Litter Act 1979

Litter Control Officers

8: Litter Wardens

You could also call this:

"People chosen by councils to help keep public places clean and tidy are called Litter Wardens"

You can be appointed as a Litter Warden by a public authority, like a council. This happens in the same way as Litter Control Officers are appointed, as stated in section 5. The authority can choose anyone they think is suitable for the job.

You can do most of the same tasks as a Litter Control Officer when you are a Litter Warden. However, you can only work in certain public places that your authority is in charge of. Your warrant of appointment will say where you can work and what tasks you can do.

As a Litter Warden, you have the same powers as a Litter Control Officer when doing your job. But you cannot do some tasks, like acting as an Officer for the purposes of section 10 or issuing an infringement notice under section 14.

The Governor-General can also appoint people to be Litter Wardens, and they can change or cancel these appointments. If the Governor-General makes an order about Litter Wardens, it is a type of law called secondary legislation, which has to be published in a certain way, as explained in Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

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This page was last updated on 19 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM33438.

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationGovernment and voting > Local councils

7: Powers and duties of Officers, or

"What Litter Control Officers can and must do to stop littering"

9: Receptacles to be provided in public places, or

"Public places must have enough litter bins to keep them clean and free from rubbish."

8Litter Wardens

Every public authority may from time to time, either alone or jointly with another public authority or public authorities, appoint in the same manner as is provided under section 5 for the appointment of Officers, any suitable person or persons (whether already employed by the authority or not) to be a Litter Warden, and may at any time revoke any such appointment so made.
Every Warden may exercise all the duties of an Officer, except such as may be specified in his warrant of appointment, in such public places under the control or within the district or districts of the authority or authorities which appointed him as may be so specified.
A Warden shall have all the powers and authorities of an Officer in carrying out his duties, but shall have no authority to act as an Officer for the purposes of section 10 or to issue an infringement notice under section 14.
The Governor-General may, from time to time by Order in Council, appoint any persons, whether in groups or classes, to be Wardens; and may in like manner revoke or vary any appointment so made.
An order under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

Notes

Section 8(5): inserted, on 28 October 2021, by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).