The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and Litter Act 1979 make up the key legislation that regulates waste and litter in New Zealand.
The Government seeks your feedback on ways to make our waste legislation more effective, clear and consistent. The proposed changes are intended to remove inefficiencies, and to clarify the roles and responsibilities for central government, local government and the waste sector.
We propose adjusting the allocation of waste levy funds, to recognise the fixed costs faced by smaller councils. We also propose providing councils with the option to spend their share of the levy on a wider range of waste and environmental priorities.
We want to create a compliance framework that enables central and local government to regulate in a flexible and proportionate way, and at the same time, we are carefully considering any additional regulatory burden. One proposal is a framework for extended producer responsibility – to ensure producers remain accountable for their products even after consumers have used them.
Finally, to increase efficiency and improve cost recovery for littering and dumping, we propose consolidating the Litter Act 1979 and the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.
New Zealand needs fit-for-purpose, modern waste legislation with more options and flexibility to reduce and manage waste effectively and efficiently. I encourage you to have your say and look forward to receiving your input.
Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment
