From July 2026 waste costs will be listed separately on your 2026/27 rates notice.
If Council collects your bins:
- Your general rates will go down, and
- A separate waste charge will apply.
If you have a private waste service:
- Your general rates will go down, and
- You won’t pay the separate waste charge.
Support is available for eligible concession card holders and households with lower property values.
From July 2026, your rates notice will list waste costs separately.
For most households this will mean:
- your general rates will go down because waste costs are no longer included
- a separate waste charge will apply (if you receive a Council waste service)
- a Public Waste Service Rate will apply to all properties.
The separate waste charge covers the costs of collecting and disposing waste from your home or business.
The Public Waste Service Rate covers the cost of managing illegally dumped rubbish and servicing bins in public spaces.
Your rates will continue to pay for services such as roads, footpaths, drains, parks, libraries, sporting facilities and early childhood services.
The separate waste charge for 2026/27 is:
- $356 for residential properties
- $421 for commercial properties.
The separate waste charge will be reviewed every year and may change in line with the costs of providing waste services, including factors such as contract costs, fuel and transport prices, and the Victorian Government’s waste levy that is charged for all waste received at landfill.
The waste charge will recover the full cost of providing kerbside waste collection service across Monash, including:
- Hard waste collection
- New and replacement bins
- Employee costs for our waste team
- Waste disposal and processing fees
- Running and maintaining collection trucks
- The waste levy charged by the Victorian Government
- Bin collection – For residential properties, this includes fortnightly landfill and recycling bin collections and a weekly food and organics bin collection. For commercial services, read about commercial waste service changes.
The waste charge can only be used by Council to recover the costs of these services. It cannot be used to create additional revenue. The amount we charge will be audited every year by the Essential Services Commission on behalf of the Victorian Government.
All properties that receive Council’s waste service will pay a separate waste charge.
If your property has a private waste service and doesn't use Council’s waste service, you will not pay the separate waste charge.
Commercial properties can choose between either Council’s waste service or a private waste service.
Waste services are not opt-in. All properties must have either Council’s waste service or a private waste service. Private waste services are most common in large residential complexes such as apartment buildings.
Concession card holders
Eligible concession card holders will receive a 40% concession on the separate waste charge. This includes anyone who holds one of the following eligible cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card (check Services Australia website for eligibility).
- Veterans' Affairs Gold Card.
Important: If you have previously applied for a concession on your rates and Centrelink has confirmed you are still eligible this concession will be automatically applied to your 2026/27 rates notice
Safety net concession
If you own and live in a property with a Capital Improved Value (the property value on your rates notice) of less than $600,000 or are in hardship, you are eligible for a safety net concession of $150 on your separate waste charge.
This concession only applies to your primary place of residence that receives Council’s waste services. It does not apply to commercial or investment properties.
This will be applied according to Council’s CIV and Hardship database as at 1 July of each financial year.
If you are eligible for the safety net concession it will automatically be applied to your rates notice.
A Public Waste Service Rate will be included on everyone’s rates notices to cover the costs of:
- Managing illegally dumped waste
- Collecting bins in public spaces (including transport, storage, processing and disposal).
This rate is calculated based on property value and is a cost-recovery charge only, meaning the amount charged reflects the actual cost of providing these services.
Introduction of this rate is in adherence with changes introduced in December 2025 to the Minister's Local Government Service Rates and Charges Good Practice Guidelines.
In 2026/27 this rate will be offset by an identical reduction in general rates, so it won’t increase the amount you pay.
Why are you making this change?
Waste costs are increasing much more than rates are allowed, putting pressure on other services Council provides. The Victorian Government system of capping rates allows councils to charge a separate waste charge to recover the actual costs of providing waste services.
Waste service delivery costs have risen by 32% over the past 5 years, while Victorian Government rate caps have limited rate increases to 12.5% over the same period.
Why is the cost of waste increasing so much?
Victorian Government fees to dispose of waste have increased and councils are being required to invest in and introduce new services to recycle more waste. Changes in global markets for recyclable items and stricter regulations are also contributing to higher waste costs.
As landfills in eastern Melbourne reach capacity, Monash will need to explore alternative waste disposal methods, such as waste to energy or transporting waste to options further away, both of which are likely to incur higher costs.
What is Council doing to reduce costs?
The best way to reduce costs is to reduce our waste. It is much cheaper to reduce or reuse our waste than dispose of it.
Changing to a weekly food and organics collection and fortnightly landfill service in 2022 has reduced what we send to landfill by 37%.
Our teams also get out in the community to help people and businesses understand what goes in which bin. From time to time, we inspect bins which helps inform our waste education programs.
Are you changing waste services?
There will be no change to our residential recycling, food and organics and landfill bin services in 2026/27.
The Victorian Government has directed councils to introduce a separate collection bin for glass recycling by July 2027. Monash has joined other councils in delaying the introduction of this additional service until after the Victorian Government releases its statewide standards for the service.
Waiting for the final standards ensures we deliver a compliant glass service without creating unnecessary costs or changes for residents.
We are also advocating for the Victorian Government to consider the need for a separate glass bin following the success of their Container Deposit Scheme program.
Can I opt out of receiving a waste service?
No, all residential properties need to have a waste service.
Some residential properties (generally larger apartment buildings) in Monash have a private waste service, but most residential properties use Council’s waste services.
Most commercial properties receive a private waste service. We contacted businesses who still receive a Council waste services earlier this year to let them know their options.
Will the waste charge increase every year?
Both the separate waste charge and Public Waste Service Rate will be reviewed every year and may change in line with the costs of providing waste services (including factors such as contract costs, fuel and transport prices, and the Victorian Government’s waste levy that is charged for all waste received at landfill).
The waste charge and Public Service Rate have been designed to be compliant with the Victorian Government’s Minister’s Good Practice Guidelines and can only be used by Council to recover the costs of these services.
The amount we charge will be audited every year by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) on behalf of the Victorian Government.
What is the difference between the waste charge and Public Waste Service Rate?
The Public Waste Service Rate covers the costs of:
- Managing illegally dumped waste
- Collecting bins in public spaces (including waste transport, storage, processing and disposal)
These services keep our streets, parks and shared spaces clean, that’s why everyone pays the Public Waste Service Rate.
The separate waste charge covers the costs of:
- collecting and disposing of waste materials from your home or business.
Residential and Commercial properties who do not use Council’s waste services and have private service arrangements in place do not pay this charge, but they do pay the Public Waste Service rate which applies to all rateable properties.