Waste Disposal Levy
With the introduction of the waste disposal levy, disposal facility operators are required, to submit monthly information on the amount of waste disposed of at their facilities.
The Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry) has received waste quantity information (tonnages of waste) from all registered disposal facility operators since July 2009. The amount of waste disposed of is displayed in the chart below. Disposal facility operators can amend the information for up to two years after they submit to the Ministry, therefore the figures below may alter over time.
Read a description of this image
| Return Month | North Island (metric tonnes) | South Island (metric tonnes) | Levy Waived (metric tonnes) | National Total (metric tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul-09 |
158,349 |
45,777 |
204,126 |
|
Aug-09 |
152,023 |
43,909 |
195,932 |
|
Sep-09 |
155,888 |
43,714 |
199,602 |
|
Oct-09 |
157,101 |
45,414 |
202,515 |
|
Nov-09 |
164,359 |
43,921 |
208,280 |
|
Dec-09 |
177,911 |
47,260 |
225,172 |
|
Jan-10 |
155,739 |
44,220 |
199,959 |
|
Feb-10 |
159,604 |
41,386 |
200,990 |
|
Mar-10 |
187,513 |
46,553 |
234,067 |
|
Apr-10 |
173,375 |
46,938 |
220,313 |
|
May-10 |
161,191 |
42,452 |
203,642 |
|
Jun-10 |
162,614 |
41,650 |
204,264 |
|
Jul-10 |
158,473 |
41,943 |
200,416 |
|
Aug-10 |
159,177 |
42,045 |
201,221 |
|
Sep-10 |
168,275 |
41,444 |
16,398 |
226,117 |
Oct-10 |
165,982 |
43,128 |
2,731 |
211,841 |
Nov-10 |
166,149 |
44,165 |
2,037 |
212,351 |
Dec-10 |
169,702 |
46,134 |
215,836 |
|
Jan-11 |
153,950 |
43,797 |
197,747 |
|
Feb-11 |
162,496 |
42,329 |
204,825 |
|
Mar-11 |
175,505 |
45,167 |
17,720 |
238,391 |
Apr-11 |
160,441 |
45,625 |
6,901 |
212,967 |
May-11 |
170,869 |
54,079 |
7,974 |
232,923 |
Jun-11 |
162,748 |
41,873 |
976 |
205,597 |
Jul-11 |
148,515 |
43,780 |
1,771 |
194,066 |
Aug-11 |
157,143 |
45,301 |
2,019 |
204,463 |
Sep-11 |
155,435 |
45,110 |
3,201 |
203,746 |
Oct-11 |
154,237 |
43,143 |
2,593 |
199,973 |
In the graph above you will note evidence of levy waived during September, October and November 2010, and March to October 2011. This relates to the waiver granted to Canterbury Waste Services for waste associated with the Canterbury earthquakes.
The levy revenue received from disposal facilities is used to fund waste minimisation activities.
Fifty per cent of levy revenue is allocated to local councils on a population basis. Councils must spend the money on promoting or achieving waste minimisation in accordance with their waste management and minimisation plans.
The other fifty per cent minus administration costs will be allocated to waste minimisation projects, through the Waste Minimisation Fund.
Review of the effectiveness of the waste disposal levy
The Waste Minimisation Act requires the Minister for the Environment to regularly review the effectiveness of the levy, with the first review completed no later than two years after the levy's introduction.
The Minister's first review is now complete. In conducting the review, the Minister has assessed the effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the levy, which are to:
- raise revenue for promoting and achieving waste minimisation
- increase the cost of waste disposal to recognise that disposal imposes costs on the environment, society, and the economy.
Read the Review of the effectiveness of the waste disposal levy, 2011 report
| As at 1 February 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Levy received | $33,290,000 |
| Territorial Authority payments made | $15,610,000 |
| Territorial Authority payments pending* | $1,040,000 |
| WMF committed funding | $6,540,000 |
| WMF pending | $7,440,000 |
| Administration | $2,660,000 |
* Pending includes amounts accrued from payments received but not yet distributed. These funds will be distributed as part of the next payment to Territorial Authorities or made available in future WMF rounds.
Administration costs
Administration costs associated with the waste disposal levy can be recovered in accordance with section 30 of the Act. The amount of levy revenue that may be used to fund administration costs is agreed by Cabinet.
Administration costs include the initial one off costs involved with the implementation of the Waste Minimisation Act. This included developing business processes for the Ministry and developing guidance for councils and landfill operators on their new responsibilities, as well as new IT systems to manage levy collection, processing payments and funded projects.
On-going administration costs will cover the following activities:
- Administration of the Waste Minimisation Fund
- Collection of the levy from disposal facility operators (including collecting returns, issuing invoices, receiving payments and collecting debts)
- Payment of 50% of levy revenue to territorial authorities and monitoring that TAs are using the funds for the intended purposes
- Auditing activities associated with the levy (ie disposal facility operators, territorial authorities, WMF recipients)
- Managing offences and enforcement actions associated with the levy, including investigations and prosecutions.
Last updated: 13 December 2011
