Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment

Revenue from the Waste Disposal Levy will be spent on a wider range of projects supporting the environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation in addition to minimising waste, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says.

“The Government will introduce a Bill as part of Budget 2024 legislation which expands the scope of activities the levy can be used for under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008,” Penny Simmonds says.

“In addition to investments in waste recycling and recovery infrastructure, the central Government portion of the waste levy can now fund a broader range of environmental outcomes, such as restoring freshwater catchments.

“The proposed changes will allow the levy to be used for costs associated with disposal of waste generated by an emergency such as a cyclone, and to clean up contaminated sites and landfills vulnerable to severe weather events – before they cause a problem.

“Through the expanded scope of the levy, we can take proactive steps to protect the environment as natural disasters arise more frequently due to the effects of climate change.

“Funds from the levy are shared between central and local government. Local government will continue to have a 50 per cent allocation so they can focus funding on local projects to minimise waste and contribute to a more sustainable country for us all.

“The Government initially intends to invest its share of the waste levy funds in prioritising waste infrastructure development and remediating contaminated sites such as vulnerable landfills, with future investment priorities to include work on kerbside recyclables, construction and demolition waste, and organic waste.

“Levy increases introduced by the previous Government require the levies for municipal and construction and demolition landfills to increase by $10 per tonne on 1 July 2024. New changes to levy rates will see incremental increases continue from 1 July 2025 to 1 July 2027, but at a much slower rate.

“Getting ahead of climate change is important for New Zealand to help prevent avoidable costs over the long-term, and this incremental levy change means we can invest further in reducing our waste and preparing for natural disasters.”

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