Council’s trade waste amnesty period has been extended.

Last year, Council rolled out a one-year amnesty period as part of the trade waste education programme. The amnesty has now been extended until the end of June to allow businesses to complete any necessary work.

Wairoa District Council Chief Executive Kitea Tipuna said the amnesty period was designed to give people time to develop a trade waste system and apply for it to be approved and consented by Council.

“There has been a really good take up by local businesses, but we are also aware that COVID-19 has impacted on this work, with difficulties in securing contractors and sourcing materials.

“We are partnering with our community to educate people around their waste obligations to protect our wastewater infrastructure, the environment and make our district compliant with National Environment Standards.

“By extending the amnesty until the end of June we hope those extra couple of months will allow businesses to complete any necessary work. 

Last year, Council began actively implementing its trade waste policy after receiving funding through the Three Waters government infrastructure stimulus.

A Trade Waste Officer, also funded through the stimulus package, has been spearheading an awareness campaign that includes building a district wide data base of businesses and private organisations which require a trade waste consent.

Trade waste is classified as any liquid, with or without suspended solids, that may be discharged into the Council’s sewerage system in the course of any business or industrial process or operation.

Trade waste may include, but is not limited to, oils and fats from cafes, industrial washing water, oils and grease from garages, a car wash, condensing or cooling waters, stormwater from contaminated sites, etc.

“It is easy to think of the main street, but this goes further than that, we don’t want nasties such as waste oil, chemicals or medical waste down our drains.

“Ultimately, our education campaign and the amnesty period are to help change historical behaviour of tipping nasties down the drain which ends up costing the rate payer for clearing sewer pipe blockages, or worse, ending up in the awa.”

Methods of reducing the impact include grease traps which can be cleaned out and disposed of responsibly by the business owner, or stormwater interceptors.

“Disposing of trade waste appropriately will mean environmental benefits and compliance resulting in less contaminants in our awa, cost benefits from not having to pay to clear blocked drains and pump stations and protection of Council’s infrastructure.”

Anyone who would like advice on developing a trade waste management plan and applying for a trade waste consent should contact the Council on 838 7309.

1 March 2022

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