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The Waste Service Charge is not an extra charge on top of rates. The cost of waste and recycling services has been separated from the general rates and itemised on the annual Rate Notice. The general rate charge is reduced to reflect that waste charges are now separate items.
Rate payers will notice the change on the 2023/24 Rate Notice they receive in August 2023. Supplementary bin charges will also appear as items on the annual Rate Notice, replacing the separate invoice for those with extra bins or larger bins.
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Services included in this charge
The Waste Service Charge consists of three components:
- Kerbside Waste Service Charge – to recover the full cost of providing kerbside waste collection and disposal/processing services (garbage and recycling). This will be charged to all properties eligible for kerbside collection services.
- Public Waste Service Charge – to recover the full cost of waste services including public bins, street cleaning, drain cleaning, waste and environmental education and pre-booked hard waste collection services. This will be charged to all properties in Whitehorse, even if the property does not have access to the kerbside bin service or hard waste service, on the basis that all ratepayers benefit from public waste collection services.
- Supplementary Bin Charge – for the cost of any bins that vary from the standard service of an 80-litre garbage (red lid) bin and 240-litre recycling (yellow lid) bin including food and garden organics (lime green-lid) bins and a 120-litre or extra garbage bin. From July 2023, charges will apply for extra recycling bins.
There will be no separate supplementary bin invoice. When properties opt-in for extra bins, these charges will appear on the annual rate notice.
Who does the Waste Service Charge apply to?
The following table summarises applicable charges in the Waste Service Charge:
| Kerbside Waste Service Charge – plus applicable supplementary bin charges | Public Waste Service Charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Rateable property with Council kerbside bin services | Yes | Yes |
| Rateable property without Council kerbside bin services (private collections or no collections) | No | Yes |
| Non-rateable property with Council kerbside bin services (except Council-owned properties subject to lease arrangements) | Yes | Yes |
| Non- rateable property without Council kerbside bin services | No | No |
Fair way to charge for waste
Separating charges for waste and recycling services from general rates makes them more transparent and fair. Properties will be charged the same flat fee for kerbside and public waste services regardless of the Capital Improved Value.
Until now, all services have been rolled into one general rates charge. This means that properties with a higher Capital Improved Value have effectively been contributing more to kerbside and other waste services than properties with lower Capital Improved Values.
Properties that are not eligible for kerbside bin services will not pay the Kerbside Waste Service Charge. Previously, owners of apartments in large complexes might have paid for bin services through their rates despite having waste serviced through private collections. With this new system in place, they will only contribute for the Public Waste Service Charge and any Supplementary Bin Charges if applicable.
Financial transparency
The Waste Service Charge will be overseen by the Essential Services Commission to ensure Council only collects as much as it actually costs to provide waste services, and will not be used to generate more revenue for Council.
The Essential Services Commission monitors and reports on councils that introduce new service charges to ensure that the rate cap is working as intended.
The amount of the Waste Service Charge, including the charges for supplementary bins, has been developed as part of budget considerations for 2023/24.
Community feedback
In April-May 2022, we asked for community feedback on the Waste Service Charge proposal. You can read key themes that emerged from the community consultation and add your feedback on the YourSay page here.
