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Project waste reporting

Under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (WRRA), the department is required to report annually on the volumes of waste generated, reused, recycled and disposed to landfill.

The department is expected to contribute to the Queensland Government's waste reduction targets and report how this is being achieved.

Waste and Recycling Calculator

The department has developed a Waste and Recycling Calculator (XLSM, 1.08 MB) to assist infrastructure projects, both construction and maintenance, to better plan, manage and reduce waste disposed to landfill.

The Waste and Recycling Calculator:

  • enables pre-construction project teams to develop a waste estimate for the construction phase of the project and therefore plan for waste volumes generated and identify re-use and recycling opportunities
  • forms the mandated format for construction project waste reporting, and
  • enables construction and maintenance projects to capture actual waste quantities generated, re-used, recycled and landfilled.

To ensure functionality, use either Edge or Chrome internet browsers to open the Waste and Recycling Calculator.

The completed calculator should be submitted to Transport and Main Roads via projectwasteregister@tmr.qld.gov.au.

The User is required to name the file according to:

  1. Contract ID
  2. Contract Name, and
  3. whether the file is an estimate or an actual report.

For example:

Contract#_ContractName_Estimate
For example, CN45678_BloggsRoadUpgrade_Estimate

The department's Waste and Recycling Calculator – User Guide (PDF, 1.26 MB) provides guidance to Consultants, Contractors, Contract Administrators and Environmental Officers to report project waste in accordance with Technical Specification MRTS51 Environmental Management. Refer to the Introductory Brochure (PDF, 3.5 MB) for further information.

Waste Disposal Statement

The Waste Disposal Statement (PDF, 230 KB) is available to departmental Contractors to use when disposing waste generated from Transport and Main Road's infrastructure construction and maintenance projects. The purpose of the Waste Disposal Statement is to provide waste volume, waste source and waste category information to the Waste Disposal Site Operator.

Who completes the waste estimate?
The project waste estimate is completed as part of the Environmental Assessment for the project and documented within the Infrastructure Project’s Design Report with a copy submitted to projectwasteregister@tmr.qld.gov.au.

Is a waste estimate mandatory?
Project waste estimates are to be completed and submitted to projectwasteregister@tmr.qld.gov.au for all Transport Infrastructure Contracts and Minor Infrastructure Contracts.

Who completes the actual waste report?
The construction or maintenance Contractor completes the actual waste quantities in the calculator and submits the record to Transport and Main Roads via projectwasteregister@tmr.qld.gov.au with a copy to the Contract Administrator.

Are actual waste reports mandatory?
All contracts with MRTS51 Environmental Management specification are required to provide an actual waste report in the form of a completed calculator prior to practical completion.

What if the estimate does not reflect my project?
The estimate is based on previous Transport and Main Road's waste reporting data. It is a generalised calculation to provide an indicative quantity of waste by stream. Inaccuracies with actual waste quantities are likely. Projects are encouraged to review the calculated waste estimate to verify the quantities in relation to the scale and scope of the relevant project.

Can the calculator be used for annual routine maintenance contracts?
Yes, the calculator may be used to estimate waste quantities for an annual Routine Maintenance Contract. For 2020–2021 it is not mandatory for routine maintenance Contractors to estimate and report actual wastes utilising the calculator to Transport and Main Roads.

Who completes the Waste Disposal Statement?
This Waste Disposal Statement is to be used by Transport and Main Roads and Transport and Main Roads entities (Contractors, Subcontractors and Waste Transport Operators) when disposing waste at waste disposal site facilities as per the provisions under the Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (WRR Act).

Is use of the Waste Disposal Statement mandatory?
No, it is not mandatory for Transport and Main Roads Contractors and agents to use the statement. Contractor's may have their own method for recording and advising Waste Disposal Site Operators of the content of the load transported to landfill.

Do I need to retain records of Waste Disposal Statements?
No, the purpose of the statement is to provide information to the Waste Disposal Site Operator and therefore, the completed form is passed to the Operator upon disposal.

Can use of the Waste Disposal Statement save money?
Potentially. Waste Disposal Operators charge gate fees dependent on the contents of the waste load. If a load contains exempt waste, documentation of this in the Waste Disposal Statement may assist the Waste Disposal Site Operator to apply a fee reduction, if applicable. This is at the discretion of the Waste Disposal Site Operator.

To find out more about the department's Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan, refer to the department's Waste Management webpage.

Last updated
26 October 2020