Annual Reports: Comprehensive reports on BSWWRRG’s activities through the preceding years

Annual Report 2018/2019

Annual Report 2017/2018

Business Plan: Formal strategic plan detailing a description of future years activities in order to achieve success

Business Plan 2019/2022

Statement of Expectations: Performance and governance objectives to be implemented by BSWWRRG

Statement of Expectation


Municipal and Industrial Landfill Levy (MILL)

What is the landfill levy?

The Municipal and Industrial Landfill Levy (MILL), commonly called the Landfill Levy is a is a levy applied for the disposal of waste to landfill. The proceeds of the hypothecated fund are used to fund core activities of environmental agencies, with the remainder of funds being placed in to the Sustainability Fund. The fund was established under section 70 of the Environmental Act 1970 (The Act) with the intention of encouraging recycling by placing a price on every tonne sent to landfill.

What is the purpose of the MILL?

The MILL creates an incentive for waste generators to investigate ways to reduce the amount of waste they generate and dispose of to landfill.

Who pays the MILL?

The MILL is paid by licenced operators of scheduled premises (s 50S of the Act). This also includes scheduled premises for prescribed industrial waste (PIW). Operators pass on this cost through gate fees.

The following premises are not required to pay the MILL (s 50T of the Act):

  • any privately-owned landfill that only receives its own waste
  • any council-owned landfill that only receives municipal wastes for a population of less than 5000 (‘unlicensed landfills’).

How are MILL funds collected and managed?

Landfill owners must report quarterly and annually to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) declaring the amount of waste received, which determines the levy payable. More information on this is available HERE.  Each quarter, the Environment Protection Authority transfers MILL funds to the MILL Trust Account, which is managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). Money paid into this account is used for some of our most important government environmental agencies, including the EPA, Sustainability Victoria, Waste and Resource Recovery Groups, or any other public agency that works to protect the environment. Remaining funds are transferred to the Sustainability Fund Account, also managed by DELWP.

What is the Sustainability Fund and how is it distributed (and who decides)?

The Sustainability Fund comprises revenue from the MILL after disbursements are made to environment agencies including the Waste and Resource Recovery Groups.

Its purpose, as defined by Section 70 of the Environment Protection Act 1970, is to:

  • foster environmentally sustainable uses of resources and best practices in waste management to advance the social and economic development of Victoria; and/or
  • foster community action or innovation in relation to the reduction of greenhouse gas substance emissions or adaptation or adjustment to climate change in Victoria.

The Premier and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change are jointly responsible for approving allocations from the Sustainability Fund to programs consistent with at least one of two legislated objectives. Funding must take into account government policy and the Sustainability Fund Priority Statement. A set of guidelines and statement of priorities must be in place before allocations can be made.

The Premier and Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change finalised a new Sustainability Fund Priority Statement in August 2016 after consulting with the Victorian community. The statement sets out our investment priorities in waste, resource recovery, sustainable use of resources, and climate change.

More information about the Sustainability Fund and how it is used can be found HERE.

How can I access funds from the Sustainability Fund?

The Sustainability Fund supports initiatives delivered by government departments and agencies such the Environment Protection Authority, Sustainability Victoria and Waste and Resource Recovery Groups. Many of these initiatives include targeted grants to community groups, local government, and industry.

Organisations seeking access to money from the Sustainability Fund can access existing grants programs. The Victorian Government website includes a list of environmental grants programs. View list here.

Where can I find information about expenditure from and the balance of the Sustainability Fund?

DELWP has managed the MILL and Sustainability Fund accounts since 2015. This followed recommendations by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Waste and Resource Recovery Governance Reform to streamline the administration of the Sustainability Fund and improve the transparency of MILL expenditure. The DELWP Annual Reports publish information about cashflow into and out of these accounts, including grants, and the end of financial year balance. 

How does the Victorian Government spend the MILL funds to support waste management across local governments?

The MILL directly supports improvements to the way we manage our waste, with support from funded agencies. The MILL was not designed to solely support waste management, or for direct investment into local government. It does support councils and agencies to deliver evidence-based policy and programs that improve waste management and enable action on climate change.