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Part A – Strategy [4.5]

Foreword [optional]

This section is usually written by either the Mayor or the Chief Executive Officer, or another sponsor of the WMMP. It often emphasises the key points of the plan and shows the council’s commitment to provide waste management and minimisation in the district that not only meet legislative requirements but also the community’s demand for services and infrastructure in order to achieve the plan’s goals, objectives and targets.

Acknowledgements and references [optional]

A list of those who contributed to the research and drafting of the WMMP document appears here. This section may also refer to key printed material and websites that were used in drafting the plan or that may provide amplification of specific parts of the WMMP.

Executive summary [optional]

An executive summary provides a brief synopsis of the content of the WMMP. Depending on what is included in the foreword/introduction this may not be required. The executive summary may be part of the final plan, including a summary of the waste problem, goals, objectives, targets, key waste streams, current processes for managing waste and generally what the council proposes for future management of waste and waste minimisation. The executive summary could be used to inform the LTCCP activity statement for waste in providing for the LGA 2002 requirement that the LTCCP include a summary of the WMMP.

1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the plan

This sub-section explains the purpose of the plan, what it is and the need/requirement for it, including specific references to the WMA.

1.2 Scope of plan [4.2.1]

Here the types of waste and diverted materials that are considered within the plan are outlined. Consideration should be given not only to waste and diverted materials controlled by the council but also those that are not. Councils should consider all waste in the district, including solid waste, but also potentially some liquid and gaseous wastes. Generally liquid and gaseous wastes that are containerised for collection and disposal to landfill will fall within the scope of consideration in the WMMP.

Note: ‘Consideration’ does not mean that all waste and diverted materials will necessarily be fully addressed in the plan, but that these wastes have been considered and the level to which they are addressed is explained in the WMMP. [See WMMP guidance document section 3.1.].

1.3 Current status of plan

This should clearly state the status (draft or final), the term of the waste management plan/WMMP and the date on which it was adopted. A statement should be made as to whether this is a review of a current plan or a new draft or adopted/final plan. Inclusion of this item was recommended by the Office of the Auditor General.

1.4 When plan is to be reviewed [4.8.3]

This should state the intended timeframe for review. It is a requirement of the WMA (s 50) that TAs review their current waste management plan by 1 July 2012 and then at least every six years. Any review of the plan must be preceded by a waste assessment under s 51. A particular review may not lead to changes in the current WMMP. The need for a review may also be triggered by the monitoring and evaluation processes of a current WMMP.

2 Vision, goals, objectives and targets [4.3]

2.1 Vision for the future [4.3.1]

Taken together, the vision, goals, objectives and targets form the high-level strategy of your WMMP. The completion of the situation review phase provides a good opportunity to consider the council’s preliminary vision and goals as part of developing the high-level strategy component of the WMMP.

A vision is described as the aspiration that is desired, or ‘where you want to be’. For example, a number of councils have adopted a vision of ‘towards zero waste to landfill’, which is the aspirational vision of the NZWS.

2.2 Goals, objectives and targets [4.3.1][4.3.2]

Most good management plans include goals, objectives and targets (as well as actions aimed at achieving them; see Part B − Action Plan). Councils may wish to identify in this section how these objectives were determined, such as criteria for prioritising waste streams or issues, or other broad policy outcomes and/or desired community outcomes. Councils with agreed regional priorities, objectives or targets may wish to signal these here.

Goals describe what the council wants to achieve through its WMMP. These may be drawn from the council’s core community outcomes, developed during the WMMP process itself, or a

combination of these. For example, the NZWS and the WMA have three core goals underpinning their vision:

  • to lower the costs and risks of waste to society

  • to reduce environmental damage and harm caused by waste generation and disposal

  • to increase economic benefit by using material resources more efficiently.

After determining the overall vision and goals, an accompanying set of objectives can be identified that establishes the specific strategies and policies to support the achievement of
the goals.

Quantifiable targets are important because they provide a clear and measurable way to determine how well the council is achieving its goals. Targets should aim to be ‘SMART’ (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely). Councils may have one or multiple numeric targets, such as for different waste streams.

Councils may also wish to state any relevant guiding principles or policies in this section.

