![\"Trashing](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TrashingQld1-300x150.jpg?resize=300%2C150\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Table of contents<\/h6>\nJump to comments section.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) – Bligh Government introduces waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish comes from interstate.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 7, 2017) – 4 Corners program, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 8, 2017) – Qld Premier Annastacia responds to Four Corners, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 9, 2017) – Mangoes for waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 10, 2017) – Operation Tora begins.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 11, 2017) – Operation Tora update.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 12, 2017) – Enter donations.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 16, 2017) – Inquiry launched.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
![\"Cheaper](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/120614CheaperToDumpRubbishOnTheCoast-SueLappeman-212x300.jpg?resize=212%2C300\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n![\"Waste](\"https:\/\/qldaah.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/1367028255603.jpg?w=279&resize=279%2C300\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(December 1, 2011) – Bligh Government introduces waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish comes from interstate.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 7, 2017) – 4 Corners program, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 8, 2017) – Qld Premier Annastacia responds to Four Corners, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 9, 2017) – Mangoes for waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 10, 2017) – Operation Tora begins.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 11, 2017) – Operation Tora update.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 12, 2017) – Enter donations.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 16, 2017) – Inquiry launched.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish comes from interstate.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 7, 2017) – 4 Corners program, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 8, 2017) – Qld Premier Annastacia responds to Four Corners, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 9, 2017) – Mangoes for waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 10, 2017) – Operation Tora begins.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 11, 2017) – Operation Tora update.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 12, 2017) – Enter donations.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 16, 2017) – Inquiry launched.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(August 8, 2017) – Qld Premier Annastacia responds to Four Corners, ‘Trashed’.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 9, 2017) – Mangoes for waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 10, 2017) – Operation Tora begins.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 11, 2017) – Operation Tora update.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 12, 2017) – Enter donations.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 16, 2017) – Inquiry launched.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(August 10, 2017) – Operation Tora begins.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 11, 2017) – Operation Tora update.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 12, 2017) – Enter donations.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 16, 2017) – Inquiry launched.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(August 12, 2017) – Enter donations.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 16, 2017) – Inquiry launched.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(August 17, 2017) – Landfill moratorium.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 29, 2017) – Illegal dumping in Brisbane continues.<\/a><\/h6>\n(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(August 30, 2017) – Shipping containers of trash.<\/a><\/h6>\n(December 3, 2017) – Cross-border waste doubles to 830,000 tonnes.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
(March 14, 2018) – Ipswich gives clear message on waste.<\/a><\/h6>\n(March 20, 2018) – Palaszczuk Government announces reintroduction of waste levy.<\/a><\/h6>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(December 1, 2011) –\u00a0Bligh Government introduces waste levy<\/h2>\n
In 2011, Queensland became the last state to introduce a waste levy under the Labor Government of Anna Bligh<\/a>\u00a0at $35\/tonne. This broke a 2009 election promise which the Liberal National Party opposition seized upon and pledged to remove at the next election.<\/p>\nRadio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nChamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n“Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n
A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n\u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n“This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\nMr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\nHowever, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n\u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n
The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\nPresident David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n“So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nBy September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n“It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n“Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n
“It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n
The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n“Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n
A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n\u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nIn April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n
By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n
Radio National<\/a> reported on the new levy in October, 2011. “Per capita, Queensland is the largest generator of waste in Australia – producing enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 16 times every year – and the state also has the second worst recycling rate in the country. The Bligh government is hoping to change this with a new waste levy that comes into effect in December, but the levy has upset local councils, industry and some recycling companies.”: New Queensland waste levy.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland<\/a>\u00a0President, David Goodwin told the program that households shouldn’t be exempt.<\/p>\n “Business is not entirely against it,” he said.<\/p>\n “You would introduce it at a much lower rate but to everybody that would achieve the same revenue outcome from where the government is sitting but would reduce the significant impost on businesses. Many of which cannot control the final outcome in terms of their waste.”<\/p>\n A month earlier, CCIQ\u00a0had released a statement opposing the waste levy saying businesses would ‘suffer’.