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Palmerston North public meeting

Thursday 9 November

Waste policy

Recycling, reuse and community

  • National policies on recycling are needed.
  • The problem is that if landfills are cheap and convenient, the public will continue to use them.
  • Success and good news stories around sustainable building should be promoted in regions, including publicising the builders and businesses that are doing sustainable buildings.
  • MfE can and should facilitate the relationships between community and business.
  • There was a fund for communities to deal with wastewater but this has been stopped.  Funding needs to be available so communities can work with local government to find solutions to waste issues.

Education and information

  • Public education is important to promote good behaviour in relation to waste (i.e.: recycling) and to promote the solutions.
  • Support should be provided for different regions in the district to specialise in dealing with different wastes, and then co-operate to deal with waste management as a whole.
  • Communication on waste management is important, including promoting, educating, and communicating waste management solutions to the public and local government.
  • Solutions to waste management are available from overseas.  New Zealand does not need to re-invent the wheel.
  • New Zealand should learn more from other countries.  Technical solutions are available.  Communicating these solutions is a problem.  Lack of promotion limits uptake.
  • It is important to share good news stories as they show that people can do it.

General comments

  • The Sustainable Management Fund (SMF) needs to provide funding for longer than 12 months.
  • How is it possible that waste going to landfill is stabilising given the population increase and the increase of packaging waste? It was noted that recycling activity has increased in New Zealand.
  • There is concern that fly-tipping and tips on farms are left out of statistics on the amount of waste going to landfills.
  • A Resource Recovery Facility is being set up in Levin.  A gate fee will be charged to the public to cover for set up costs.
  • There are obstacles to recovering construction and demolition waste.  Problems with time pressure mean people do not recycle construction and demolition waste and it is sent to landfills.  There needs to be an easy way to separate waste so it is not all tipped into one bin.  There is a lack of facilities to easily sort waste. 
  • There is concern about the impact of big business on waste management, for example pressuring local government and giving incentives to use particular waste management solutions.
  • A national approach is needed to waste solutions.
  • Big business and local government need to work together to find the best solutions for waste management in the regions.
  • The waste system is complex.  What are the big things we can do?  What should be our priority issues to tackle going forward?
  • More support is wanted for innovative solutions for waste.
  • Networks are important ways of finding solutions.  MfE should provide fora and networks to combine community, industry, council and others to discuss waste.

National environmental standards

Wind turbines

  • There is a lack of national standards and guidance on the locations of turbines.  Turbines should be distributed (EECA recommendation) rather than clustered. This would reduce needs for transmission.
  • Should wind turbines be allowed in reserves?  The location of turbines in national parks and reserves could create a possible precedent.
  • On farms wind turbines should not be located near houses.  There should be standards on the distance of turbines from houses.  In the UK turbines must be 1.6km from homes.  In the US medical experts say they should be 2.5km from homes and can have impacts up to 4km away.
  • Wind turbines should be located to maximise the benefits to the nation and the economy, not for the benefit of power companies and farmers.
  • District plans should identify a zone for wind turbines so landowners know what to expect when they purchase land.
  • Everyone agrees wind farms are beneficial and recognise the contribution they make to national electricity supply.  The issues are the location of turbines and the noise they create.  A setback distance is needed.
  • Where do we put turbines so the community and environment are protected?
  • Suggest zoning so purchasers know that turbines could be located their in future
  • Buffer zones/setback limit are recommended
  • We need to follow international trends not only in putting in technology (i.e. turbines) but also on location differences.  Standards are being developed in other countries (especially Europe), we should follow these.
  • Turbines should be spread around to supply small communities.
  • Wind turbines need a back up power supply (80% back up from another source).  This puts too much pressure on other sources.
  • The current noise standard (40DB) not appropriate, especially at night.
  • Turbines should be located away from houses (e.g. in the ranges or on large distant farms).
  • New Zealand conditions are too windy for many turbines.  We need to look at appropriate technology for New Zealand conditions.
  • Development should be prohibited in forest parks but not on boundaries or edges of parks (e.g. South Ruahine, Tararua Ranges).
  • National guidelines are needed for regional/district councils to guide decisions on wind turbines.

