What to do with your flood-related waste

• Priority is to manage/store/reuse on site or at other locations within controlled boundaries to mitigate the risk of Asiatic knotweed transfer from the Motueka Catchment.
• Silt can be taken to a commercial disposal facility or to Council’s site on Best Island (please note that materials can only be accepted at Best Island from approved contractors/service providers - call Council on 03 543 8400 to apply to take materials to this facility). Charges may apply.
• Where removal off site is required, transport is at own cost. As always please keep details for subsequent insurance claims. 
• If you are unable to find a solution, please contact us on 543 8400 for advice.

• If moving/reusing materials onto another site be careful where you place the material.  
• Council is not able to give approval for emergency work on private land unless the work is a public work. 
• Fill material that results in raising land or creating bunds can often have effects for you or your neighbour and it’s better to understand these before putting time and money behind it.  
• The compliance and consents teams at Council can give advice on how to manage silt as fill on your land. Contact them through Council on 03 543 8400. We have prepared a guidance document for landowners. Read more here.  
• Silt can be taken to Council’s site on Best Island (please note that materials can only be accepted at Best Island from approved contractors/service providers - call Council on 03 543 8400 to apply to take materials to this facility). Charges may apply. 
  Where removal off site is required, transport is at own cost.   
• If you are unable to find a solution, please contact us on 543 8400 for advice.
• Priority is to manage/store/reuse on site or at other locations within controlled boundaries to mitigate the risk of Asiatic knotweed transfer from the Motueka Catchment. 

• Must not be put on public land or roadside reserves
• Focus on clearing the area around your home and paved areas, and where you can, keep the material on your property
• The cost of clearing silt from your land may be covered by the Natural Hazards Commission (NHC). Take photos and keep good records of any costs incurred.
• Saturated silt under houses may require specialist contractor support to remove and this material should be taken to a consented disposal facility. There is one commercial facility in Motueka and one in Richmond and Council’s disposal site on Best Island may be available – please ask your contractor to contact Council on 03 543 8400 to arrange. 
• Our silt disposal sites have closed, but if you still have silt that need to be disposed of, call us on 543 8400 and we can help find a solution.
   

• Our preferred approach is for homeowners to deal with their insurance company to remove flood damaged household waste using their insurance cover.
• Disposal of waste by contractors engaged by insurance companies is at the contractor’s cost.  

• The deadline for free dumping of flood damaged materials has expired. We will now work on a needs-based system, so please contact us on 03 543 8400 if you still have waste to get rid of.  

• Woody waste should be dealt with on site where possible.  
• Council is investigating longer term support options such as industrial scale chipping and consented clean burning through approved contractor.  
• Separate wood from other wastes to avoid disposal costs.If badly contaminated with other materials, treat woody debris as mixed flood waste. Large loads must be disposed to York Valley landfill and normal charges apply.
• If considering burning on-site at some stage, the compliance team are happy to have a conversation about your plans – contact them via Council on 03 543 8400, for example if you are in a Fire Sensitive Area. 

• Landowners have the option of separating wire from posts and disposing at Richmond or Mariri resource recovery centres at no cost (recoverable posts will be returned to the community)
• Fence posts can have fastenings and small lengths (<0.5m) of wire attached.
  • Wire: Minimize contamination with other materials (e.g. plastics, organics). This will be recycled as scrap metal, free if charge.
  • Bundled fence posts and wire can’t be accepted at resource recovery centres and must be taken to York Valley landfill by an approved contractor – commercial rates will apply.  
• Further support for recovering fence posts may be investigated if there is further demand. 

• Council is funding recycling of some agricultural plastic flood waste through the Plasback scheme, at no cost to landowners. This is to encourage best practice disposal of these materials and avoid landfilling or burning.
• This service is for agricultural plastic flood waste only and will end on 30 September 2025.
• There are strict material type and contamination conditions that must be met.

 What to do:

• Check that your material meets the conditions in the table below.
• Take the material to Mariri Resource Recovery Centre and ask the kiosk staff to use the council funded Plasback recycling bins.
• There will be a separate bin for each material stream. Please do not mix materials from different streams.

Note

• Agrichemical containers are not part of this service – See the Hazardous waste section for information on how to dispose these.
• In some cases, we may be able to arrange collection of this recycling directly from volunteer groups or landowners who are collecting a large volume of either material stream. The same material standards apply. Please contact council to discuss this option. 

• Extensive coastal/marine clean-up operations have been undertaken by the harbourmaster.
• Community clean ups on public land are also encouraged.  Free waste disposal is available through Council for waste collected on public land. More information is available here.
• Please separate as much as possible to ensure safe disposal.
• If significant quantities or large items are found, call Council on 03 543 8400 for advice. 

• Insurance company should be tasked with disposal as part of your claim.
• Council is investigating options available to people for disposal (either drop-off or collection) and will share this information when it is available.  
• If vehicle is abandoned on public land– Council will organise collection and disposal. Please call 03 543 8400. 

• Retain on property, away from rivers and streams.
• Landowners can deliver up to 5 clean tyres per day to Council Resource Recovery Centres. There will be no charge as the tyres will be processed through the Tyrewise product stewardship scheme.  
• Any tyres in excess of 5 per day will be charged at landfill rates.
• Multiple deliveries of tyres on separate days by individual landowners is allowable. 
   
   

• In the first instance contact your insurer to identify cost (and remember that the Mayoral Relief Fund may also be available where support required
• Please check with Council if any consents are required before starting any demolition work, information can be found here.
• Full demolition of a building is exempt work under the Building Act 2004.
• Partial demolition (removal) of a part of your building will require a building consent.
• Replacing wall linings damaged by the event is considered repair work and does not require a building consent.
• If unsure, please get in contact with the Council Duty Building Technical Officer to discuss your specific case.
• Be aware of potential hazardous materials such as asbestos - please ensure that this type of waste is handled by professional contractors.
• Large scale demolition waste should go direct to the York Valley landfill. Our Resource Recovery Centres cannot accept large and bulky materials which could damage our compactors and other equipment.
• Where you are able, consider deconstruction and segregating clean reusable materials - this may reduce your disposal costs and lead to better waste outcomes.  Some of these materials may be able to be accepted free of charge at the Richmond Resource Recovery Centre, where Council is running a trial to recover this type of materials - more information here. On this page you will also find our local diversion directory for building materials which may provide other options.  

• If unsure about hazardous materials call Council and we will arrange for a waste advisor to contact you.  
• Household hazardous waste: Free disposal at Nelson City Councils transfer station at Pascoe Street after completing this form (pdf 437 KB). 
• Agricultural chemical containers:
  • Empty: Triple rinse and dispose at no cost at RRCs through Agrecovery scheme
  • Not empty: 0800 AGRECOVERY – check website if any charges apply here on the Agrecovery website.
• Fridges and air conditioning units must go to transfer stations for degassing. Charges will be waived for flood damaged items 
• Damaged buildings may contain asbestos – please ensure that appropriate contractors are used for assessing and act as required.