Queensland Government Department of Environment’s End of Waste Code change due
New Rules for Agricultural Use of ELT in Queensland
Queensland farmers have had a tight exemption from waste regulations for the use of tyres on silage pits. The exemption allowed the use of 4 tonnes or 4M3 of tyres’
That exemption ended in 2019, leaving many farmers open to prosecution for storing waste tyres illegally.
Earlier this year, the Queensland Government Department of Environment’s End of Waste Code relating to tyres was changed to address this issue.
Under the new regulations, the use of tyres for silage pits will be allowed.
All farmers who use tyres for silage pits must notify the Department CEO using the appropriate form.
Farmers need to keep records of tyres they buy including:
- Business name, ABN, address and environmental authority number (where applicable) of the registered resource producer who supplied the resource
- Date the resource user received the resource
- Quantity (in tonnes) of the resource received by the resource user; and
- Site of use of resource (e.g. street address, lot on plan and/or GPS coordinates).
Farmers will need to keep records for 5 years and provide them to the Department CEO if asked.
All EOW tyres must follow EPA storage guidelines to reduce fire risk.
Due to the state election in November, it is unlikely that the amendment for the code will be ratified before the end of the year.