Alan Liefting
2004-10-25 02:12:12 UTC
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.cfm?DocumentID=21195
Hon Marian Hobbs
06 October 2004
NZ Water and Waste Association annual conference, Christchurch
(This speech delivered on the Minister's behalf by Bill Bayfield,
General Manager, Sustainable Business Practice, Ministry for the
Environment)
On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, the Honourable Marian
Hobbs may I thank you Mayor Gary Moore for your opening welcome to this
46th Annual New Zealand Water and Wastes Association Conference.
The Minister very much regrets being unable to be here this morning. I
spoke to her before coming to Christchurch and she said she was
delighted to have been invited to address this conference and was
looking forward to being here. But she has had to remain in Wellington
for a Cabinet committee meeting. As Environment Minister, water and
wastewater are topics close to her heart, just as they are to yours.
This is her speech and I am honoured to have been asked to stand in for her.
Everyone attending here has a role to play, either with our precious
water resource or in dealing with the by-product of its use. Our
environment relies on what each of you does for a living. It relies on
how waste and wastewater is managed. It relies on how we allocate water.
It relies on what we do about water quality in our lakes, rivers and
streams. And, it relies on how we plan for our water and wastewater in
the years to come.
Marian wanted to share with you some exciting steps forward by the
Government in water management. She also wanted to set the scene by
highlighting some key achievements towards reducing the mounds of waste
New Zealand produces. Finally, on her behalf, I will be putting out a
challenge to industry and Government to work together on issues around
the disposal and treatment of wastewater.
First however, let's take a few moments to acknowledge the contribution
of the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association.
The New Zealand Water and Wastes Association is a key player in the
industry. Since last November, Ministry for the Environment staff have
been on secondment to the Association, helping to make sure that
industry needs are met. This mutually beneficial arrangement has
improved our understanding of industry’s views and our access to their
input. Industry, through the Association, has benefited from this
increased contact with government.
The New Zealand Water and Wastes Association has made an equal
commitment by providing staff to help government develop a number of
programmes – geared at improving how we manage our wastewater.
The Association does great work. It provides a place where people in the
industry can talk over issues of interest and it provides a series of
guidelines, codes of practice and standards to help industry get the job
done.
Over the next few days, this conference will generate plenty of
discussion and debate on water and wastewater – which is important to
Marian because she sees industry input as an essential ingredient in the
process of managing our environment.
So what progress is the government making to improve how we manage our
environment, particularly in freshwater quality and allocation?
Industry expects to get the water it needs to compete and grow.
Agriculture and forestry are two examples that spring to mind. Together,
they produce 66 per cent of our export income and 20 percent of New
Zealand’s GDP – and they can’t do this without water. Irrigation
accounts for 80 per cent of water allocated in New Zealand and 60
percent of that comes from water resources in Canterbury. We need to
balance this against other demands on our water, such as for energy,
recreation and keeping our ecosystems healthy for now and the future.
The government recognises that water quality and allocation is a huge
issue and it has embarked on the Water Programme of Action to address
it. This is a significant project that will deliver decisions on how to
improve water management and the tools and resources to do so. The
outcome of this work means we will be better able to allocate water in a
sustainable, effective and equitable way. We will be able to ensure
water quality is adequate to meet all needs and that the country’s
important water bodies are provided for.
We need feedback from people like you, who through your day-to-day work,
can let us know whether our proposals are on track. Widespread
consultation on a Water Programme of Action discussion document is
planned for early next year. Marian urges you to use your experiences to
feed into this process.
The Minister also wants to highlight briefly some of the measures
designed to improve the working of the Resource Management Act that will
help suport the Water Programme of Action.
The RMA reforms include amendments to address resource allocation issues
and increase the certainty of the role of councils in allocating natural
resources. We’re proposing that regional councils, when considering
applications to renew expiring consents, recognise existing investment
as one of the factors in their decision-making. The proposals also allow
applications to renew a consent to be considered before competing
applications for the same resource. These changes present real
advantages to your industry.
It should also be mentioned that some fantastic advances have been made
in the management of this country’s waste. We have reduced the number of
landfills from 327 in 1995 to only 89 today. In the process, we have
raised the standard of the ones remaining.
We now have a Packaging Accord to deal with waste packaging and its
impact on the environment.
We are removing unwanted hazardous chemicals from our farms.
And we are tracking the disposal of old and unwanted tyres so we can
identify markets for their greater re-use, and to make sure they are
disposed of responsibly.
Much of this has been achieved without legislation. It has been achieved
through partnership and cooperation, through government working with
industry towards a common goal.
But, there is also more we can do, particularly in the area of wastewater.
