Hazardous Substances
Agricultural Chemicals
There is clear evidence of the health risks and negative environmental impacts of with inappropriate disposal of chemicals, specifically in relation to waste plastics. Chemical recycling opportunities have also significantly increased in the last 5-10 years. Agrecovery is a not-for-profit charitable trust, and is designed to help reduce both the environmental and health risks of doing things “the way they’ve always been done”. Burning or burying these products and their packaging is no longer accepted practice, this is not necessary due to the nationwide availability of Agrecovery services. Keeping old or unwanted agrichemicals stored on your property presents an unnecessary risk to staff and family, livestock, pets and the environment.
Agrecovery uses qualified chemical contractors for the collection and disposal of your unwanted agricultural chemicals. Chemicals are disposed as appropriate according to New Zealand regulations. Depending on the class of chemical, these are either disposed of in New Zealand or in France in special high temperature incineration plants.
However, Agrecovery does not take household or garden chemicals. If you would like to know more about the criteria for disposing of these items, please email the Environmental Health Officer for more information health@tararuadc.govt.nz.
Asbestos
Asbestos and asbestos related building products and materials up until the 1990s were commonly used in New Zealand construction due to its strength, durability and resistance to fire and water. Worksafe New Zealand is the agency responsible for the legislation that manages the removal and disposal of these hazardous materials under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016. Worksafe have a range of fact sheets available for Asbestos including locations where asbestos may be found in the home, personal protective equipment to use if working with asbestos and guidelines for the disposal of asbestos waste.
Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 | New Zealand Legislation
Personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with asbestos | WorkSafe
Where to dispose of asbestos | WorkSafe
If you suspect that you may have asbestos in the home and would like to get it tested it is recommended that you contact a Worksafe licenced contractor for further information. At this time, there are no registered contractors available in the Tararua District and you may need to look to the Hawkes Bay or the Manawatu regions for assistance. The approved licence holder register can be found below.
If the testing comes back positive for asbestos there is no cause for concern if the product is in good condition, free from damage and is contained within a few layers of good quality paint. However if the asbestos is damaged, you may want to start thinking about contacting a professional for advice. You should also think about the areas on external claddings, including fibre cement products that you maybe drilling into as this may incidentally expose you to asbestos dusts. Under no circumstances should you water blast Super Six cement roof sheeting or attempt to remove large amounts of asbestos yourself, especially decorative coatings (stippled) on internal ceiling linings without first testing for asbestos.
Unfortunately, in the Tararua District there are no approved facilities where you can dispose of hazardous wastes containing asbestos. For more information for disposal of asbestos it is recommended that you contact the Rangitikei District Council or the Central Hawkes' Bay District Council for fees and restrictions for accepting hazardous materials.