Mount Isa is likely to be slapped with a new waste levy forcing council to fork out millions of dollars more each year.
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The Waste Levy Bill, before state parliament this month is aimed at curbing the flow of New South Wales trucks driving across the border to dump trash in Queensland landfills.
The $70 per tonne levy is slated for 38 Qld councils including Mount Isa.
Mount Isa City Council has been hounding Traeger MP Robbie Katter to lobby against the proposed legislation, which will cost them about $2.5 million each year.
It is unclear whether Mr Katter has asked the government to exclude Mount Isa from the waste levy zone and he has not responded to questions from The North West Star about the issue.
Council said it would continue to seek support from Mr Katter.
“Well we have sent him all the details and given him all the papers and said you need to lobby. I do not believe he understood that the bill was going and that was being considered,” Mayor Joyce McCulloch said.
Cr McCulloch said council had provided feedback to the Transforming Queensland’s Recycling and Waste Industry directions paper, and recommend Mount Isa and Maranoa regions were exempt from the bill.
“Mount Isa is the only local government area amongst the 38 included in the proposed new Queensland waste levy zone which is non-contiguous with the coastline,” Cr McCulloch said.
Other council’s in the far north and west of the state have been exempt from the levy – except for Mount Isa.
“This proposed levy will cause a net cost to the Mount Isa economy and we believe that Mount Isa, as a region, will, because of high transport costs, be uncompetitive in securing a grant from the waste levy financial assistance package,” Cr McCulloch said.
“Further, virtually no allowance has been made for Mount Isa’s extremely isolated situation.”
Queensland is the only mainland state without a waste levy.
It was tossed out under the Newman government in 2012, when it was $35 a tonne.
Cr McCulloch said the cost of transport means it will be difficult to avoid levies.
“Current analysis of waste to landfill tells us that we could expect to pay up to $2.5 million in each year in levies, and although there are rebates in place, it has been declared that they will reduce quickly and significantly to encourage waste reduction innovation,” she said.
“I can only see this as detrimental to the community of Mount Isa, and once again we have been unfairly compared to coastal regions, which have easier and more affordable access to many services.”
