New Solid Waste Levy charges

South Australia’s solid waste levy will increase from $62 to $103 a tonne over the next four years and result in an additional $64 million of new expenditure that will be re-invested towards industry development for employment growth, promote recycling and to reduce carbon emissions. 

The Waste and Resources recovery sector currently employs approximately 5,000 people.

These reforms and new investment will expand the sector to create new job opportunities and help maintain the state's position as Australia's leading recycler.

In addition, funding will also go to local government waste and resource recovery infrastructure, waste education and new solutions for problematic waste.

This initiative by the government, which has been supported by the waste and resource recovery sector will help the industry capitalise on opportunities associated with collecting and separating waste as well as provide incentives to create new industries in processing and reuse.

Similar reforms have been made in New South Wales to increase employment in the sector and improve recycling and reuse of waste.

As part of the recent state budget, the government also announced a reduced disposal rate of $31 per tonne for packaged asbestos waste from 1 September.

This recognises the potential health impacts associated with asbestos and supports home renovators and the demolition industry to dispose of this hazardous material.

The scrap metal industry will also receive assistance from the latest budget measures with levy rebates remaining on hold for the next two years, as a commitment by the Government to support this important sector.