(Section 25 of the RPS)

Waste is any substance which is discharged or discarded by people. Waste is produced in various forms - solid, liquid and gaseous. This section deals with the generation, collection, treatment and disposal of refuse and liquid wastes. Gaseous waste is dealt with in the section on air quality management, whilst hazardous waste is dealt with in more detail in the section on hazardous substances.

The district councils are responsible for the collection and disposal of solid and liquid waste. The NRC has primarily been involved in regulating and monitoring the discharges from these facilities, and where necessary, controlling the environmental effects of waste disposal, particularly in landfills, sewage treatment plants, and other major disposal sites. Under Section 30 of the RMA, the NRC is responsible for controlling discharges of contaminants into or onto land, air or water.

Anticipated Outcomes

· A reduction in the volume of waste requiring disposal.

· A reduction in the frequency and magnitude of unauthorised disposal of waste.

· A reduction in the effects of the authorised waste disposal activities on the environment.

Policy Mix

The objectives for the waste management section are:

· a reduction in the amount of waste produced and associated disposal needs;

· efficient and environmentally sound collection, treatment and disposal of waste.

The policy approach for waste minimisation (Policy 25.4 (a)) is to increase public awareness of the need for waste minimisation and to increase the use of available facilities. The approach for waste collection, treatment and disposal (Policy 25.4 (b)) is to include appropriate policies that ensure comprehensive networks of solid waste collection and disposal facilities are provided along with control over illegal dumping.

The Waste Management section contains 13 individual methods of implementation that flow from the policy direction discussed above.

What's the current state?

The RPS promotes waste minimisation (although it does not set specific targets). It is noted that there is now greater emphasis on waste minimisation by the Ministry for the Environment. The Ministry for the Environment has produced a waste minimisation strategy which will translate into greater responsibilities for regional councils.

For the foreseeable future it is likely that landfilling will continue to be the preferred option for refuse disposal in the region. There are only a limited number of sites suitable for landfilling in the region, and consequently landfill space is becoming scarce as old sites are progressively closed.

There are currently no major landfills in operation in the region. A significant proportion of Northland's waste is exported to Auckland. With the recent closure of Hakaru landfill in the Kaipara district, there are now only two operational landfills - Ahipara and Russell, both of which are located in the Far North district. All operational landfills are monitored on a 6-monthly cycle, whilst all closed landfills and Refuse Transfer Stations are visually inspected every year. All landfills monitored in 2007-08 were within their specified resource consent limits and there was no evidence of any significant contamination to nearby waterways.

There is also an unknown number of small farm disposal sites scattered throughout the region. There has also been an increase in the amount of unapproved ‘clean fill landfill' sites operating. While there is no regulatory requirement for formal approval of clean fill landfill sites, they must meet the permitted activity criteria in the Regional Water and Soil Plan for Northland.

Whangarei District Council is developing a new, non-hazardous Municipal Solid Waste Landfill at Puwera. The site of the proposed landfill is some 8.5-km south of Whangarei City and 1.5 km southwest of Portland. The intention is that the site will service the regions waste disposal needs rather than the current situation where the waste is exported to Redvale in Auckland. It is understood that the site is not yet operational.

Both the Whangarei and Far North District Councils have kerbside collection of recyclable materials in place. The Resource Recovery Park in Whangarei, transfer stations and the two remaining landfills in Northland all have recycling facilities. In addition the Kaipara District Council has recycling facilities at both the Dargaville and Hakaru closed landfill sites. The FNDC has public recycling in coastal communities.

NOTE: While the Waste Management section includes the management of sewage, sewage discharges and water quality is comprehensively addressed within Section 7 Water Quality. Therefore, while the management of sewage treatment systems is discussed in this section, it should be read in conjunction with the Water Quality section.

What has worked well in this section?

Initiatives such as charging for waste disposal have resulted in a reduction in the volume of waste created. A short term increase in backyard burning of green waste was experienced in the Whangarei urban area which is partially attributable to the increased charges for green waste disposal. Changes to the Regional Air Quality Plan and active monitoring and education by the NRC have assisted in managing this issue. Similar benefits have been seen from involvement in education programmes such as Enviro-Schools and the Clean Streams Accord. The kerbside collection of recyclable materials is working well in the Whangarei and Far North Districts.

The management of landfills within Northland has been significantly improved, with the closure of environmentally unsound landfills and the remaining landfills being well managed. All consented landfills have closure management plans and generally speaking all landfills comply with their conditions/requirements.

There have also been significant improvements in the technology and standards being used for sewage treatment although they are still not sufficient in the Whangarei district. In addition, an initiative called the Northland Sewage Accord has been established with the goal of achieving an acceptable level of water quality in Northlands streams, rivers and beaches by improving sewage management.

While the initiative was only confirmed in June 2008 it has already improved staff communication and understanding between local authorities surrounding sewage management issues in Northland. However, while the Accord is having a positive influence, its area of influence is limited as KDC has chosen not to sign the Accord.

What has not worked in this section?

Awareness of this section is limited within district councils. The policy direction of the section sometimes appears in conflict/tension – on one hand encouraging the minimisation of waste yet on the other hand providing for ever increasing volumes of waste for disposal. This is a difficult issue as population growth results in increased volumes of waste. However no analysis has been done to quantify the population growth over the last ten years compared with the increased volume of waste disposal over the same period.

The cumulative effects of subdivision and development and the resulting sewage disposal capability are not well planned for or managed. The design of community sewage systems are not adequately future proofed, and often reactive rather than proactive.

General comments on this section:

We do not currently know how much of the recycling that is collected is actually recycled, re-used or used as an alternative fuel. Likewise we do not know whether all recycling collected is actually recycled or whether some is actually simply placed in landfill.

Is this section Efficient and Effective?

The incidence of illegal dumping has declined over recent years, as measured through the Environmental Hotline, which is most likely to be attributable to a number of factors. These include more facilities available for waste disposal (transfer stations), enforcement action, and the education of the public through school visits and media releases.

At present there is no real co-ordinated approach to waste minimisation. The NRC should take a leadership role. A substantial percentage of the region's refuse is now transported and disposed of outside the region, which is not an efficient means of disposal. However this situation is due to change once the Whangarei District Council completes the Puwera landfill.

The cumulative effects of sewage disposal are increasingly of concern and the Northland community is becoming less tolerant of any unauthorised discharges into the coastal marine area.

Emerging Issues for this section?

Minimisation of the creation of waste should be acknowledged as the major waste management option. New technologies are developing for utilising waste to create energy and these should also be encouraged.

The transportation of solid waste out of the region is a significant issue for Northland. It is expensive to transport waste by road to Auckland, expensive to dispose of waste at the Redvale site and perhaps most importantly, it is unsustainable.. There may need to be a joint approach by NRC and district councils in regard to waste management in Northland. The use of Puwera as a regional landfill is approved and this should have positive implications for waste disposal in Northland.

Northland's growing population combined with the summer in-flux of tourists and bach owners/campers is resulting in extra pressure on public and private infrastructure facilities. There is a need to address this through the RPS.

The impact of on-going sewage spills is detrimental to Northland's clean green image and reputation. There is less public tolerance of inappropriate or unauthorised discharges.

Conclusions

Generally, it appears this section is working quite well and while the existing policy framework remains largely relevant, the 2nd Generation RPS could approach waste as a resource rather than a problem. Since the existing RPS was adopted, the vast majority of landfills in the region have been closed.