Monday, 15 June 2015

Bylaw reviews target cleaner city sewers and groundwater

Proposed changes to Christchurch City Council's waste bylaws are aimed at better protecting the city's environment and the public's health.

Four of the Council's bylaws – the Trade Waste Bylaw 2006, Licensed Waste Handling Facilities Bylaw 2007, Cleanfill Licensing Bylaw 2008, and Waste Management Bylaw 2009 – have been reviewed and are currently out for public feedback.

Helen Beaumont, Natural Environment and Heritage Unit Manager, says a key change proposed under the new Trade Waste Bylaw 2015 would ensure businesses that discharge large amounts of greasy wastewater into the public sewer pre-treat their discharge more effectively.

The bylaw proposes to reduce the level of permitted animal and vegetable fat that businesses can discharge from 500 grams per cubic metre to 200 grams per cubic metre.

"These new discharge levels would reduce both the likelihood of sewage overflows in Christchurch and the cost to the Council of clearing fat blockages within the sewerage system," Ms Beaumont says.

"They would also bring Christchurch in line with the same standards enforced by Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin councils," she says.

The Cleanfill Licensing and Licensed Waste Handling Facilities bylaws are being merged to become the Cleanfill and Waste Handling Operations Bylaw 2015.

The changes would allow the Council to more effectively monitor the collection, management, storage and depositing of environmentally safe waste, known as cleanfill.

"The amount of building materials being disposed of in Christchurch is increasing, so we need to make changes to ensure the environment is protected," Ms Beaumont says.

The proposed changes reduce the amount of vegetative matter than can be disposed of with hardfill and exclude some materials previously classed as cleanfill. Under the new bylaw, these excluded materials would need to go to a landfill or be reused on the site they came from.

"For example, GIB board, MDF, particle board, plywood, roofing iron and untreated timber are all considered potential pollutants for Christchurch's groundwater, so it makes sense to keep them separate from cleanfill," Ms Beaumont says.

The Council has also reviewed its Waste Management Bylaw 2009. No changes have been made to the bylaw itself, but some minor amendments are proposed to the bylaw's terms and conditions.

Comments can be made on both the Waste Management Bylaw's terms and conditions and the Cleanfill and Waste Handling Operations Bylaw until 5pm on 13 July 2015. Comments on the Trade Waste Bylaw can be made until 5pm on 13 August 2015.

Submission forms and copies of the draft bylaws are available via the Council's "Have Your Say" webpage (www.ccc.govt.nz/HaveYourSay) or at any Council library or service desk.

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