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International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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environmental projects, and 45% is paid into EPA recurrent funding for operations<br />

and environmental programs.<br />

Objectives for the use <strong>of</strong> landfill levies internationally and in Australia have variously<br />

comprised:<br />

739<br />

� Revenue generation;<br />

� Reduction in downstream environmental impacts associated with waste<br />

disposal; and<br />

� Promoting volumetric recycling and disposal targets, as a surrogate for<br />

reducing upstream environmental impacts associated with resource<br />

exploitation and material processing.<br />

Decisions in relation to the amount <strong>of</strong> the landfill levy and how it should be applied<br />

rest with the South Australian State Government.<br />

Recent studies suggest that 65% <strong>of</strong> waste material is being recycled or put to better<br />

use rather than being disposed <strong>of</strong> to landfill. However, and despite the many<br />

initiatives aimed at increasing sustainable resource recovery in South Australia,<br />

significant parts <strong>of</strong> the overall waste stream continue to be landfilled, with about 1<br />

million tonnes <strong>of</strong> waste going to landfill each year.<br />

52.2.4.2 Western Australia<br />

The Landfill Levy was introduced by the Western Australia State Government in 1998<br />

following an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act 1986. 905 A particular<br />

feature <strong>of</strong> the Landfill Levy is that the funds generated by the imposition <strong>of</strong> the levy<br />

are hypothecated, or earmarked, for strategic programs in the areas <strong>of</strong> management,<br />

reduction, reuse, recycling, monitoring or measurement <strong>of</strong> waste.<br />

The levy revenues are credited to the <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Management</strong> and Recycling Account and<br />

the funds are disbursed in accordance with approval <strong>of</strong> the Minister for the<br />

Environment and Conservation on advice from the <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Management</strong> Board <strong>of</strong><br />

Western Australia.<br />

The levy has two functions:<br />

� to increase the comparative price for landfill and to make recycling more cost<br />

competitive; and<br />

� to provide resources for the state government to strategically invest in<br />

recycling initiatives.<br />

The Landfill Levy is an important policy instrument for achieving the <strong>Waste</strong><br />

<strong>Management</strong> Board’s vision <strong>of</strong> towards zero waste, as outlined in the policy<br />

document Towards Zero <strong>Waste</strong> in Western Australia.<br />

905 Four Scenes (2007) Landfill Levy <strong>Review</strong>, Prepared for the <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Management</strong> Boards <strong>of</strong> Western<br />

Australia.<br />

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Waste</strong> <strong>Policy</strong>: Annexes

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