Mount Isa City Council has gone into bat for the community against a new levy that could cost each ratepayer $320 more a year.
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The Waste Levy Bill, before state parliament, 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.
Council gave evidence at a parliamentary hearing this month, asking the government to exclude Mount Isa from the levy.
“Our city is widely known to be disadvantaged in a number of areas due to our remote location and lack of services, and our population simply cannot be put at further risk of being disadvantaged by way of a levy to dispose of waste,” Mayor Joyce McCulloch said.
Cr McCulloch told the hearing the cost of the levy would “most definitely” have to be passed onto ratepayers.
“All we can see is an extra rate going out to our community, and as it is our community is already doing it very, very tough,” she said.
Shadow environment minister David Crisafulli said the government’s decision to include Mount Isa in the waste levy zone was “a bit fishy”.
“I don’t know why Mount Isa would randomly be included. We were told this was all about stopping interstate waste but I don’t know how many trucks are going to drive from northern NSW to the Isa to save a few bucks on dumping,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“It is wrong, the whole thing is an almighty con job really.”
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Environment minister Leanne Enoch says the levy would create more jobs and promised councils a 105 per cent rebate on costs.
“Councils will have no reason to increase rates because of the waste levy – we are giving them more than enough funding to cover this,” Ms Enoch said.
But the rebate will only last for three years and will be lessened over time.
Cr McCulloch said the rebate decline could cost Mount Isa millions each year.
“We have worked it out and we’re expecting around $2.5 million each year. Based on our current funding,” she said.
“This simply cannot be absorbed by the low number of rateable assessments in this city.”
Cr McCulloch said criteria to include Mount Isa and Camooweal in the waste levy zone were based solely on population level exceeding 10,000 people.
But Goondiwinidi, with more than 10,000 people has been exempt.
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