Media statement Wednesday, April 5, 2006
National waste levy may be acceptable
A levy on wastes heading to landfill may be acceptable to business if it were fiscally neutral, the Employers Association (Northern) says.
“A national levy or tax on waste could be acceptable provided all the funding generated from it was recycled into
minimising waste streams,” said Alasdair Thompson, EMA’s chief executive.
He was commenting on Waste Management Ltd’s recommendation for such a levy following the court’s rejection of the waste
levies
promoted by four local government authorities.
EMA strongly opposed the plans of Waitakere City, North Shore City and Rodney District Council to levy kerbside waste
collection on the basis that business has no confidence the councils would implement effective waste minimisation
strategies with the funds.
“For the levy to be acceptable, we would need to see it going direct to fund appropriate waste minimisation programmes
and research. On no account would a waste levy be acceptable if the funds collected from it went to the consolidated
fund.
“The funding would have to be used either for local councils to bid for building such as plant to recycle wastes like
building demolition materials, or into research that will lead to creating market demand for materials that otherwise
end up as landfill.”
ENDS