Toowoomba ratepayers are now paying an extra $5.2 million to get rid of rubbish this year because of State Government law changes.
Queenslander will from this week be forced to pay the bin tax for waste they send to landfill.
Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald said Queensland’s Waste Levy Bin Tax would leave Toowoomba Region ratepayers with a $4.2 million funding shortfall this financial year.
“Coupled with a $1 million freight cost for Toowoomba Region recycled material to be taken for processing to the Sunshine Coast, the cost equates to a 3 per cent rate increase for every rateable property across our region,” Cr McDonald said.
Local Government Association of Queensland Chief Executive Officer Alison Smith said Toowoomba was one of 19 councils being slugged with extra fees in 2025.
“Some councils are already being slugged with the bin tax while others will join them from today,’’ she said.
“This is happening because councils in waste levy zones will no longer receive the 100 per cent offset which has been paid by the state.
“That offset has been paid to councils in order to prevent the levy being applied to household bins.
“However that is all changing, with the offset dropping to 70 per cent for some councils this financial year, and the offset amount forecast to drop each year going forwards unless the State Government agrees to a reset.”
“The waste levy is part of the State Government’s plan to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill and to increase recycling.
This financial year the recent State Budget shows an estimated $477 million in revenue will be generated by the state government from the waste levy.
Ms Smith is now urging the State Government to “bin the tax”.
Meanwhile Toowoomba Regional Council says tougher laws surrounding the disposal of rubbish was among the reasons it closed Millmerran district’s six rural waste bin stations.
Cr Melissa Taylor said the decision was prompted partly by inappropriate usage of the bin stations.
She said this included the disposal of commercial waste and waste from residents outside the Toowoomba Region, all of which added to operating costs that have been passed onto ratepayers across the region,’’ Cr Taylor said.
The Millmerran district bin stations include:
- Bringalily Bin Station: Bringalily Creek Road, Bringalily,
- Kooroongarra Bin Station: Hain Road, Kooroongarra,
- Rocky Creek Bin Station: corner of Moffatt Reserve Road and Rocky Creek Road, Rocky Creek,
- Rural Residential No.1 Bin Station: corner of Moffatt Road and Millmerran Woods Road, Millmerran,
- Rural Residential No.2 Bin Station: Paddy’s Creek Road, Millmerran, and
- Turallin Bin Station: corner of Turallin Road and Main Street, Turallin.
