Sort It, Save It - Council unveils new waste fees

Townsville City Council will introduce changes to fees at waste facilities for both residential and commercial users to align with other Queensland councils and encourage residents to better sort their waste - helping them save money in the process.

The new waste disposal fees were endorsed at today’s Ordinary Council meeting as part of Council’s updated Fees and Charges for 2026/27 and will come into effect from July 1, 2026.

Mayor Nick Dametto said the updated fee structure for residential users would shift from vehicle-based charges to a more equitable system based on the actual size of each load, taking into account sorted recyclables.

“For many years, Council has charged users based on the type of their vehicle, regardless of how much waste they’re carrying,” Cr Dametto said.

“Our new approach is fairer, more transparent, and removes uncertainty for ratepayers visiting our waste facilities.

“It also brings us into line with other Queensland councils that have successfully implemented load-based pricing for some time.”

Councillor Dametto said the changes were also designed to encourage residents to separate their waste, potentially decreasing both the size of their load and the cost of disposal, and ultimately reducing the amount of waste going into landfill.

“By sorting waste into categories such as recyclables, green waste, or white goods - many of which can be disposed of at no cost, residents may significantly reduce the volume of general waste they need to pay for,” he said.

“Much of our everyday waste can be recycled, recovered, or repurposed, rather than ending up in landfill where it takes up valuable airspace and can take hundreds of years to break down.”

The new fees and charges include a 28.5% increase for commercial users that brings Council into alignment with other similar-size local governments while ensuring Council is recovering growing waste infrastructure and operational costs.

This new structure factors the increasing cost of the State Government’s waste levy, as well as upgrades to deal with more waste as our city grows, and strict environmental responsibilities including managing water and gas, capping sites, and maintaining them for decades after closure.

“Waste management and running a landfill isn’t a cheap or simple task, and these costs are only increasing,” Cr Dametto said.

“These fees better reflect the true cost of delivering the service to the community and ensure the large generators of waste are paying their fair share.”

Previously, Townsville City Council’s commercial fees have been lower than other large councils in the same waste levy environment, as well as neighbouring councils.

This led to businesses from nearby areas travelling to Townsville to dump waste more cheaply, adding about 50,000 tonnes of extra waste each year and putting pressure on the city’s only landfill.

“That’s why, as well as bringing commercial fees in line with other councils, we’re introducing a surcharge of 30 per cent on hazardous waste from outside our LGA, to serve as a deterrent to non-local commercial users,” he said.

“By diverting more waste from our landfill, we can preserve valuable landfill space and reduce costs, allowing us to reinvest ratepayer funds into important city-shaping projects and infrastructure.”

Items that can be dropped off at Council waste facilities at no charge, for domestic customers:

• green waste
• air conditioners
• car batteries (lead-acid batteries)
• clean cardboard and metals
• electronic waste (up to 20 pieces)
• fluorescent light tubes
• gas bottles (up to 9kg)
• household batteries and vapes
• household recyclables (yellow bin)
• paint (up to 100L)
• polystyrene
• used motor oil (up to 20L)
• white goods.

For more information, visit: Transfer Stations & Landfill - Townsville City Council