Free disposal of bushfire waste

The Victorian and Federal governments are supporting communities to recover from the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park – Yarram Gap Road fire that occurred from 17 December 2024 into 2025

The Victorian Government has removed charges for impacted communities to dispose of disaster waste from this emergency event through a waste levy waiver for disposal of disaster waste to landfills and gate fees to be covered at transfer stations. This means eligible disaster waste can be disposed of free of charge only at transfer stations located in the four local government areas listed below

The Gate Fee Rebate Program will ensure residents can dispose of disaster waste free of charge from their private properties at the local council-run transfer station until 9 July 2025.

The program will be available in four Local Government Areas (LGAs): Ararat Rural City Council, Horsham Rural City Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council, and Southern Grampians Shire Council. Find your closest transfer station on Victoria's waste and resource recovery infrastructure map.

Please refer to your local government websites for detailed information regarding council transfer stations' operating hours, addresses, and waste acceptance:

Ararat Rural City Council Transfer Station operating hours
Horsham Rural City Council waste and recycling facilities
Northern Grampians Shire Council transfer stations
Southern Grampians Shire Council transfer stations

Waste taken to alternative facilities (including directly to landfill) is not eligible for the gate fee rebate.

The Victorian Minister for Environment has also approved a waste levy waiver for disaster waste from the Yarram Gap Road fire that needs to be taken to a landfill.

Questions and Answers

What is disaster waste?

The current Gate Fee Rebate Program and waste levy waiver relate to the Yarram Gap Road bushfire emergency event in Western Victoria and apply to any material:

deposited on private property by the Yarram Gap Road Bushfire
damaged by the Yarram Gap Bushfire

How and where can I take my bushfire waste?

You can use the waste and recycling infrastructure map to find your closest transfer station.

Visit your local government website for information on transfer station opening hours, addresses and what type of waste is accepted. It is recommended that you check in advance that the transfer station is operating and accepts the type of waste you wish to dispose.

How do I claim the free waste disposal?

Transfer stations will collect information to confirm that the waste is eligible for the gate fee rebate.
To access free waste disposal, show proof of residency in a fire-impacted local government area (LGA), such as a driver’s licence or rates notice.

How long is free waste disposal available?

Until 9 July 2025, residents from the four LGAs impacted by the Western Victorian Bushfires can dispose of disaster waste at transfer stations free of charge: Ararat, Horsham, Northern Grampians and Southern Grampians.

Eligible transfer stations
Only council transfer stations in the four LGAs (Ararat, Horsham, Northern Grampians and Southern Grampians) are approved to receive disaster waste and waive the gate fee.
Waste taken to alternative facilities (including directly to landfill) is not eligible for the gate fee rebate.
Landfills that receive disaster waste, from the four impacted LGAs, should undertake appropriate checking to determine whether the waste levy should be waived.
The waste levy waiver process is managed by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA Victoria).

Information required to claim the gate fee rebate
To claim the gate fee rebate, waste facility operators will need to:
- Confirm that the waste was from an impacted LGA and resulted from the Yarram Gap Road bushfire event that began on 17 December 2024.
- Provide an invoice stating that the waste is disaster waste, waste stream type (i.e. organics, landfill), tonnage, and gate fee rate per tonne, along with listing the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) purchase order number.
If you don’t have a DEECA purchase order number, please contact: waste.emergency@deeca.vic.gov.au.
How to confirm where the waste came from
To claim the gate fee rebate, waste facility operators should:
- Collect evidence that the waste originated from an approved local government area.
  - For individuals, this may be the requirement to show proof of residence in an impacted LGA, such as a driver’s license or rates notice. This information does not need to be recorded.
  - For businesses or other waste producers, facilities may request a declaration that the waste is eligible disaster waste and has come from an approved location.
- Visually inspect the waste to ensure it is disaster waste.
- Include a declaration on invoices to enable claiming of the gate fee rebate by stating, ‘I declare the waste associated with this gate fee rebate claim is disaster waste from an LGA affected by the emergency that commenced on (date)'.
- It is recommended that facilities document their evidence-collection procedure.
Claiming the gate fee rebate for council-owned waste facilities
If a waste facility is owned by the council, either the council or the waste facility operator can apply for the gate fee rebate - as long as only one application is made per facility.
Refunds if a community member has already paid to dispose of disaster waste
Please note that free disaster waste disposal is only available during the period from 12 March 2025 until 9 July 2025.
Requests for refunds for payments made within these dates will be examined on a case-by-case basis. Please send queries about refunds to waste.emergency@deeca.vic.gov.au.
Information about the waste levy waiver
EPA Victoria is managing the waste levy waiver and will be able to provide information. For more information, visit the EPA website.
Information about the gate fee rebate
DEECA is coordinating the gate fee rebate. For more information about claiming the gate fee rebate, please email us at waste.emergency@deeca.vic.gov.au.

Environment, water & energy

Updated 7 April 2025