Skip to main content.

Whangarei local government meeting

20 October 2005

National Environmental Standards

Drinking water

  • There are lots of permitted activities in the Northland region. National Environmental Standards are the incentive that Northland Regional Council needs to take action up there. Rules in the plans regarding discharges are currently very permissive (promoting development).
  • We do not have sufficient resources to implement National Environmental Standards. We have 150 catchments in the region and not all of them are on the Ministry of Health register.
  • We believe we will improve water quality in Northland. 174 community suppliers are on the Ministry of Health register for Northland. There are probably another 25 not known of and maybe more because of generous permitted activity rules in the regional plan.
  • 100 people might be a better threshold than 25 people.- for what?
  • Why was consultation on National Environmental Standards not run in Auckland? It was too far away.

Air quality

  • High volume air sampling, midnight to midnight, is not practical as the filter needs to be changed in the middle of the night.
  • Dusty roads are the main issue for air quality in Northland. PM10 exceeds 50 mg/m3. We are thinking of monitoring PM10 with increasing distance from the road to demonstrate the effect of the road. We want a PM10 annual standard.
  • With regards to SO2, we have one old monitor though we are expecting to get a new one. Refinery monitors comply with the consent limit for SO2. Also there is a fertiliser factory nearby that is the main source of SO2.
  • Carbon Monoxide in the main city centre has not been monitored as there is no money or equipment yet.
  • In Northland people cannot afford to buy new, environmentally-friendly cars and have no alternative but to use cars.
  • People ring the regional councils for advice about wood burners but the Northland Regional Council advises them to look at the MFE website. Wood burners might be permitted but wet wood will not burn effectively and causes emissions.

Contaminated land

  • Contaminated land issues seem to get side-stepped in Northland. Issues are getting handed back between territorial local authorities and regional councils who are still trying to get their head around RMA amendments regarding contaminated sites.
  • The Northland Regional Council still has not got to grips with how to assess and manage off-site migration and the impacts of contaminated sites.

Waste

Waste minimisation

  • There is government pressure on manufacturers to reduce packaging.
  • We need to minimise the waste stream, especially packaging waste.

Recycling, reuse and community

  • Transport costs make recycling and waste disposal difficult in the Far North.
  • Are there any financial incentive schemes for recyclers to solve the lack of recycling in the Far North?
  • There is interest surrounding the re-use of tyres and rubber in the Far North.

General comments

  • We would like to see more ‘waste to energy’ initiatives.
  • The Far North District Council is particularly interested in this matter.
  • There needs to be more sustained public awareness campaigns about environmental issues. The public need to be educated about resources that are running out.
  • We need to legislate more rather than have voluntary schemes.

Last updated: 17 September 2007