July 4 2003
Over August and September 2003, the Ministry for the Environment will roll out the second round of a nationwide series of practical workshops aimed at resource management professionals who have responsibilities for managing the effects of hazardous substances under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). These responsibilities will be affected by the new provisions of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (the HSNO Act).
"The HSNO Act affects councils' responsibilities for preventing or mitigating the adverse effects of the storage, use, disposal or transport of hazardous substances under the Resource Management Act," said Susan Price from the Ministry for the Environment. "We are aware that people are looking for training covering how the RMA and the HSNO Act work together for the management of hazardous substances, so we have moved to meet this need."
The six workshops will focus specifically on the roles and responsibilities of city, district and regional councils for managing the adverse effects of hazardous substances under the RMA in light of the HSNO Act.
"Anyone managing the risks of hazardous substances under the HSNO Act and the RMA needs to attend these workshops," urges Susan Price. "They are very hands on and are specially designed to meet the needs of district and regional council planners and policy analysts and resource management professionals. Environmental health and hazardous substances officers who are interested in the links between the two pieces of legislation should also attend."
Although the provisions of the HSNO Act relating to new organisms have been in force for some time, those affecting hazardous substances came into force on 2 July 2001.
The workshops will be facilitated on the Ministry's behalf by a team of experienced trainers. They Richard Harkness of Montgomery Watson Harza, a Tauranga-based consultancy specialising in Resource Management Act matters, and include Susie Wood of Environment and Business Group, who has extensive experience with hazardous substances, hazardous wastes and the RMA.
Workshop fees are being kept to a minimum to cover the costs of delivering the workshops throughout the country. The workshops are supported by the Ministry for the Environment and are part of the Continuing Professional Development Programme of the New Zealand Planning Institute. For more information about the workshops see the events page or see the workshops announcement. [pdf - 90 kb]
Anyone wanting to know more about the workshops or register for one in their region can download a registration brochure from the New Zealand Planning Institute's website at www.nzplanning.co.nz, or contact Susan Price at the Ministry for the Environment on +64 4 417 7400.