Part 2: Review of waste management plans for all territorial authorities
2.1
In this Part, we set out:
- how we assessed waste management plans;
- whether every territorial authority had a waste management plan;
- how waste management plans took account of the Waste Strategy;
- the methods included in waste management plans for collecting and managing waste;
- whether plans included data on waste collection and management, and numerical targets for managing waste; and
- our conclusions.
How we assessed waste management plans
2.2
We considered the requirements in the Local Government Acts 1974 and 2002 for waste management plans and the guidance provided in the Waste Strategy. We then identifed:
- information we expected waste management plans to contain; and
- additional information, such as data on waste, that territorial authorities needed to prepare their waste management plans.
2.3
We asked every territorial authority to provide us with a copy of its waste management plan. We assessed each plan against:
- requirements in the Local Government Acts 1974 and 2002; and
- aspects of the Waste Strategy.
Does every territorial authority have a waste management plan?
2.4
The Local Government Act 2002 requires every territorial authority to adopt a waste management plan by 30 June 2005.
2.5
We expected every territorial authority to have adopted a waste management plan, and the time frame the plan covered to be clear.
Findings
2.6
Every territorial authority had prepared a waste management plan, although the status of many of these plans was unclear.
2.7
In many cases, we were unable to determine whether waste management plans had been adopted under the special consultative procedure (see paragraph 1.9).
2.8
In several cases, territorial authorities had prepared two waste management plans at different times, and it was not clear which plan was in force.
2.9
Each territorial authority needs to prepare and adopt a waste management plan to meet the requirements of the Local Government Acts 1974 and 2002, and to show the community how it intends to provide for waste management in the district. If authorities have prepared more than one waste management plan, they need to be clear which is the current document for guiding waste management decisions.
2.10
Most plans were for a specified time frame, usually three to five years. In some cases, there was no evidence that territorial authorities had reviewed or updated the plan within the specified time frame. Four plans stated that the plan would be reviewed in five years. However, it was not clear when these plans were prepared, so we could not tell if they were overdue for review.
2.11
One waste management plan was very old (prepared in 1992), and about a quarter of all plans were prepared before the Waste Strategy was published in 2002.
2.12
Reviewing waste management plans and practices provides territorial authorities with an opportunity to assess whether current waste management methods are effective and to refine the plan to better address particular issues or improve waste management practices. This can assist authorities to make progress towards long-term goals and to introduce more sophisticated waste management practices.
2.13
We were concerned that a number of waste management plans were old or overdue for review. Plans that are out of date are of little use to territorial authorities in guiding waste management decisions. It is important that authorities review their plans from time to time to ensure that the plans are relevant and useful.
Taking account of The New Zealand Waste Strategy in waste management plans
2.14
The Waste Strategy, while not mandatory, provides national guidance for waste management. It includes targets and actions that territorial authorities can incorporate into their waste management plans. For example, the Waste Strategy has a target that "By December 2005, all territorial local authorities will have instituted a measurement programme to identify existing construction and demolition waste quantities and set local targets for diversion from landfills".1 In paragraphs 2.54-2.60, we discuss the number of waste management plans that had set targets for diversion of construction and demolition waste.
2.15
The Waste Strategy provides a framework to support local and central government to move towards common goals and address particular waste issues. As the Waste Strategy is not mandatory, it might not be adopted and implemented uniformly among local and central government agencies. However, because the Waste Strategy is a national guidance document, we expected territorial authorities to take account of it when preparing waste management plans. There are a number of benefits in doing so:
- The Waste Strategy provides information about common waste management issues and particular actions that territorial authorities can take to address them.
- Assessing the relevance of the Waste Strategy, or particular targets within it, and including this information within waste management plans is a transparent means of demonstrating the fit between national guidance and local circumstances. This information can be useful for other local and central government agencies that are reviewing the Waste Strategy or putting it into practice.
- A number of territorial authorities participate in regional or joint waste management activities. In these instances, common targets can help territorial authorities determine what they wish to achieve together. The Waste Strategy provides a framework for this.
2.16
We expected every waste management plan prepared after publication of the Waste Strategy to take account of it.
Findings
2.17
About two-thirds (65%) of waste management plans made some reference to the Waste Strategy. Some of these plans showed close links to the Waste Strategy principles and/or targets.
2.18
About one-third (35%) of waste management plans did not take account of the Waste Strategy. This was because most of these plans were prepared before it was published.
2.19
Figure 2 shows how waste management plans had taken account of the Waste Strategy.
Figure 2
How waste management plans take account of The New Zealand Waste Strategy
Methods for collecting and managing waste
2.20
The Local Government Act 1974 requires every territorial authority to consider waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, and disposal (in that order of priority) before they prepare their waste management plan.
2.21
The Local Government Act 1974 requires every waste management plan to provide for:
- waste collection; and
- waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, or disposal.
