What is being done?

If a consented activity is found to be non-compliant, or is operating outside the rules in a regional plan, the Council can:

· Make an on-site agreement

· Issue a warning letter

· Issue an abatement notice – this will require a person to stop or not start a non-compliant action, or fix a non-compliant action

· Issue an infringement notice - which carries a variety of fines

· Serve an enforcement order and

· In cases of significant non-compliance, the Council may also choose to prosecute an offender.

In 2008-09:

· 244 abatement notices and 235 infringement notices were issued by the Council

· Just over 50% were issued for a breach of the rules in a regional plan.

· The remainder were issued as a result of a breach of resource consent.

More abatement and infringement notices were issued in 2008-09, compared to the previous three years. This was largely due to the Council taking a harder line on non-compliance, and a small rise in non-compliance during this financial year.

Photo: A non-compliant underpass discharge