Council has resolved to separate waste service charges from general rates to account for the increasing costs of waste and recycling services, in line with all other Victorian Councils.
Yarra’s waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. The kerbside waste rate will only be applied to properties that receive a kerbside waste collection service from Yarra Council.
If you have any questions or concerns about how the waste service charge has been applied to your property, please reach out to our customer service team.
Why are we separating waste service charges now?
The cost of providing waste services is increasing at a rate greater than what councils can recover through rates alone.
The rate cap, introduced by the Victorian Government, has capped the amount that councils can charge property owners in rates.
The cost of the Victorian Government waste levy (a levy paid to the Victorian Government by every council based on the amount of waste sent to landfill) has increased significantly in recent years.
The Victorian Government has also introduced laws to reduce waste, make the most of material and increase recycling. This includes a requirement for all councils to provide households with a four-stream waste service (glass, recycling, food and green organics and rubbish).
How will the new separated waste service charges work?
On your annual rates notice prior to the separation of waste service charges, you were charged a single ‘general rate’ based on your property value. A component of this ‘general rate’ paid for waste services.
With separated waste service charges, the cost of providing waste services would be removed from general rates and listed as separate line items on your annual rates notice.
While the rate cap would not apply to the waste service charge, the money collected through the waste service charge can only be used to cover the costs of providing waste and recycling services in Yarra.
When waste services charges are separated from general rates, your rates notice will show the following charges:
General rates
Public waste service rate
Kerbside waste service rate
How are the separated waste service charges calculated?
The waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. ‘Rate’ in this instance means that the cost will be scaled 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, among others.
The kerbside waste rate includes services such as household bin collections and transport and processing, hard and green waste collection and processing, among others.
The kerbside waste rate would only be applied to properties that receive a kerbside waste service from Yarra City Council. Ratepayers who do not receive a kerbside service from Council would be exempt from this charge.
What support is available for pensioners and those experiencing hardship?
We will continue to support pensioners with a Council rates rebate, in addition to the pensioner rebate provided by the Victorian Government.
As always, we are happy to work with ratepayers to support those who are experiencing financial hardship. If you feel that you are unable to pay, you can request financial hardship support.
Our financial hardship policy aims to provide ratepayers and service users with a clear and transparent understanding of the options and assistance available if you are currently experiencing financial hardship.
How might this affect me?
Find out how the separate waste charges might affect people in a circumstance similar to your own using this link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Council has resolved to separate waste service charges from general rates to account for the increasing costs of waste and recycling services, in line with all other Victorian Councils.
Yarra’s waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. The kerbside waste rate will only be applied to properties that receive a kerbside waste collection service from Yarra Council.
If you have any questions or concerns about how the waste service charge has been applied to your property, please reach out to our customer service team.
Why are we separating waste service charges now?
The cost of providing waste services is increasing at a rate greater than what councils can recover through rates alone.
The rate cap, introduced by the Victorian Government, has capped the amount that councils can charge property owners in rates.
The cost of the Victorian Government waste levy (a levy paid to the Victorian Government by every council based on the amount of waste sent to landfill) has increased significantly in recent years.
The Victorian Government has also introduced laws to reduce waste, make the most of material and increase recycling. This includes a requirement for all councils to provide households with a four-stream waste service (glass, recycling, food and green organics and rubbish).
How will the new separated waste service charges work?
On your annual rates notice prior to the separation of waste service charges, you were charged a single ‘general rate’ based on your property value. A component of this ‘general rate’ paid for waste services.
With separated waste service charges, the cost of providing waste services would be removed from general rates and listed as separate line items on your annual rates notice.
While the rate cap would not apply to the waste service charge, the money collected through the waste service charge can only be used to cover the costs of providing waste and recycling services in Yarra.
When waste services charges are separated from general rates, your rates notice will show the following charges:
General rates
Public waste service rate
Kerbside waste service rate
How are the separated waste service charges calculated?
The waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. ‘Rate’ in this instance means that the cost will be scaled 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, among others.
The kerbside waste rate includes services such as household bin collections and transport and processing, hard and green waste collection and processing, among others.
The kerbside waste rate would only be applied to properties that receive a kerbside waste service from Yarra City Council. Ratepayers who do not receive a kerbside service from Council would be exempt from this charge.
What support is available for pensioners and those experiencing hardship?
We will continue to support pensioners with a Council rates rebate, in addition to the pensioner rebate provided by the Victorian Government.
As always, we are happy to work with ratepayers to support those who are experiencing financial hardship. If you feel that you are unable to pay, you can request financial hardship support.
Our financial hardship policy aims to provide ratepayers and service users with a clear and transparent understanding of the options and assistance available if you are currently experiencing financial hardship.
How might this affect me?
Find out how the separate waste charges might affect people in a circumstance similar to your own using this link.
No. The waste services charge would not deliver any additional revenue for Council in the first year (2023/24). From 2024/25 onwards, the funds collected would only be used to cover the costs of providing waste and recycling services in Yarra.
No. The waste services charge would not deliver any additional revenue for Council in the first year (2023/24). From 2024/25 onwards, the funds collected would only be used to cover the costs of providing waste and recycling services in Yarra.
No. The cost of providing kerbside and public waste services will be removed from general rates and listed as a separate line item on your rates notice.
