Earlier this year, QDO was alerted to changes to the Queensland Government Department of Environment's End of Waste Code relating to tyres.
The previous exemption for farmers to use end of waste tyres on silage pits expired in 2019, leaving a number of farmers potentially exposed to fines.
In the previous 2019 EP Regulation, ERA 62 there was a threshold of 4 tonnes or 4m3 of category 2 regulated waste (tyres) allowed. Over that threshold, a licence (Environmental Authority) was required.
QDO has worked with QFF to request a change to the existing Code for EOW tyres to ensure dairy farmers and other farmers using tyres for storage are covered.
Summary of the proposed update to end of waste tyres
- 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 to the Department CEO if asked.
All EOW tyres must follow EPA storage guidelines to reduce fire risk.
Due to the state election this month, it is unlikely that the amendment for the code will be ratified before the end of the year.
We will notify members once the change is made. We encourage all members to notify QDO if they use tyres in their business so we can help with the application process.