2.3 Council’s intended role [3.4][4.4.5]

The council’s role in waste management is driven and enabled by legislative requirements and should be clearly stated in its WMMP, as indicated in the waste assessment. For example, if a council intends to promote ‘towards zero waste’ through active service provision, or if it wants to allow private industry to provide services and take a less active role, this should be indicated. The council’s statement of its role should be relevant to its vision, goals, objectives and targets in terms of how the council will address future demand for waste and waste minimisation services.

2.4 Public health protection [3.4][4.4.4]

In this sub-section the council should make a summary statement of the level to which public health is protected by the WMMP. This should be summarised from the waste assessment.

3 Policies, plans and regulation [2.2][2.3][3.5][4.5.3]

3.1 Summary of guiding policies, plans and legislation that affect the WMMP

When preparing the WMMP, the council should consider national, regional and local strategies, policies and plans that have an impact on the WMMP. These may include the NZWS, the WMA, any product stewardship legislation, performance standards, national environmental standards, regional policy statements, the LTCCP, and any local bylaws that support the goals of the WMMP.

A summary of these should be listed, with concise comments on their relevance to the WMMP. We recognise that this list is a summary only, and it is included to provide public reference to these documents. Details of how they were specifically considered should be included in the waste assessment attached to the WMMP, and therefore should already be incorporated into the draft plan.

3.2 Considerations [3.3][3.4][4.3.2][4.4]

There is a distinction in the WMA between what needs to be provided for in a WMMP and what must be considered or given regard to. The WMA (s 44) gives specific requirements for preparing, amending or revoking a WMMP that are necessary (eg, consideration of the waste hierarchy, ensuring protection against nuisance, regard for the NZWS, and regard to the most recent waste assessment undertaken by the council). This sub-section can discuss in general terms how considerations have been made and/or how regard has been given to these issues/documents, and may refer to any further documentation/details to support and demonstrate this. In some cases specific information about particular considerations, such as NZWS targets, may form part of the Action Plan in Part B and can be referenced here.

4 The waste problem [4.2]

4.1 Summary of the volume and/or composition of waste or diverted materials [4.2]

This sub-section should contain a brief summary of the more detailed information contained in the waste assessment, as obtained from the situation review. This idea of this summary is to inform the reader of the tonnage, composition, source and types of waste and diverted materials in the district, based on the data available. The summary should include both the current waste and diverted materials situation, along with future predictions based on forecasting. The data provided should be as directly relevant to the targets of section 5.2 as possible. Information can be depicted in a short paragraph and/or depicted graphically (eg, through the use of a pie chart).

4.2 Overview of existing waste management and minimisation infrastructure and services [4.2]

This sub-section should include an overview of the existing waste management and minimisation facilities and services in the district, including landfills (open and closed), transfer stations and resource recovery centres, collection services, education and behaviour change programmes, and whether they are council activities or provided by others. It should be supported by information about their ability to cope with the identified waste streams and diverted materials. This information should be available in the council’s activity / asset management plan and from the waste assessment. This sub-section is not expected to replicate these documents, but to provide a concise summary of them.

4.3 Summary of district-specific issues [4.2.3]

Any particular issues or challenges facing the district should be highlighted. These will have been identified during the situation assessment phase. Examples may include:

  • limitations on collecting data within the district

  • district growth

  • provision of affordable services to accommodate peak seasonal demand

  • current or planned future facilities (eg, planned closure of waste disposal sites and how service continuity will be provided)

  • issues associated with the council’s WMMP objectives and targets.

5 Proposed methods for achieving effective and efficient waste management and minimisation [4.4]

Section 5 is likely to be necessary in a draft WMMP for consultation. The information contained in it would be drawn from the waste assessment. Where there are significant changes in services being considered, this section will draw specific attention to the options review information and any statements of proposal arising from the waste assessment process. Consultation drafts are likely to have more detailed information than a final WMMP. This section may be removed or shortened to highlight the key aspects/preferences that will be reflected in the Action Plan in Part B.

5.1 Summary of key waste and diverted material streams and how they are currently managed [4.2.2]

As part of the draft consultation document and final WMMP, the key waste and diverted material streams (as identified in the situation review and documented in the waste assessment) should be identified and an explanation provided as to how this identification has been arrived at, such as the criteria used.

Information about the current processes for managing these waste and diverted material streams should also be summarised. Where a product or waste stream has also been identified by the Ministry for the Environment as a national ‘priority product’, this should be indicated, including the council’s relationship to any accredited product stewardship scheme.

