You are here: The issues Hazardous substances Contaminated land

Providing direction to contaminated land management

The Ministry has developed a programme of work to address key issues and gaps that exist in how New Zealand manages contaminated land. It will provide more central government leadership and direction to councils managing contaminated land.

A position paper called “Working Towards a Comprehensive Policy Framework for Managing Contaminated Land in New Zealand” sets out a prioritised work programme. Work on the programme will begin at the end of 2007.

The paper identifies three initiatives as being high priority:

development of nationally consistent methods and numbers for the protection of human health, via a national environmental standard and guidance
development of good practice examples of district plan land use, development and subdivision provisions for contaminated land , possibly via a national environmental standard
continued advocacy of the contaminated sites remediation fund.

The work programme was confirmed following extensive consultation with local government and industry and contaminated land practitioners. These groups will be the ones responsible for implementing any proposed work.

Interested parties will have additional opportunity to comment on the specific work areas during their development.

Background

In November 2006, the Ministry for the Environment published a discussion paper. Submissions were sought and workshops held to inform and confirm the Ministry’s contaminated land work programme.

During the submission period 320 people participated in 13 workshops held throughout the country. Sixty two submissions were received on the discussion document. These submissions are summarised and reported by the Ministry as “Report on Submissions”. A companion document called the “Position Paper” confirms a work programme for the Ministry.

For more information about the Ministry’s work on contaminated land see the contaminated land webpage or email contaminatedlandinfo@mfe.govt.nz.