2.22
We looked for evidence within plans that territorial authorities had considered waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, and disposal (the waste hierarchy) in preparing their waste management plans.
2.23
We expected waste management plans to include clear methods by which territorial authorities would provide for waste collection and management. To check this, we looked to see whether activities identified in waste management plans indicated the services that residents and businesses in the district could expect, whether the council was likely to undertake the activity itself or contract it out, and any assets required.
Findings
2.24
Figure 3 sets out our findings of the percentage of plans that referred to waste collection, reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, and disposal.
Figure 3
Waste collection and waste management methods within plans
| Waste collection and waste management methods | Percentage of plans including each method | |
|---|---|---|
| Collection | 86 | |
| Waste hierarchy | Reduction | 79 |
| Reuse | 66 | |
| Recycling | 86 | |
| Recovery | 77 | |
| Treatment | 15 | |
| Disposal | 82 | |
Waste collection
2.25
The majority (86%) of plans included activities for collecting waste. The remaining plans did not adequately provide for waste collection, in that they either:
- did not include any waste collection activities at all; or
- did not include any means for collecting domestic residual waste (that is, they may have included collection for recycling, but not for residual waste).
2.26
Territorial authorities are responsible for ensuring that waste does not cause a nuisance and is not injurious to health. Waste collection and disposal play an important part in ensuring this, and territorial authorities need to state clearly in their plans how residual waste will be collected and disposed of.
Waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, and disposal
2.27
Many waste management plans included clear information about the particular waste management methods the territorial authorities intended to use. However, in our view, not all the plans included enough detail.
2.28
In some plans, it was difficult to determine what activities, if any, the authority intended to carry out.
2.29
Several waste management plans did not contain adequate details about how territorial authorities would provide for the various methods of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, or disposal in the district. This included plans that:
- did not have any methods for waste reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, or disposal;
- did not say how residual waste would be disposed of, even though it was present; and
- noted that waste disposal facilities were expected to close before the plan was due for review, but did not say how waste would be disposed of after this time.
2.30
The Local Government Act 1974 requires every territorial authority to provide for effective and efficient implementation of its waste management plan. Authorities need to ensure that the waste management methods included in their plans are detailed enough to make it clear how they intend to carry out their chosen methods for managing waste.
Taking account of the waste hierarchy in preparing plans
2.31
We set out information about the waste hierarchy in paragraphs 1.10-1.12 and Figure 1. Most waste management plans made some reference to the waste hierarchy or a derivation of it.
2.32
We note below some issues about how territorial authorities had given effect to the waste hierarchy in their waste management plans.
2.33
Some plans confused waste reduction with waste diversion. There is a fundamental difference between these activities — waste reduction seeks to reduce the quantity of waste generated, but waste diversion seeks to reduce the quantity of waste going to a landfill. It is important for territorial authorities to understand the difference between waste reduction and waste diversion, and to communicate this clearly in their waste management plans.
2.34
Figure 3 shows that waste management plans favoured recycling more than any of the other waste management methods. Recycling, which is third on the waste hierarchy after waste reduction and waste reuse, is a complex activity with various operational requirements.
2.35
We suggest territorial authorities that intend to provide recycling services have a very clear idea of what recycling involves before they commit to particular recycling activities. We set out some considerations for them in Figure 4.
Figure 4
Considerations when undertaking recycling activities
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Territorial authorities intending to provide recycling services should consider:
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2.36
It is important for territorial authorities, when preparing waste management plans, to consider the costs, benefits, and operational requirements of waste management methods to understand the implications of adopting particular activities or policies for managing waste. Authorities that do not assess this run the risk that selected activities and policies will cost more than expected or will be difficult to carry out.
2.37
It can be useful for plans to explain the reasons for adopting particular methods, activities, and policies, and to include information about the implications of adopting them. This enables councillors and the community to make informed decisions about the plan when they read it.
Information and targets in waste management plans
Do plans provide for the management of solid, liquid, and gas waste?
2.38
Although we limited our audit to solid waste activities, we wished to know the wastes that the plans provided for.
2.39
Three-quarters of the plans were for solid waste only.
2.40
We note that the Local Government Acts 1974 and 2002 do not define waste.
Reliance on external providers
2.41
Whether territorial authorities decide to own and operate solid waste assets and infrastructure themselves or to rely on external providers for solid waste services indicates how a territorial authority intends to position itself for long-term management of solid waste.
Reliance on external providers through contract arrangements
2.42
We wanted to know how many waste management plans said the territorial authority expected to enter into contracts or similar arrangements with external providers for waste management services.
2.43
More than three-quarters (77%) of waste management plans noted that the territorial authority had entered or intended to enter into contracts with external providers for solid waste services.
2.44
In our view, it is important for territorial authorities with contracts in place to make sure it is clear who is responsible for managing the contract. Authorities need to ensure that contract managers have appropriate skills, and that contract management systems are in place.
