WA Local Government Association President Cr Bill Mitchell said the State Government’s 300% increase in landfill levies would also result in affected households paying on average an extra $26 in Council rates.

Cr Mitchell said the hike in levies detailed in the recent State Budget seemed to have more to do with meeting departmental financial targets than protecting the environment.

The Department of Environment and Conservation is set to reap an extra $39 million as a result of the increases at the same time as being allocated $33.3m less funding in the recent State Budget.

“The $5.7m difference is 3% of the Department’s total budget appropriation which is exactly the same as the Treasurer’s efficiency target for all departments,” Cr Mitchell said.

“Rather than look at how it can reduce expenditure and find efficiencies, the Department seems to have decided it is easier to impose exorbitant fees and make the community pay for their 3% efficiency target.

“The State Government currently wants to shine a light on Local Government inefficiencies with the reform process but endorses getting its own house in order by simply ramping up charges to the community.

“On one hand Environment Minister Donna Faragher claims the increases are to help reduce waste going to landfill while on the other hand admitting the extra revenue would fund other departmental activities.”

Cr Mitchell said Local Government accepted that higher levies could provide an incentive for greater recycling, particularly of construction and demolition waste, but said the extent of the planned increases without any lead time would most likely have the opposite affect.

“The increase is simply too extreme to be absorbed by industry and gives no time for recycling practices to be changed which consequently is most likely to lead to increased illegal dumping,” Cr Mitchell said.

“It just seems to be a decision that has been made to meet a budget target rather than that of a properly thought through initiative that would have come with consultation with Local Government and industry.

“There was no consultation with Local Government over these latest increases. We found it in the detail in the State Budget papers and then a week later received a letter from the Minister to inform us of the changes.”

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