Managing wastewater is a challenge and a burden for ratepayers,
especially for those in small communities. The sanitary works subsidy
scheme was introduced by the Minister of Health, to ensure communities
could upgrade their facilities to meet public health and resource
management requirements. This is good news from a public health
perspective, but what are we doing from an environmental perspective?
Wastewater treatment and disposal must be effective, efficient and
innovative. In the past we have focussed on the front end to reduce
water consumption and hence wastewater. But results don’t always come
from producing less. It also comes from improving how we manage the
wastewater we do produce.
There are three specific areas the Minister wanted to talk about:
· First, biosolids: How can we encourage their beneficial use and reduce
the amount going to landfill?
· Second, trade wastes: How can we minimise contamination and maximise
asset life?
· Finally, tracking our hazardous wastes: We need to know how much there
is and where it goes. Marian sees this as the last step of our hazardous
waste strategy. We have the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act,
we have an Environmental Risk Management Authority, and soon we will
have “tracking”.
In terms of biosolids, the government has said that by December 2007
more than 95 per cent of sewage sludge currently going to landfill must
be used beneficially instead.
We have guidelines to help achieve this. The Biosolids Guidelines were
published by the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association, outlining how
we can use biosoilds for the benefit of our soil.
Did you know that if we just solve Auckland’s biosolids problem then, as
a country, we would be most of the way there? When the Prime Minister
opened the Mangere Works last year she challenged you to further treat
and beneficially use the sludge produced at Mangere.
All of this helps reduce and divert waste from landfill. It also reduces
greenhouse gasses in line with our Kyoto responsibilities.
We are now looking at an environmental standard for biosolids to give
national consistency on its beneficial use. To make it happen, we have
contracted the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association to provide
industry’s views on what an environmental standard for biosolids should
look like, in order to meet the needs of producers as well as protecting
the environment.
You will have the chance at this conference to discuss what the standard
could contain and the Minister will be keen to hear your thoughts. The
challenge is then up to the Ministry for the Environment to develop a
standard that takes your views into account. Watch this space.
Once a standard has been developed, the contamination that exists in our
biosolids will be the only remaining roadblock to its use as a soil
enhancer and enricher.
Another key issue in New Zealand is that we don’t tend to think about
what goes down the drain. So we need to address this.
One way to control what we put down the drain is for local authorities
to have in place a Trade Waste Bylaw. To make it easy for local
authorities to write a Trade Waste Bylaw there is a New Zealand Standard
available.
The last version of this Standard Model Trade Waste Bylaw has not been
widely adopted. Only 40 of the some 75 territorial local authorities
have a bylaw at all. The Ministry for the Environment, together with the
New Zealand Water and Wastes Association, and helped by Standards New
Zealand have redrafted the Model Bylaw.
That redrafted model – which includes protecting assets and those who
work with them alongside protecting the environment – will soon be
available for councils. Once the standard is available, the challenge
will be for local government to implement it.
The last thing Marian wanted to talk to you about this morning is liquid
and hazardous wastes. You have already taken a big step forward with a
code of practice for liquid and hazardous waste contractors.
I am very pleased to report that 80 per cent of the liquid and hazardous
waste industry, the suckers and dumpers if you prefer, now have a copy
of the code. Twelve of these businesses have successfully undergone an
audit to ensure they are complying with it and others are lining up to
do so.
A programme is now underway to increase the number of code compliant
contractors and help members of the industry achieve independent
accreditation. Marian applauds the good work carried out to reach this
point.
On top of this, the Ministry for the Environment and New Zealand Water
and Wastes Association, together with the wider industry, are
investigating a hazardous waste tracking system.
Such a system will:
· ensure the safe transportation of hazardous waste to an approved location
· monitor and track hazardous waste to prevent unauthorised discharge
into the environment
· collate information to help the government and regional councils in
identifying priority waste management issues, and
· provide an even and competitive system for companies in the waste
management industry.
We don’t need to start from scratch. Western Australia already has a
superb tracking system in operation. At this conference a representative
from Western Australia’s Environment Agency will explain their system to
you. Marian is keen to see a similar system here in New Zealand.
And so to sum up, today the Minister has issued a number of challenges.
· She has challenged the wastewater industry to make biosolids that can
be used beneficially.
· She has challenged local authorities to make use of the Model Trade
Waste Bylaw, and,
· She has challenged liquid and hazardous waste contractors to become
compliant with their own industry’s code of practice.
I have also outlined some of the water management issues New Zealand is
facing and what the government is doing to address them. But government
can’t do it alone – we need your help, advice and input.
Thank you and the Minister hopes that you enjoy your conference and time
here in Christchurch.
