What does waste & environmental cost in Australia?
Waste & Environmental work typically costs between $15 and $150,000 in Australia in 2026, across 30 common kinds of job. Below: the price of each, how it changes by state, and the licence, wage and compliance rules that set the floor.
Reviewed September 2026 by the Blue Collar News Services editorial team. 7 sources are linked on this page, all government, standards or industry bodies. Indicative prices, not quotes, and not legal advice. How we research prices
Waste & Environmental prices by job
Typical GST-inclusive ranges for a standard residential job. Each link opens the full guide for that job.
What sets waste & environmental prices in Australia
The rules and figures behind the numbers, each with its source. Checked September 2026; rules and award rates change, so confirm with the authority before relying on one.
In NSW a Class B asbestos removal licence is needed to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos or asbestos-contaminated dust from that work; Class B holders cannot remove friable asbestos. The licence lasts five years.
Source: safework.nsw.gov.au
NSW EPA: removing any amount of friable asbestos, or more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos, needs a licensed contractor. Loads over 100 kilograms or 10 square metres of asbestos waste must be reported to the EPA, and asbestos may only go to a landfill licensed to accept it.
Source: epa.nsw.gov.au
The NSW waste levy from 1 July 2026 is $180.20 per tonne in the Metropolitan Levy Area and $103.80 in the Regional Levy Area, up from $174.20 and $100.30 in 2025-26 and $163.20 and $94.00 in 2023-24. Rates rise with CPI each year.
Source: epa.nsw.gov.au
Victoria's waste levy for municipal and industrial waste at metropolitan landfills is $177.19 per tonne from 1 July 2026, up from $169.79 in 2025-26. Rural rates are $88.42 for municipal and $155.95 for industrial waste.
Source: epa.vic.gov.au
Queensland's waste levy for general waste is $135 per tonne in the metro zone and $100 in the regional zone for 2026-27, up from $125 and $97. The metro rate rises $10 a year to $145 in 2027-28, and Category 1 regulated waste costs $215 per tonne in the metro zone.
Source: qld.gov.au
Under the Waste Management Award (MA000043), a full-time Level 1 employee must be paid at least $30.11 an hour ($1,143.98 a week) and a Level 3 employee (including drivers of waste vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM) at least $31.07 an hour, effective 1 July 2026. Rates include the industry allowance.
Source: calculate.fairwork.gov.au
Since 2019 it has been illegal in Victoria to put e-waste in household rubbish or landfill. E-waste is any item with a plug, battery or power cord, including televisions, computers, phones, kitchen appliances and white goods, so it must be taken to a collection point.
Source: vic.gov.au
Waste & Environmental cost by state
The trade’s cheapest and dearest job, adjusted for each capital city. Regional prices can sit outside these.
| State | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | $15–$172,500 |
| Victoria | $15–$168,000 |
| Queensland | $15–$157,500 |
| Western Australia | $15–$165,000 |
| South Australia | $15–$147,000 |
| Tasmania | $15–$153,000 |
| Northern Territory | $15–$168,000 |
| Australian Capital Territory | $15–$162,000 |
How we work these prices out
The ranges are indicative, not quotes. They reflect the spread of prices Australian businesses typically quote for each job in capital cities, reviewed September 2026, GST-inclusive, for a standard residential job with reasonable access. The state table applies a cost index for each capital to the national range. Where a rule or rate is stated above, it comes from the source shown; we do not copy figures from other quote websites.
Get exact waste & environmental quotes, free
Tell us the job once. Independent waste & environmental businesses covering your area come back with quotes. No obligation.
FAQs
Why do waste & environmental prices vary so much between jobs?
The range on this page covers 30 different kinds of waste & environmental work, from small repairs to large installations, so the spread is wide. Within one job the price moves with size, access, materials and urgency. A tradie who has seen the job can quote it; a page cannot.
Do these prices include GST?
Yes. Every figure here is GST-inclusive and assumes a standard residential job with reasonable access. A written quote from a licensed business must also show whether GST is included.
Why is waste & environmental dearer in some states?
Labour rates, licence requirements, insurance thresholds and the cost of getting materials to site all differ by state, and metro rates run above regional ones. The state table applies a cost index for each capital city to the national range; regional prices can sit outside it.
How do I get an exact price?
Get two or three written quotes from licensed local businesses and compare them like for like. You can do that here for free: tell us the job and independent waste & environmental businesses covering your area come back to you with quotes.
Sources
Every rule and rate on this page comes from one of these. Checked September 2026. We link the page we read, not a homepage, so you can see the figure yourself.
- safework.nsw.gov.au/licences-and-registrations/licences/class-b-asbestos-removal-licence
- epa.nsw.gov.au/Your-environment/Household-building-and-renovation/dealing-with-household-asbestos
- epa.nsw.gov.au/Your-environment/Waste/waste-levy/levy-regulated-area-and-levy-rates
- epa.vic.gov.au/waste-levy
- qld.gov.au/environment/circular-economy-waste-reduction/disposal-levy/about/levy-rates
- calculate.fairwork.gov.au/Download/AwardSummary?awardCode=ma000043&fileType=pdf
- vic.gov.au/e-waste-ban