Award register

MA000043CurrentTransport, logistics and maritime

Waste Management Award

The Waste Management Award reaches far more than collection runs. It covers a broad range of waste handling, recycling, treatment and disposal operations. For small businesses, the main risks are misclassifying site based roles, setting up short or early shifts without the right engagement terms, and overlooking the all purpose industry allowance. The safest approach is to test the site function, classify each role carefully and then build roster and overtime settings around the award's own methods.

Consolidated through
1 July 2026
Source checked
1 August 2026
Official source
Current award

01Who this award covers

This award covers the waste management industry, which the award defines broadly to include collection, transportation, handling, recycling and disposal of waste material, as well as transfer stations, landfill sites, incinerators, recycling depots, treatment plants, compost facilities and alternative waste treatment facilities. It is not limited to kerbside collection. Coverage still depends on the employee fitting one of the award classifications.

Businesses and work usually covered

  • Waste collection, transportation, handling, recycling and disposal work.
  • Operations at transfer stations, landfill sites, incinerators, recycling depots, yards and terminals.
  • Treatment plants, compost facilities and alternative waste treatment facilities.
  • Labour hire arrangements supplying employees into covered waste management work.
  • Group training arrangements hosting trainees into covered waste management work.

When another award or arrangement may apply

  • Employees excluded from award coverage by the Act.
  • Employees covered by a modern enterprise award, enterprise instrument or relevant state public sector award.
  • Employees whose work is better matched to another award classification where this award has no suitable classification.

02Roles and classifications

The award contains classification levels that connect an employee's duties, skills and responsibility to a minimum rate. Common role descriptions include:

  • Depot hands in training at Level 1.
  • Labourers and depot hands at waste management facilities at Level 2.
  • Waste treatment, handling or disposal facility attendants and process workers.
  • Offsiders, including runners, to drivers in waste management operations.
  • Labour hire employees and trainees performing covered waste management work.

A familiar job title is only a starting point. Match the employee's real duties against the classification definitions and keep a written record of the level selected.

03Rules employers need to check

Confirm the site and classify the role

cl Clause 4 coverage, Clause 12 classifications

Coverage under this award is broad, but it is still classification based. Site type and actual duties both matter when placing employees.

  • Check that the business is performing waste management activities as defined by the award.
  • Then match employees to the award's classifications rather than assuming the whole workforce sits at one level.
  • If the role does not fit, test whether another award is more appropriate.

Set engagement terms in writing

cl Clauses 8 to 11

The engagement model is operationally important in waste businesses because short shifts, early starts and changing runs can produce errors quickly if the agreement is not documented.

  • Tell employees in writing whether they are full-time, part-time or casual.
  • For part-time employees, agree the hours, days, start and finish times and classification before employment starts and keep the arrangement in writing.
  • Casual employees have a minimum daily engagement and next day notification provisions.

Run roster cycles under the award method

cl Clause 13 ordinary hours and rostering, Clause 14 breaks

Waste operations often run to client schedules, but the award still governs the spread of hours, roster design and rostered days off.

  • The award sets a weekday spread of ordinary hours and a default daily limit for ordinary time.
  • Ordinary hours can be worked through a rostered day off system or, in listed circumstances, without a rostered day off.
  • Substitute rostered days off, accumulation and operational changes all have their own rules.

Treat the industry allowance properly

cl Clause 16 allowances

The industry allowance is a core part of this award and should not be buried inside a flat rate. Role based allowances also need active review.

  • The industry allowance is an all purpose allowance paid in addition to the minimum rate.
  • The award also contains other allowances such as leading hand, boat and first aid style payments where the duties trigger them.
  • These should be checked separately from the base classification rate.

Check overtime triggers role by role

cl Clause 10.6 part-time overtime, Clause 11.6 casual overtime

In this award, overtime risk often starts with roster design rather than emergency events. Shortcuts around agreed hours can create underpayments quickly.

  • Part-time employees move into overtime if they work beyond the agreed daily or weekly hours or outside the spread of ordinary hours.
  • Casual employees working overtime or outside ordinary hours have a specific award formula.
  • Early starts, extended runs and operational call ins should all be tested against these rules.

Keep NES and overlap issues in view

cl Clause 3 NES and award, Clause 4.6 overlap rule

Coverage still needs to be tested employee by employee where operations are mixed or specialised. The waste site itself does not settle the question.

  • The NES continue to apply.
  • If another award classification is more appropriate to the work and the environment in which it is normally performed, that other award may be the right one.
  • Do not assume every worker at a waste site is covered by this award without checking the classification fit.

04Pay rates, penalties and allowances

The safest way to check a current rate is to start with the employee's classification, employment type and working pattern, then use Fair Work's current pay guide or Pay and Conditions Tool. Rates can change after an Annual Wage Review or an award variation.

Open the official pay guideFair Work OmbudsmanCalculate pay and conditionsFair Work Pay and Conditions Tool

05Common workplace examples

Employee working at a transfer station or landfill

Yes, this is squarely within the waste management definition and the employee is likely to fit one of the award's waste facility classifications if the actual duties align.

Labour hire worker supplied to a recycling depot

Likely yes, subject to the usual exclusions, because the award expressly covers labour hire employees while they are performing covered work for a business in the waste management industry.

Specialist role at a waste site with no clear classification fit

Not necessarily. If the role does not fit the award's classifications, the overlap note in the award itself says another occupational award may be the more appropriate answer.

06Recent changes to this award

PR799280, PR799323, PR799480

The current consolidated award incorporates these recent variation determinations. Use the consolidated wording when checking any affected clause, schedule, rate or allowance.

Affected: 15 - Minimum rates, 16 - Allowances, Schedule A - Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay, Schedule B - Summary of Monetary Allowances, Schedule C - Supported Wage System

07What to do next

  1. 01Map each site and task to the award's waste management definition before assigning classifications.
  2. 02Issue written engagement terms and keep copies of part-time agreements and any later variations.
  3. 03Review whether the operation uses a rostered day off model or a five day model and configure payroll to match.
  4. 04Load the industry allowance separately and then test whether leading hand, first aid or other allowances also apply.
  5. 05Check early starts, changed routes and extended duties against part-time and casual overtime triggers.
  6. 06For labour hire or trainees, confirm the host work is covered waste management work before using this award.

08Common questions

Is this only a kerbside collection award?

No. The award is much broader and also reaches transfer stations, landfills, recycling depots, treatment plants, compost facilities and alternative waste treatment facilities.

How do the levels work?

The extract provided shows Level 1 for a depot hand in training and Level 2 for labourers, depot hands, waste facility attendants, process workers and offsiders. Classification should be tied to the work actually being performed.

Is the industry allowance separate from the base rate?

No. The industry allowance is paid in addition to the minimum rate and is an all purpose allowance under the award. It needs to be treated separately in payroll configuration.

Do minimum shifts matter under this award?

Yes. Part-time employees have a minimum daily payment and casual employees have a minimum daily engagement. Those minimums need to be reflected in rostering and payroll.

Do I still need to check the NES and other instruments?

Yes. The NES still apply, and enterprise awards, enterprise instruments and some state public sector awards can displace this award. If there is no fitting classification, another award may need to be checked.

Official sources and related help

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Modern award coverage and classification depend on the facts. Check the current official award and get advice for your business before relying on this page.

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