On a demo job, the tip is one of your biggest variable costs — and it is wildly different by state. Get the waste tonnage wrong, or mishandle asbestos, and the levy and penalties eat your margin fast. Here is the levy map, the asbestos disposal rules, and the records that keep you out of trouble. (Levy figures are indicative 2025-26 and index annually — confirm with each state EPA.)
C&D landfill levies — price per state, not blended
A landfill levy is charged per tonne at disposal and passed through in gate fees — a variable cost on every demo job. Indicative 2025-26 (general/C&D, metro):
| State | Levy (indicative) |
|---|---|
| NSW | ~$171/t metro, ~$88/t regional (highest) |
| SA | ~$156/t metro, ~$78/t regional |
| VIC | $106.19/t metro, $35.40/t regional |
| QLD | ~$95/t (flat) |
| WA | ~$70/t putrescible (stepping up) |
| TAS | ~$7.50/t |
| ACT / NT | no separate levy (built into gate fees) |
The pricing lessons: in high-levy states (NSW, SA, VIC metro) the levy is one of your largest disposal line-items, so you need realistic waste-tonnage allowances and a strong incentive to separate concrete, brick, metal and clean soil into cheaper recycling/inert streams. Price per state, not blended — 100 tonnes of the same waste can cost $6,000+ more in Sydney than Melbourne purely on the levy. And on a fixed-price demo contract running 12-24 months, build in an escalation clause — levies index up and erode a fixed price.
Asbestos disposal
Asbestos is controlled and regulated waste — packaged securely, transported lawfully, disposed only at authorised facilities:
- Packaging: double-wrapped or double-bagged in 200µm (0.2mm) polythene, taped, not overfilled.
- Labelling: "ASBESTOS WASTE" / "CAUTION ASBESTOS".
- Transport: classified "regulated" or "trackable" — most states require a licensed waste transporter for significant quantities, with waste-tracking documentation.
- Disposal: only nominated landfills accept it — book ahead.
- Removal thresholds tie in: in NSW, more than 10 m² of bonded ACM (or any friable) needs a licensed removalist (see Asbestos-Removalist Licensing).
Cost is set by the facility — order of magnitude from a small minimum fee up to a few hundred dollars per tonne (e.g. a WA facility around $183/t), with minimum load fees and surcharges for poor packaging or mixed loads. Price it as a separate asbestos allowance per tonne or per m² from the survey, plus a contingency for asbestos in older structures.
The records you must keep
"Chain of custody" — the EPA-mandated tracking plus your own duty-of-care records:
- Waste transport certificates / tracking forms for regulated or trackable waste (asbestos, contaminated soil) — consignor, carrier, vehicle, waste type and quantity, pickup and delivery, dates; the receiving facility signs off.
- Disposal dockets and invoices — weighbridge dockets showing the facility name and licence number, weight and levy/fee line items.
- A waste management plan with segregation records on bigger jobs.
- Retention: keep all waste records at least 5 years after the job, with the job file, to prove lawful disposal if audited.
Illegal dumping — six and seven figures
Illegal dumping is criminalised under each state's environmental laws (in NSW, the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997). The offences capture unlawful transport, acceptance and deposit of waste — and they reach the builder or demolition contractor who arranged the transport and the generator who failed due diligence over where the waste went, not just the driver. NSW penalty levels run from small-scale on-the-spot fines up to strict-liability maximums of $500,000 (individual) / $2,000,000 (corporation) with daily amounts — doubled where the waste contains asbestos — and wilful environmental harm carries up to 7 years' imprisonment. The risk management is simple: use licensed carriers, check the receiving facility is authorised, and keep the tracking records.
Common mistakes
- Quoting a blended national tip rate instead of pricing per state.
- Under-estimating waste tonnage on a high-levy metro job.
- A fixed-price demo contract with no levy-escalation clause.
- Trusting a cheap "cash" waste removal that turns out to be illegal dumping (the liability comes back to you).
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