LNP trash new levy on waste

BROADWATER MP David Crisafulli has slammed the state government for imposing a new waste levy, labelling it a tax that will hurt families and small business.

Acting Premier Jackie Trad said the $70-per-tonne charge, which will apply from New Year’s Day, won’t be passed on to ratepayers.

Ms Trad said the state would give councils financial help to make sure they don’t pass on costs.

“There is no flow-on effect of the waste levy to households,” she said.

Labor is reintroducing the levy – scrapped by the Newman government in 2012 – to ensure there is no financial incentive for interstate businesses to ship waste north in order to dodge levies in force in southern states.

But Mr Crisafulli, who is also the LNP’s Shadow Environment Minister, said the tax was no more than a revenueraising strategy.

“If Annastacia Palaszczuk wants to stop New South Wales’ waste coming across the border then she should police the current laws, not impose a statewide tax,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“The only thing Labor recycles is excuses. The only vision Labor has for Queensland is more taxes.”

Ms Trad could not say how much the government expected the levy to raise, or where the money for the initial advance payments to councils would come from. But she said those figures would be in the state budget on June 12.

The announcement came on the same day Ipswich City Council said residents had responded well to a renewed recycling program, after it backed down on threats to stop recycling due to cost.

The issue prompted the state government to bring forward the implementation of the waste levy in an effort to prevent a domino effect of other local councils pulling out of their recycling programs.