Managing and preventing land contamination

Issue

Hazardous substances such as petroleum or many household chemicals are used as part of our everyday lives and in industrial and productive processes. However, even in small quantities, they have the potential to cause contamination of land which degrades our environment and can have far-reaching effects, including on human health.

Causes

Localised contamination can occur from the discharge of hazardous substances, such as industrial wastes or from historic waste disposal sites. Widespread contamination can occur from long-term or extensive application of substances containing heavy metals or other hazardous substances that persist in soils. Historic contaminated land and landfill sites can be at extreme risk from increased coastal and river erosion, and sea level rise from climate change.

Why it matters

Soil contaminated from past land uses can harm ecosystems and human health. When water or wind mobilises contaminated soil, contaminants can disperse into wider areas and affect the health of waterbodies and air quality. It can adversely affect the mauri of the land and culturally sensitive sites. Land contamination also limits the opportunity for mana whenua to undertake traditional activities such as mahinga kai.

Our current goals

Our Regional Policy Statement includes some direction which must be implemented and other direction which should be implemented. We have included these in two categories below:

1. Things we must do

This is very strong policy direction that is required to be implemented:

  • Ensure contaminated land is investigated, appropriate management methods, and monitoring is undertaken as appropriate, when contamination is found.
  • Put in place additional controls on activities using hazardous substances in sensitive environments, such as areas with significant human health or environmental qualities.
  • Engage with Ngāi Tahu to assist identify areas that may be sensitive to activities using hazardous substances.

2. Things we should do

This policy direction is strongly encouraged:

  • Ensure processes are put in place to identify and investigate contaminated land in the region.
  • Engage with Ngāi Tahu to provide guidance on cultural values associated with contaminated sites.
  • Provide information to the public outlining the risks to health associated with contaminated land.
  • Promote an integrated approach to the contaminated land and hazardous substance management in the region.
  • Promote further initiatives to incentivise the remediation of existing contaminated land, hazardous substance best management practice and emergency response management.

Should we change our goals?

When we consider changing goals, we need to keep in mind that other on-the-ground changes will be required to meet them. We also need to keep in mind that some of our must-do policy direction was necessary to meet the national legislation requirements of the time. Some new must-dos will be needed to meet more recent legislation.

Potential impacts of changing our policy direction

We have outlined some of the potential consequences that could result from changing our policy direction. These are high-level examples, just to illustrate that each change will have flow-on effects.

Protecting land from contamination safeguards the environment for future use and enjoyment, but reducing the risk of land contamination requires the management of land-use activities that can cause contamination. For example, to further reduce the risk of land contamination we may need to consider different controls on the activities that pose an increased risk of contamination.

We are using feedback we received in July and August to draft more detailed policy options, including detail about the consequences of change. You will get another opportunity to tell us what you think about those options from October this year.