Water

  • The downstream effects of activities need to be considered as rivers passes through regions and out to sea.  Actions in the southern Hawkes Bay affect the Horowhenua coast.
  • Consent applicants should not be allowed to take advantage of gains by another applicant e.g. upgrading STP allowed Fonterra to take advantage of improved water quality, thus Fonterra did not need to upgrade their own premises.
  • Iwi are concerning about the protection of environment, particularly kaimoana.  Consider kaimoana and kai awa in decisions relating to water quality.
  • The Manawatu River carries bacteria and pollutants to shellfish beds at Foxton. 
  • Iwi are concerned about excessive allocation of ground water.
  • There is a lack of standards for freshwater.
  • Standards should allow for a gradual improvement in water quality.
  • Do not allow the benefits of an individual process/ upgrade to be offset by ongoing discharges of others.
  • If riparian strips had been put in place 30 years ago (e.g. a 1/2 km wide strip around rivers and lakes) we would not be having problem we are now having with water quality.
  • Water should be charged for to prevent over use.

Air quality

  • More effort is wanted to bring vehicle emissions under control.  Not enough is being done.
  • A loophole in the NES regulation allows open fires to still be used.  There has been an excessive focus on wood burners because these are seen as being easier to control.  There are implications for wood burner owners.
  • The easy solution is to ban open fires.
  • Wood burners use a natural, renewable resource.  There is recognition that some controls are needed.
  • Wetbacks are a great energy efficiency measure for heating water.  The NES should be relaxed a little to allow for the use of wetbacks, even if this results in a minor (transient) change in efficiency.  This would have big impacts on energy use.  Very few models are sold with wetbacks.
  • Low income families should be subsidised to purchase efficient wood burners.
  • A minor change should be made to the NES to allow wetback use for models that meet the NES.
  • Allow for relaxation of the NES in areas with less of an air quality problem.  There should be tighter controls in places like Taihape where controls on wood burners should be more stringent.
  • Vehicle emissions controls need to be introduced to help solve the problem.
  • Decreasing the speed of cars on the road would lower fuel consumption.
  • Commissioners and RM hearings make decisions that require increased use of fuel (e.g. local road closures divert traffic and require longer travel).
  • More attention needs to be paid to other sources of air pollution that can be controlled, especially vehicle emissions.

General comments

  • Guidelines are needed on phosphorus in soil.  There is concern about the toxicity of elevated levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in soils and plants.  Could an NES be developed for phosphorus and nitrogen in soil?
  • It is disappointing that there is no national waste levy.

Water

Water quality

  • The RMA is only way to try to address water quality but it is difficult and expensive to participate in RMA processes.
  • There is no overnight solution for cleaning up water ways.
  • Provide tax relief and rating relief to encourage planting in riparian areas.
  • Education is important and needs to get to people at the right times.
  • There is a lack of consultation with farmers.
  • Dairy farms need to go back to oxidation ponds as these are better than discharging effluent to land.  Discharges to land have an impact on aquifers.
  • We need to learn from overseas lessons e.g. England.
  • There is a need for information about the benefits of changing farm practices.
  • Community driven initiatives are needed.

Flood risk management and catchment management

  • Information about flooding is available but is not being listened to.
  • Is the information available to the right people e.g. commissioners and planning staff?
  • Personal responsibility is important.
  • It is everyone’s responsibility to fix the problem including land owners, councils, and central government.
  • Urban development has an impact.
  • Effective co-ordination across councils is needed to address development in urban areas across councils.
  • Flood prone areas need to be zoned and no development allowed in these areas.
  • Amalgamating the three councils would help with integrated management.  Efficiencies could be achieved through having one council.
  • Rivers have the capacity to be able to flood.  We cannot control the natural course of rivers.  There should be no development along rivers
  • Plans are superficial and are written in restrictive way.
  • The submission process is taxing.
  • The community needs to look at catchment management and planning and work together.
  • The council has decided to pursue the idea of using Turitea Reserve area for a wind farm.  The wind farm will operate in a water catchment area.
  • More energy efficiency is needed to take pressure off water resources and hydro-generation.
  • We need to focus on catchments and not react to problems.
  • We need to get back to soil conservation.
  • Attitudes are a barrier.  Past government incentives have caused issues.  Government needs to fix up the problems they caused.
  • People have an understanding of catchments, especially for flooding.  More education is needed about how to lessen the impact on other farms downstream from the catchment.
  • Expectations for flood risk need to be managed.  There needs to be honesty about cause and effect.
  • Prior to 1989 government had a strategic role in flood management.  The Regional Council cannot fund flood management on its own.  It needs government funds.  Affordability is an issue for small communities.
  • Government is unprepared for floods.  Better information needs to be provided.  Government has to consider needs beyond the 3 year election cycle.  Hazard mapping is needed but is expensive.
  • There is a lack of strategic planning.  We have to think 50-80 years out.
  • Flood management has channelled rivers too much and this has degraded ecosystems.  The cost and acceptability of returning land to rivers is not palatable to farmers.
  • Look carefully at stop banks.  Are they impeding the connectivity of ecosystems?  The national good needs to be considered.

