Activity: Monitoring and Enforcement

The Monitoring Activity undertakes the role of regulatory enforcement for which Council has responsibility; such as resource consent monitoring, District Plan and Resource Management Act breaches, bylaw enforcement and Litter Act.

Council is responsible for complying with legislation designed to safeguard public health and welfare, minimise environmental risk and protection of cultural interests; such as the Resource Management Act 1991, Litter Act 1979, Local Government Act 1974 and 2002.

Key facts 

The Monitoring activity carries out the functions of, amongst others:

• Monitoring of resource consent conditions.
• Investigating breaches of the District Plan and Resource Management Act.
• Investigating reports of illegal dumping of rubbish (Litter Act).
• Licensing and enforcement under Council’s general bylaws.
• Inspection of on-site wastewater systems.
• Maˉori Freehold Land and rating inspections. 
• Smoke and fire nuisance.
• Emergency events and Civil Defence responses.

Our major achievements in 2012/13 

Highlights of our progress during 2012/13 include:

• Reviewed the skating bylaw to restrict the use of bicycles on footpaths through community consultation and a decision-making process with Council. 
• On-going training to up-skill staff to fill specialised Civil Defence roles. 
• Council are utilising 10 surveillance cameras around the Far North district and are working with contractors to provide evidence from illegally dumped rubbish on state highways. Council are targeting areas of high levels of illegal dumping and infringing or prosecuting identified offenders. 
• Standardised conditions automated electronically within Council’s system (Pathways) for assessing and processing purposes. 

Challenges we experienced 

• An increase in mobile shop operators trading without licenses, throughout the district.  
• Illegal campers on the road reserve, parks and reserves throughout the district. 
• A large volume of tyre and rubbish dumping is occurring throughout the district. 

Plans for the next 12 months 

• Continue to exceed target response times for “Requests for Service”.
• Expand the resource consent monitoring to include subdivision consent notices.
• Continue to target areas of illegal dumping of rubbish.
• Continue to keep pace with reviews of policies and bylaws in accordance with the Local Government Act 2002 requirements.