The fine for contaminating water jumps from $750 to $1500 for an individual, and twice that for a company. Photo: LDR
West Coast companies polluting land or water are now risking fines of $3000 - four times the amount they've been up for in the past.
New and much harsher penalties come into force nationally this week under amendments to the Government's Resource Management regulations.
It followed concerns the old fees could be seen by some as a minor cost of doing business, rather than a serious penalty.
The new infringement fees are higher for companies breaking the rules, than for individuals, the West Coast Regional Council heard today [Tuesday].
Currently, the maximum fine for contaminating water is $750.
This rises to $1500 for an individual and twice that for a company.
Discharges from industrial or trade premises that contaminate the environment will cost $2000 for an individual, and $4000 for a company.
Flouting an abatement notice will also trigger a penalty of up to $4000, and similar increases take effect for a range of other infringements.
Regulatory and Policy manager Jo Field told the Resource Management Committee the fees had not been adjusted since the RMA became law in 1999.
"Over time these fees often became less expensive than the cost of complying with the regulations.
"This created a perverse incentive to simply pay the infringement fee, rather than invest ... to meet the environmental obligations," Field reported.
Parliament had raised the statutory maximum fees that could be imposed in 2020, and the Ministry for the Environment had set the new regulations this year.
It had also made other improvements, including distinguishing between companies and individuals, and using clearer legal language to create a more robust and fairer compliance system, Ms Field said.
The updated offences and fees are designed to be a more effective deterrent, she said.
"The old fees were often seen as a minor cost of doing business, rather than a serious penalty."
West Coast Regional Council chair Peter Haddock said he hoped council staff would take a "common sense" approach to imposing the new rules, in response to "recidivist" complainants.
The council receives a number of complaints each month about discoloured creeks in catchments where alluvial goldmines are operating.
"In heavy rain, every creek on the Coast runs dirty, and people call the council complaining," Haddock said.
West Coast Regional Council chair Peter Haddock. Photo: LDR / Lois Williams
Run off from cleared land or and various sources was inevitable without riparian planting, and there should be a 24-hour period allowed for creeks and rivers to settle down after rainfall, (before council inspection) he suggested.
The new rules and infringement penalties take effect from this Thursday.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
