Historic landfills have turned into a headache for many in recent years, but a boost from this year’s Budget is hoped to change that.
The Ministry for the Environment (MFE) is aware of around 3,000 legacy dumps across New Zealand, some of which date back nearly 100 years.
MFE spokesperson Conrad Lendrum told 1News that number is only the ones it is aware of.
“Beyond that there are further contaminated sites that are known of and many others that are not.
“Being legacy, there’s many of these sites… predate the Resource Management Act in 1991 and so the management of the disposal of this waste was not as good as it is today,” he said.
In recent times, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has been proactive to remove a landfill near our tourist gem, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi due to the risk from two nearby rivers.
The contaminated site dates back to the 1930s, but has been closed since the 1980s.
DOC Programme Manager Phil Goulter told 1News all of the 250 legacy landfills on conservation land predates DOC as an organisation.
“So now we are responsible for resolving… and understanding the risk those landfills may pose,” he said.
So far, a team of contractors have found domestic rubbish along with car parts, oil waste and even asbestos.
DOC Project Manager Peter McGrouther said: “We’ve discovered a lot of crockery, a lot of bottles, a lot of plates and a lot of stuff that would actually really be detrimental to Milford Sound if it got out, if there was a flood and the river was through here.”
“It’s all based on the risk to the environment [and] the risk to human health,” he said.
Lendrum told 1News: “The risk is that with climate change that these sites are increasingly exposed to severe weather events and flooding and other inundation.”
“So it’s a significant risk for the country, ” he added.
But the exercise for many councils, government organisations and private landowners is the expense to remove them.
The 8200m2 Milford Sound/Piopiotahi dump, known as Little Tahiti landfill, has cost DOC around $4m to clean up.
The organisation annual budget for work specifically around contaminated land is $2m.
Goulter told 1News: “Each landfill is quite unique, and it depends on its setting and its complexities. So I wouldn’t say that $4 million is a guide for every landfill.”
Many authorities rely on external funds from the Ministry of the Environment to co-fund many projects.
The government has approved an $80m boost over four years to help contribute and speed up the removal the high priority sites – to avoid an environmental disaster.
Last year, the government gave nearly $7m to help council’s clear four sites, including at Bluecliffs in Southland, as the old contaminated locations became emergencies.
Presently, DOC has also begun work to maintain an landfill from erosion at Ocean Beach near Bluff, but it is across a number of different landowners.
There is hope now the fund will make a difference for many landowners.
Lendrum told 1News, “it is a headache for the current generations to pick up… that historical lack of management of waste, but I think we’ve made significant strides on the back of the Resource Management Act and further the Waste Minimisation Act and through a number of central and local government initiatives.”
He said the new fund is open for applications.
