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Resolution
number RD/2025/86
MOVED by Member M
Carmichael, seconded by Deputy Chairperson L Johnston:
That
the Rodney Local Board:
a)
tuku / provide the
following feedback on the government’s proposed amendments to the Waste
Minimisation Act 2008 and Litter Act 1979 to inform the council’s draft
submission:
i)
express concern
that the local board only had three days to prepare feedback
ii)
express concern
that entities and organisations with financial interests in the waste
management industry may have input into waste policy and through this
consultation, and request that submission statistics clearly identify
responses from all submitters with related commercial interests
Extended
producer responsibility framework
iii)
support the
introduction of extended producer responsibility schemes to minimise waste
through methods such as improved product design, new collection systems and
differing financing arrangements, that could result in new resource recovery,
reuse, or recycling infrastructure
iv)
express concern
that some products may be excluded as ‘products of interest’ from
the extended producer responsibility scheme
v)
support
establishing an appropriate compliance monitoring and enforcement framework
vi)
support amendments
to ensure appropriate transparency and enhanced data to assess
performance of an extended producer responsibility scheme and to inform
planning and decision making
vii)
request product
return schemes are standardised to enable consumers to easily return a wide
range of goods to accessible collection points rather than ad hoc return
areas for limited items. The subsequent sorting of products collected to be
funded through financial mechanisms via the extended producer responsibility
scheme
viii)
request central government
develop legislation which prohibits commercial waste providers from disposing
of recyclable and reusable materials, and products identified as extended
producer responsibility ‘products of interest’
ix)
request
fast-tracking container return schemes to be rolled out throughout New
Zealand
Improving the waste disposal levy system
through changes to allocation, distribution, and use
x)
support the
distribution of the 50 per cent levy allocation to councils to be calculated
as 20 per cent to all councils, and the remaining 80 per cent based on
district population, as not all waste collected in a district is managed at
waste or recycling facilities within that area
xi)
express concern
that broadening the use of waste levy funding for activities that ‘reduce
environmental harms or increase environmental benefits’ may
decrease funding available for waste minimisation initiatives
xii)
request that
reducing environmental harm and increasing environmental benefits are
achieved through other mechanisms such as stricter legislation around waste
disposal or through financial mechanisms of product stewardship schemes
xiii)
support broadening
the use of waste levy funding for costs associated with managing emergency
waste, and activities that provide for the remediation of legacy contaminated
sites and vulnerable landfills
xiv)
express concern at
broadening the use of waste levy funding for costs associated with managing
activities for the remediation of contaminated sites and vulnerable landfills
in operation or with post closure conditions, as the costs should be the
burden of operators of those sites
xv)
express concern
that compliance and monitoring is funded through the waste levy, and instead
suggest that compliance costs should be charged to commercial and waste
industry operators via scalable rates based on the risk of activity, and
attached to the applicable conditions of consent. Breaches of consent
conditions should result in considerable fines to cover additional compliance
costs
xvi)
support stronger
controls to monitor and enforce ‘mismanaged waste’ to enable
council to better address the issues of litter and illegal dumping
xvii)
support proposed
amendments to enhance data on mismanaged waste to help inform council’s
planning and decision-making processes
xviii)
request that
enhanced data is collected on all managed waste to help inform
council’s planning and decision-making processes
xix)
express concern
that levy charges for Waste to Energy facilities might disadvantage higher
cost methods of waste minimisation alternatives which are diverting waste
from landfill. Suggest a scalable levy based on a social benefit rating
system, where factors such as waste diversion, energy production efficiency
and usable bi-products are applied to reduce waste levy charges to encourage
improved waste solutions
xx)
request that the
removal of the blanket levy exclusion for waste-to energy does not extend to
anaerobic digestors used in the council collected food scrap service
xxi)
support clarifying
when the levy should be imposed on waste disposed of at a disposal facility,
to ensure waste reused on site is operationally necessary
xxii)
support the
proposed amendments to improve legislation related to stockpiling
xxiii)
request higher
levies for commercial waste as this is a huge contributor to waste to
landfill
xxiv)
request further
increases in waste levy on landfill to $140 per tonne so that recycling
alternatives can compete in this market
Clarifying roles and responsibilities in the
waste legislation
xxv)
support retaining
the current core role of the Ministry and adding new responsibilities related
to the proposed extended producer responsibility framework
xxvi)
support improving
the role of the New Zealand Customs Service to support existing regulated
product stewardship and an extended producer responsibility framework
xxvii)
support clarifying
territorial authorities’ minimum obligations for waste minimisation and
improving the regulatory tools to ensure these are delivered
xxviii)
request that
‘Zero to Waste’ and ‘Waste Minimisation’ policies
need to be recognised in the Resource Management Act (or any replacement Act)
and legislative space
xxix)
express concern at
the use of a ‘producer responsibility organisation’ to administer
extended producer responsibility schemes instead of statutory oversight
xxx)
support enabling
the Waste Advisory Board to provide advice to the Minister or Ministry on its
own initiative, consistent with an agreed strategic plan, and focus the
board’s mandate on strategic and/or overarching waste issues
xxxi)
request
investigating the possibility of de-privatising landfill operations in favour
of being delivered by council-controlled organisations with a focus on better
environmental outcomes rather than just profitability
xxxii)
request central government
develop legislation which prohibits the ability to dispose of recyclable and
reusable materials, and products identified as extended producer
responsibility ‘products of interest’
xxxiii)
request allowing
Waste to Energy facilities as an alternative to landfills (for residual waste
not diverted as per note xxxii above) as landfill effects on the environment
cannot be monitored in real time, postponing their effects to future
generations
xxxiv)
request legislation
that prohibits the operation or establishment of managed fills or landfills
on sites that have been identified as significant ecological areas
Creating a modern, effective compliance regime
xxxv)
support introducing
a fit-for-purpose compliance regime for the waste regulatory system to define
the regulators and other organisations’ legislative obligations for
monitoring and compliance activities
xxxvi)
support
implementing an amended compliance monitoring and enforcement framework to
improve on the littering and other mismanaged waste compliance
xxxvii)
support enabling
regulators to share information for compliance monitoring and enforcement
purposes
Enabling efficient and effective controls for
littering and other types of ‘mismanaged waste’
xxxviii)
support the
proposed compliance framework and integration of provisions into legislation
to address issues with ‘mismanaged waste’ (including litter,
dumping, and waste that has the potential to escape a site)
xxxix)
support improving
the existing regulatory framework to enable public authorities to better
deter and address littering and other types of mismanaged waste
xl)
support sufficient
cost-recovery provisions for compliance monitoring and enforcement, and
clean-up.
CARRIED
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