The Waste Disposal (Designated Waste Disposal Facility) (Amendment) Regulation 2004 and Waste Disposal (Charges for Disposal of Construction Waste) Regulation will be tabled at the Legislative Council on November 3.

The regulations set out the implementation details of the construction waste disposal charging scheme and will be published in the Government Gazette. Subject to passage, the scheme will start when the necessary upgrading works at the designated waste disposal facilities are completed. The Government aims to implement the construction waste disposal charging scheme next summer. It aims to provide an economic incentive for waste producers to reduce waste and conduct sorting to facilitate reuse and recycling of waste, thereby helping to slow the depletion of limited landfill capacity.

The proposed charge levels are $125 per tonne at landfills, $100 at sorting facilities and $27 at public fill reception facilities. They represent full recovery of the capital and recurrent costs of the facilities. Instead of paying the charges through on-site payment arrangement, all waste disposal charges will be paid through a direct settlement system of billing accounts. Waste producers should try to sort construction waste to avoid a higher charge of $125 per tonne at landfills. Pure inert construction waste sorted out can be disposed of at public fill reception facilities at a much lower charge.

If a load of construction waste contains more than 50% by weight of inert construction waste, it can be taken to sorting facilities which will provide a sorting service at a charge. Landfills will only accept loads of construction waste containing not more than 50% by weight of inert construction waste