Key points

Many industrial and farming activities can cause chemical contamination of soil, air and water. Contaminated sites can threaten people’s health and the environment. Environment Waikato is working with site owners, the city and district councils and health authorities to reduce the risks associated with contaminated sites. This indicator shows progress being made in remediating or managing contaminated sites so that they are no longer a threat.

• Seventy-eight previously contaminated sites in the Waikato region have now been remediated or managed so that they no longer pose a threat to people or the environment.

Source: Environment Waikato

What agencies are doing

• Environment Waikato works with the City and district councils in our Region to identify and deal with contaminated sites.
• We have been working with the Ministry for the Environment to develop guidelines for identifying contaminated sites (‘Classification and Information Management Protocols for Contaminated Land’). We manage contaminated sites according to these guidelines.

What you can do to help

• Minimise the effects of hazardous substances in our environment by:
• Using hazardous substances only when absolutely necessary.
• Applying safe practice when using and storing hazardous substances.
• Transporting hazardous substances safely.
• Disposing of hazardous substances correctly.
• Be aware of hazardous substances and apply safe practice at home, on the farm and in industry.

More information

More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.

What we want to achieve

The community outcomes we are seeking to achieve by monitoring and managing contaminated sites are:

• The iconic landscapes and natural features of our environment define and sustain us. We respect and celebrate them as taonga.
• Our natural environment is protected and respected. Its ecological balance is restored, its air, soil and water quality is improved and its native biodiversity is enhanced.
• The traditional role of iwi and hapu as kaitiaki is acknowledged, respected and enabled.
• Our region’s waterways have consistently high water quality.