FAQs

A: Most household waste can be recycled or disposed of free of charge to Isaac Region residents.  This includes household waste, recyclables, green waste, scrap metal, car batteries and household batteries, old computers and televisions.

A: Yes, certain items which incur a cost to Council for their recycling or disposal are chargeable at the Waste Management Facility.  These items are: fridges and freezers, air conditioners, tyres, mattresses, solar panels, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, car bodies, and construction and demolition waste.  Council also charges for asbestos – special conditions apply, which you can read about here(PDF, 1MB). 

View the current Fees and Charges Schedule here.

A: Yes, ALL commercial waste incurs a fee at Council’s Waste Management Facilities. 

A:  You will not be charged for household wastes if the waste

1) is brought in a car, or a ute,  or in a trailer pulled by such vehicles,  and

2) does not include any fridges or freezers, air conditioners, tyres, mattresses, solar panels, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, car bodies, asbestos or construction & demolition waste. 

A: Site staff have been instructed to charge for any waste being delivered in a commercial vehicle (e.g. a tipper truck).

A:  As a general rule of thumb, waste delivered by a resident in a car, ute or trailer will be assumed to be household waste if it meets the State Government’s definition as waste resulting from the ordinary domestic use or occupation of a house, flat, apartment, unit, boarding house, hostel or guesthouse, and is similar to the material that householders place in their red-liddedwaste bins.  Another rule of thumb is that waste brought in a truck (usually with a GVM of greater than 4.5 tonnes) will be considered to be commercial waste, regardless of where the waste originated. 

A: Any wastes from construction and demolition of buildings can be construction and demolition waste, i.e. any waste arising from building works as defined in section 5 of the Building Act 1975. This includes materials like concrete for recycling, old Colorbond sheets and offcuts, timber and timber offcuts, rubble, plasterboard, cabling and conduit, pipes, slates, bricks, tiles and concrete blocks, hot water systems, bathroom suites, fence posts, fencing wire and fence rails or panels. As a general rule of thumb, ask yourself if the waste material comprises only items that you would take with you when you move house. Items like toilets, sinks, baths, kitchen units, doors, garden shed, gates or fences would therefore be classed as construction & demolition waste.

A: Yes, all waste in trucks will be charged

A: Yes, this is considered as construction and demolition waste and you will be charged.

A: The costs of running waste management facilities are not covered by general rates. Special utility charges are made for residents who enjoy a regular wheelie bin collection. This helps to pay the cost of operating the Waste Management Facilities but does not cover the cost of wastes where Council has to pay a third party to process these items.

A: Your waste will be accepted as household in such circumstances if the waste meets the State Government’s definition as waste resulting from the ordinary domestic use or occupation of a house, flat, apartment, unit, boarding house, hostel or guesthouse, and is similar to the material that householders place in their red lidded waste bins. If however the waste has the appearance of waste arising from the operation of the type of business indicated on the side of the vehicle, Council staff are instructed to accept this waste as commercial waste and to charge accordingly.

A: Yes.

A: This is a Queensland Government requirement under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011.

A: All of Council’s Waste Management Facilities accept EFTPOS as the only payment method. In the event of failure of the EFTPOS on site, arrangements will be made to accept payment at one of Council’s Customer Service Centres.

A: Each Council will make its own decisions regarding this. Isaac Regional Council tries to strike a balance by aiming not to charge “mum and dad” users of waste facilities, trying to discourage illegal dumping, whilst at the same time aiming to ensure that the “user pays” in order to provide best value for money for ratepayers. That’s why Council charges for certain items where there is a cost to Council in processing those items.

A: Yes, if Council is aware that a customer is undertaking this kind of work then this customer will be charged for disposal as commercial waste.

A: Council views this type of action in the same way as a petrol station customer who drives off without paying for fuel. Bear in mind that ALL transactions are recorded, and at some sites images of the transactions are taken and recorded, including images of the vehicle, rego number and the waste materials.

A:  This is illegal dumping, which can attract a fine of up to $1,378 for individuals and up to $6, 892 for corporations.. Bear in mind that ALL transactions are recorded, and at some sites images of the transactions are taken and recorded, including images of the vehicle, rego number and the waste materials. Such images could be used in an investigation into the illegal dumping, subject to Council following the relevant privacy laws. Council has developed an Illegal Dumping Management & Intervention Plan, which features several actions, including education & enforcement, surveillance, review of prices of commonly dumped items and an annual “free dump day”.

A: Council waste sites are not permitted to accept clinical waste. You should seek advice from the provider of your health care for how to dispose of this waste.

A: Council does not currently have a way of recycling printer cartridges at its waste facilities. Please enquire with the supplier of your printers for disposal options.

Council accommodates the Containers for Change services at its three coastal sites (Greenhill, Carmila and St Lawrence) for the convenience of local residents,but is not responsible for any aspects of the Containers for Change scheme operation. Council has no way of reimbursing any refunds – this is the responsibility of Containers for Change – CoEx – and you should contact them on 13 42 42 or by logging in to https://containerexchange.com.au with your Scheme ID.