Waste and Recycling Information and Factsheets
Waste Management Facilities Info
Isaac Regional Council operates nine Waste Management Facilities. Of these, four operate as landfill sites, where waste can be buried on site, and the remaining five are transfer stations, where waste must be transported to a landfill site for final disposal.
Two of Council’s landfill sites (Moranbah and Dysart) are equipped with weighbridges and all waste materials must be weighed on the way into the site or when leaving the site as recyclables. The other two landfills (Clermont and Glenden) do not have weighbridges in operation.
The weight of waste being delivered is determined by referring to a “deeming table” which works out the weight of waste depending on the size and type of vehicle delivering the waste and is a State Government requirement.
None of Council’s five transfer stations has a weighbridge. Waste for landfill is weighed only when it reaches its final disposal point at the landfill site weighbridge. Transfer Stations are located at St Lawrence, Carmila, Greenhill, Middlemount and Nebo. Visitors to Moranbah Waste Management Facility will notice that small vehicles usually tip in a transfer station at that site. This is to maximise waste recycling and to ensure the safety of site users.
Download a PDF version of the Waste Management Facilities Information & FAQs Factsheet here.
Council charges for the disposal or recycling of the majority of products transported privately to the Isaac region’s Waste Management Facilities.
View the Fees and Charges Schedule 2021-22 here.
The most common exception to these charges is for domestic waste – most domestic waste can be recycled or disposed of free of charge to Isaac region residents. This includes general household waste, recyclables, green waste, scrap metal, car batteries, old computers and televisions. When residents deliver such waste from their own place of residence to the waste management facility in a private vehicle (cars, utes, and trailers pulled by such vehicles).
Council will record the waste being delivered and the details of the vehicle - in line with State Government legislation – but will not make a charge for such waste, regardless of how many visits the resident makes to the waste facility.
When arriving at site please advise our friendly site staff details of the waste you have and they will be happy to direct you to the correct disposal area for each waste item.
The State Government defines domestic waste as “waste resulting from the ordinary domestic use or occupation of a house, flat, apartment, unit, boarding house, hostel or guesthouse. In practice, domestic waste includes the material that householders place in their general waste bins or the mixed waste they self-deliver to landfills and transfer stations”. Construction and demolition waste is not considered to be domestic waste.
View the Fees and Charges Schedule 2021-22 here.
Waste delivered in commercial vehicles does not generally fall within this description, and therefore any waste delivered in a commercial vehicle is chargeable, even if it originates from a domestic residence. A commercial vehicle is generally any vehicle with a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) > 4.5 tonnes.
Council will charge for disposal of certain items even if brought by a domestic resident in a private vehicle. These items include fridges and freezers, air conditioners, tyres, mattresses, asbestos, and construction and demolition waste.
If you are in doubt about domestic waste in commercial vehicles, contact Council on 1300 ISAACS (1300 47 22 27) before travelling to a Waste Management Facility.
A list of Council’s Fees and Charges can be found on Council’s website at www.isaac.qld.gov.au
Please note that all Council facilities accept EFTPOS payments only.
View the Fees and Charges Schedule 2021-22 here.
Asbestos Disposal
Asbestos is a natural material that’s resistant to heat and corrosion. Asbestos was used in a wide range of products including building materials, brake pads and other products. Asbestos is now known to be a hazardous substance, as it contains tiny fibrils that can be released by abrasion and when airborne can become lodged into a person’s lungs and lead to cancer or scarring of the lungs. Exposure to asbestos usually occurs by breathing in the air of buildings containing asbestos material that are being demolished or renovated.
Download a PDF version of the Asbestos Disposal Factsheet here.
To minimise the chance of being exposed to asbestos, it is very important to prevent the release of fibres into the air.
If you are unsure if a material contains asbestos, play it safe and assume that it does.
Home renovators and owner builders must hold a certificate obtained under arrangements approved by Queensland Health to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos.
Before removing any asbestos check for safety and legal requirements at www.health.qld.gov.au/asbestos.
Trades and contractors and asbestos removalists need either a class A or class B asbestos removal licence issued under the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.
For further information on asbestos removal legal obligations visit www.asbestos.qld.gov.au or
www.worksafe.qld.gov.au. As a general rule, if your house was built: prior to mid 1980s, it is highly likely that asbestos materials were used in construction.
Asbestos building material was no longer manufactured in Australia after 1990. It is illegal to re-use, recycle, store or giveaway asbestos.
Asbestos must be disposed of at Waste Management Facility. It is illegal to dispose of asbestos waste in domestic garbage bins or to illegally dump asbestos products.