Hon Marian Hobbs
06 October 2004
NZ Water and Waste Association annual conference, Christchurch
(This speech delivered on the Minister's behalf by Bill Bayfield,
General Manager, Sustainable Business Practice, Ministry for the
Environment)
On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, the Honourable Marian
Hobbs may I thank you Mayor Gary Moore for your opening welcome to this
46th Annual New Zealand Water and Wastes Association Conference.
The Minister very much regrets being unable to be here this morning. I
spoke to her before coming to Christchurch and she said she was
delighted to have been invited to address this conference and was
looking forward to being here. But she has had to remain in Wellington
for a Cabinet committee meeting. As Environment Minister, water and
wastewater are topics close to her heart, just as they are to yours.
This is her speech and I am honoured to have been asked to stand in for her.
Everyone attending here has a role to play, either with our precious
water resource or in dealing with the by-product of its use. Our
environment relies on what each of you does for a living. It relies on
how waste and wastewater is managed. It relies on how we allocate water.
It relies on what we do about water quality in our lakes, rivers and
streams. And, it relies on how we plan for our water and wastewater in
the years to come.
Marian wanted to share with you some exciting steps forward by the
Government in water management. She also wanted to set the scene by
highlighting some key achievements towards reducing the mounds of waste
New Zealand produces. Finally, on her behalf, I will be putting out a
challenge to industry and Government to work together on issues around
the disposal and treatment of wastewater.
First however, let's take a few moments to acknowledge the contribution
of the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association.
The New Zealand Water and Wastes Association is a key player in the
industry. Since last November, Ministry for the Environment staff have
been on secondment to the Association, helping to make sure that
industry needs are met. This mutually beneficial arrangement has
improved our understanding of industry’s views and our access to their
input. Industry, through the Association, has benefited from this
increased contact with government.
The New Zealand Water and Wastes Association has made an equal
commitment by providing staff to help government develop a number of
programmes – geared at improving how we manage our wastewater.
The Association does great work. It provides a place where people in the
industry can talk over issues of interest and it provides a series of
guidelines, codes of practice and standards to help industry get the job
done.
Over the next few days, this conference will generate plenty of
discussion and debate on water and wastewater – which is important to
Marian because she sees industry input as an essential ingredient in the
process of managing our environment.
So what progress is the government making to improve how we manage our
environment, particularly in freshwater quality and allocation?
Industry expects to get the water it needs to compete and grow.
Agriculture and forestry are two examples that spring to mind. Together,
they produce 66 per cent of our export income and 20 percent of New
Zealand’s GDP – and they can’t do this without water. Irrigation
accounts for 80 per cent of water allocated in New Zealand and 60
percent of that comes from water resources in Canterbury. We need to
balance this against other demands on our water, such as for energy,
recreation and keeping our ecosystems healthy for now and the future.
The government recognises that water quality and allocation is a huge
issue and it has embarked on the Water Programme of Action to address
it. This is a significant project that will deliver decisions on how to
improve water management and the tools and resources to do so. The
outcome of this work means we will be better able to allocate water in a
sustainable, effective and equitable way. We will be able to ensure
water quality is adequate to meet all needs and that the country’s
important water bodies are provided for.
We need feedback from people like you, who through your day-to-day work,
can let us know whether our proposals are on track. Widespread
consultation on a Water Programme of Action discussion document is
planned for early next year. Marian urges you to use your experiences to
feed into this process.
The Minister also wants to highlight briefly some of the measures
designed to improve the working of the Resource Management Act that will
help suport the Water Programme of Action.
The RMA reforms include amendments to address resource allocation issues
and increase the certainty of the role of councils in allocating natural
resources. We’re proposing that regional councils, when considering
applications to renew expiring consents, recognise existing investment
as one of the factors in their decision-making. The proposals also allow
applications to renew a consent to be considered before competing
applications for the same resource. These changes present real
advantages to your industry.
It should also be mentioned that some fantastic advances have been made
in the management of this country’s waste. We have reduced the number of
landfills from 327 in 1995 to only 89 today. In the process, we have
raised the standard of the ones remaining.
We now have a Packaging Accord to deal with waste packaging and its
impact on the environment.
We are removing unwanted hazardous chemicals from our farms.
And we are tracking the disposal of old and unwanted tyres so we can
identify markets for their greater re-use, and to make sure they are
disposed of responsibly.
Much of this has been achieved without legislation. It has been achieved
through partnership and cooperation, through government working with
industry towards a common goal.
But, there is also more we can do, particularly in the area of wastewater.