Land use

  • Inappropriate land use is responsible for water quality issues.
  • Organic farming requires less intensification.
  • Subsidies are provided in Europe to convert to organics, along with education on how to do it.  Britain has provided organic subsidiaries for 20 years.
  • Organics should be promoted in the New Zealand market, as well as overseas markets, in a similar way to how the Fonterra strategy promotes dairy products.
  • We need to pay more attention to soil types and types of land-use.
  • A change in mindset is needed to become less wasteful of products.
  • Sustainable land management incentives are being offered by Horizons Regional Council.  Government should help fund the implementation of this programme.
  • Nutrient budgeting is very important.  Codes of practice are important.  Horizons Regional Council may have to consent farming.  Advocacy is difficult and costly.  Farm plans remodel the way people look at farming and are effective.
  • Carbon sequestration has benefits but is not the only answer.
  • Lots of farmers are creating wetlands and returning small pockets of land to bush.  One-to-one engagement is key but time is an impediment.  Government should assist by providing resources and promoting the tax benefits.
  • People want to do the right thing – but the market is under providing for the environment.
  • There as discussion about nutrient and non-point source discharges from storm water, road runoff and nutrient losses.
  • Central government needs to align science with information needs.
  • A nationally developed model is needed to determine nutrient losses and soil types.  The model must allow for local application.
  • Political will and farmers’ understanding has increased.  A limit on fertiliser application may be imminent.
  • We need national methodology and local solutions.
  • Industry led standards and codes of practice need to be supported by government but they all have to use some model for consistency.

Education and information

  • More national leadership and funding are needed to meet science needs.
  • CRIs are taking too much money from councils.

Climate change

Adaptation and mitigation

  • It is important to integrate farming and forestry.
  • Flooding is a major issue for the region – but also more extreme events such as drought, wind, storms.
  • Now is a good time to act and introduce policies as public perception of climate change is high.
  • Both mitigation and adaptation are needed.
  • We need to adapt not just to climate change, but to the impacts of increased regulations, incentives etc
  • There is concern about the decrease in forest planting since 2004.
  • Carbon credits should go to forest owners.
  • We need to be able to show that active steps are being taken to both mitigate and adapt to changes.
  • More expertise is needed in soil, water and land use issues to enable councils to better assess risk.
  • Now is a good time to act.

General comments

  • There has been a decline in soil and water management expertise.
  • Resourcing of regional councils to invest in climate change work is a big issue.

Education and information

  • Education is important.
  • Ensure communication strategy reaches groups at the ground level.

Environmental reporting

General comments

  • Science behind some of the measurements is difficult as methodologies change.
  • An independent review is required of the data to ensure that it is credible, objective and well balanced and therefore politically neutral.
  • Effective environmental reporting needs to influence environmental outcomes by influencing behaviours.
  • It is important to be able to ‘drill down” and customise data for a regional area or a specific issue.  Statistics NZ is good at this.  The data can be used for making submissions and influencing decisions.
  • Local benchmarking is important and useful.
  • Databases across government need to be integrated.
  • Local decision makers need a credible source of national information.
  • Does MfE use ISO14001 as a quality assurance system?
  • MfE needs to assign an economic value to its reporting.
  • It is important that people can get the information they require quickly via web searching.

ENZ07

  • Will ENZ07 include information about the Treaty of Waitangi?  Is it political? 
  • Information is needed on how data is collected – perhaps in a companion document.
  • Images need to be available and usable.
  • The ecological footprint should be expanded to include carbon.
  • Information is needed at the community level.

General interest

Wind turbines

  • There is an immediate need for a national standard on wind turbines.  Setback limits are needed to deal with the noise and visual impacts of wind turbines.
  • How many windfarms do we need?  Should a national figure be provided?  Should they be distributed evenly across the country/district?
  • Is it about more turbines or less consumption?
  • It was taken for granted that the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges would always be there but now they are being destroyed.
  • If power is being generated locally why is it feeding into the national grid?  Can’t it be retained locally?