Reliance on private operators who do not have a contract with the territorial authority
2.45
We also checked to see whether territorial authorities relied, or expected to rely, on privately operated waste services that were not under contract to the authority — that is, private operators providing collection and disposal facilities for domestic or commercial customers independently of the authority.
2.46
Nearly half (48%) of plans showed the territorial authorities relied, or expected to rely, on such private operators to provide some waste services in the district.
2.47
The Local Government Act 1974 requires territorial authorities to "ensure that the management of waste does not cause a nuisance or be injurious to health". Territorial authorities relying on independent operators should consider the mechanisms they need to ensure that this requirement in the Act is met.
Data on waste
2.48
When preparing a waste management plan, territorial authorities need information about how much waste is managed in the district and what this waste comprises. This information is an essential starting point, so that territorial authorities can see where best to focus waste management activities. Information on trends helps territorial authorities to forecast future waste quantities, and therefore to estimate future demand for waste services and whether they will have sufficient asset capacity for future waste.
2.49
Including data in the plans on the quantity and composition of waste can assist readers to understand particular waste issues for the district, including why a territorial authority has selected particular methods and policies for managing waste.
2.50
We expect territorial authorities to collect data on waste, although they may not necessarily choose to include this in their waste management plan. We looked to see whether plans included data on the composition and quantities of waste collected and managed now, as well as data on the quantity of waste expected in the future.
2.51
Most plans included information about the quantity of waste managed in the district, although only a quarter of all plans had information about the future quantities the authority could expect to manage. A number of plans noted difficulties in obtaining data on waste. Several territorial authorities had established bylaws to collect information about the quantity of waste managed by private operators.
2.52
Two-thirds of plans included information about the composition of waste managed in the district.
2.53
Figure 5 presents information on the percentage of plans showing information on waste.
Figure 5
Data in waste management plans
| Information in waste management plans specific to each district | Percentage of plans |
|---|---|
| Plans that include information about the quantity of waste managed in the district | 71 |
| Plans that show projected waste quantities the territorial authority can expect to manage in the future | 26 |
| Plans that show data about the composition of waste in the district | 66 |
Numeric targets for waste activities
2.54
The Waste Strategy reports that organic waste and construction and demolition waste each form a large proportion of the waste stream in New Zealand.2 The Waste Strategy recommends that territorial authorities set local targets to divert these wastes away from landfills.
2.55
Describing what a plan wants to achieve and the time frame for this is a useful practice. Quantifying what territorial authorities hope to achieve through the plan is useful for those who need this information to forecast future waste requirements.
2.56
We checked to see whether waste management plans set out numeric targets for waste activities, including numeric targets for organic waste and for construction and demolition waste.
Findings
2.57
About two-thirds of the waste management plans included one or more numerical targets for the quantities of waste to be managed.
2.58
A smaller proportion of waste management plans included numerical targets specifically for organic waste (27% of plans) or for construction and demolition waste (16% of plans).
2.59
Targets were not always clear or specific enough. For example, one territorial authority had a target to "reduce the quantity of waste disposed of to landfill by five percent [of 2001 levels] per annum". It was not clear whether the target was for all the waste generated in the district, only waste the authority directly managed, or some other portions of the waste stream. The part of the plan containing the target did not include information about 2001 levels or address whether or how population growth would be factored into the target.
2.60
In our view, territorial authorities setting targets for reducing or diverting waste need to ensure that targets are clear, so those implementing the plan have clear and robust measures to assess their progress in implementing the plan.
Our conclusions
2.61
Every territorial authority had prepared a waste management plan. However, the status of many plans was unclear, and authorities needed to clarify whether they intended to do further work on their plan or whether it had been formally adopted.
2.62
A number of waste management plans were overdue for review, were no longer relevant for particular waste management activities, or did not have enough detail on how waste would be collected and managed in the district.
2.63
In our view, territorial authorities need to ensure that methods in the waste management plan are clear, and that the plan remains relevant to assist decisionmaking and to direct waste management activities. Authorities need to review waste management plans regularly to make sure that this is the case.
2.64
Most plans included some information about the quantity and composition of waste in the district, although fewer identified how much waste was expected in the future. While baseline information about waste data and composition is an important starting point for preparing a waste management plan, territorial authorities also need to consider how much waste they can expect in the future so they can better plan services to provide for future demand.
2.65
Many waste management plans referred to the Waste Strategy, and some plans were closely aligned with it.
2.66
Figure 6 sets out some considerations for territorial authorities to take into account when preparing or reviewing their waste management plans.
Figure 6
Considerations when preparing or reviewing waste management plans
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Territorial authorities must meet the requirements of the Local Government Acts 1974 and 2002 when preparing a waste management plan. As part of this, they must consider (in order of priority) the following methods for managing waste:
When preparing a waste management plan, they should also:
Waste management plans should:
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1: The New Zealand Waste Strategy, 2002, Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand, page 25.
2: The New Zealand Waste Strategy, 2002, Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand, pages 23-24.
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