Managing wastewater is a challenge and a burden for ratepayers,
especially for those in small communities. The sanitary works subsidy
scheme was introduced by the Minister of Health, to ensure communities
could upgrade their facilities to meet public health and resource
management requirements. This is good news from a public health
perspective, but what are we doing from an environmental perspective?
Wastewater treatment and disposal must be effective, efficient and
innovative. In the past we have focussed on the front end to reduce
water consumption and hence wastewater. But results don’t always come
from producing less. It also comes from improving how we manage the
wastewater we do produce.
There are three specific areas the Minister wanted to talk about:
· First, biosolids: How can we encourage their beneficial use and reduce
the amount going to landfill?
· Second, trade wastes: How can we minimise contamination and maximise
asset life?
· Finally, tracking our hazardous wastes: We need to know how much there
is and where it goes. Marian sees this as the last step of our hazardous
waste strategy. We have the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act,
we have an Environmental Risk Management Authority, and soon we will
have “tracking”.
In terms of biosolids, the government has said that by December 2007
more than 95 per cent of sewage sludge currently going to landfill must
be used beneficially instead.
We have guidelines to help achieve this. The Biosolids Guidelines were
published by the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association, outlining how
we can use biosoilds for the benefit of our soil.
Did you know that if we just solve Auckland’s biosolids problem then, as
a country, we would be most of the way there? When the Prime Minister
opened the Mangere Works last year she challenged you to further treat
and beneficially use the sludge produced at Mangere.
All of this helps reduce and divert waste from landfill. It also reduces
greenhouse gasses in line with our Kyoto responsibilities.
We are now looking at an environmental standard for biosolids to give
national consistency on its beneficial use. To make it happen, we have
contracted the New Zealand Water and Wastes Association to provide
industry’s views on what an environmental standard for biosolids should
look like, in order to meet the needs of producers as well as protecting
the environment.
You will have the chance at this conference to discuss what the standard
could contain and the Minister will be keen to hear your thoughts. The
challenge is then up to the Ministry for the Environment to develop a
standard that takes your views into account. Watch this space.
Once a standard has been developed, the contamination that exists in our
biosolids will be the only remaining roadblock to its use as a soil
enhancer and enricher.
Another key issue in New Zealand is that we don’t tend to think about
what goes down the drain. So we need to address this.
One way to control what we put down the drain is for local authorities
to have in place a Trade Waste Bylaw. To make it easy for local
authorities to write a Trade Waste Bylaw there is a New Zealand Standard
available.
The last version of this Standard Model Trade Waste Bylaw has not been
widely adopted. Only 40 of the some 75 territorial local authorities
have a bylaw at all. The Ministry for the Environment, together with the
New Zealand Water and Wastes Association, and helped by Standards New
Zealand have redrafted the Model Bylaw.
That redrafted model – which includes protecting assets and those who
work with them alongside protecting the environment – will soon be
available for councils. Once the standard is available, the challenge
will be for local government to implement it.
The last thing Marian wanted to talk to you about this morning is liquid
and hazardous wastes. You have already taken a big step forward with a
code of practice for liquid and hazardous waste contractors.
I am very pleased to report that 80 per cent of the liquid and hazardous
waste industry, the suckers and dumpers if you prefer, now have a copy
of the code. Twelve of these businesses have successfully undergone an
audit to ensure they are complying with it and others are lining up to
do so.
A programme is now underway to increase the number of code compliant
contractors and help members of the industry achieve independent
accreditation. Marian applauds the good work carried out to reach this
point.
On top of this, the Ministry for the Environment and New Zealand Water
and Wastes Association, together with the wider industry, are
investigating a hazardous waste tracking system.
Such a system will:
· ensure the safe transportation of hazardous waste to an approved location
· monitor and track hazardous waste to prevent unauthorised discharge
into the environment
· collate information to help the government and regional councils in
identifying priority waste management issues, and
· provide an even and competitive system for companies in the waste
management industry.
We don’t need to start from scratch. Western Australia already has a
superb tracking system in operation. At this conference a representative
from Western Australia’s Environment Agency will explain their system to
you. Marian is keen to see a similar system here in New Zealand.
And so to sum up, today the Minister has issued a number of challenges.
· She has challenged the wastewater industry to make biosolids that can
be used beneficially.
· She has challenged local authorities to make use of the Model Trade
Waste Bylaw, and,
· She has challenged liquid and hazardous waste contractors to become
compliant with their own industry’s code of practice.
I have also outlined some of the water management issues New Zealand is
facing and what the government is doing to address them. But government
can’t do it alone – we need your help, advice and input.
Thank you and the Minister hopes that you enjoy your conference and time
here in Christchurch.