❓ The Minister for Environment addresses concerns about the landfill levy increase, outlining plans for legislative amendments to allocate revenue to waste and conservation, and to significantly increase penalties for illegal dumping under the Environmental Protection Act.
AnsweredQoN 564Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
LANDFILL LEVY INCREASE — LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS
I refer to the increase in the landfill levy proposed in the budget. What legislative and regulatory changes does the minister expect to introduce, first, to determine what the extra revenue raised can be spent on; and, second, to deter illegal dumping? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
I refer to the increase in the landfill levy proposed in the budget. What legislative and regulatory changes does the minister expect to introduce, first, to determine what the extra revenue raised can be spent on; and, second, to deter illegal dumping? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question. With respect to legislative amendments, yes, legislation will be introduced very shortly into the Parliament to give effect to the government’s decision to allow the landfill levy to be used for both waste-related purposes and broader environmental and conservation purposes. With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for her question. With respect to legislative amendments, yes, legislation will be introduced very shortly into the Parliament to give effect to the government’s decision to allow the landfill levy to be used for both waste-related purposes and broader environmental and conservation purposes. With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
I thank the member for her question. With respect to legislative amendments, yes, legislation will be introduced very shortly into the Parliament to give effect to the government’s decision to allow the landfill levy to be used for both waste-related purposes and broader environmental and conservation purposes. With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for her question. With respect to legislative amendments, yes, legislation will be introduced very shortly into the Parliament to give effect to the government’s decision to allow the landfill levy to be used for both waste-related purposes and broader environmental and conservation purposes. With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
I thank the member for her question. With respect to legislative amendments, yes, legislation will be introduced very shortly into the Parliament to give effect to the government’s decision to allow the landfill levy to be used for both waste-related purposes and broader environmental and conservation purposes. With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
With respect to illegal dumping, I am very pleased that the member asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to advise the house what the government will be doing. I advised local government and others of my intention to introduce legislation with respect to illegal dumping. Western Australia has a terrible situation in which illegal dumping attracts a fine of up to $1 000. Illegal dumping occurs whether or not we have a levy, and the anecdotal advice to me is that it is on the increase. The government will be introducing legislation to add a new offence under the Environmental Protection Act that will allow for fines of up to $62 500 for individuals, and $125 000 for a body corporate. This is a clear acknowledgement by me as Minister for Environment and by the government that the provisions and penalties for illegal dumping are far too low in Western Australia and shows that we are committed to ensuring that people know that fines will be increasing for illegal dumping, and that there should be no illegal dumping and we will enforce the law accordingly.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.