Across Australia in 2026 a weekly 1,100-litre general waste bin costs a business roughly $100 to $230 a month plus GST once negotiated, from about $100 in Perth to $230 in Sydney and Melbourne, and a 3 m³ front-lift bin $180 to $420. The spread is mostly the landfill levy: $90 a tonne in Western Australia against $180.20 in metropolitan New South Wales and $177.19 in metropolitan Victoria. This index puts the published rates, the 2026-27 levies and the levy cost per bin in one place, with the method shown.
Published bin rates by capital
Two kinds of number appear below. Advertised list rates are what providers publish online: Waster's per-collection ranges are national, stated as valid until 30 June 2027, and span every region and frequency it serves, which is why they are wide. Negotiated rates are Bundle Waste's indicative monthly bands per city for a weekly service, built from our Melbourne market ranges and adjusted city by city for the levy difference at a typical 80 kg per cubic metre. The Melbourne column is the base and comes from our Melbourne cost index.
| City | 240 L weekly, per month | 660 L weekly, per month | 1,100 L weekly, per month | 3 m³ front-lift weekly, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne (suburban base) | $45 to $70 | $85 to $160 | $125 to $225 | $260 to $410 |
| Melbourne CBD | $55 to $85 | $95 to $175 | $140 to $245 | $280 to $450 |
| Sydney | $45 to $75 | $85 to $165 | $125 to $230 | $260 to $420 |
| Brisbane | $40 to $65 | $75 to $150 | $110 to $205 | $220 to $370 |
| Adelaide | $42 to $68 | $80 to $155 | $118 to $218 | $245 to $400 |
| Perth | $40 to $65 | $70 to $145 | $100 to $195 | $180 to $330 |
| Advertised list range (Waster, national, per collection) | $12.40 to $45.97 | not published as one range | $33.53 to $105.81 | $77.81 to $341.50 |
All figures ex GST; monthly figures assume 4.33 collections. Published local points that anchor the bands: Waster's Adelaide 3 m³ weekly service at $83.89 a week (about $363 a month), Waster's Brisbane 1.5 m³ front-lift at $27 to $60 per collection, and Brisbane City Council's user-pays business recycling at $8 to $11 per wheelie-bin service and $24.50 per cubic metre for bulk bins. Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, the Gold Coast and Newcastle get their own guides; their levies are in the next table.
2026-27 landfill levies by state, and what they cost per bin
Every state except the Northern Territory levies waste going to landfill, and the provider recovers it through your bin. The table gives the regulator's 2026-27 rate and the levy inside a weekly 1,100-litre bin at 88 kg a lift, which is Waster's published 80 kg per cubic metre allowance for health, education and non-food manufacturing. Offices run lighter (60 kg per cubic metre) and hospitality heavier (100 kg), so scale the last column by 0.75 or 1.25 for those sectors.
| State | Metropolitan rate, 2026-27 | Regional or other rate | Levy per month, weekly 1,100 L bin (0.38 t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT (Mugga Lane disposal fee) | $210.90/t commercial loads from 1 July 2026 | gate fee, not a levy | about $80 |
| New South Wales | $180.20/t metropolitan levy area | $103.80/t regional levy area | about $69 |
| Victoria | $177.19/t municipal and industrial | $88.42/t rural municipal; $155.95/t rural industrial | about $68 |
| South Australia | $156/t metropolitan (2023-24, last published in the state dataset; current rate is higher) | $78/t country (2023-24) | about $59 (floor) |
| Queensland | $135/t metropolitan zone general waste (to $145 on 1 July 2027) | $100/t regional zone | about $51 |
| Western Australia | $90/t or $136/m³, metropolitan region only | no levy outside the metropolitan region | about $34 |
| Tasmania | $70.56/t (36 fee units at $1.96) from 1 July 2026 | state-wide | about $27 |
Two things the table makes obvious. First, the levy alone explains why a Perth or Brisbane rate should sit well below a Sydney or Melbourne rate for the same bin; a national provider quoting one price everywhere is over-charging in the cheap states. Second, the levy is the one line a provider cannot negotiate, so everything it adds on top, rental, environmental fees, fuel surcharges, admin fees, is where the negotiation lives.
Fuel and environmental surcharges
Fuel and environmental surcharges are the fastest-growing lines on Australian waste invoices. In Bundle Waste's Melbourne audits fuel surcharges run between 8 and 18 per cent of the collection charge, and providers add them as a percentage so they rise with every rate increase. Cleanaway told the market in 2026 that most contracted prices would incorporate recent fuel cost increases by 1 July 2026 through fuel levies, indexed repricing and contract resets. Some providers advertise the opposite: Waster's published terms state no rental or environmental fees, and its price includes delivery. Whichever model your provider uses, the surcharge lines should be itemised and capped in the contract.
Method
- Advertised list rates are quoted verbatim from provider pages with the access date, never adjusted.
- Negotiated ranges start from Bundle Waste's Melbourne market ranges, which come from audited invoices and provider rate cards, and are adjusted per city for the difference in levy per bin at 80 kg per cubic metre; route density and local competition then move a site within its band.
- Levy per bin = bin volume × 80 kg/m³ × 4.33 lifts a month × the regulator's rate. The 80 kg figure is Waster's published allowance for a mid-weight sector; it is an assumption, and hospitality waste is heavier.
- Levy rates come from the regulator or the state's legislation and are dated 2026-27 where published; South Australia is flagged where the regulator's current figure could not be read.
Use it
Find your city's row and your bin. If your invoice sits above the band, the bill benchmark will show by how much and the levy calculator will show the part that is levy. Then send the invoice for a free waste audit. Bundle Waste is a Melbourne-based broker working with businesses Australia-wide; we are paid only from savings, so a bill already at the bottom of its band gets told exactly that. City detail: Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Melbourne guide; for the levy law behind each row see the state levy guide.
Sources
- Caras — NSW Waste Levy Increase from 1 July 2026 (MLA $180.20/t, RLA $103.80/t) (accessed 2026-09-03)
- EPA Victoria — Waste levy rates 2025-26 and 2026-27 (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Queensland Government — Waste disposal levy rates (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Western Australian Government — Waste levy rate schedule (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Government of South Australia open data — Waste levy rates dataset (accessed 2026-09-03)
- NRE Tasmania — Landfill levy FAQs (36 fee units, $70.56/t from 1 July 2026) (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Dial a Tipper — Canberra tip fees guide 2026 (ACT commercial disposal fee $210.90/t from 1 July 2026, citing ACT City Services) (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Waster — 240 L, 1100 L and 3.0 m³ general waste bin services (published national ranges, valid to 30 June 2027) (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Waster — Waste Management Adelaide and Waste Management Brisbane (published local points) (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Brisbane City Council — Business recycling fees (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Cleanaway — FY26 outlook update on fuel cost pass-through (as reported by TipRanks) (accessed 2026-09-03)
- Bin Hire Australia — Commercial Wheelie Bin Hire Pricing Australia (incumbent; prints no rates) (accessed 2026-09-03)
Frequently asked questions
How much does commercial waste collection cost in Australia?
How much is a commercial waste bin per week?
Which state has the highest waste levy in 2026-27?
How much of a waste bill is the landfill levy?
Why is there no single commercial waste price list for Australia?
Do fuel surcharges apply everywhere in Australia?
Related guides
See what your business could save, anywhere in Australia
Send us a recent waste invoice from any Australian site. We benchmark every line against provider rates for your city, negotiate, and are only paid from the savings. Free, no obligation, no savings no fee.
Get Your Free Waste Audit →