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Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund

The Ministry supports local government to fulfil their obligations under the RMA and address challenges by:

  • ensuring that any adverse effects of soil contaminants are managed through remediation or containment, so that the land is deemed fit for purpose
  • amending legislation and regulatory instruments
  • providing practical advice and guidance on identifying, assessing and managing soil contaminants
  • providing financial assistance to owners of land that is considered high risk to the environment, and where the landowner is unable to fund the remediation or management themselves.

The CSRF has been set up to fund the investigation, remedial planning and remediation of sites that pose a risk to human health and the environment. It is designed to encourage willing parties to investigate and remediate contaminated land.

If you wish to investigate and/or remediate a contaminated site it is recommend that you contact your local regional council in the first instance. The regional council will assist you with your application, inform you of the information required, and submit an application to the Ministry.

Information on how to apply to the CSRF

  • Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund criteria

    Find out more about the purpose of the fund and the eligibility and assessment criteria

    The following criteria will be used by the assessment panel to determine a site’s eligibility for funding:

    • A project will only be considered for funding after a completed application form has been submitted to the Ministry from RC/UA.
    • The site must have been undertaking activities likely to result in site contamination at one of the following points in time:
      • before the RMA was enacted in 1991
      • after the RMA was enacted in 1991 but no enforcement could be undertaken by regional councils, unitary authorities or territorial authorities to investigate and/or remediate the contamination, and the activities that caused the contamination have since stopped.
    • The application must be for one or more of the following phases of remediation:
      • two – site investigation
      • three – remediation planning
      • four – site remediation.


      (Note that funding is not available for phase one – desk top study.)

    • Funding is only requested for the years in which the site investigation, remediation planning and site remediation are undertaken.
    • Funding may not be used for retrospective costs (ie, for work undertaken before the application form was received by the Ministry) or for works undertaken that are outside the scope of the funding deed.


    The contributions by each of the parties to each of the stages should reflect that party’s ability to pay and the overall cost of the project.  If the application is approved, the Ministry will provide up to 50 per cent of the costs for Stages 2–4 of the site assessment and remediation.  The percentage contributions from the Fund will generally reflect the importance of the project.

    What the fund will not pay for

    The Fund will not pay for:

    • capital expenditure items
    • costs incurred before the application being made
    • investigations or remediation works on contaminated land or identified sites of concern on Crown land where the Crown has accepted responsibility for the contamination.

    If you would like more information about the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund please contact CSRFapplication@mfe.govt.nz.

  • Key dates

    Find out more information about a timeline of key dates

    Date round one

    Date round two

    Event

    Who

    First week February

    First week August

    Email application form and guidance to RWCLOF for further distribution to RCs/UAs

    Ministry

    By last working day of March

    By last working day of September

    Complete and submit application to Ministry

    RCs/UAs

    Early April

    Early October

    Eligibility and completeness checks
    Ineligible RCs/UAs notified

    Ministry

    Application assessment period and recommendations made
    Final approval given to projects

    Panel

    Late April

    Late October

    Approval given to projects and successful RCs/UAs notified and requested to develop the project plans  
    Unsuccessful RCs/UAs notified

    Ministry

    June

    December

    Funding deed developed
    Funding deed signed
    Project plan developed

    RCs/UAs/
    Ministry

    July

    January

    Commencement of successful project

    RCs/UAs

 

Contact us

Remediation Projects Team
Phone: 0800 499 700
Email: CSRFapplication@mfe.govt.nz

 

Last updated: 1 March 2012