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Workshop overview

During the submission period 320 people participated in 13 workshops held in the following regions:

  • Northland, Whangarei, 22 February 2007
  • Auckland, 24 January 2007
  • Hamilton, Environment Waikato, 20 February 2007
  • Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, 31 January 2007
  • Taranaki, Stratford, 19 February 2007
  • Hawkes Bay, Napier, 13 February 2007
  • Manawatu-Wanganui, Palmerston North, 16 February 2007
  • Wellington, Greater Wellington Regional Council, 25 January 2007
  • Upper South Island, Richmond, 9 February 2007
  • South Island West Coast, Hokitika, 23 February 2007
  • Canterbury, Christchurch, 13 December 2006
  • Southland, Invercargill, 26 February 2007
  • Otago, Dunedin, 27 February 2007

These workshops aimed to encourage submissions on the discussion paper: “Working Towards a Comprehensive Policy Framework for Managing Contaminated Land in New Zealand”, as well as to facilitate discussion about local issues and potential solutions, and raise awareness of contaminated land issues.  

Participants represented local authorities, health agencies, industry, consultants, community, professional groups and iwi authorities. 

Participants at each of the workshops were asked to identify and discuss:

  1. What the main issues, challenges and difficulties were in their region
  2. What the potential solutions were for overcoming these issues.

The feedback from all the workshops was recorded and collated into notes.  These notes have been further summarised into key workshop themes and issues. The key themes in Table 1 have been ordered depending on the number of workshops the theme was raised in. Table 2 contains a full summary of workshop issues and potential solutions.

Table 1 Workshop key themes and issues – summary

Key theme (No. of Workshops)

Issues

Capability and capacity (13)

Variable / lack of capability and capacity within councils and consultants

Identification (12)

Difficulty identifying contaminated land

Information (10)

Lack of information on contaminated sites and inconsistent databases/registers between councils (Territorial Authorities (TA)s and Regional Councils (RC))

Roles and responsibilities (10)

Uncertainty of roles and responsibilities between agencies (Health agencies, Regional Councils, Territorial Authorities, Ministry for the Environment etc).  Resource Management Act (RMA) s.30/31 functions are unclear and lacks teeth

Guidelines (10)

Guidance incorrectly and inconsistently applied by practitioners.

Guidelines are inconsistent, incomplete and need review.

Legislation (8)

Uncertain legislative definition of contaminated land - What is a “significant adverse environmental effect” (RMA definition), What is “reasonably likely”?

Lack of legislative requirements to require the use of existing guidance.

Uncertain controls on passive discharges.

Liability (8)

Absence of a pre 1991 liability regime and uncertainty over whether there is going to be retrospective legislation.

Inadequate post 1991 liability regime makes it easy for polluters to avoid liability.

Community understanding (8)

Lack of understanding by the wider community of the risks, council requirements,  of contaminated land.

Concern about the diffuse contamination of agricultural and horticultural land through the existing use of fertilisers, agrichemicals and timber treatment preservatives.

Remediation and disposal (7)

Remediation is hindered by lack of information on techniques, the relative expense of remediation and the public preference for dig and dump.

Variable and overly restrictive disposal controls between regions.

The Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund is too small and its scope is too narrow.

Working together (7)

Variable practice and communication between agencies

Ministry for the Environment (MfE), Central government policy (6)

Issues with existing central government policy programmes and strategy.

Diffuse sources (6)

Lack of understanding of urban background levels of contaminants.

Concern about the diffuse contamination of agricultural and horticultural land through the existing use of fertilisers, agrichemicals and timber treatment preservatives.

Human health vs. ecosystem health (5)

Lack of guidance and unclear delineation between human heath and ecosystem health is causing inconsistency between councils and practitioners

National Environmental Standards (NESs) (4)

Concerns about the use of a National Environmental Standard

Inconsistent plans and variable practice (4)

Variable and inconsistent district and regional plans.

Inconsistent practice by councils in how they use guidance, assess and control land

Note: Number in () is the number of workshops this theme was raised in.

Table 2 Workshop key themes and issues – full summary

View full summary of the workshop key themes and issues (large table)

Last updated: 17 September 2007