No. The cost of providing kerbside and public waste services will be removed from general rates and listed as a separate line item on your rates notice.
The increasing cost of providing waste services far exceeds the Victorian Government’s rate cap, which has averaged at 1.75% over the past three years and is set at 3.5% for 2023/24. For this reason, Council is having to explore other options to recover the cost of providing waste and recycling services that our community relies upon. This includes the separation of waste service charges from general rates.
The increasing cost of providing waste services far exceeds the Victorian Government’s rate cap, which has averaged at 1.75% over the past three years and is set at 3.5% for 2023/24. For this reason, Council is having to explore other options to recover the cost of providing waste and recycling services that our community relies upon. This includes the separation of waste service charges from general rates.
A separated waste service charge would see the cost of waste services removed from general rates and listed separately. By listing a waste service charge separately, this would see an overall decrease in general rates. However this does not necessarily mean there will be a decrease in the total amount charged to all individual ratepayers.
The total amount charged to ratepayers (general council rates + waste service charge) will depend on that individual’s circumstances.
A separated waste service charge would see the cost of waste services removed from general rates and listed separately. By listing a waste service charge separately, this would see an overall decrease in general rates. However this does not necessarily mean there will be a decrease in the total amount charged to all individual ratepayers.
The total amount charged to ratepayers (general council rates + waste service charge) will depend on that individual’s circumstances.
It is impossible to accurately predict changes to Council rates in the second year of a waste service charge. General rates will increase based on the Victorian Government’s rate cap for 2024/25, which is currently unknown. The waste service charge will be determined by the actual costs of providing waste services to the community. If the cost of providing waste services increases, then the waste service charge will increase. Likewise if the cost of providing waste services decreases, the waste service charge will also decrease.
It is impossible to accurately predict changes to Council rates in the second year of a waste service charge. General rates will increase based on the Victorian Government’s rate cap for 2024/25, which is currently unknown. The waste service charge will be determined by the actual costs of providing waste services to the community. If the cost of providing waste services increases, then the waste service charge will increase. Likewise if the cost of providing waste services decreases, the waste service charge will also decrease.
The waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. ‘Rate’ in this instance means that the cost will be scaled based on property value; this is the same way we calculate general rates.
The kerbside waste rate would only be applied to properties that receive a kerbside waste service from Yarra City Council. Ratepayers who do not receive a kerbside service from Council would be exempt from this charge.
The waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. ‘Rate’ in this instance means that the cost will be scaled based on property value; this is the same way we calculate general rates.
The kerbside waste rate would only be applied to properties that receive a kerbside waste service from Yarra City Council. Ratepayers who do not receive a kerbside service from Council would be exempt from this charge.
While an increase in the rate cap for 2023/24 will help Council to collect more revenue to provide services for our community in the coming year, this is only a short-term change. The Victorian Government rate cap changes each year, so Council is unable to plan for long-term sustainability based on this one factor.
The cost of providing waste services is also rising much faster than Council can recover via this above average rate cap alone.
By separating waste service charges from general rates we can ensure that Council is able to provide financially sustainable waste services into the future.
While an increase in the rate cap for 2023/24 will help Council to collect more revenue to provide services for our community in the coming year, this is only a short-term change. The Victorian Government rate cap changes each year, so Council is unable to plan for long-term sustainability based on this one factor.
The cost of providing waste services is also rising much faster than Council can recover via this above average rate cap alone.
By separating waste service charges from general rates we can ensure that Council is able to provide financially sustainable waste services into the future.
The waste service charge would not cover waste and recycling-related community education and engagement programs. It would also not cover other cleansing services, such as graffiti removal.
The waste service charge would not cover waste and recycling-related community education and engagement programs. It would also not cover other cleansing services, such as graffiti removal.
As always, we are happy to work with ratepayers to support those who are experiencing financial hardship. If you feel that you are unable to pay, you can request financial hardship support. Our financial hardship policy aims to provide ratepayers and service users with a clear and transparent understanding of options and assistance available if currently experiencing financial hardship.
As always, we are happy to work with ratepayers to support those who are experiencing financial hardship. If you feel that you are unable to pay, you can request financial hardship support. Our financial hardship policy aims to provide ratepayers and service users with a clear and transparent understanding of options and assistance available if currently experiencing financial hardship.
No. Council is obliged to provide waste services to residents. Everyone must contribute to the cost of providing the trucks, bins, processing of material and maintaining regular collections, even if they don’t generate much waste. Commercial properties have an opportunity to opt out of the residential waste service once each year.
No. Council is obliged to provide waste services to residents. Everyone must contribute to the cost of providing the trucks, bins, processing of material and maintaining regular collections, even if they don’t generate much waste. Commercial properties have an opportunity to opt out of the residential waste service once each year.
The waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. Apartment buildings that do not receive a kerbside waste collection service will not be charged the kerbside waste rate. They will still be charged for the public waste rate.
The waste service charge will be made up of two elements: a public waste rate and a kerbside waste rate. Apartment buildings that do not receive a kerbside waste collection service will not be charged the kerbside waste rate. They will still be charged for the public waste rate.
No. The waste service charge will only be charged to ratepaying property owners. The owner of the property is liable to pay the rates and charges for that property.
No. The waste service charge will only be charged to ratepaying property owners. The owner of the property is liable to pay the rates and charges for that property.
