Domestic waste management annual charges
Domestic waste management (DWM) is a key responsibility for councils, with social, public health, environmental and economic significance. Councils provide a range of DWM services to their residents, such as kerbside collection, drop-off facilities and periodic clean-up services.
IPART’s role in regulating DWM annual charges
In 2010, the Minister for Local Government delegated to IPART the function of specifying the percentage by which councils may vary the amounts of annual charges for DWM for a specified year. IPART decides each year whether or not to set a maximum percentage (‘waste peg’) by which NSW councils can increase their DWM annual charges.
In October 2022, we completed a review of how we exercise our regulatory functions relating to DWM annual charges to inform our future decisions and consider how best to protect customers and ensure the charges provide value for money into the future. For more information - see our Review of domestic waste management service charges.
During our review, the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) recommended a new approach to regulating DWM annual charges through it providing further guidance to councils and undertaking targeted investigation of councils that may be imposing unjustifiably high charges on their communities.
Our Final Report for the review recommended that OLG implement its recommended regulatory approach for DWM annual charges.
2023-2024 decision on DWM service annual charges
In the context of OLG’s regulatory role and commitment to its new regulatory approach for DWM annual charges, we have decided that no limit is to apply to DWM annual charges for the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.
For more information on our 2023-24 decision, see our Fact Sheet. For past decisions please see the table below.
Decisions on DWM annual charges
|
Year |
Decision |
Fact Sheet |
|
2023-24 |
No limit to apply |
|
|
2022-23 |
No limit to apply |
|
|
2021-22 |
No limit to apply |
|
|
2020-21 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2019-20 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2018-19 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2017-18 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2016-17 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2015-16 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2014-15 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2013-14 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2012-13 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2011-12 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
|
2010-11 |
No limit to apply |
n/a |
DWM annual charges must not exceed the reasonable cost of providing DWM services
Section 504(3) of the Local Government Act 1993 requires councils to set DWM annual charges such that the income obtained from charges for DWM services does not exceed the reasonable cost to the council of providing those services. This obligation applies regardless of IPART’s decision each year.
Information on council DWM annual charges
For more information about what DWM annual charges councils are currently charging, you can check their council website or contact the council directly. The Your Council website can also be used to compare what ratepayers in other council areas are paying for their DWM services. It provides the average DWM annual charge and information on other core council services by council.
Councils’ Integrated Planning and Reporting documents can also provide useful information to the community on their DWM annual charges.