Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Resource Management Act 1991

Duties and restrictions under this Act - Discharges

15: Discharge of contaminants into environment

You could also call this:

“Keeping our environment clean: no contaminating water, air, or land without permission”

You cannot discharge contaminants into the environment without permission. You are not allowed to put contaminants into water or onto land if it can get into water. You are also not allowed to discharge contaminants from industrial premises into air or onto land.

You need permission to discharge contaminants, and this can come from a national environmental standard or other regulations, a rule in a regional plan, or a resource consent. If you want to discharge contaminants into the air or onto land, you must follow the rules. You can get permission from other regulations or a resource consent.

There are some exceptions, and you should check if a national environmental standard or other regulations apply. You can also check if a resource consent or a rule in a regional plan applies. If you are allowed to discharge contaminants under section 20A, then you can do so.

This rule does not apply to everything, and you should check if section 15A or section 15B applies to what you are doing. You must follow the rules to protect the environment. You should always check the rules before discharging contaminants.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM231978.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation Environment and resources > Climate and energy
Previous

14: Restrictions relating to water, or

"Rules about taking and using water from rivers, lakes, and the sea"

Next

15A: Restrictions on dumping and incineration of waste or other matter in coastal marine area, or

"You can't throw away or burn stuff in the sea without special permission."

Part 3 Duties and restrictions under this Act
Discharges

15Discharge of contaminants into environment

  1. No person may discharge any—

  2. contaminant or water into water; or
    1. contaminant onto or into land in circumstances which may result in that contaminant (or any other contaminant emanating as a result of natural processes from that contaminant) entering water; or
      1. contaminant from any industrial or trade premises into air; or
        1. contaminant from any industrial or trade premises onto or into land—

          1. unless the discharge is expressly allowed by a national environmental standard or other regulations, a rule in a regional plan as well as a rule in a proposed regional plan for the same region (if there is one), or a resource consent.

          2. No person may discharge a contaminant into the air, or into or onto land, from a place or any other source, whether moveable or not, in a manner that contravenes a national environmental standard unless the discharge—

          3. is expressly allowed by other regulations; or
            1. is expressly allowed by a resource consent; or
              1. is an activity allowed by section 20A.

                1. No person may discharge a contaminant into the air, or into or onto land, from a place or any other source, whether moveable or not, in a manner that contravenes a regional rule unless the discharge—

                2. is expressly allowed by a national environmental standard or other regulations; or
                  1. is expressly allowed by a resource consent; or
                    1. is an activity allowed by section 20A.

                      1. This section shall not apply to anything to which section 15A or section 15B applies.

                      Notes
                      • Section 15(1): amended, on , by section 15(1) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                      • Section 15(2): replaced, on , by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                      • Section 15(2A): inserted, on , by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                      • Section 15(3): inserted, on , by section 5 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1994 (1994 No 105).