Why we separate waste service charges

We separate waste service charges for the following reasons:

• Waste service costs are rising at a faster rate than what we can recover with rates.
• The Victorian Government caps how much we can charge in rates.
• The cost of the Victorian Government waste levy (a levy based on the amount of waste sent to landfill) has increased significantly in recent years.

The Victorian Government has introduced a requirement for all councils to provide a four-stream household waste service (glass, recycling, food and green organics and rubbish).

How separated waste service charges work

Before we separated waste service charges, they came out of the single general rate on your annual rates notice.

We now list the cost of providing waste services as a separate item on your annual rates notice:

• General rates
• Public waste service rate
• Kerbside waste service rate

The rate cap would not apply to the waste service charge. However, we can use money collected through this charge to cover the costs of providing waste and recycling services.

Please note: the waste service charge does not cover community education programs or other cleaning services, such as graffiti removal.

How we calculate charges

Our waste service charge comprises two elements – a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate.

In this instance, 'rate' means the scaled cost based on property value (this is the same way we calculate general rates)

The public waste rate includes services such as:

• street sweeping
• park and street bin collection and processing
• litter removal

The kerbside waste rate includes services such as:

• household bin collection, transport and processing
• hard and green waste collection and processing

The kerbside waste rate only applies to properties that use our kerbside waste collection service.

Financial hardship

Visit overdue rates and financial hardship for more information.

Is this charge designed to increase revenue?

No. The charge will not deliver any additional revenue to us in 2023/24. From 2024/25, we will only use the funds to cover the cost of providing waste and recycling services.

Will this mean a general rate increase?

Listing a waste service charge separately will see an overall decrease in general rates. However, this may not mean a decrease in the total amount we charge. This will depend on your circumstances.

What happens in the second year?

It is impossible to predict how our rates will change in the second year of the waste service charge. If the cost of providing waste services rises, then the waste service charge will rise. If the cost decreases, the waste service charge will also decrease.

Can you opt out?

No. We are obliged to provide your waste services. You must contribute to the cost of trucks, bins, material processing and regular collections, even if you don’t generate much waste.

Commercial properties have one opportunity each year to opt out of the residential waste service.

Apartments with private waste services

If you own an apartment and don't receive a kerbside waste collection, you will not be charged a kerbside waste. You will still be charged for the public waste rate.