Incident types & distribution around region

The Greater Wellington Regional Council provides a 24-hour pollution response service. The kinds of pollution incidents we respond to are discharges of contaminants to air, water and land, unauthorised works, and noise emissions in the coastal marine area.

Greater Wellington received 1,494 pollution complaints during 2002-2003, relating to 1,140 individual pollution incidents. This is a 12% reduction in the number of complaints received in 2001-2002. The decrease in complaints is mostly because an asphalt manufacturing plant in Tawa, a major source of odour complaints over the last three years, has closed down. This year, there was an increase in complaints about liquid waste, solid waste, hydrocarbon spills and dead stock, and a decrease in complaints relating to sewage discharges, smoke and odour.

The pie charts show a breakdown of incident types and their distribution around the region.  Complaints in the west of the region follow a similar pattern to previous years, most being caused by odour, liquid waste and hydrocarbon spills.  In the Wairarapa, smoke from open burning of rubbish is a more common cause of complaint.

There were two significant discharges to the coastal marine area from the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant near Wellington Airport. One was caused by an overflow of dilute sewage to Lavender Bay during a major storm event and the other by the escape of plastic rings used in the treatment process. Anglian Water International (NZ) Limited (the plant operator) and Wellington City Council are working on ways to reduce the risk of such events happening again.

There was a substantial leak of insulating oil from a buried electricity transmission main between Tawa and Johnsonville. United Networks Limited isolated and repaired the leak promptly, and removed all of the contaminated material.

Greater Wellington took enforcement action for 60 breaches of resource consents or regional plans in 2002-2003, up from 35 in 2001-2002. The increase is largely because of changes to Greater Wellington's odour response protocols, and implementation of the "firm but fair" regulatory ethic.

What is Greater Wellington doing?

Education: we are preparing a Pollution Solution brochure series. The first, Save the drain for rain, is a guide for homeowners about environmentally friendly ways to dispose of rubbish and hazardous substances and keep them out of stormwater drains. This brochure is available from all our offices and from all district and city councils in the region.

In 2002-03, we arranged the collection of 9.2 tonnes of unwanted chemicals from 209 rural properties.  Of this, 3.9 tonnes were disposed of in New Zealand and 3.6 tonnes were exported for disposal.  The balance of 1.7 tonnes was re-issued for use.

Keep rubbish and hazardous substances away from stormwater drains because stormwater pipes carry all stormwater straight to streams or the sea.