The Victorian Government is helping flood-affected communities clean up and recover by removing charges to dispose of flood waste.

The waste levy for flood waste will be completely waived, and landfill operator gate fees covered, in flood-affected local government areas until 30 June 2023 – ensuring all flood waste can be disposed of at landfill free of charge.

Waste levy waiver and gate fee rebate for flood waste

  • There will be no waste levy or gate fees at landfills accepting flood waste from flood-affected local government areas. This will apply until 30 June 2023.
  • Flood waste means any material:
    • deposited on a property by the floods, or
    • damaged by the floods
    • that requires disposal to landfill.
  • The list of flood-affected local government areas is available at Supporting flood waste management.

The waste levy waiver

Information on the received flood waste will need to be provided on Waste Levy Statements submitted to EPA. Landfill operators should ensure a subcode is used at the weighbridge to designate incoming waste loads as flood waste and subject to the waiver. 

Gate fee rebate

  • Landfill operators can claim a rebate to cover gate fee costs provided they document evidence to verify that they have accepted flood waste from a flood-affected local government area.
  • Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action will directly contact affected landfill operators to discuss tracking and payment of the gate fee rebate. 
  • Further information on the evidence required to support claiming a gate fee rebate and the method to claim the rebate will be provided by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
  • Refer to Information for landfill operators for more details.

Information for residents

If you live in a flood-affected area, contact your local council about flood waste collection and disposal. Councils are coordinating flood waste collection from resident's nature strips and removing the waste to landfill on behalf of residents. 

If there is a need for residents to transport and dispose of flood waste themselves. Contact your local council about a suitable disposal site. It is recommended to dispose the waste at a council operated waste transfer station. 

Voucher systems or other requirements may be in place for taking flood waste to a council transfer station or landfill. You will need to show a driver’s licence or recent rates notice. This will verify you are from an affected area, in absence of a voucher or other system.

Information for transfer stations

All transfer stations, are responsible for checking that waste received and transported to a landfill is flood waste. This is because the waste levy waiver and gate fee rebate will only apply to flood waste when received at a landfill.

A driver’s licence or rates notice needs checking to verify the waste is flood waste, from a flood-affected local government area. A visual check of the waste received is also needed.

Transfer stations should be keeping flood waste separately and consolidated for transport to a landfill.
 
Local councils may choose to put in place specific voucher or other systems to manage the waste receival process from residents. We encourage you to liaise with residents to coordinate flood waste collection. Councils will need to make their own decisions about the charging of fees for waste received.

To verify the waste is flood waste landfill operators receiving flood waste, will request evidence from transfer stations and waste transporters.

Transfer stations should provide a declaration that the waste is flood waste from an affected local government area. This declaration can be provided for individual movements or a series of movements of flood waste.

Consignment details will also need to be provided to the landfill, showing the source of the waste, from one of the local government areas or contractors acting on behalf of emergency response agencies, councils or government departments.

Reviewed 8 May 2023