Christchurch local government meeting
Wednesday 1 November
Waste policy
Hazardous waste management
- What are the criteria for funding the cleanup of agrichemicals?
- Councils are still collecting agrichemicals and adding to stockpiles.
- The figures in Boots ‘n’ All in relation to agrichemical collection were under reported, for example in Canterbury 110 tonnes of agrichemical waste was collected. ECAN has accurate figures for all of Canterbury for waste. Waste to landfill is increasing in Christchurch and in Canterbury. More than 85% of the region has access to curb side recycling.
- Please reinstate the grant to Canterbury councils for agricultural chemicals collection. The withdrawal of funding had a huge effect. Councils pay for the collection and the MfE money is for disposal. Instead of collecting 35 tonnes this year, the Council is only collecting the 13 tonnes that it can afford to ship for disposal. 70% of what is collected has to be sent overseas for disposal.
- The sheep dip guidelines give contradictory messages in relation to the Waste Strategy (in terms of contaminated land).
- Boots ‘n’ All is misleading when it states that “most hazardous waste goes to landfill”. This is not the case in Canterbury where only hazardous waste that is treated is dispersed to landfill. There are no landfills in Canterbury that are licensed to accept hazardous wastes.
Waste levy
- There is support for a landfill levy.
Recycling, reuse and community
- Glass is being stockpiled at Terra Nova. Various uses for recycled glass are being trialled, for example roading and sand blasting.
- $2 million of waste funding is lost annually. Many things will not happen as a result.
- The stockpile of tyres is seasonal. They are taken for covering silage pits. There is also a mobile tyre chopping machine that visits and the chopped tyres then go into the landfill.
- Partnerships between MfE and regional councils are really important.
Institutions and legislation
- Other parties that had the potential to be affected did not know that they could put in a submission on the Waste Minimisation (Solids) Bill, for example private landfill owners. There was a lack of communication.
The New Zealand Waste Strategy
- The Waste Strategy targets and timeframes for contaminated sites need to be reviewed. The targets are not correct.
- Targets (e.g. what councils are doing) are difficult to measure against the Waste Strategy.
Construction and demolition waste
- Up-to-date information should be available on treated wood, including what it is treated with and what can be done to safely dispose of it.
- Any opportunity councils can have to put in submissions towards the Building Code would be beneficial.
- What are the standards for composting in general in regards to construction and demolition waste e.g. plasterboard and gypsum?
- Christchurch City Council is considering a bylaw banning dumping of concrete into clean fill sites.
General comments
- It would be good to have figures on region-by-region waste disposal. Christchurch data does not suggest a downwards trend.
- The Parliamentary Commission for the Environment is collecting data.
National Environmental Standards
Water
- Environment Canterbury water needs to be treated once in the pipes to get “A” classification. There is concern that people will want water treated when it does not need to be.
- Educate people about the classification system. People do not want chemicals added to water. In isolated areas where people have to live on tank water, UV systems can be used. There is concern about the costs to smaller communities of the Ministry of Health standard.
- Parts of the PDP drinking water catchment deliberation document were rubbish e.g. the discussion about beetroot/corned beef and nitrate.
Air quality
- The National Environmental Standard on air quality has been a good tool to focus attention on air quality but it is too hard to meet by 2013. Timaru District Council sees 2015 as not achievable. Environment Canterbury is very concerned at the consequences of the standard for industry. A maximum of one exceedance is not realistic. The straight line path is too hard. Local government is unhappy that central government has not provided financial assistance and feels they are being set up to fail. The economic message is publicised but there is no talk about the importance of the standards for public health.
- There is concern about the testing regime. There are real issues with the Australian/New Zealand Standard 4013 as it can not cope with smart burn technologies and catalytic converters.
- Local government want guidance on offsets. They are nice in theory but hard to do in practice.
General comments
- Historically an electricity transmission standard and a standard for contaminated sites were seen as very important. When can we have the policy framework document? Concern was expressed over consultation about Guideline No. 4. the final stage seemed to fall over.
- Timaru District Council really likes the RMA everyday guide. Environment Canterbury also likes the way it provides answers to the problems. There was a call for more solutions to be publicised so that all councils do not have to re-invent the wheel on their own.
- The Contaminated Land Sector Group and the National Air Quality Working Group (NAQWG) are examples of forums for information sharing. Can the Ministry advertise web-based forums to assist with information sharing?
- MfE needs to meet the timeframes in the applicants guide for responding to applications for SMF funding. One applicant spent four months waiting on a decision.
Water
Climate change
- Information about the effects of climate change on New Zealand needs to be extrapolated and disseminated.
Land use
- Enforcement issues are important.
- The issue for Christchurch is how to protect the groundwater that provides the city’s water supply. Compensation will be needed to buy out land owners.
- The RMA is so enabling that it is hard to negate the perspective that people have a right to change their land use.
- There is a need for more integration between the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and district plans.
- Stronger support is needed for central government to advocate rules that prevent changes of land use. This needs to be balanced with expectations about property rights.
Flood risk management and catchment management
- What has the government learnt from the Manawatu and Whakatane floods?
