Domestic waste management annual charges
Domestic waste management (DWM) is a key responsibility for councils, with social, public health, environmental and economic significance. Councils provide a range of domestic waste management services to their residents, such as kerbside collection for landfill, recycling and food organics and garden organics (FOGO), drop-off facilities and periodic clean up services
IPART’s role in regulating DWM annual charges
In 2010, the Minister for Local Government delegated to IPART the function of specifying the maximum percentage by which councils may vary the amounts of annual charges for DWM services for a specified year. IPART decides each year whether or not to set a maximum percentage (‘waste peg’) by which NSW councils can increase their DWM annual charges. Since 2010, IPART has decided each year it would not limit the variation of these charges.
In October 2022, we completed a review of how we exercise our regulatory functions relating to DWM annual charges to inform our future decisions and consider how best to protect customers and ensure the charges provide value for money into the future. For more information - see our Review of domestic waste management annual charges.
During our review, the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) recommended a new approach to regulating DWM annual charges through it providing further guidance to councils and undertaking targeted investigation of councils that may be imposing unjustifiably high charges on their communities.
Our Final Report for the review recommended that OLG implement its recommended regulatory approach for DWM annual charges.
Decision on the variation of DWM annual charges for the 2025-26 financial year
In line with OLG’s planned regulatory approach for DWM annual charges, we have decided that no limit is to apply to the amount by which councils may vary their DWM annual charges for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026
For more information on our decision for the 2025-26 financial year, see our Fact Sheet. For past decisions please see the table below.
Decisions on DWM annual charges
| Year | Decision | Fact Sheet |
| 2025-26 | No limit to apply | Fact Sheet |
| 2024-25 | No limit to apply | Fact Sheet |
| 2023-24 | No limit to apply | Fact Sheet |
| 2022-23 | No limit to apply | Media Release |
| 2021-22 | No limit to apply | |
| 2020-21 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2019-20 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2018-19 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2017-18 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2016-17 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2015-16 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2014-15 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2013-14 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2012-13 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2011-12 | No limit to apply | n/a |
| 2010-11 | No limit to apply | n/a |
DWM annual charges must not exceed the reasonable cost of providing DWM services
Section 504(3) of the Local Government Act 1993 requires councils to set DWM annual charges such that the income obtained from charges for DWM services does not exceed the reasonable cost to the council of providing those services. This obligation applies regardless of IPART’s decision each year.
Information on council DWM annual charges
For more information about what DWM annual charges councils are currently charging, you can check their council website or contact the council directly. The Your Council website can also be used to compare what ratepayers in other council areas are paying for their DWM services. It provides the average DWM annual charge and information on other core council services by council.