<\/a>\u00a0(The CCIQ appears to have deleted its article after publishing of this blog. We have updated the link using the Wayback Machine archived link).<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that many businesses do not have the capacity to absorb additional waste costs and are not in a position to pass costs on to their customers due to very poor consumer sentiment at present,”\u00a0CCIQ General Manager\u00a0Nick Behrens<\/a> said.<\/p>\n “This levy will add a substantial cost increase on current waste expenses for businesses that will threaten jobs and viability.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Mr Goodwin and Mr Behrens later made unsuccessful bids to enter politics under the LNP banner. In 2012, Mr Goodwin resigned from CCIQ and nominated for a Queensland senate spot.<\/a>\u00a0He was later suspended from the party in July 2017 for a Facebook post<\/a> in which he criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull<\/a> and promoted Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce<\/a> to take over.<\/p>\n Mr Behrens resigned his position in 2016 and nominated for preselection for the seat of Brisbane Central.<\/a><\/p>\n However, not all businesses were against it. In April 11, 2011, hazardous waste management company BCD Technologies told Business News Australia<\/em> that it welcomed the waste management reform<\/a>. Commercial Manager Jonathan Fisher said Queensland needed to catch up with other states.<\/p>\n \u201cQueensland has already fallen behind many other Australian states, but this landfill levy should help the state catch up quite quickly,” he said.<\/p>\n The disastrous 2012 election loss of the Bligh Government to the\u00a0Campbell Newman<\/a> led LNP would see the levy short-lived and would lead to enormous consequences in the years to come.<\/p>\n In April 2012, CCIQ praised the Newman Government for a number of issues including abolition of the waste levy. A statement read<\/a>, “It is clear that Queensland State Election promises relating to payroll tax, red tape, abolition of the waste levy and tighter economic and fiscal disciplines have had a direct impact upon the optimism shown.”<\/p>\n President David Goodwin said,\u00a0\u201cClearly the surge in optimism amongst Queensland business is a good thing as optimistic businesses invest in infrastructure, people and services and help drive the economic fortunes of the State. What we know is that business and consumer confidence translates into spending and investing and can therefore make or break an economy.\u201d<\/p>\n On June 14, 2012, Sue Lappeman<\/a> from the Gold Coast Bulletin<\/em>\u00a0sounded an early warning that the Gold Coast was about to become a rubbish tip for NSW. The article, Cheaper to dump rubbish on the Coast<\/em><\/a>, was tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Jackie Trad<\/a>\u00a0on July 11, 2012.<\/p>\n “So what is the LNP\u2019s plan to minimise the amount of interstate waste being dumped in Queensland? There is no plan. Without a plan, the issue of interstate dumping is not going to go away. It By September, a series of Fairfax <\/em>\u00a0articles began to reveal the impact on the state. Rowan Barber from the Australian Sustainable Business Group<\/em> told reporter Tony Moore<\/a> that Queensland was now a dumping ground for the southern states of NSW and Victoria.<\/a><\/p>\n “It is a perverse outcome, because you are trucking waste across vast distances to be dumped in Queensland,” he said.<\/p>\n “Now if the levy was in place, the economics would not stack up to move it.”<\/p>\n Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale<\/a>\u00a0began to suspect his city was one of the main dumping grounds.<\/p>\n “Look I don’t mind them bringing their waste to Ipswich from NSW because it gets turned into green electricity,” he said.<\/p>\n “But what I do mind is these people coming in from NSW, using us and not paying their levy, their taxes (waste levy).<\/p>\n “It’s like bootlegging, it’s rubbish-legging.”<\/p>\n The Brisbane Times<\/em> also reported that a NSW metals company planned to bring 7000 truckloads to Queensland to avoid paying their home state’s waste levy. The company was not named but Grant Musgrove from the Australian Council of Recycling told the outlet that it would save them millions of dollars and that Queensland had made a mistake.<\/p>\n “Yes, this is serious, but no-one can be certain on how large the problem is \u2013 and there is lots of debate around that, because no-one collects the data,” he said.<\/p>\n “You simply can’t measure interstate trucking of residuals from recycling operations.”<\/p>\n A third Fairfax article in December 2012 warned that, More Sydney trash to be dumped in Queensland<\/a>.<\/p>\n In March 2013, somewhat ironically, Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell<\/a>\u00a0happily announced that the waste levy had been officially removed<\/a> from all legislation. He described it as a ‘cash-grab’ and delivering ‘no tangible environmental benefit and, in effect, encouraged illegal dumping’.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we have seen just a few days ago during Clean-Up Australia Day, people will dump their rubbish in forests, on charities, and in National Parks in order to avoid waste site fees,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than imposing a senseless tax on Queensland businesses, the Newman Government is working with the waste industry to establish a strategy that delivers strong environmental outcomes without increasing the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe will not shy away from our responsibility to drive policy and regulation reform in regard to waste management, but we need to do this in consultation with industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Treasurer Tim Nicholls also rejoiced in business confidence stating that the removal of the waste levy was part of a number of policies that were, “making Queensland a very attractive investment and business prospect.”\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n In April 2013, Fairfax<\/em>\u00a0journalist Leesha McKenny<\/a> revealed a new scam whereby NSW operators could garner a rebate for digging up landfill and dumping it in Queensland.<\/p>\n In\u00a0Queensland: Beautiful one day, NSW’s tip the next <\/em><\/a>she showed how, “The practice, which amounts to digging up landfill and reburying it elsewhere for no environmental benefit, has been triggered by the widening gap between the cost of dumping waste in NSW and in Queensland.”<\/p>\n By 2016, new data suggested that\u00a0400,000 tonnes of landfill had arrived in Queensland from interstate during 2015. Now out of government, the LNP opposition leader Lawrence Springborg continued to blame the Bligh Government’s waste levy for illegal dumping in Queensland by Queenslanders.<\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n
(July 1, 2012) – Newman Government removes waste levy<\/h2>\n
\nwas again raised in the Gold Coast Bulletin last week, and I table an article for the benefit of the House,” she stated.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n.<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n
(February 29, 2016) – Ten percent of rubbish now comes from interstate<\/h2>\n