Waste

  • We need to focus on incentives for waste management and be proactive.
  • On-going action is required to deal with household waste and the lack of recycling ability in New Zealand.
  • Recycling is based on economics.  Subsidies are needed to encourage producers and manufacturers to reduce packaging.
  • Consider re-introducing refunds for recycling.
  • Focus on incentives for waste reductions rather than disincentives.
  • Recycling should be subsidised.
  • Research is needed into new and alternative uses for recycled products.
  • All packaging should be recyclable, and if not, manufacturers should have to pay.
  • A community database of resources and waste materials available for re-use would be useful.
  • National and local level advice on waste audits and minimisation is needed for business.

Governance

  • The appointment of Commissioners is not independent or neutral.  How can we make it neutral?  Can MfE take a leadership role with regard to this?  Commissioners should also have relevant backgrounds – i.e. they should be planners, engineers, farmers, etc.
  • Urban and growth issues were discussed in the Council’s plans however there was no reference to utilities growth. How can MfE ensure that when issues such as growth are discussed, attention is also given to the impact on utilities?
  • A good management system is absolutely critical. Why are the national and regional systems so different? Can MfE set up a template for plans? There could be a lot of benefits in standardising the systems.
  • Can MfE set up the governing bodies that could audit decisions on plans?
  • The RMA needs to look wider i.e. when considering one turbine application, other pending applications should be taken into account. The District Plan should also take into account the cumulative effect of actions i.e. Fonterra discharge.

Resource Management Act

  • Why are consents so expensive? Consents for minor alterations including that associated with implementing alternative energy sources cost $1,200.
  • Compliance processes are expensive.  How do average people afford it? There needs to be national costs and costs need to be lower otherwise people are discouraged from making worthwhile changes. National standards are needed to ensure consistency.
  • Why does the consent process take so long i.e. a case was cited of one month when there was no reason why it could not be two days. A farmer could not continue farming because he had to wait for approval as to where he could put soil that had been deposited in a flood.
  • It was acknowledged that increased speed may mean increased cost/investment, though not necessarily.

Water

  • National standards should prioritise different uses, including drinking water and water for stock/irrigation/energy generation etc.
  • There is a need for national consistency and security of drinking water supply.
  • Sources of human drinking water should be protected.
  • We need to look at re-use of water e.g. re-using grey water to improve water efficiency.
  • New subdivisions should be required to be more self sufficient.
  • Collection of rainwater should be encouraged.
  • Building standards on water efficiency should be introduced.
  • Greater awareness of sustainability and land use sustainability is needed e.g. encouraging appropriate land use for land types.
  • Education is needed about appropriate land use.
  • Regulation should be introduced to set priorities for water use.
  • Riparian planting should be encouraged to improve water quality.
  • We need to encourage green corridors that are accessible to the public although it was acknowledged that these may have health and safety issues.
  • We need to develop standards around green corridors.
  • The local Government was acknowledged as doing a small amount of planting however not as much as the likes of Taranaki.
  • In Taranaki the Tree planting Trust is having a huge impact. We need to learn from the likes of Taranaki and a forum is needed to share information.  Can MfE facilitate this?
  • Regulation is needed to set appropriate stocking rates.
  • There is a gap between policy and regulation for water quality management.
  • Offences such as sewage overflows and not meeting consent conditions should be publicly notified.
  • Incentives should be provided for organic farmers and others who have reduced their impact on the environment.
  • Why are water tanks not being encouraged? They are in the Gold Coast in Australia.  Waste water needs to be addressed. We need to look at reusing grey water.

National Environmental Standards

  • Standards need to be realistic and workable.

Education and information

  • The Water Awareness campaign needs to be effective and must encourage action.

Oceans Policy

  • There is a need for management of oceans, rather than current focus on the terrestrial environment.
  • A holistic approach is needed to the management of coasts, oceans and fisheries.
  • More information is needed on the state of our oceans.

General comments

  • We are destroying the country. Who is responsible for things like controlling overseas travel?  Should we be requiring leaders to walk the talk i.e. how much travel are councillors and departmental officials doing?
  • Getting bigger is not getting better. Sustainability is not growth and the two terms should not be used in the same sentence. We need to provide for New Zealanders first and immigrants including refugees second.
  • Immigration is an important way of ensuring diversity and an appreciation of each other. Whatever we do, we need to improve health, utilities, etc.
  • Why are we still thinking like we were in the 1980s i.e. Think Big?  Attitudes around some environmental law are not a reflection of 2006.
  • What incentives are coming out with regard to solar water heating? Those with solar water heating should be able to feed the excess heating back into the national grid or ‘bank’ it.
  • There has been an incremental loss of high class soils through urban development and non-essential production.
  • Class 1 and 2 soils need to be protected.
  • National direction is needed to protect high class soils.

Last updated: 27 February 2008