Report: Guidelines for the safe application of biosolids to land in New Zealand
NZWWA - Guidelines for the Safe Application of Biosolids to Land in New Zealand
August 2003
These Guidelines for the Safe Application of Biosolids to Land in New Zealand contain information and recommendations to assist producers, dischargers and regulators (regional councils) to manage the discharge of biosolids to land in New Zealand. The recommendations contained in these Guidelines will only gain “force” if councils choose to incorporate them into their regional plans (e.g. by way of rules) or in resource consent conditions. They do not have any legal status on their own, and only provide guidance. Users of these Guidelines should note, however, that the Ministry for the Environment is proposing to develop national environmental standards for the application of biosolids to land, under the Resource Management Act. National environmental standards are regulations that have legal standing above regional plans unless the regional plans set more stringent requirements.
The aims of these Guidelines are to:
- Safeguard the life-supporting capacity of soils
- Promote the responsible use of biosolids
- Protect public health and the environment
- Identify the risks associated with biosolids use and promote best practice for minimising such risks
- Encourage local authorities to adopt a consistent approach to regulating the application of biosolids to land
- Create awareness within the community of the benefits and risks of biosolids use
- Minimise the risk to the economy
The “Guidelines for the Safe Application of Biosolids to Land” (2003) are being updated. The update is currently in draft form “Guidelines for Beneficial Reuse of Organic Materials on Productive Land” (2017).