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Agrichemicals

The Ministry for the Environment has recently completed its fifth year of a national programme for improving how New Zealand disposes of unwanted agricultural chemicals (agrichemicals).

Since 2003 more than 378 tonnes of agrichemicals have been collected and removed from New Zealand’s rural areas. Approximately 80% of these agrichemicals have been intractable, requiring high temperature incineration as disposal. The remainder of this material has been treated and disposed of in New Zealand. The removal of this volume of material shows the programme has been very successful.

To date the programme has cost $3.5 million. In February 2006 the Ministry produced a report which outlined the volume of intractable agrichemicals remaining on rural properties in New Zealand. This report showed that as at 30 June 2006 there were approximately 175 tonnes of intractable agrichemicals remaining in New Zealand. In March 2006 the Minister for the Environment extended the agrichemical programme for a further three years, with a budget of $1.5 million. This programme has one year left to run and will end in June 2009.

The aim of the programme is to address the historical legacy of unnecessary, and in some cases unsafe, storage of unwanted or old agrichemicals on rural properties. For one further year we will continue supporting a number of regional agrichemical collections to get rid of unwanted agrichemicals.

Further free disposal of rural hazardous wastes

The Ministry for the Environment will continue working with regional councils to remove unwanted, old or obsolete agrichemicals until June 2009.

The Ministry is committed to reducing the amount of unwanted agrichemicals sitting around on properties in rural New Zealand.

Some of these chemicals may be stored in leaking, damaged or unlabelled containers. Some may have lost their effectiveness, or have been banned from use.

Leaking chemical containers can poison waterways, soil and groundwater. Storing hazardous wastes on land where food is produced, or where children and animals can come into contact with them, is a risk we can't afford.

Most of the chemicals can only be safely disposed of by specialist hazardous waste handlers.

The clean-up aims to help rural property owners safely dispose of unwanted chemicals and hazardous wastes.

Collections undertaken 2003-2008

Over the past five years significant volumes of agrichemicals have been removed.  The table below shows the volume of intractable and New Zealand treatable agrichemicals removed.

Region Intractables disposed 2003–2008 (tonnes) NZ disposable agrichemicals treated/disposed
2003-2008 (tonnes)
Northland
19.6
5.7
Auckland
2.0
0
Waikato
18.6
3.9
Bay of Plenty
11.4
7.5
Gisborne
5.2
2.1
Hawke’s Bay
12.6
5.7
Taranaki
2.6
2.2
Manawatu–Wanganui
17
4.3
Wellington
2.7
1
Tasman
12.3
0.5
Marlborough
26.2
5.2
West Coast
7.8
0.6
Canterbury
125.3
17.7
Otago
22.4
4.5
Southland
29.5
2.4
Total
315.20
63.3

Regions considered clear of intractable agrichemicals

A number of regions are now considered clear of intractable agrichemicals – that is, they have very low levels of intractable agrichemicals remaining on rural properties. The Ministry thanks those regions listed below, for the considerable time and effort they have invested in removing intractable agrichemicals:

  • Northland
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Gisborne
  • Hawkes Bay
  • Taranaki
  • Manawatu-Wanganui
  • Tasman
  • Nelson
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Southland.

Further partnerships with regional councils

Until June 2009, the Ministry will continue to work with regional councils to ensure most, if not all, regions become clear of intractable agrichemicals.  Each collection will run for a limited time. Following the clean-up, a long-term solution to safely and effectively dispose of agrichemicals will be developed to ensure we don't again end up with a legacy of unwanted agrichemicals sitting around on rural properties.

Collections have been confirmed in the following regions for 2008-2009:

  • Auckland region
    Contact Brent Evans, phone 09 366 2000
  • Waikato region
    Contact Michelle Begbie, phone 07 859 0510
  • Wellington region
    Contact Naomi Middleton, phone 04 801 1024
  • Canterbury region
    Contact Darren Paterson, phone 03 365 3828
  • Otago region
    Contact Lyndon Taylor, phone 03 474 0827

Safety tips

To help protect your family, friends, property and the environment see safety tips for handling, storing and transporting hazardous substances.

More information

For more information see questions and answers about the agrichemical collection. You can also email special-wastes@mfe.govt.nz.

Last updated: 15 July 2008