The City of Port Phillip Resource Recovery Centre at the corner of White and Boundary Streets, South Melbourne prices by load, not weight: a car boot is $34 for residents, $55 for visitors and contractors; a level single-axle trailer, ute or van is $66 / $104 / $140; a heaped tandem trailer is $263 / $359 / $420; and a high-sided tandem load tops the list at $350 / $479 / $560. The first mattress is $21 and each additional one $31. It is the only general-waste gate within a few kilometres of the CBD, Southbank, Port Melbourne and St Kilda.
At a glance
| Address | Corner White Street and Boundary Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205 |
| Operator | City of Port Phillip |
| Hours | Monday–Friday 7:30am–3:30pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am–1pm; closed public holidays |
| Phone | 03 9209 6686 |
| Pricing basis | Per load by vehicle type; three columns: resident, visitor, contractor |
| Paint | Limit 50 litres per person per day |
Port Phillip RRC fees
| Load | Resident | Visitor | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car boot | $34 | $55 | $55 |
| SUV, 4WD or station wagon | $66 | $104 | $104 |
| Low-level load: single-axle trailer, ute or van | $66 | $104 | $140 |
| Low-level load: tandem trailer or transit van | $159 | $218 | $280 |
| Heaped load: single-axle trailer, ute or van | $108 | $172 | $210 |
| Heaped load: tandem trailer or transit van | $263 | $359 | $420 |
| High-sided or caged: single-axle trailer, ute or van | $144 | $229 | $280 |
| High-sided or caged: tandem trailer or transit van | $350 | $479 | $560 |
| Mattress recycling | $21 first, $31 each after | $21 / $31 | $21 / $31 |
The contractor column is the one that applies to trade and business loads, and it is 30–35% above the resident price for the same trailer. Because pricing is per load rather than per tonne, dense waste (soil, tiles, concrete) is comparatively cheap here and light bulky waste comparatively expensive.
How a Melbourne tip fee is built
Every general-waste gate fee in metropolitan Melbourne has three layers. The Victorian landfill levy is $177.19 per tonne from 1 July 2026 (EPA Victoria), up from $169.79 the year before. GST is added on top of the whole fee. The rest is the operator's cost of handling, transport to landfill and margin. Recyclable streams (cardboard, scrap metal, e-waste, batteries) carry no levy, which is why they are free or cheap at almost every gate.
When a business should stop tipping and get a bin
Tip runs make sense for one-off clean-outs. They stop making sense once someone is driving to the gate every week. In inner Melbourne and the CBD a 1100L general-waste bin collected weekly costs $130–245 a month on Bundle Waste's 2026 benchmarks: about 4.4 m³ of waste a month, collected from your door, with the levy already inside the price. Against gate fees plus fuel and an hour of someone's time each trip, the bin wins well before the first month is out. A free waste audit prices the exact bin size and frequency for your volumes.
Ways to pay less at the gate
- Sort before you go. Cardboard, scrap metal, e-waste and batteries are free at most metro facilities. Hidden recyclables inside a mixed load are charged at the general rate.
- Know the minimum charge. Small loads are billed at the minimum regardless of weight; combining two half-loads into one trip usually saves the second minimum.
- Weight beats volume for dense waste. Where a weighbridge is offered, soil, concrete and timber are usually cheaper by the tonne than by trailer size.
- Green waste separately. Green waste is typically 40–60% cheaper than general waste at the same gate.
Sources
- City of Port Phillip, Resource Recovery Centre
- EPA Victoria, Waste levy rates 2026-27
Frequently asked questions
How much is the South Melbourne tip for a car boot?
What are the Port Phillip Resource Recovery Centre hours?
Do contractors pay more at the South Melbourne transfer station?
How much does mattress disposal cost at Port Phillip RRC?
Is there a cheaper option for a CBD or Southbank business than tipping?
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