Tasmania’s next waste and resource recovery strategy will shape how the landfill levy is invested over the next five years and the Waste and Resource Recovery Board wants to hear from you before it is finalised.
The Board has released a consultation draft of the Tasmanian Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2026–2031 for public comment. The draft sets out proposed priorities, actions and targets across waste reduction, resource recovery and the circular economy.
The draft was developed through targeted consultation with industry, Regional Waste Organisations (representing the local government waste sector), Tasmanian Government agencies and other key stakeholders. This public consultation is your opportunity to help shape the final strategy.
What’s in the draft:
A continued focus on organic waste, construction and demolition waste, and commercial and industrial waste as priority streams.
New approaches including a statewide infrastructure roadmap, a levy investment plan, and stronger data and innovation frameworks.
Circular economy principles positioned as both a foundation and an outcome of the strategy.
Provisional targets for waste reduction and resource recovery, to be refined as data collection improves.
Whole-of-government leadership and accountability, with clearer roles and responsibilities.
The Strategy builds on a strong track record of levy reinvestment. To date, over $30 million of $37 million of collected landfill levy has been allocated to specific initiatives. These include priority infrastructure investments, support for local government and remote communities, strategic industry partnerships, new and growing businesses, and research and scholarships.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found below the information on how to have your say.
How to have your say
Consultation is open for six weeks. All written submissions must be received by 5.00 PM (AEST) on 10 July 2026.
Download the consultation draft:
The Strategy includes six questions to consider when providing input.
Feedback may be submitted three ways:
Via the
online response form.
By email to
Waste.Initiatives@nre.tas.gov.au with the subject line ‘Feedback on Draft Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy’.
By post to: Attn: Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy Consultation Draft Feedback, Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Business Unit, Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, GPO Box 44, Hobart TAS 7001
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do we need a new waste and resource recovery strategy?
A: Tasmania’s population, economy and waste streams are changing and there are ongoing challenges. Our current strategy needs updating to meet future needs. A new strategy sets a clear direction for improving recycling, reducing waste and supporting a circular economy. It also prioritises where levy funds are co-invested.
Q: What kinds of things has the levy been used for?
A: To date over $30 million of $37 million of collected landfill levy has been allocated to initiatives such as:
Q: Doesn’t the levy increase the cost of living?
A: The levy is an economic tool to reduce waste and invest in better solutions. Every dollar raised through the levy is reinvested back into our waste and recovery system in some way. This helps to stop costs from increasing dramatically over time as local governments and businesses can directly benefit. When landfill capacity becomes more constrained and we lose valuable materials to landfill, consumers end up paying more.
Q: How will this Strategy make a real difference on the ground, not just on paper?
A: A key focus of this Strategy is moving to a more delivery focused approach.This includes developing a statewide infrastructure roadmap, an investment plan to guide levy spending, and clearer roles and responsibilities across government and industry. The Draft Action Plan sets out specific actions, timelines and lead agencies. It also includes a mid-term review and ongoing reporting, so progress can be tracked and adjusted where needed, to ensure that investment and effort translate into measurable outcomes over time.
Q: Why are reuse and repair being given more attention in this Strategy?
A: Stakeholder feedback and national trends show that moving further up the waste hierarchy, particularly into reuse and repair, is critical to reducing waste and creating new economic opportunities. This Strategy includes specific actions to develop a Repair and Reuse Strategy, support social enterprises, and integrates reuse pathways into infrastructure planning. This can help extend the life of materials, reduce costs for households and businesses, and support local jobs. It complements recycling and recovery efforts, rather than replacing them.
Q: How will this Strategy support regional Tasmania?
A: The Strategy recognises that Tasmania’s geography creates unique challenges, including transport distances, infrastructure capacity and economies of scale. To address this, the Strategy focuses on coordinated statewide planning, while also being informed by regional needs. This includes developing a Strategic Infrastructure Roadmap, continuing support for Regional Waste Organisations, and investing in solutions that are appropriate for different regions.
Q: Why are your provisional targets different from those in other states or nationally?
A: Other states have had levies for decades; Tasmania is building its system from a much newer base starting in mid-2022. We wanted to strike a balance between being ambitious but also being realistic about our understanding of waste and material flows in Tasmania. The targets are deliberately grounded in Tasmania’s current starting point and data quality.
As this improves, we will be able to understand the base we are starting at and review and potentially increase the targets. A Waste Data Strategy is being developed by the Board and NRE Tas that will lead to a cloud-based data and Information Hub for waste and resource recovery. The focus is not just on headline numbers, but on building the infrastructure, markets and systems needed to achieve them.
Q: What does “circular economy” actually mean?
A: The bulk of the existing economy is a linear economy. It extracts resources, makes products, then discards of the waste from those products without considering the potential value-add from waste material if it is reused or remanufactured.
A circular approach considers the entire lifespan of materials and products. Products are designed to last longer, to be easily repairable or reusable, and to be more easily recycled and reprocessed into new products. It aims to keep materials in use for as long as possible, to maximise efficiency and realise the full value of materials, and reduce reliance on virgin materials.
Q: How will the strategy improve things for businesses and industry?
A: Many businesses should see in the next five years new and improved opportunities to recover materials, reduce waste and access emerging markets. Value-adding to waste creates many more jobs than if it is just put into landfill. The strategy includes details of how that will be supported, through clever planning and strategic co-investment and better infrastructure planning to help industry adapt and grow.
Q: Why isn’t there more focus on regulation in the Strategy?
A: The Strategy recognises that regulation could be an important part of the system, but it is not the only lever. This Strategy focuses on building the right conditions for change, through better planning, targeted investment, stronger markets and improved data. Actions around stewardship may involve the consideration of a range of options from regulation to voluntary industry schemes depending on the issue. Feedback from stakeholders has consistently highlighted the need to balance regulation with practical, workable solutions that support industry, businesses and communities.
Q: When will the final strategy be out?
A: It is intended that the final strategy will be released in late 2026.