Waste

The Regional Plan: Waste for Otago (the Waste Plan) assists us in managing Otago's waste issues.

If you want to carry out an activity specifically addressed by the Waste Plan, you must comply with its rules.

Purpose of the plan

While preparing regional plans (other than coast plans) is optional under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), we decided to prepare the Waste Plan to help us carry out our functions under the RMA.

The purpose of the Waste Plan is to combine our approaches to different waste issues, which will help reduce the damage caused by Otago’s waste stream. The Waste Plan sets policies and methods (including rules) to address Otago’s waste issues.

Area covered by the plan

The Waste Plan covers the Otago region, excluding the coastal marine area.

Status of the current waste plan

The Council publicly notified the Waste Plan in May 1994. Following submissions, hearings and appeals, Council made the Waste Plan operative on 11 April 1997.

The table below shows the operative date of the Waste Plan and lists changes to the plan since then.

Key event	Date notified	Date decision released	Date operative
Regional Plan: Waste for Otago (the Waste Plan)			11 April 1997
Plan Change 1 (Omnibus Plan Change)	6 July 2020	30 November 2021 4 March 2022 30 May 2022	9 July 2022

Review of the plan

The Waste Plan is currently under review, and the updated planning framework for managing waste will be included in the new Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP), scheduled to be notified by end of June 2024.

Why you should read the plan

You should read the plan if you're thinking of:

• disposing of waste
• discharging hazardous waste
• disturbing land at contaminated sites
• operating facilities for the treatment or disposal of hazardous wastes
• discharging oil or substances containing oil as a dust suppressant on formed roads (see the dust suppression consenting information)discharging contaminants from landfills (including farm landfills, clean-fill landfills, greenwaste landfills and offal pits)discharging contaminants from composting and silage production

Under the Waste Plan rules:

• you can carry out permitted activities
• you need resource consent for some activities
• you need resource consent for some activities
• you cannot carry out prohibited activities

You will need a resource consent for any activity the Waste Plan states is a controlled, discretionary or non-complying activity.

The Water Plan has rules to control the discharge of contaminants to land or water from activities not covered by the Waste Plan.

Download the Regional Plan: Waste

You can download the complete document or chapters. All files are PDF.

Order a printed copy

There is no cost for copies of the Otago Regional Council - Waste Plan. You can order the plan by the phone 0800 474 082 or email customerservices@orc.govt.nz.