- Somewhere there needs to be a document that backs up “no-go” areas. These need to be shown on the title, LIMS, and PIS. This need to be strengthened in the RMA.
- Maori are concerned that planning has meant that they cannot develop their land further. Maori want compensation and alternative opportunities if they are unable to develop their land.
- There is dissatisfaction with the process used to determine flood hazard areas. The process resulted in inequitable trade offs.
- Funding and affordability is a huge issue. Smaller catchments cannot afford the physical works required.
- Best practice guidance is needed on stormwater quality, including identifying storm water treatment solutions and outlining what different options offer.
- Councils cannot afford to compensate for esplanade strips. We need to determine the appropriate level of compensation.
- More money is needed for riparian management and community initiatives.
- Buffer areas are being eroded.
Education and information
- Education should focus on water as a resource.
Climate change
Transport
- Dependence on petroleum for transport is a big concern. New Zealand should be a leader in finding alternatives. We must not let big business win. New Zealand can produce some portion of biofuels. We should be doing more.
- Sweden has put forward a “Zero Emission” plan for one of its cities.
- It is not economic to grow rape seed for biofuel.
- The development of public transport needs to be encouraged.
- The rail system is a national disgrace. A shift is needed from road to rail, but is this going to happen?
- It is to our advantage to introduce disincentives to discourage road transport.
Adaptation and mitigation
- It is very hard to reduce emissions while decisions are still constrained by the RMA and are overturned in the Environment Court.
- Carbon dioxide from certain sources could be classed as a toxin.
- The issue at the moment is cumulative effects. It is hard to prove that they occur and to get them through Court.
- Urban form is an area the central government backs away from. They could get more involved e.g. by setting a standard.
- In other countries (e.g. EU) sustainable development is linked to urban form and public transport. We need engagement from all people.
- Deforestation is a big issue in Canterbury, followed by conversion to dairy.
- Is it wise to continue producing ethanol and selling it overseas?
- Nuclear energy should be back on the radar screen again.
- Adaptation is an issue that needs to be considered more widely than just at MfE.
- Some coastal areas should not be developed. In some areas impacts are accelerating. We cannot wait for IPCC to narrow the margin of error.
- A national decree is needed about where development can and cannot occur.
- Common sense policies are already being implemented because they make good sense.
- Regional councils have an important role in adaptation projects.
- There are good reports out there, there seems however to be a gap with regard to biodiversity.
- New Zealand has a key role in the Pacific.
- What is our role going to be with regard to displaced people?
- New Zealand will require a paradigm shift in attitudes toward lifestyle blocks and independent living. Can MfE and central government have a role to help rein in unsuitable development?
- The Environment Court is overturning decisions based on the RMA amendments.
- There is increasing certainty that climate change is real and happening.
- In Canterbury there is a huge problem with settlements such as Pegasus resulting in increased road congestion.
- Pegasus was lost in Environment Court because the ECAN statements included references to greenhouse gases and oil, and this was overturned because of the RMA amendment. Local government does not have the tools from central government to fight these battles in the Environment Court.
- If we lose our clean green image (with respect to climate change) then our economy will suffer if the overseas market shifts somewhere else.
- An amendment to Section 6 of the RMA to require a reduction in emissions would be a possible solution. This is a matter of national importance.
- A national policy statement would help decision making.
Education and information
- We need to increase the certainty that climate change is real at all levels through education, information and research.
- The documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” has shown that “scare tactics” can have a profound effect on the public and general opinion.
- The information on adaptation on the MfE website has been really helpful. The droughts and floods reports are excellent.
- Guidance is needed on sea level rise and coastal erosion, including information on setbacks etc.
- Marketing and education is needed to help people take the impacts of climate change seriously. Acceptance by public makes the job of councils much easer.
Environmental reporting
General comments
- Reporting needs to be accessible. It should be appropriate to the audience and have impact.
- People are interested in getting access to information.
- There is concern that mentoring does not link to improved decision making.
- There are gaps in the information we are collecting.
- Should reporting contain information on how policy is responding to monitoring data?
- A sense of ownership of environmental/sustainability issues needs to be instilled early. Access to good information makes this possible.
- Reporting on air pollution needs to cover all emissions across the spectrum.
- There is concern that environmental information is not taken into account in decision-making.
ENZ07
- Link the content of the report to everyday analogies.
- Does the report pick up on demographics? i.e. industry such as tourism and its associated pressures.
- Integration of information from other central government agencies is important to give a full picture of the pressures.
- How do you create ownership? Can a report do this?
- There is frustration that advances in technology are not supported and taken up by central government.
- The report needs to set a direction forward and propose an action plan.
- The report should lack bias and stand up to questioning and peer review.
- The report should contain messages about trends and future implications.
- Reporting on changes in biodiversity distribution. There is focus on “iconic” species. The focus needs to widen.
- There has been too long a gap between reports. A maximum of 5 years would be better.
- The report should contain information on what we are doing well and what we are doing badly, as well as action plans for the future.
- The report must suit the target audience.
- Identify options in the report as well as possible solutions.
- Quality information is needed to “sell the story”.
Last updated: 27 February 2008
