the rest of Hume.”
Hume council will write to the Environment Minister and local members asking for an exemption from the $6.8 million bill to cover the Sunbury Landfill with soil.
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulous was contacted for comment.
