Member for Burnett, Stephen Bennett congratulates the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection for introducing legislation to remove the Bligh government’s waste levy.
“The Newman Government firmly believes the waste levy was simply an extra cost that put strain on our economy at a time when we need to foster growth,” Mr Bennett said.
“Earlier this year, in line with our election commitment, we amended the regulation to ensure the levy was $0 from July 1.
“Today we have introduced legislation to remove the tax for good.”
“While the State cannot control the gate fees of individual disposal sites, by removing this poorly managed waste tax we are doing what we can to help business and local councils lower their costs.”
“Rather 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.
Mr Bennett said the Waste Reduction and Recycling and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 also introduced further measures to reduce green tape and streamline environmental approvals.
“Again I stress this is not about lowering environmental standards, it is about streamlining processes and increasing transparency within our regulatory framework,” he said.
“The Newman Government is unashamedly delivering a mandate that supports economic development to get the State back on track, but we will not allow development that is not environmentally sustainable.
“We will continue to work with all industries to ensure the highest environmental standards are met.”