The Department of Environment and Science has confirmed the Mount Isa City Council initially declined Waste Levy funding before submitting an application five months after the cut off date.

Mount Isa City Council CEO Sharon Ibardolaza said council did not apply for the funding because at the time, it was still possible that Mount Isa would be excluded from the levy zone.

"As we are now included, the Department of Environment and Science recently invited Council to apply for funding, which we are now in the process of doing," Ms Ibardolaza said.

According to the Department Mount Isa City Council was invited to submit an application in August 2018 for funds through the Levy Ready Grant Program to support essential infrastructure works at local government landfills.

A DES spokesperson said MICC was one of only two eligible councils in Queensland which declined to make an application and share in the $5 million of funding then on offer, and councils who applied were now well advanced in their levy preparations.

"In November 2018, Minister Enoch wrote to the Mayor of Mount Isa advising that the Department of Environment and Science remained open to a funding application from MICC for infrastructure works at landfill sites," the spokesperson said.

"The department has recently received applications from Council - five months after the Program officially closed. These are currently being assessed."

In the last Mount Isa City Council meeting councilors carried the motion to close the Camooweal Refuse Facility and Ms Ibardolaza said one of their Levy Ready funding applications was for works at Camooweal.

"To receive funding, the Council must commit to keep the site open for at least five years," she said.

"The Camooweal funding request is for gates and fencing to secure the Camooweal dump site, which is currently ungated. The dump site will still be available for emergency or disaster situations, or by special request to Council.

"It's proposed that the Camooweal facility will remain operational for the next five years, and the team are reviewing the best way to manage this site to meet affordability and operational restraints."

The funding request comes as the Queensland Government introducing a waste levy on July 1 which it says will increase recycling and resource recovery, reduce waste and create jobs.

Mount Isa City Council fought against the changes and gave evidence at a parliamentary hearing in 2018 asking the government to exclude Mount Isa from the levy due to the town's remoteness, lack of services and population.

"The Queensland Government has committed that the waste levy will not have a direct impact to households," The DES spokesperson said.

"To achieve this, a 105 per cent annual advance payment will be made by the State Government to eligible local councils, including Mount Isa City Council, to offset the levy they would pay for household."

READ MORE: Pamela Street reservoir construction well underway.

While you are here subscribe to our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox at 6am every Friday.