ASBESTOS IN SOIL – QUEENSLAND WASTE LEVY
Do you have Asbestos impacted soil requiring disposal in Queensland? Through liaising with the Department of Environment and Science and landfill operators, Prensa has been successful in having the waste levy exempted.
In 2019 the Queensland Government committed to a ‘Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy’ which introduced the Queensland Waste Levy. The levy was introduced on the 1st July 2019 and applies to levyable waste delivered to waste landfills across the State. This new legislation, while designed to reduce the amount of waste Queenslanders generate, has the potential to impact the commerciality of construction projects across the private and public sectors.
A common waste requiring disposal across Queensland is asbestos, specifically asbestos in soils from contaminated sites. Currently asbestos is a default ‘Category 2’ Regulated Waste and under the levy is charged at $105 per tonne for 2019-2020 unless specific criteria is met. These criteria include any one of the following provided it is not mixed with any other waste:
- Non-friable asbestos-containing material; and/or
- Waste that has asbestos-containing material bonded to it; and/or
- Any disposal items used during asbestos removal work, including plastic sheeting and disposal tools; or
- Waste containing friable asbestos-containing material that has been removed by the holder of an asbestos removal licence.
Prensa has been working with the Department of Environment and Science and Landfill operators to obtain clarity on the implementation of the new legislation and in particular where exemptions to the levy apply with respect to the disposal of asbestos impacted soil.
Prensa has successfully negotiated the exemption of the waste levy from asbestos-contaminated soils via contaminated land investigations, in-house HAZMAT capabilities and professional knowledge of applicable regulations. To date, this has resulted in significant project cost savings for our clients in the public and private sectors.
Prensa is committed to achieving commercially viable project outcomes while considering human and environmental health implications through its expert staff situated in the Brisbane office.
If you have a project that may incur the waste levy or have any questions regarding the levy and how it applies to your business, please contact Prensa’s Queensland office.
Brisbane (07)3291 9700 Level 2, 15 Mayneview St, Milton QLD 4064