Landfill Full Cost Accounting Guide for New Zealand

Acknowledgements

Preface

1 Introduction

2 Current Overseas and New Zealand Practice

3 Legislative Framework

4 Landfill Full Cost Accounting

5 Model Input Parameters

6 Income Streams

7 Model User Guide

8 Expanding the Model: Other Waste Management System Costs

9 Illegal Dumping

Glossary

References

Appendix A: Landfill FCA Model - Overview, Structure and Algorithm Flowcharts

Appendix B: Landfill FCA Model Input Costs - Default Values

Appendix C: FCA Landfill Model - Description of Costs not included in the Model

Appendix D: Financial Assurance

Appendix E: Typical Example - District Landfill Site

Appendix F: Landfill FCA Model - Blank Copies of Worksheets

9 Illegal Dumping

Sometimes changing from a low-cost gate rate to one reflecting full cost can result in significant increases in the gate rate. This increases the risk of illegal dumping occurring, and TLA managers in particular need to consider the risk, implications and prevention methods required to overcome this problem.

Illegal dumping is disposal of waste in an unauthorised or non-dedicated area. If not addressed, illegal dumps often attract more dumping. The health risks of illegal dumping can be significant, and the costs to local government of cleaning up illegal dump sites can be significant.

9.1 Preventing illegal dumping

Programmes need to be specific and targeted. Successful programmes are founded on:

• leadership and support of local government
• co-operation among authorities, community, and industry
• an integrated approach
• publicising success.

The principal tools are:

• maintenance and control of existing or historical dump sites or locations
• community involvement
• targeted enforcement
• programme monitoring.

We will now look at each of these tools in detail.

9.2 Site maintenance and control

Clean-up projects require a co-ordinated effort. Local government and community groups can assist in landscaping and aesthetic improvements. Sites must be cleaned up before health and safety hazards develop, and a plan must be developed to remove any dumped materials and keep sites clean.

Many illegal dumping areas continue to experience problems after being cleaned up. Signs, lighting and barriers can be used to reduce or eliminate continued dumping in a given area. In addition, a plan needs to be in place to maintain the dump area and remove any materials that are dumped.

9.3 Community involvement

9.3.1 Community programmes

Community programmes established to organise special waste clean-up events and support community-oriented policing can be effective in tackling illegal dumping problems. Many regional councils and city or district councils (including Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City Council, Canterbury Regional Council, Christchurch City Council) have programmes in place.

The focus of any community involvement should be to teach residents:

• what can be done to prevent illegal dumping
• how and why they should get involved
• who to contact for assistance or to report an incident.

In some communities, organised community groups serve as the main catalyst for resident involvement and information exchange. Organised events (clean-up days) to collect and properly dispose of illegally dumped materials involve resources provided by the council and industry and the efforts of local residents and interested parties.

9.3.2 Education

The most important component of a successful illegal dumping programme is public education. However, information and education programmes are only effective when the behaviour of the targeted audience is changed and then sustained at the desirable level.

An effective information and education programme involves:

• targeting the audience
• keeping the message simple
• communication
• feedback and monitoring
• ensuring adequate resources are available.

9.4 Targeted enforcement

The critical element of effective enforcement consists of ordinances or bylaws that regulate waste management and prohibit illegal dumping. Ordinances/ bylaws must be effective and tailored to meet specific needs. Council officers must then have the proper authority to conduct surveillance, inspections, and investigations as well as sufficient resources to undertake their tasks.

9.5 Programme monitoring

Tracking and evaluation should be used to measure the impact of illegal dumping prevention efforts and to determine whether the goals of the programme are being met. Baseline data must be established for indicators such as annual clean-up costs, facility compliance, fine collection, convictions, complaints, and numbers and locations of problem sites.