So as to limit the disturbance of the hazardous fibres, it is crucial to ensure that asbestos is not broken into small pieces.
Asbestos waste needs to be double wrapped in 0.2mm thick plastic bags or sheeting, sealed with tape, labelled as being double wrapped and transported to a landfill site that accepts asbestos.
Once the asbestos is properly covered all covering needs to be clearly labelled with an appropriate warning such as CAUTION – ASBESTOS, DO NOT OPEN PACKAGING.
When disposing of asbestos, there are a number of guidelines that must be met:
Large amounts of waste that require a skip bin need the skip bin to be double lined with heavy PVC plastic sheets of 0.2mm.
The skip needs to be lined with enough overhang to completely enclose the asbestos material within the confines of the plastic and then sealed with industry tape creating an airtight seal prior to collection.
A Waste Transport Certificate must be completed for each load of asbestos and can be obtained by contacting the Department of Environmental and Science on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or www.des.qld.gov.au.
Asbestos must be able to be placed into a landfill without the plastic sheeting tearing or breaking.
An environmental approval for the transportation of regulated waste and the completion of waste transport certificates is not required for non-commerical (includes homeowners) transportation of less than 175kg of asbestos waste.
This means that if you carry less that 175kg of asbestos waste as an incidental part of carrying out an activity and this is not the main purpose of a business than you do not require the hold an environmental authority.
Regulated waste transport laws apply to transporting 175kg or more of asbestos waste in a vehicle on a non-commercial basis.
To transport waste of 175kg or more you will need to either:
Engage a commercial contractor to undertake the transportation and dispose of the asbestos
Obtain an environmental authority for regulated waste transport. Application for environmental authority to transport regulated waste can be made to the Department of Environment and Science.
For the transportation of asbestos waste on a commercial basis, the regulated transport laws apply for the transportation of any quantity of asbestos waste in a vehicle.
Commercial basis means that the primary objective of the operator is to transport regulated waste.
An Application for Special Burial Form must be completed and submitted to Isaac Regional Council prior to the local landfill accepting this waste.
Once this form has been submitted to Council we will contact you regarding the disposal date and time.
Asbestos loads will only be accepted at Council’s Waste Management Facilities by a licensed regulated waste transporter with an accompanying Waste Transport Certificate.
Upon arrival at the local Waste Management Facility, your load will be inspected and disposal fees will be paid. You will be directed to a disposal area for immediate burial.
View the Fees and Charges Schedule 2021-22 here.
Waste Management Facilities FAQ's
A: Most domestic waste can be recycled or disposed of free of charge to Isaac region residents. This includes general household waste, recyclables, green waste, scrap metal, car 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 include fridges and freezers, air conditioners, tyres, mattresses, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, car bodies and construction and demolition waste. Council also charges for asbestos – special conditions apply. View the Fees and Charges Schedule 2021-22 here.
A: Yes, ALL commercial waste incurs a fee at Council’s Waste Management Facilities.
A: You will not be charged for domestic waste if the waste:
1) is delivered in a car, a ute or in a trailer pulled by such vehicles;
2) does not include any fridges or freezers, air conditioners, tyres, mattresses, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, car bodies, asbestos or construction and 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 in a car, ute or trailer will be assumed to be domestic waste if it meets the State Government’s definition of: 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 general waste bins.
Another general rule of thumb is that waste delivered in a truck (usually with a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of greater than 4.5 tonnes) will be considered as commercial waste, regardless of where the waste originated.
A: Any waste from construction and demolition of buildings can be construction and demolition waste. This includes materials like concrete for recycling, old Colorbond sheets and offcuts, timber offcuts, rubble, plasterboard, cabling and conduit, pipes, slates, bricks, tiles and concrete blocks, bathroom suites.
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 and doors would therefore be classed as construction and 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 services 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 disposing of waste where Council must pay a third party.
A: Your waste will be accepted as domestic 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 general 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 State Government requirement under the Waste Reduction & 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 charge. Isaac Regional Council aims to find a happy medium by not charging everyday users to use the waste facilities to help discourage illegal dumping, while ensuring ratepayers are provided the best value for money with this service. This is why Council charges for certain items where there is a cost to Council in processing those items.
A: Yes. Waste Management Facility staff may request proof of residency within the Isaac Regional Council area. If no proof can be provided, the staff are under instruction to charge the prevailing commercial waste fees & charges.
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: Yes, view the Fees and Charges Schedule 2021-22 here.