With the Queensland Parliament passing the Waste Levy Bill, the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland (CCIQ) has thrown its support behind the Liberal National Party's pledge to repeal the Waste Levy if elected into State Government.
In the same week that the Carbon Tax passed through the first stage of Federal Parliament, CCIQ has warned businesses lack the capacity to absorb the on-costs of the waste levy and will suffer as a consequence.
CCIQ President David Goodwin said Queensland businesses were not in a position to squeeze more out of their bottom line in order to modify their waste management systems.
"On top of the Carbon Tax, a the Waste Levy will increase Commercial & Industrial (C&I) waste charges by 200 per cent and Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste by 300 per cent," Mr Goodwin said.
"Beginning with $35 per tonne costs for C&I and C&D waste, with a $50-100 per tonne price for hazardous waste - businesses are expected to provide too much too soon.
"The Waste Levy has good underlying principles, but should not be the priority at a time when key industries are struggling to maintain activity."
Through CCIQ's consultation with members across the state, and inter-state comparisons, CCIQ has argued the implementation model was fundamentally flawed, Mr Goodwin said.
"We should learn from the practices of NSW and Victoria which demonstrate that a lower transitionary price provides business with the time and capacity to adapt to a higher price over a period of time," he said.
"The Bill also unfairly targets business when C&I contributes only 26 per cent to waste sent to landfill based on the recent National Waste Report -households represented a massive 40 per cent.
"As it stands, the Waste Levy fails to heed the lessons and facts, and as such will unfairly punish business and negatively affect Queensland's long-term economic prospects."
CCIQ appeared before the Parliamentary Environment, Agriculture, Resources and Energy Committee's Inquiry into the Waste Reduction and Recycling Bill 2011 in September to state the business community's case against the Waste Levy.
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Founded in 1868, the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland is the peak association for the state's employers across every industry. It provides support, advice, training and advocacy for more than 25,000 businesses.
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