Joint Waste Assessment

Tasman District (TDC) and Nelson City (NCC) chose to complete the waste assessment jointly.

Waste Minimisation Act (WMA) 2008

The recently enacted WMA provides the legislative imperative and tools to support progress toward achieving the New Zealand Waste Strategy (NZWS) strategic vision and waste reduction target(s).The WMA requires Territorial Authorities to “have regard to” the NZWS.

The Ministry for the Environment has also sent a strong signal to councils to consider adopting the NZWS vision, objectives and targets in a manner suitable for local circumstances.

Tasman District and Nelson City Councils current Waste Management Plans (WMPs) show similar overall objectives that are well aligned to the waste minimisation aims of the NZWS.

Purpose of a waste assessment

The purpose of a waste assessment is to review the current situation with respect to the waste management and minimisation industry and services in the Nelson Tasman region to assess the consideration of potential for growth and other demand drivers for the next 10+ years.

The review aids in forecasting future demand for various services and determines the suitability of the current services when considering both public health protection and waste minimisation objectives. The exercise also assists in setting an estimated baseline from which any future goals and/or targets will be set and helps to identify key waste streams and priority areas.

Statements of proposal - in conclusion

Drawing on the preferred options and the Councils’ stated role in meeting future demand, councils must:

• include a statement of the territorial authority’s proposals for meeting the forecast demands, including proposals for new or replacement infrastructure; and
• a statement about the extent to which the proposals will:
  • ensure that public health is adequately protected
  • promote effective and efficient waste management and minimisation.

Towards this, the Tasman District and Nelson City Councils propose to continue providing the following waste management and minimisation services:

Reduce

The Councils will continue to provide a variety of waste minimisation education and behaviour change programmes targeted towards schools, businesses and the Councils’ own activities (additional waste minimisation programmes and services are under consideration to be funded by the waste levy).

Reuse

The Nelson City Council will accept re-useable items at the Nelson Recycling Centre shop and Tasman District Council at a range of shops operated by the site operators at the RRCs.

Recycle

The Tasman District Council will continue to operate and provide access to its current resource recovery centres and Nelson City to its transfer station.

Tasman District and Nelson City will continue to provide kerbside recycling services to most residential properties. The Nelson recycling service is self-funded from refuse disposal charges while the Tasman service is funded by a targeted rate.

Recover

Nelson City will continue its shareholding in the York Valley Landfill Gas Recovery, aimed at recovering energy from methane generation.

Treat

Nelson City will continue to accept domestic quantities of hazardous waste at the Pascoe Street RTS and Tasman District at the Takaka RRC to allow for adequate treatment of various forms of contained household waste materials.

Nelson City and Tasman District Councils will continue treating wastewater through their operations at Rabbit and Bell Islands

Dispose

The Tasman District Council will continue to provide and the Nelson City Council to facilitate a weekly refuse collection service to households. Services provided on a user charges basis for Nelson City and through a targeted rate and user charges for Tasman District.

TDC will continue to provide commercial access to the Eves Valley landfill and NCC to the York Valley landfill for waste disposal until any future co-operative waste disposal option for the Tasman-Nelson region has been agreed between the Councils. Services provided on a user charges basis.

The Councils provide a limited number of rural public collection receptacles (Tasman) and litter bins in parks, reserves and street side locations and remove illegally dumped waste from roadsides and streets.

In addition to continuing the existing services, the joint waste assessment (or individual Councils) propose to consider as part of the review of their current Waste Management and Minimisation Plans undertaking the following additional waste management and minimisation services:

Reuse

Investigation into market development for reuse/recycling of recovered C & D waste including enhanced waste exchanges.

Improving facilities for C & D recovery at RRCs /RTS.

Promotion of REBRI and Greenstar programmes to the C & D industry sector.

Recycle

Investigation into expanding the range of recyclables collected through kerbside collection, resource recovery centres and refuse transfer stations.

Investigation and development of markets for recycling of glass.

Introduction of regulation banning certain recyclable materials from landfill disposal.

Recover

The Councils intend investigating the increased recovery of organic material from the waste stream via improved greenwaste processing facilities, as part of improved kerbside collection services, through the promotion of market development for processed organics and differential charging for greenwaste to encourage separation prior to landfilling.

Dispose

Identification, agreement and implementation of a regional landfill solution utilising the Councils’ existing York Valley and Eves Valley landfills.

Rule change for private cleanfills in Tasman District

Operational review of Councils’ operated refuse collection services.

Progressively increase waste disposal charges to encourage alternatives to waste disposal to landfill.

Download

Download the complete Joint Waste Assessment 2017 (970KB PDF)