5.2 Options for the future [4.4]

In assessing the options for the future provision of waste and waste minimisation infrastructure and services, the council needs to undertake technical and operational assessments which will be

detailed within the waste assessment. A summary of the options assessment should be provided. This may include:

  • the benefits and costs of an option in relation to the present and future social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of the district

  • the effects of using waste levy funds for waste minimisation on any existing waste minimisation services, facilities or activities, either provided by the council or by others

  • a summary of proposed future waste infrastructure and/or services (eg, statements of proposal, including indicative cost information and funding sources)

  • clear identification of any changes to levels of service

  • explanation of how these preferred options will address demand and contribute to the council’s goals and targets.

6 Funding the plan [4.5.4] [4.7.1]

Funding support for the implementation of a WMMP is critical to its success. The WMA (s 43) requires that a council include information in the WMMP about how implementation of the plan will be funded, along with information on any grants made and expenditure of levy funds. This is important to ensure the council allocates the resources necessary to implement the actions of the plan.

6.1 How the implementation of the plan is to be funded [4.5.4] [4.7.1]

Your WMMP must state how the plan will be funded. This section should include a summary of how council intends to generally fund its plan (eg, mechanisms such as rates, user fees, local levies, waste levy funding, other contestable funding, sponsorship, etc).

Cost indications for various options need to be considered in the draft WMMP and provided to allow for input and consideration. Detailed cost information is not recommended for the WMMP as this information is updated annually, is subject to fluctuations, and may be commercially sensitive.

Some actions in the WMMP can be unfunded as long as an indication is given of the anticipated source of the funding and the timing of an expected decision on the funding of the service or programme. The information in section 6 of the WMMP is expected to be of a general nature, with more specific information on funding of specific actions to be included in the Action Plan, as explained in Part B of this sample outline.

6.2 Grants and advances of monies [4.7.1] [optional – as relevant]

The council has the ability under the WMA (s 47) to make grants to any person, organisation or group for the purposes of promoting waste management and minimisation, as long as this is authorised by the WMMP. If the council intends to provide any such grants, the terms and conditions for this must be explained in the WMMP (s 43). The frame of reference for grants should also be noted in Part B, the Action Plan.

6.3 Waste minimisation levy funding expenditure [4.5.4][4.7.1]

The WMA requires that all waste levy funding received by a TA be spent on waste minimisation activities in accordance with the council’s WMMP. The plan must therefore state how these funds are to be spent. Waste levy funds can be spent on existing waste minimisation services, new services or a combination of both. The funding can be used to provide grants, to support contract costs or as infrastructure capital.

The council has flexibility in the timing and manner in which waste levy funds are utilised. Funds can be pooled with other TAs, or pooled for several years to use for infrastructure development, as long as this use is provided for and explained in the WMMP.

Funding can be withheld by the Minister for the Environment if a council cannot demonstrate funding is being used for waste minimisation activities in accordance with its WMMP, or the council has not adopted a WMMP, or if the plan is not reviewed in accordance with the WMA requirements.

7 Monitoring and reporting progress [4.8][4.9]

This section outlines how the WMMP will be monitored and progress reported. These sub-sections should be linked to the council’s LTCCP and should be relevant to the goals, objectives and targets outlined in the WMMP.

7.1 Monitoring [4.8.1][4.8.2]

The WMMP should state how progress towards the council’s goals and targets will be monitored. Some types of monitoring activities may need to be addressed in the WMMP Part B, the Action Plan, to ensure they are supported (eg, the collection and reporting of waste data may require more resource-intensive means such as the Solid Waste Analysis Protocol, resource consent conditions, as well as bylaws, to support the monitoring requirements).

Examples of monitoring tools include the Solid Waste Analysis Protocol, customer surveys, submissions to the annual plan or LTCCP, measurements of the quantities of waste and diverted materials (such as on a per capita basis), and monitoring trends over time. Councils may also refer to national data and monitoring data for national targets.

7.2 Reporting [4.9]

This section should advise how the council proposes to report progress on the WMMP implementation. Reporting as a requirement of legislation (WMA Part 6, s 86) and/or regulation should be incorporated into the council’s annual report as part of the LTCCP and annual plan processes.

 

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