THE Mindarie Regional Council has reduced its landfill fees to reflect the State Government’s postponement of a 300 per cent increase to its landfill levy until January.
The council had planned to charge its member councils $128.30 per tonne, but will now charge them $120.50 per tonne.
Casual users will pay $109 per tonne instead of $118.
MRC chief executive Kevin Poynton said it was only fair that an organisation such as the MRC drop fees and it had done so on the assumption that the levy increase would kick in next January, averaging out tip fees across the financial year.
“Local governments set their fees once during the financial year, so it would make it too difficult if we set one fee now and increased it in January,” he said.
Mr Poynton said if the State Government bowed to pressure to scrap the levy entirely, the difference would be taken into account next financial year.
“Member councils will not lose out in this context,” he said.
The MRC will work with coalitions such as the WA Local Government Association and the Forum of Regional Councils in the six months leading to the scheduled introduction of the levy increase.
“There are a lot of industry groups very upset about this,” he said.
“The money from the landfill levy should be used on strategic waste management.
“Local government has led the charge on this and has been punching above its weight compared to other states. “They’ve given the State an absolute showcase in terms of initiatives to reduce landfill and the government of the day should recognise that and come in behind it.”
The MRC will come up with a formal stance on the levy increase at its July meeting.
Mr Poynton also highlighted that the levy was not the only increase to the tipping fee at the MRC landfill at Tamala Park.
He said part of the increase was to pay operational costs at the Neerabup Resource Recovery facility.